Chapter 75 You Can Only Stay by My Side!
Byron hadn’t given Athena much thought lately—if any at all. He simply saw no need. However, after years of intimacy, there were a few things he knew about her preferences. One of them was that Athena loved kisses. Whenever he was in a good mood, he would reward her with long, passionate kisses, and it always made her happier than usual.
But recently, things had changed. The last few times he kissed her, he would end up tasting blood in his mouth.
Byron, frustrated, could only hold Athena’s chin tightly, forcing her mouth open, preventing her from biting down. When he’d had enough of venting his anger, he pulled away and spoke coldly, “You’ll have to put up with the disgust, then. Before I’ve played you enough, you can only stay by my side.”
Athena remained speechless. Byron didn’t even bother to hide the wickedness in his words anymore.
After speaking, Byron gently rubbed the bloodstain on Athena’s lips, making her pale lips seem redder. He released her, but the force he’d used left visible bruises on both sides of her cheeks. Byron frowned slightly, the anger dissipating.
He remembered how Athena had always been afraid of pain.
A sense of helplessness overwhelmed him, and he raised his hand, touching Athena’s head with a tenderness that was rare. “Be good, and you’ll suffer less,” he said softly.
Athena looked at him with a blank expression. “Be good? How good? As good as Freya?”
Byron’s anger flared again, suddenly intense. “What did you bring her up for?”
Athena’s voice was cold. “Am I just her substitute? Why can’t I mention her?” She scoffed, “Byron, is it because I was too good for you in the past that Ruby can’t satisfy you in bed? If that’s the case, I can return and teach her. In fact, if you want, I’ll sit by the window and teach her while you two are… busy.”
She paused, her eyes not leaving his furious expression. With a twisted smile, she continued, “Of course, one woman might not be enough to satisfy the great Mr. Crawford. I can also teach Miss Ross. She’s so beautiful, has a great figure, and is charming… Other than not looking like Freya, she’s…”
Byron interrupted her, his tone dejected. “I never touched Ruby, and I won’t touch Ross.”
Athena froze, her heart sinking for a moment. She blinked, then a laugh bubbled up from deep within her. Could Byron still not see her for who she really was? Did he still think she was the same naive girl who worshipped him?
“Thea, stop…” Byron said, his voice softer now, but tinged with desperation. He pulled her close, burying his head in her neck, trying to find some solace.
Athena’s heart ached. At the same time, she scolded herself for her weakness, for allowing him to pull her back in with such ease. Byron always liked to do this whenever he was tired, as if she were the one who could soothe his pain.
“I’ve already made it clear to Ross that our marriage will only ever be business,” Byron continued, his voice quiet but firm. “When we both reach our goals, we’ll get a divorce. She doesn’t love me, and I don’t love her either…”
There was something Byron left unsaid. He wanted to confess that there was no one else in the world he wanted, that he only wanted Athena.
Athena closed her eyes, feeling the weight of his words, but it didn’t bring her comfort.
“Byron, do you know where that place was just now?” she asked, her voice steady.
Byron clenched his fist, trying to stay composed. “It’s the graveyard of my family,” he said, his gaze falling to the ground.
Athena’s expression turned colder. “I guess you already know my grandmother is dead, right?”
Byron wanted to ask why she hadn’t told him sooner, but the words didn’t come. The memory of the agonizing WhatsApp message she had sent him, one that he had never been able to respond to, still haunted him. It had become a nightmare that plagued his mind.
In those dreams, he always tried to reply to her message, always meant to book a flight to Greeli City. But every time he tried, something would stop him—his phone screen would freeze, and the message would never send. He could never reach the airport.
The weight of those regrets pressed on him. And now, standing before her, it felt like a nightmare he couldn’t escape.