Chapter 258 She Should Be In Trouble
Byron’s frustration grew with every passing moment. He had arrived too late, just as Athena had slipped away into the quiet of the evening, leaving him with nothing but the echoes of her absence. He stood in the parking lot, the rush of adrenaline slowly ebbing from his veins, and kicked a nearby bucket in his agitation.
His phone buzzed with a call from Athena, but she hung up before he could speak. He cursed under his breath and dialed the driver’s number. When the phone was handed to Athena, her eyes briefly met the driver’s, a silent acknowledgment that she didn’t want to involve anyone else in her turmoil.
She answered, her voice cold and distant. “What?”
Byron’s tone was strained, his breath ragged from his pursuit. “Don’t be angry. I can solve this. Just give me time.”
Athena’s voice was filled with a deep, almost weary disappointment. “Byron, besides getting rid of me and the children, what else can you do?” Her words hung in the air for a moment before she ended the call, returning the phone to the driver without another word.
The car cruised along the coastline, the world around them turning slowly with the sunset. Athena sat in the front of the car, gazing out at the horizon, the colors of the sky melting into the sea. The breeze tugged at her hair, but it couldn’t soothe the ache in her chest. She had been swept up in a life she never asked for, and now, she was left to face the consequences alone.
When the car finally came to a stop, Athena didn’t immediately get out. She let the minutes pass, allowing herself to breathe deeply before taking the phone that had been left behind on the seat. It was filled with unread messages and missed calls, most of them from colleagues who pretended to care but were more interested in the spectacle than in her well-being. She didn’t bother to read them. They didn’t matter.
Instead, she called Evie.
When Evie answered, there was no sound of tears, a rare moment of calm from her friend. “Don’t let go of them. I’ll have my people track down those who’ve slandered you. We’ll hire a lawyer and sue them tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Athena replied, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
Evie’s voice hardened with anger. “Byron’s a bastard. He’s been with you for five years, and yet he accepted a business marriage and abandoned the woman. Now, she’s venting all her anger on you.”
Athena let out a small, tired sigh. “You’re right.”
“Has he known? Has he said anything about how to fix this?” Evie asked, her concern evident.
Athena paused for a moment, looking out at the fading light as she spoke softly, almost to herself. “If someone pisses him off, he’s ruthless. Heather doesn’t know him well, and she’s about to find out what happens when you cross him.”
Meanwhile, at Heather’s manor, things were moving behind the scenes. Heather was on the phone, her voice cool and calculated. “Have you sent all the information and photos to Rose?” she asked her assistant, her tone sharp.
The assistant’s response came quickly, “Everything has been sent to her mailbox. Madam Stella won’t like Athena.”
Heather smirked. She had been patient, waiting for the right moment to strike. The public humiliation of Athena was just the first step. She wasn’t only trying to hurt Athena; she was playing a deeper game. If she could ruin Athena’s reputation in front of Rose, then maybe, just maybe, she could secure her own place in this world. Heather knew that Rose valued character above all else, and if she could paint Athena in the worst light possible, she could weaken Athena’s position, leaving her with no choice but to fall back into Heather’s control.
As Heather plotted her next move, Athena was far from idle. Her world had been shattered, but she was not going to let it consume her. She had been pushed to the edge, but she still had her dignity—and she wasn’t going to let anyone take that away. Not Byron, not Heather, and certainly not anyone else who thought they could define her.