Chapter 227 Don’t Go to Her!
“No, I can’t leave until I see her wake up,” Athena said firmly, her voice unwavering despite the exhaustion that had settled in her body. The thought of leaving the hospital before Evie regained consciousness was unbearable.
George didn’t push further. He understood, settling in quietly beside her outside the ICU. The night grew darker around them, the fluorescent lights above casting a sterile glow in the hallway.
Meanwhile, Sally, who had witnessed the confrontation between Athena and Byron earlier that day, stood in the shadows, reflecting on everything that had happened. Athena’s face had been pale, her eyes hollow with pain, and Sally couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. She had wanted to expose Byron, to show Athena the truth, but now, seeing Athena in such a dismal state, she wasn’t so sure anymore.
Sally knew that sometimes people would rather live in the comfort of beautiful lies than face the harsh truth. The truth was ugly, it cut deep, and it was rarely kind. She had started the day with good intentions for Athena, but as the hours passed, she realized something else: the one who would suffer the most in all of this wouldn’t be Byron, no matter what he had done—it would be Athena, the woman who had built her world around him.
She considered everything she had witnessed and, despite her reservations, decided to call Athena later that night.
The phone rang several times before Athena picked up, her voice distant.
Sally breathed a sigh of relief when the call was answered. “I was scared to death. I thought you wouldn’t pick up again.”
There was a long silence before Athena’s voice came through, calm but laced with tension. “You knew Byron was with someone in the hospital. You let me go over to see it on purpose, didn’t you?”
Sally winced at the question but didn’t lie. “Yes, I did it intentionally. But I swear, I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I understand,” Athena replied, her voice flat but surprisingly composed. “It’s better to see clearly earlier than to get hurt later.”
There was a brief pause before Sally spoke again, her voice hesitant. “You won’t stay with Byron anymore, right?”
“No. No more,” Athena’s words came as a quiet resolution, one that didn’t carry the weight of sadness but of finality.
“Ah?” Sally was taken aback. “I thought… I thought you would be reluctant. You always seemed so dependent on him.”
Athena’s laugh was bitter. “Men are everywhere. I’ll just find someone else.”
Sally was momentarily stunned by Athena’s coldness, impressed by her strength. But then Athena’s tone shifted, and she spoke with a sharp edge.
“Ms. Campbell, I suggest you run while you can,” Athena warned, her words heavy with implication.
“What do you mean?” Sally’s heart skipped a beat. “You’re not going to betray me, are you?”
Athena sighed, a touch of exasperation creeping into her voice. “Byron will investigate why I showed up at the hospital today. He’ll check the surveillance footage. You won’t be able to hide from him.”
Sally’s pulse quickened, panic flooding her chest. “Okay, okay! I understand. I’ll buy a plane ticket right now.”
Without another word, Sally hung up, rushing to complete her discharge procedures. Her arm throbbed, but the pain was nothing compared to the terror that gnawed at her as she tried to make her escape.
She was fortunate—when she reached her car and sped away, Byron’s bodyguards stormed into her ward moments later, but they had missed her.
Back in his office, Byron’s face was clouded with rage as he stood, fists clenched at his sides. “She ran away?” he snarled. “Find her! I don’t care what it takes. Find her, and bring her to me!”
He had planned to confess to Athena, to explain everything, but now this—Sally had thrown everything into chaos. Because of that woman, Athena had seen Byron and Freya together without warning. And now Byron didn’t know how long it would take to fix this mess.
Freya, hearing the tension in the room, stepped forward cautiously. “Byron, is Miss Newton still not answering your calls?”
Byron turned sharply at the sound of her voice, his tone cold. “Why are you here?”
“I’m worried about you,” Freya said gently, her voice laced with concern. “Let me try to talk to Miss Newton. We can have a girls’ talk. What do you think?”
Byron’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening. “Don’t go to her.”
Freya paused, sensing the danger in his words. But there was a determination in her eyes. “Byron, you can’t control everything. Maybe it’s time to face what you’ve done. Athena deserves the truth.”
Byron’s silence spoke volumes, his frustration evident as he clenched his jaw. He had never felt so cornered. Every move he made now seemed to push him further away from the one person he still cared about.