Chapter 16
Athena first mentioned the account Dylan’s mother had at the Swiss Bank. Then, she brought up the vice president of Foster Company. She spoke with confidence, without hesitation or any attempt to negotiate.
This completely caught Dylan off guard.
All afternoon, he had been feeling a sense of unease. He suspected that putting the blame on Athena might not hold up. However, he had covered his tracks well, making it nearly impossible for Athena to gather solid evidence against him.
Even so, Athena’s direct accusations left him momentarily speechless.
“Dylan, you—?” Eric’s voice wavered as he processed the revelation. He turned to look at Dylan in shock.
Eric had always placed his trust in Dylan, even mentoring him personally. When the data tampering issue surfaced, Eric suspected many people—but never Dylan.
Now, recalling the details, he realized it was Dylan who had retrieved the data from the Office of the President.
“Eric, it’s not me!” Dylan denied, his voice rising in desperation. He pointed at Athena and accused, “She’s just trying to frame me to cover up her own mistakes!”
Athena remained calm. “You know the truth.”
Eric exhaled sharply and turned to Athena. “Athena, I know you’ve been wronged in all of this. Please give me some time—I’ll make sure your name is cleared.”
Although Eric hadn’t worked with Athena for long, he was observant. He knew she was meticulous in her work. If she had openly accused Dylan, then she must have had proof.
However, Eric still wanted to salvage the situation. Dylan was young and had a promising career ahead of him.
“I’m sorry,” Athena said, shaking her head.
Before Eric could respond, the glass doors of the sales department suddenly swung open.
A group of uniformed officers from the economic investigation unit entered the room.
Dylan’s face turned pale. He glared at Athena in shock and fury. “You… you called the authorities?”
The lead officer displayed his credentials. “Dylan Jackson? You are under investigation for violations related to corporate competition and financial misconduct. We need you to come with us.”
Panic set in. Dylan clutched Eric’s arm, his voice trembling. “Eric, help me! You know I didn’t mean any harm!”
Eric clenched his jaw. He had no words left. The situation was beyond his control now.
The officers stepped forward, preparing to take Dylan into custody.
Seeing no way out, Dylan’s fear turned into anger. “You want to know why I did it?” he suddenly shouted. His expression twisted with resentment. “Because no matter how hard I worked, you never promoted me! You kept me as your assistant while others moved ahead! I have a family to support—three kids who need to go to top schools abroad! I needed the money!”
Athena, unfazed, turned to the officer in charge, explaining a few details regarding the case. She was preparing to return to the Office of the President to submit a formal incident report.
Meanwhile, the officers pulled out handcuffs and reached for Dylan.
But just as Athena turned to leave— Dylan shoved past the officers.
He grabbed the heavy sales award trophy from the desk and hurled it toward Athena.
Gasps filled the room.
“Athena, watch out!” someone screamed.
Athena barely had time to react. Instinctively, she crouched down.
A loud crash followed.
The trophy shattered the already-weakened glass door, sending cracks spreading in all directions before the entire panel gave way.
The shattered glass fell toward Athena.
She felt a sharp, searing pain as fragments cut into her skin.
“Athena!”
Voices erupted around her.
The officers quickly subdued Dylan, pinning him to the ground.
At that moment, Byron arrived.
His usual composed demeanor disappeared the second he saw Athena on the floor, covered in blood.
His eyes darkened with concern. Without hesitation, he strode forward.
“Oh my god! She’s bleeding!” Esme was the closest to Athena and immediately tried to help her up.
Athena’s hands were deeply cut, shards embedded in her skin, and blood trailed onto the floor.
“I’m fine…” Athena’s voice was weak.
“Esme, please call an ambulance…”
But before Esme could respond— “Athena!”
A deep, urgent voice interrupted.
Startled, Athena looked up.
Byron had already crouched beside her, gently but firmly holding her injured hands. His expression was unreadable, but his grip was steady.
From across the room, Dylan, still restrained, sneered. “Without Byron, you’re nothing. Just wait! Once I’m out, you’ll regret this!”
Byron’s expression darkened further.
He had already pieced together what had happened. His gaze turned cold as he shot a glare in Dylan’s direction.
Byron was about to lift Athena into his arms when— “Oh my god, what happened here?”
A sweet, feminine voice rang out from behind him.
Athena’s heart clenched.
A stunning woman with golden-blonde hair and flawless skin stepped into view.
Athena had seen her before—in search engine results.
Heather Ross.
Byron’s fiancée.
Athena immediately withdrew her hands from Byron’s grasp.
Her breathing quickened.
“It’s just a minor injury,” she said quickly. “I’ll handle it myself.”
Byron froze.
Athena forced herself to stand, gripping Esme’s arm for support.
Her left hand was still dripping with blood.
“Athena, let me—” Byron started.
“Esme, can you take me to the hospital?” Athena interrupted.
Esme was on the verge of tears. “Of course! My car is parked out front. Let’s go now!”
Without another glance at Byron, Athena left, practically fleeing the sales department.
The nearest hospital was just half a mile away, but the traffic signals slowed them down.
Esme drove as fast as she could.
Athena remained silent the entire way, her face pale. She had no energy to think about anything except the well-being of her unborn child.
Finally, they arrived at the emergency room.
The medical staff assessed her injuries and prepared anesthetics to numb the pain before removing the embedded glass.
Athena hesitated.
“I don’t need anesthesia,” she said.
The nurse looked at her in surprise. “It will be painful.”
“I can handle it.”
The procedure was agonizing. The sterilization, the removal of shards, the stitches—it felt like an eternity.
But Athena remained silent, enduring it all.
Her mind drifted.
So, that’s why Byron had driven out earlier today.
Not for business.
Not for anything urgent.
He had gone to pick up his fiancée.
Heather was even more stunning in person than in her photos and videos.
Byron really was fortunate.