Chapter 249 Accompany Me on a Business Trip
Athena glanced out the window, her face devoid of expression. She wasn’t in the mood for any sentimental reminiscing. Byron’s question hung in the air, but she didn’t answer right away.
After a long moment, she finally turned her gaze toward him, her eyes cold and distant. “It doesn’t matter where we’re going, Byron. I’m only doing this for George. Once he’s free, I’ll have no reason to stay by your side.”
Byron’s heart tightened at her words. The past, the memories of her joy, her laughter, everything they once shared felt like it belonged to another lifetime. It was all slipping away, and he had no idea how to hold onto it.
“Please, Thea,” he said, his voice softer now, laced with an unspoken plea. “Don’t shut me out like this. I know I’ve made mistakes, but I want to fix things. I need you to trust me again. Let me show you I can be the man you need.”
Athena’s lips pressed together in a thin line. She didn’t speak for a while, her mind racing. She had heard these words countless times before, each one laced with remorse, but none of them had ever brought her peace. Trust, once shattered, was not something that could be so easily rebuilt.
“Trust? You want me to trust you?” She finally asked, her voice tinged with bitterness. “The same man who threatened my friends, who manipulated me and my family to get what he wanted? You killed my children, Byron. You killed them.”
Byron flinched at her words, as if each one was a physical blow. His face grew pale, but he didn’t respond immediately. The pain in her eyes, the fury that she couldn’t hide—it was like a mirror to his own agony.
“I never meant for that to happen,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper, his eyes pleading with her to understand. “I never wanted to hurt you. I thought… I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Athena shook her head slowly, turning her gaze out the window once more. “You thought you were doing the right thing?” Her voice cracked slightly. “What happened to you, Byron? You used to be someone I could believe in.”
The silence between them was thick, and the weight of her words hung heavy in the air. Neither of them spoke for the rest of the ride, both lost in their own thoughts.
By the time they reached the airport, the snow had begun to fall more heavily, blanketing the city in a quiet, cold layer. Athena stepped out of the car, the crisp air biting at her skin. She didn’t look at Byron as she walked toward the entrance.
Byron stood there for a moment, watching her go. He wanted to reach out to her, to stop her from walking away, but he knew better than to try. It was too late for that. All he could do now was follow her, to keep her within his reach, even if she would never truly be his again.
As they boarded the private jet, Byron’s thoughts were clouded with guilt and regret. He knew that this business trip, this forced journey with Athena, was just a temporary fix. She was slipping away from him, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t seem to stop it.
Back on the plane, the tension between them was palpable. Athena sat by the window, her face turned away from Byron, her thoughts a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. She had made up her mind—she was going to leave this life behind, and once George was free, she would disappear. But how could she ever truly leave? Byron had a way of always pulling her back, even when she thought she had finally escaped.
Byron sat across from her, his eyes glued to her profile. He could feel the weight of her coldness, and it was suffocating. “Thea,” he finally spoke, his voice breaking the silence, “I know you think I’m beyond redemption, but please, give me a chance to prove that I can change. I can’t lose you. Not like this.”
Athena didn’t turn to look at him. She simply closed her eyes, a tear slipping down her cheek despite her best efforts to stay composed.
“You already have lost me, Byron,” she whispered. “I’m already gone.”