Chapter 246 We Will Have More Children
Byron froze at Athena’s words, his grip tightening on her as if trying to will her to take them back. The air between them grew heavy, charged with unsaid words and old wounds that neither of them could escape.
“What… What do you mean?” Byron’s voice cracked, and for a moment, the strong, confident man she had once known seemed to unravel in her arms.
Athena’s gaze softened, but there was a steely determination in her eyes. She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a gaze that was a mix of pain and resolve. “I mean what I said. We won’t have any more children, Byron. Not after everything that’s happened. Not after you believed the worst about me.”
Her words hung in the air like a damning confession, the weight of betrayal settling between them. Byron searched her face, looking for any sign of the woman he thought he knew, but he found none.
“You really think I could do this?” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Do you really believe I could betray you like that?”
“I don’t know anymore,” Athena replied, her voice barely above a whisper as well. “When you believed the rumors, when you let Heather and everyone else turn you against me, I was alone. You were supposed to be the one who trusted me. But you didn’t. You let your insecurities take over, and now we’re here.”
Byron’s chest tightened as the words sank in. He had always been driven by a need to protect those he loved, but in doing so, he had pushed Athena away. She had been right all along — his doubts, his jealousy, had driven a wedge between them that was too deep to simply ignore.
“I was wrong. I know I was,” Byron said, his voice thick with regret. “I let everything get to me — the lies, the rumors, the pressure. But I never stopped loving you, Thea. Never.”
Athena stood up slowly, her back straight as she looked down at him. “It doesn’t matter now. You’ve done irreparable damage. And I can’t live in a relationship built on mistrust. I won’t do it. I won’t let you keep dragging me back into this cycle of pain.”
Byron stood up as well, his face pale, eyes wide with desperation. “You don’t mean that. Please, Thea. We can fix this. We can fix everything. I’ll make it right.”
Athena took a deep breath, her heart heavy. “No, Byron. I’ve tried. But this isn’t just about us anymore. I’m done.”
She turned to walk away, leaving him standing there, frozen in place. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the still night air, and Byron stood motionless, his heart breaking as he realized she was finally walking away from him for good.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Sally sat on the edge of the luxurious couch in Gideon’s villa, staring out the window with a faraway look. The anger and frustration she’d been holding in for so long had reached its boiling point. Her life, it seemed, was always at the mercy of others — men who saw her as nothing more than a tool to be used, family members who saw her as a threat, and a world that had never truly allowed her to live freely.
She glanced down at her phone, the missed call from Gideon flashing on the screen. Her frustration had only intensified since their conversation earlier. He didn’t understand. No one understood.
The mansion was eerily silent, and Sally felt the weight of it. The comforts it offered only reminded her of how far she’d fallen from the girl she used to be — the girl with dreams, with purpose. Now she was just a woman trapped in a cage of her own making.
As her fingers hovered over the screen, ready to call Gideon back and demand answers, she caught sight of herself in the mirror across the room. The red nails, the carefully crafted look — it was all an act. Beneath it, she was still the same scared girl, trying to survive in a world that was determined to crush her.
The phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from someone else — a name she hadn’t expected to see pop up on her screen.
We need to talk. Now.
It was from Byron.