Chapter 38 Blackmail
The room fell silent for a moment after Athena’s words, the air thick with tension. The villagers’ anger simmered beneath the surface, but Athena’s composed and confident demeanor seemed to have defused some of their immediate aggression.
The man who had initially charged forward, his sleeves still rolled up in defiance, looked furious. His face reddened as he processed Athena’s offer. “You think we’ll just accept this and pay you to buy our ancestors’ graves?” he spat, his voice thick with contempt.
Athena remained calm, her posture relaxed as if the entire confrontation were nothing more than a routine negotiation. “It’s simple. You want us to leave your tombs untouched, which is fine. But your ancestors’ resting places are situated on land that we legally own. If you want to keep them there, the fair thing to do would be to compensate us for the losses we incur.”
One of the other villagers scoffed. “Compensation? You really expect us to just hand over money like that?”
Athena tilted her head slightly, her smile unwavering. “I’m offering a solution. If you’d rather continue with the threats and aggression, then you’ll force me to take a more formal route. But that would mean lengthy legal battles, and I assure you, that won’t work in your favor.”
Gideon watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and admiration. Athena’s ability to turn the situation on its head was impressive. The villagers had come here, hoping to shake them down, but instead, Athena had calmly shifted the power dynamic. If they refused her offer, they would be left with little recourse but to fight a battle they couldn’t win.
Carlos, meanwhile, was observing the situation closely. He was clearly uneasy, but Athena’s words seemed to make him reconsider the villagers’ tactics. He cleared his throat and stepped forward, trying to ease the tension. “Miss Newton is right. We’re here to negotiate, not to fight.”
The villagers exchanged uncertain glances, the anger in their eyes starting to fade as they realized that this was no ordinary negotiation. They had underestimated Athena, and now they were caught in a situation where they had little room to maneuver.
“Think about it,” Athena continued, her voice even and firm. “You want to protect your family’s heritage, and we want to move forward with the project. This doesn’t have to end in conflict. But we’re not going to be extorted.”
The man who had been the most vocal in his threats looked at the others, as if searching for support. A few nodded, clearly starting to recognize the futility of their previous course of action.
Athena’s smile softened, just enough to show a flicker of understanding. “So, what’s it going to be? Compensation, or do we go down the legal path?”
For a long moment, no one spoke. Finally, the man who had been leading the charge stepped back, his shoulders sagging with defeat. “You’ll hear from us again. But for now, we’ll consider your offer,” he muttered, his defiance now tempered with reluctance.
Athena nodded. “That’s all I ask.”
With that, the tension in the room lifted, and the villagers began to file out, muttering amongst themselves. Carlos turned to Athena, a relieved smile crossing his face. “That was… impressive, Miss Newton.”
Athena stood up, collecting her things with calm precision. “It’s just business, Carlos.”
Gideon, who had been leaning casually against the wall, now pushed off with a chuckle. “I think you might have given them more than they bargained for.”
Carlos laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair. “You both certainly know how to handle a situation.”
Athena gave a small shrug, her expression softening slightly. “Sometimes you have to turn the tables. They were never interested in negotiation—they wanted a fight. I just made sure it wasn’t one they could win.”
As they left the conference room, the weight of the confrontation seemed to lift from Athena’s shoulders. There was still a long road ahead with the project, but for now, it felt like a victory. The villagers had backed down, and she had maintained control of the situation.
Gideon, following closely behind, couldn’t help but admire her once again. She was every bit the force to be reckoned with he had always known her to be.