Chapter 52 Die Together
Athena’s mind raced as she sped through the barren highway. If she were unlucky, this night might be her last. But even if she were meant to die tonight, she couldn’t let it happen in such a desolate place without anyone knowing. After all, she’d come here because of that bastard Byron’s business. He at least needed to know if she were to die.
And she trusted him. Athena had always known that Byron was omnipotent—surely, if she was in danger, he would find a way to save her.
Her phone rang, and Athena slammed the accelerator harder, her foot growing numb with the pressure. The call connected, the phone beeping thrice in her ear. For a moment, she thought Byron might still be angry with her and not answer the phone. But then, it rang through.
Tears welled in Athena’s eyes instantly.
“Byron…” Her voice broke on his name.
But the voice that answered was not his.
“Miss Newton, Byron is taking a shower. What’s the matter?” The voice on the other end was gentle, pleasant, and instantly recognizable. It was Ross.
Athena’s heart sank, her mind blanking. Ross. The sound of his voice shattered everything, and her thoughts fell apart like a house of cards. A suffocating emptiness filled her chest.
“Miss Newton? Are you alright?”
“I’m okay… wrong number,” Athena whispered in a panic. She hung up the phone quickly, her hands shaking. She felt like a thief caught in the act.
A sharp turn came up ahead. Distracted, Athena tried to swerve, but she miscalculated. The car’s front end scraped a sign on the roadside. The sound of metal scraping against metal echoed in the quiet of the evening.
Her phone rolled off the seat. Athena couldn’t reach for it, her heart hammering in her chest as fear surged through her veins. The cars behind were still in hot pursuit, their headlights growing closer with every second.
Through the rearview mirror, she saw someone’s head poke out from a passenger window, shouting at her. Her breath quickened as she glanced at the fuel gauge. At this rate, the car wouldn’t make it more than fifty kilometers.
Panic tightened its grip on her chest, but slowly, Athena forced herself to calm down. The last rays of sunset bathed the sky in an orange glow, making it look almost beautiful. She wished she could savor it.
But she didn’t want to survive this. She couldn’t bear the thought of what those men would do to her. Death was inevitable, and so, Athena had made up her mind. If she couldn’t escape, she would rather die on her own terms.
A deep breath.
Her left hand ached—her wound, somehow reopened—and the gauze she had wrapped around it was soaked with blood. She gripped the steering wheel with her left hand, her right hand gently resting over her stomach.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispered softly, her voice barely audible. “I can’t bring you into this world. If there’s an afterlife, I’d love to be your mother again.”
Tears blurred her vision, but she kept her foot pressed firmly on the accelerator.
Though she had already prepared for the worst, she still held a sliver of hope—a miracle, perhaps. If she could just reach a town, a busy place, maybe she could survive. But luck had long since abandoned her.
Soon, the fuel gauge hit empty, and the car began to slow down. The barren landscape around her stretched endlessly, more desolate than before.
The pursuing cars were still speeding toward her, relentless in their chase. Athena closed her eyes for a moment, her heart heavy with resignation. She couldn’t outrun them anymore.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips, her voice thick with rage and defeat. Then, as if she had made up her mind, her gaze hardened. She suddenly yanked the steering wheel to the left, a violent maneuver that startled the cars behind her.
“Arlan, what is she doing?” a voice called from one of the cars.
They’d been chasing Athena for so long, but now—she was turning around.
Arlan, driving in the lead car, narrowed his eyes. He wondered if Athena had finally given up, realizing escape was impossible. But her sudden turn confused him.
“Quick! Get out of the way!” Arlan shouted, panic edging his voice. “She’s going to ram us!”
He yanked the steering wheel to the side, but it was too late. The other drivers were already in a panic, swerving to avoid Athena’s car. Two cars collided with the greenbelt at the side of the road, their tires screeching as they tried to regain control.