Chapter 234 She Is Not Pregnant
Byron’s mind raced, his pulse quickening as he processed what Lola and Heather were saying. He stared at them, his anger rising. It was all a blur—Athena’s pregnancy, George, the reports, the uncertainty. But the most damning part was that he had been blind to everything, choosing to believe what he wanted instead of facing the truth.
“You’re all wrong,” Byron said, his voice cold but tinged with desperation. “Athena isn’t pregnant. I’ve seen the report. It’s clear.”
Lola’s eyes widened in disbelief. “But Byron, how could you be so sure? I’ve seen the reports too. There’s no way she isn’t pregnant with George’s child. It’s inescapable!” Her voice grew more urgent, her tone firm with conviction. “You need to wake up!”
Byron clenched his fists, his chest tightening with frustration. “I don’t need anyone’s opinion. I’ve seen the evidence. Athena and George are just friends, nothing more!”
Heather, who had been silent up until now, spoke up cautiously, her voice quieter but full of concern. “Byron, I know you’re upset, but you can’t ignore what’s happening. Athena… she’s not someone you should be dismissing right now. You need to listen to her.”
Byron shot Heather a hard look, his patience wearing thin. “You’ve always had an agenda, haven’t you, Miss Ross? What do you know about Athena and me that I don’t? Why are you here, meddling in this mess?”
Lola stepped in between them, holding her hands up. “Enough, both of you!” She turned back to Byron, her expression softening. “Byron, think about it. You’ve been blinded by jealousy and pride. You’ve pushed Athena away, and now you’re refusing to acknowledge the truth. You can’t just walk away from this—from her.”
Byron’s mind reeled as Lola’s words echoed in his head. He couldn’t push this feeling away anymore. The pieces weren’t adding up. His stomach twisted as he realized he had been so consumed by his suspicions that he hadn’t seen the truth. His obsession with control, his fury at the thought of Athena and George, had clouded his judgment.
“I’ll talk to her,” Byron muttered to himself, almost as though he were speaking to reassure himself more than anyone else. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the lobby, heading straight for Athena’s room.
Lola and Heather exchanged a tense look, their expressions full of both concern and confusion. They knew Byron was close to the edge, but the way he was handling everything was only making it worse. If only he could see what they saw, what Athena needed. If only he could stop seeing her as a possession and start seeing her as the person she truly was—someone who deserved love and respect.
When Byron reached Athena’s ward, his hand froze at the door handle. His mind was a whirlpool of emotions—guilt, anger, fear. He took a steadying breath before pushing the door open.
Athena was sitting by the window, looking out at the gray sky, her expression distant, lost. She didn’t turn when he entered.
Byron stepped inside cautiously, his heart pounding. “Thea,” he said softly, almost unsure of his own voice.
Athena’s shoulders stiffened, but she didn’t look at him. She had no energy left for anger or even frustration; only a deep, aching sadness. “Go away, Byron,” she whispered. “Please, I don’t want to see you right now.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Byron’s voice was firm, but there was an edge of pleading beneath the coldness. “We need to talk.”
Athena shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t want to talk to you. You’ve made everything worse. You’ve hurt everyone, and for what? So you could be right? You don’t love me, Byron. You love the idea of controlling me.”
Byron’s chest tightened at her words. “I… I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t—”” I don’t want your apologies!” Athena snapped, her voice cracking. She turned her face away from him, trying to hide the rawness in her expression. “I trusted you, Byron. I really did. But you… you never trusted me. You made me feel like I was nothing.”
Byron’s heart shattered at her words. He took a step toward her, but she flinched, and he stopped in his tracks, the weight of his actions crashing down on him. “Thea, please, I know I’ve done so much wrong. I… I need you to forgive me.”
Athena wiped her tears away quickly, her hands shaking. “Forgive you? For what? For destroying everything? For making me question everything I believed in? You think that just because you say you’re sorry, it will fix it?”
Byron swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. “I’m not asking you to fix things, Thea. I’m asking you to give me a chance—to believe in us again.”
She finally turned to look at him, her eyes filled with hurt. “How can I believe in us when I know you’re not even willing to see me for who I really am? You see me as a problem, Byron. And I can’t do this anymore.”
Her words stung, but they were the truth. Byron’s heart seemed to freeze as he realized the gravity of what he had lost—and what he might never get back.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he just stood there, defeated.