Chapter 30 Tempting Bait
Athena couldn’t help but smile. “Mr. Crawford, when did you ever care about what I want to eat?” she asked, her voice tinged with amusement. Byron’s face darkened. “Mr. Crawford, I’ve been with you for five years. Do you even know what I like to eat or what I don’t?” Athena said, her tone sharp. Byron was silent for a moment before replying, “You can tell me now.” “Is that really necessary?” Athena asked, raising an eyebrow.
Just then, her phone rang. It was Gideon. “Mr. Hale,” Athena greeted him coolly. “I fell asleep this afternoon, and my phone accidentally switched to airplane mode. Are you still there?” “Why does your voice sound hoarse?” Gideon asked instead of answering. “Maybe I caught a cold,” Athena replied, brushing it off. “Do we need to meet before tomorrow’s meeting?” “How about dinner? We can talk while eating,” Gideon suggested.
Before Athena could respond, Byron snatched the phone from her hand. “Pick a restaurant and send the address to my phone,” he ordered. Gideon sounded taken aback. “Who are you?” “Don’t worry about it,” Byron snapped, hanging up the phone abruptly.
Athena was growing tired of arguing with Byron. She headed off to change clothes. Byron, however, followed her. “What are you doing?” “Changing,” Athena replied flatly, reaching into her closet for something to wear. Byron stretched out his hand from behind her and casually took the clothes from her. He then grabbed her uninjured hand, leading her away. “What are you doing?” Athena asked again, trying to resist. “I’ll help you change,” Byron said, his tone entirely too calm. “No need,” Athena responded firmly, trying to pull away. “Of course you need my help,” Byron insisted, looking at her with a glint in his eyes. “Remember how you took care of me when my arm was broken?” “That was my duty, and you paid for it,” Athena shot back. “Well, you can pay me now,” Byron said shamelessly.
Athena was at a loss for words. “Byron, don’t do this!” “You don’t do this,” he murmured as he pulled her closer, his hands tightening around her waist. “I’m impatient. You don’t listen when I’m nice to you. Should I change my approach?” His gaze flicked to the bed behind them, making Athena tense up. She knew exactly what he meant, and though reluctant, she finally gave in and allowed him to help her change. Byron fumbled with the clothes, taking much longer than it would have taken Athena to do it herself. What should have been a quick task stretched on for more than ten minutes. “It’s fine,” Byron muttered as he withdrew his hands, his eyes still locked on her.
He leaned forward, kissing her collarbone and the hickey on her neck. “You still need a scarf,” he said with a smirk. “No need!” Athena pushed him away, her discomfort clear.
Byron had a penchant for leaving marks on her, and the concealer Athena had used worked well to cover them. A few moments later, the mark on her neck was gone, and she was ready to go. Byron, clearly unhappy, picked up the concealer and muttered, “Why does this even exist?” “If it didn’t, I’d have to wear a scarf in summer for the past five years,” Athena replied dryly, gathering her things. She grabbed her computer bag and headed out, Byron following her closely. He opened the door cautiously, checking for any signs of Gabe still lingering outside.