Chapter 173 You Did Come to Save Me
Byron held Athena tightly, feeling her small body relax against him. The weight of the night, the bloodshed, and the terror seemed to vanish for a brief moment. She was alive. She was safe. That was all that mattered.
As he made his way out of the mansion, the anger within him burned, but it was tempered by the relief that came with Athena’s survival. Every step he took away from Erik’s twisted lair was a small victory.
Byron could hear the anguished screams echoing behind him, Erik’s voice fading into the distance. But his focus was entirely on Athena—on the woman who had been through so much, who had risked everything for a chance to escape.
When they reached the car, Byron gently placed Athena in the backseat. Her breathing was slow but steady, the exhaustion of her ordeal weighing heavily on her fragile frame. He leaned in close to her, brushing a lock of hair from her face, and whispered, “We’re going home.”
Liam and the other bodyguards took their positions, making sure no one would follow them. As the car drove off, the tension in the air was palpable, but Byron kept his eyes on Athena, unwilling to look away from the woman who had captured his heart despite the chaos that surrounded them.
Athena stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open as she looked up at him. She whispered weakly, “Byron… what happened to Erik?”
Byron’s jaw tightened, his thoughts turning to the man who had nearly ended her life. “He won’t be a problem anymore,” Byron said coldly, the anger in his voice unmistakable. “He’ll never hurt you again.”
Athena gave a faint nod, her eyelids heavy. She wanted to ask more, to understand everything that had happened, but the exhaustion overtook her. “I just want to sleep,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Sleep, Thea,” Byron urged gently, his hand brushing over her forehead. “You’re safe now. I’ll take care of everything.”
As Athena drifted into an uneasy sleep, Byron sat beside her, his mind racing with thoughts of the future. He knew that Erik would be dealt with, but he also knew that their journey was far from over. The darkness they had just escaped would always haunt them, and the threats to Athena were far from over. But for now, he held onto the one thing that mattered most: she was alive.
And no matter what it took, he would make sure it stayed that way.