Chapter 72 Betrayal?
After a while, George was holding a rolled ice cream, his face serious. Athena, pregnant, had chosen a salad for herself.
“I’ve bought ice cream every time I came here, but it’s strange—the ice cream here is sweeter,” George remarked, glancing at Athena. He tore off the wrapping paper and took a bite. His teeth chattered from the cold, and Athena couldn’t help but laugh.
Seeing her laugh, George’s face softened. “You look beautiful when you smile. Smile more in the future,” he said, reaching out to gently wipe her mouth.
Athena’s smile faded a little. “It’s good to be a child,” she murmured, looking away.
As a child, Athena had never feared that anyone would leave her. Everyone had always been there for her.
“Everything will be fine in the future,” George reassured her, patting her head. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to eat some delicious food!”
Athena wanted to respond but found herself distracted. She looked back and saw the Tyndall effect—a beautiful display of light about to cover the tombstones of her mother and grandparents.
She had planned to talk to George about it later, but then her gaze shifted. The cemetery keeper was there, holding up Athena’s phone. Athena wasn’t sure what the keeper was doing, but when the keeper noticed Athena, she smiled awkwardly and walked away.
Athena assumed the keeper had been taking pictures of the Tyndall effect, so she didn’t give it much thought and continued walking with George.
As they walked, George talked about Athena’s childhood, and she couldn’t stop laughing. Her cheeks ached from the constant smiles. She had been so mischievous and adorable when she was young.
Before leaving, George paid the management fee at the door. He then turned around and saw Athena unzip her jacket. He gently zipped it up for her from behind.
“Be careful not to catch a cold,” he said softly.
“I’m not that weak,” Athena muttered, rolling her eyes.
“I asked your doctor. She said you’re in poor health. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’ll suffer in the third trimester,” he replied seriously.
Athena sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Got it.”
From a distance, it would have looked like she was acting like a spoiled child, but that wasn’t it. She just hadn’t fully adjusted to being cared for in this way.
At that moment, Byron arrived. He had come to make preparations for something. He had spoken with the keeper earlier and bribed the others to ensure they’d work for him, offering 300,000 dollars in exchange for their cooperation.
One of them had contacted him today, and though he was on his way to the airport, Byron turned around to rush over.
He never expected to see this. The chill that ran through him was palpable as he strode toward Athena and George.
George was standing with his back to the road, so he noticed Byron first. When Athena saw George look back, she instinctively turned to follow his gaze—and then froze.
“What’s wrong?” George asked, startled by her sudden stillness.
“Nothing. Let’s go,” Athena said quickly, grabbing George’s arm.
Just then, Byron shouted, “Athena!”
George instinctively stepped forward, positioning himself between Byron and Athena. “Sir, you—” “Go away!” Byron shouted, grabbing George’s collar and pushing him aside with force.
Caught off guard, George lost his balance and fell to the ground.
“George!” Athena gasped in concern, rushing toward him.
But Byron was quicker. He grabbed Athena by the back of her neck, yanking her backward with a dangerous growl. “If you take another step toward him, I’ll make sure he dies a miserable death.”