Chapter 256 Becoming Trending Topics!
Liam felt a wave of unease as he sifted through the posts and comments. The flood of online chatter was overwhelming, and it seemed like the situation had escalated far beyond anything he’d imagined. Athena was now at the center of a media storm, her name splashed across headlines, dissected in countless forums, and the subject of intense public scrutiny.
He kept scrolling, his fingers moving quickly over the screen, as if he could outrun the avalanche of gossip. Some of the posts were supportive, but many others painted Athena in a far less flattering light. The sheer number of people attacking her and Byron was disheartening. It was almost as if everyone had forgotten the truth—only the most scandalous version of events mattered.
His mind raced as he thought about Athena. She had been caught up in this mess for so long, and now the entire world seemed to be turning against her. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for being so passive, for not doing more to protect her from all this. But what could he have done? In a world where people were more interested in scandal than truth, could anyone really fight back?
Liam’s phone buzzed again, snapping him out of his thoughts. A message from a colleague read: [Byron is handling all the media. He’s asked us to stay quiet for now. I think things are only going to get worse.]
Liam’s stomach churned. Byron had been completely consumed by the narrative, and now he was controlling the story. It was obvious—he wasn’t concerned with Athena’s well-being; he was more interested in managing his reputation. The whole situation reeked of manipulation.
A sinking feeling settled in Liam’s chest as he thought about Athena’s expression earlier that day. She had been so cold, so distant. He knew something was wrong—he could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice when she spoke. This wasn’t just a matter of business or scandal; it was a personal battle for her.
Liam glanced over at Byron, who was deep in conversation with a few of his associates, his posture rigid, his face betraying no emotion. It was as if the man had become numb to everything happening around him. But Athena… Athena was caught in the middle, and he knew that she couldn’t keep pretending to be okay with all of this.
Sighing, Liam quickly typed a message back: [Let’s keep things low-key for now. But I think we all need to consider what’s next.]
He stared at the message before hitting send. What was next? How could anyone move forward from something like this?
As the group chat buzzed with further replies, Liam couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The storm was far from over, and there were too many unknowns to predict where it would all lead. Athena’s life, once quietly focused on business and strategy, had now become a public spectacle. And Byron? He was either unaware or unwilling to acknowledge the damage he was causing.
Liam looked back at Athena, sitting at a corner of the room, her phone in hand. She wasn’t just the secretary now; she was the center of an explosive situation that threatened to tear everything apart. He wished he could reach out to her, to say the right words, to make her feel like she wasn’t alone in this. But the truth was, even he wasn’t sure how much help he could offer.
Athena raised her head, and for a brief moment, their eyes met. He could see the sadness there, the exhaustion that weighed her down. Without saying anything, she gave him a small, tight-lipped smile, and then returned her attention to her phone, once again retreating into herself.
Liam wished he could fix this, but it was clear that the real battle was something only Athena and Byron could face together—if they even wanted to.
But right now, it seemed like there was little hope of that.