Chapter 197 Love at First Sight
The line went dead, and Heather’s voice was left hanging in the air, filled with desperation. She stood there in the silence, staring at the phone, as if willing Byron to pick up and end this cruel conversation differently. But the harsh reality of his words echoed in her mind: make a good decision.
Her grip tightened around the phone, her mind racing. How could he just dismiss her like this? They were supposed to be partners, allies, but now Byron was forcing her into a corner, threatening everything she thought she could rely on. His words cut through her thoughts like a blade, each syllable making her more anxious, more uncertain.
“Are you really not afraid of offending my father at all?”
The question repeated in her mind. She had always believed that her family’s power would shield her, that no matter what happened, they could always rely on the Ross family’s influence to protect them. But Byron had shattered that illusion. He was no longer the man she thought he was—no longer someone who would bow to her family’s wishes or be swayed by their pressure.
The silence in the room felt suffocating as Heather sank into a chair, her eyes filled with tears she could no longer hold back. The sting of rejection, the feeling of betrayal—her heart ached with the weight of it all. She had loved Byron, truly. But now, it seemed that love was nothing more than a distant dream. He had never cared for her the way she cared for him. She was just another pawn in a game he was playing.
She wiped her tears away angrily, her thoughts turning colder. If Byron thinks he can cast me aside like this, he’s wrong.
Her father, who had always been her source of strength, now seemed distant and out of reach. The pressure to repair the Ross family’s image and salvage their reputation had been mounting, but Byron had made it clear that he no longer saw value in maintaining that connection. Heather had no choice but to fight back.
She stood up abruptly, her mind now set. She had one last card to play. If Byron wanted a battle, she would give him one.
Back in Byron’s office, he leaned back in his chair, his fingers running over the edge of the desk, deep in thought. The call with Heather had been draining, but it had also confirmed something he already knew—she wasn’t the innocent, sweet woman she pretended to be. Her jealousy, her lies, her manipulation—it all made sense now. She had never truly been in love with him. She had just wanted control.
Byron wasn’t surprised by her emotions. After all, Heather had always been good at playing the victim. What did surprise him, however, was how deeply entangled she had become in Erik’s schemes. Byron had spent days gathering information from Erik’s phone, sifting through call logs and messages. The connection between Heather and Erik was undeniable. They were both playing a dangerous game, and Byron was no longer interested in being their pawn.
He pressed his fingers to his temples, the weight of the situation heavy on his shoulders. I need to be careful. He thought of Athena, of everything she had been through. She had no idea how much deeper the conflict was about to get, how much more dangerous it would become for her.
Byron’s phone buzzed again, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a message from his assistant, alerting him that Tyler and his friends had been released from the police station. The assistant’s report also indicated that Tyler was more agitated than usual—perhaps something had gone wrong in his plan to sabotage Athena.
Byron narrowed his eyes. I’ll handle this myself.
He stood up, grabbing his coat. It was time to make sure Heather and Tyler knew who was in control. And it was time for Athena to understand just how deep the roots of this family conflict ran. He couldn’t afford to show weakness now, not with everything at stake.
Meanwhile, Athena was still reeling from the conversations of the day, trying to process everything that had been said. The bitter words exchanged with Rose, the new revelations about her family’s past—it was all too much. She sat in her room, staring out of the window at the city below, her thoughts spiraling.
The situation with Tyler was only getting worse. She had heard the rumors he was spreading about her, the lies he was telling to get what he wanted. But it wasn’t just Tyler—there were so many other forces at play, and they were all aiming to bring her down. It felt like she was fighting a battle on all sides, and she was beginning to wonder if she had the strength to keep going.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Jaxson.
I’m getting some information about Tyler. I’ll keep you updated.
Athena sighed, running a hand through her hair. She didn’t need Jaxson to tell her what was going on; she already knew. But she appreciated the gesture. There was no point in denying it—she was tangled in a web she hadn’t asked for, and it seemed like the only way out was to face it head-on.
With a determined look in her eyes, Athena stood up. It was time to stop hiding, to take control of her own fate.
As the night wore on, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Byron’s plans were unfolding, and Athena was unknowingly at the center of it all. The storm was coming, and neither she nor anyone else would be able to avoid it.