Chapter 168 I’ll Love You More Than He Does
Athena’s heart pounded in her chest as she forced herself to breathe through the nausea, struggling to keep her focus. Every moment spent in that room with Erik felt like a lifetime. She could feel the weight of her helplessness pressing down on her. But deep down, she knew one thing—she couldn’t let him win. She couldn’t let him break her.
Erik stood there, his face twisted with disgust as he looked at the stain on his carpet, the joy he once had in the situation now quickly slipping into frustration. His eyes flickered with a dark, violent energy, but he didn’t move closer immediately. Athena’s retching was a reminder of how little control he truly had.
“You stain my carpet, and then you vomit on my things?” Erik hissed, his voice barely contained. “You think you can get away with this?”
Athena’s stomach churned, but she refused to show any more weakness. She steadied her breathing, keeping her head low, hoping to buy time. She had no idea if anyone would come for her—if Byron even realized something was wrong. But she couldn’t afford to waste any more time feeling sorry for herself. She had to survive.
In a steady, almost mechanical voice, she muttered, “Maybe if your driver wasn’t so rough, I wouldn’t have to deal with this. Or maybe you should’ve considered that before kidnapping me.”
The words were defiant, but they were the only weapon she had right now—her words. Erik, though irritated, seemed to pause, as if considering her. He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing.
“You think you’re in a position to talk back to me?” Erik growled, stepping closer again. “I’m giving you a chance, Athena. A chance to be with someone who can actually give you what you want. Byron? He doesn’t care about you the way I do. He’s not strong enough to appreciate what you have to offer.”
Athena’s mind whirled with the sickening realization of what he intended. He thought he could manipulate her, that his twisted game of control could break her down. She needed to hold on. She needed to stay strong.
“If you think I’ll ever choose you over Byron, you’re even more delusional than I thought,” Athena spat, her voice sharp and cutting. Her head was starting to clear, the fog of nausea lifting. “You’re sick, Erik. I’ll never be yours. Not now, not ever.”
Erik’s eyes darkened. He stepped back for a moment, almost as if taking a breath, before his lips curled into a sinister smile. “We’ll see about that, Athena. We’ll see if your precious Byron will come to save you. Or if you’ll be begging me by the time he does.”
Athena’s heart skipped a beat at his words. She couldn’t afford to think about Byron right now. She couldn’t afford to think about anything except how to get out of this situation alive. But deep down, she still held on to the hope that Byron would come for her. He had to.
Her gaze swept the room again, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon, anything that could give her a moment of leverage. But Erik was watching her closely, every movement scrutinized. She couldn’t afford to make a mistake.
The door to the room suddenly opened, and Athena’s breath caught in her throat. A man entered—a figure unfamiliar to her—but someone who made Erik pause and glance toward him, a flicker of surprise passing over his face. Was this someone else Erik had brought with him, or was this her chance?
Athena’s pulse quickened, a new thread of hope twisting inside her. She could only pray this wasn’t another of Erik’s manipulations. But maybe, just maybe, this was the break she needed.