Chapter 60 Why Didn’t You Tell Me
“You let Heather answer Athena’s call?” Gideon’s voice rose in disbelief. “Do you even realize how much she cares—” “Shut up! Shut up!” Byron’s rage erupted. He grabbed Gideon by the collar and slammed him hard into a row of bookshelves.
Gideon grunted in pain, the force of the impact sending a sharp sting through his already aching body. His hangover from the night before wasn’t helping his clarity.
He had barely woken up this morning when Matt rushed in, panic in his eyes. The details of what happened to Athena last night hit Gideon like a freight train, and in that moment, he felt utterly powerless.
Desperately, he had called Athena, but her phone had been switched off. He ran to the hospital, only to find she had already left. The fear gnawed at him as Matt’s words echoed in his mind—Athena had been in real danger. She’d almost been killed.
Gideon had made the long, miserable journey back to Girard City in a haze of anxiety and dread, only to find that Byron hadn’t known a thing about it. Athena, the woman who worked for him—who had nearly died—and yet Byron remained blissfully unaware. It was maddening.
Gideon pushed Byron off of him, straightened his disheveled clothes, and glared at him. “Mr. Crawford, congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll go find Athena. Whether she’s injured or disabled, I will take care of her for the rest of her life.”
Gideon turned on his heel, determined to leave.
But Byron wasn’t having it. He grabbed him by the arm and slammed him to the ground with brutal force.
“It’s not your turn,” Byron said coldly, his voice like ice.
With that, Byron strode out of the office, leaving the employees to remain in stunned silence. But there was always someone who dared to break the tension.
“Byron!” Ruby’s voice echoed, her steps quick and light as she dashed toward him, a pretentious smile plastered on her face. “Did Athena do something to offend you again? You’re engaged now, so I’m sure she must be upset. You—” “Fuck off!” Byron interrupted, his words sharp and venomous.
Ruby froze, her face paling. She had no idea what kind of storm she was walking into.
“Go to the personnel department, pick up your salary, and leave this company,” Byron snapped.
With that, he turned his back on her and left the building, the door slamming shut behind him. Ruby stood motionless, a mixture of fear and frustration settling over her. No matter how much she resembled Freya, it didn’t matter. Byron was consumed by something else entirely.
Byron didn’t stop. He went straight to the underground parking lot, where Athena’s car sat, untouched, parked in its usual spot.
The image of her sorrowful Instagram posts flashed through his mind like a haunting replay. Athena’s grandmother had passed away six months ago. The loss had been her only connection to family, the only anchor in her life, and Byron hadn’t even known.
Why hadn’t she told him?
His mind swirled with frustration and confusion. How had he missed something so important? He couldn’t fathom what Athena must have gone through—how much pain she had endured in silence, even while staying by his side.
Byron’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he started the car and drove straight to Athena’s apartment.
It had been over a month since he’d last set foot in her place. After he made the decision to marry Heather, he had purposefully distanced himself from Athena. He thought he could do it—thought that without her, his life would continue without disruption.
But the truth was, it hadn’t been the same. Every decision, every task seemed off-kilter without her presence. It was as if she had been the missing piece, the one thing that kept him grounded. He hadn’t realized just how much he needed her until it was too late.
When he returned from his business trip that day, something had shifted inside him. He knew he couldn’t just let her go, not without a fight. But when he came to offer her more—offer her a future—she rejected him, and it shattered him in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
Now, standing at her apartment door, he rang the bell and counted to three.
Athena had always opened the door within seconds, her smile so bright it lit up the entire hallway. But today, the door remained firmly closed.
Panic gripped his chest. Something wasn’t right.
Byron unlocked the door with his fingerprint and pushed it open. The apartment was empty. Completely empty.
Every trace of Athena was gone.
The clothes, the personal items, the little things that made the place hers—everything was gone. The space felt hollow, as if it had never belonged to her at all.
Byron’s heart sank. The only thing left was his shoes, placed neatly by the hallway—an agonizing symbol of the loneliness that now filled the void where Athena’s presence once was.