Chapter 274 When Would She Return?
The news about Byron’s impending proposal to Freya had created a whirlwind of speculation and debate. The internet was flooded with opinions, gossip, and heated exchanges about his relationship with both women—Athena and Freya. But while the public chewed over rumors and theories, the dynamics within the Crawford family remained far more complicated.
Byron’s return to the hospital to visit his grandmother, Alivia, was a solemn one. The frail woman, who had once been the cornerstone of the family, was now a shadow of her former self. Her health had deteriorated over the years, and the heart attack she suffered today had brought the reality of her condition into sharp focus. Alivia’s connection to Athena was undeniable—she had always seen Athena as the granddaughter-in-law she had hoped for, and even now, with her health failing, her mind clung to the idea that Athena would return.
Byron’s words to his grandmother were a tender reassurance, though they were laced with a heaviness he couldn’t shake. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep up the pretense that Athena might return. The thought of losing Alivia, of watching the last link to his past slip away, weighed on him.
As Alivia drifted off to sleep, Byron stepped out of the room, his mind swirling with thoughts of the future—both his and the Crawford family’s. Freya was there, ever-present and supportive, but her presence felt like a constant reminder of what was missing. The more Byron spent time with her, the more he realized that she resembled Athena in ways that unsettled him. Not just in appearance, but in mannerisms, in the way she moved, the way she spoke. Freya had become a mirror image of Athena, and sometimes Byron would find himself lost in those moments, forgetting where one ended and the other began.
Freya’s concern was palpable as she followed him out of the hospital room. She had seen the toll Alivia’s illness had taken on Byron, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was being pushed aside in favor of a ghost from the past.
“You don’t need to come here,” Byron had said, his voice flat, as if dismissing her from a place he had never truly invited her to.
Freya didn’t flinch at his words, but there was a coolness in her eyes. She had grown used to this side of him—the side that was distant and absorbed in his own thoughts. “Are you angry with me?” she asked, her tone measured but tinged with frustration.
Byron didn’t answer immediately. His mind was elsewhere, caught in the throes of conflicting emotions. His grandmother’s fragile state, the growing whispers about his relationship with Freya, and the unspoken shadow of Athena that loomed over them all made everything feel more tangled than it should have been.
“Sometimes…” Byron began, his voice softer now, “sometimes I forget you’re not her.”
Freya’s heart tightened, but she didn’t let it show. She had known this would happen. She had always known she was a replacement, a stand-in for the woman Byron had lost. But knowing it, and living with it, were two very different things.
She took a step closer to him, her gaze unwavering. “Do you still think about her?” Freya asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Byron’s gaze flickered, and for a moment, she saw something raw in his eyes—a mixture of pain and longing. But then, just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the cold exterior that had become his shield over the years.
“Every day,” he admitted, his voice distant. “But what does it matter? She’s gone, and you’re here now.”
Freya wanted to say something, to make him see how unfair this was, how she was caught in the crossfire of his unresolved grief. But she held back. She had learned long ago that pushing too hard only drove him further away.
Instead, she smiled, a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll be here for you, Byron. Always.”
But even as she said the words, she knew something had shifted. She was no longer just the woman at his side—she was a reminder of what he had lost. And that realization settled heavy in her chest.
As Byron turned away, Freya couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever truly have a place in his heart, or if she was always destined to be Athena’s shadow, forever overshadowed by the woman he could never let go of.