Chapter 37 Insane
As the car drove through the quiet streets of the city, the low hum of the engine and the occasional rustle of Athena’s typing on her laptop were the only sounds breaking the silence. Her mind was far from the emails she was working on, though. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Byron—his persistent calls, his unsettling actions, and the way he had intruded on her space in a manner that felt far too familiar, and yet foreign at the same time.
She had blocked his number, but his persistence was hard to shake. His messages filled her phone like an uninvited guest that refused to leave. Athena couldn’t help but feel a mixture of disgust and frustration. The man seemed to think he could control her, even from a distance. But now, with the block in place, she hoped the boundaries would be clear enough.
Gideon shifted in his seat, his movement pulling her from her thoughts. He wasn’t asleep after all, his eyes now peeking over the edge of his eye mask as he glanced at her. Athena continued typing, her focus unwavering, yet she could feel his eyes on her.
“You’re quiet today, Miss Newton,” Gideon remarked lazily, breaking the silence once more.
She didn’t look up, her fingers continuing to move across the keyboard. “Just thinking,” she replied briefly, hoping he wouldn’t push further.
But Gideon, always the observant one, knew when something was off. “Thinking about Byron?” he asked, his voice light but with a knowing edge.
Athena’s fingers paused mid-type. The name hung in the air for a moment before she replied, her voice colder than before, “No, not really. Just… other things.”
Gideon raised an eyebrow but didn’t press her. He had known Athena long enough to know when she didn’t want to talk about something. So, he leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes again, allowing the tension between them to settle into comfortable silence.
As they reached their destination, Athena closed her laptop and placed it in her bag. The car pulled to a stop outside a sleek, modern building, its glass façade reflecting the early morning light. Athena stepped out, straightening her jacket as she looked up at the building.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered to herself.
Gideon followed her, his usual confident stride matching her pace. He didn’t ask what was weighing on her mind, but he was ready to offer support if needed. Athena, however, was used to carrying the weight of her thoughts alone, and she preferred it that way.
They entered the building, and as the elevator doors closed behind them, Athena’s phone buzzed again. She glanced at the screen, her pulse quickening at the sight of Byron’s name flashing on the display. But this time, she didn’t even hesitate. She slid her phone into her bag without checking it, as if the mere presence of his messages could somehow drag her back into a world she was trying so desperately to leave behind.