Chapter 79 Supported by Byron?
Athena had thought it through along the way. If she had to stay, then so be it. But she could no longer pretend to be the coquettish, submissive woman everyone expected.
Not long after the meeting began, Jack began his usual games. Athena’s patience had reached its limit.
She raised her eyes, her gaze sharp and unwavering, then exposed him mercilessly.
“Mr. Shelton,” Athena said, her voice firm, “Don’t present us with the kind of financial report you use for fooling around. If there’s no sincerity from your side, then this cooperation is impossible.”
The room fell silent. Everyone paused, stunned by Athena’s bluntness.
Jack was the first to react, irritation flickering across his face. “Miss Newton, what do you mean?” he demanded.
Athena had crossed his expectations. Until now, she had always been the quiet, efficient secretary, dutifully organizing materials or taking notes during meetings. The relationship between her and Byron was well-known, and Jack had often ridiculed Athena, seeing her as nothing more than a pretty face trailing Byron.
In private, Jack had mocked her, saying she was like a jug of water Byron took along just to quench his thirst when needed. He’d even suggested that a beautiful woman like Athena could make money easily—just lie down and cry a few times, and the money would come pouring in.
Now, faced with Athena’s directness in front of the higher-ups, how could Jack save face?
“Let’s be clear here.” Athena pushed the materials in her hands forward. “If we’re talking about cooperation, wasting each other’s time with a fake financial report is pointless.”
Jack’s face turned red with anger. Meanwhile, others in the room began to murmur among themselves. Some from the Imbe Group were clearly enjoying the scene, while others were starting to blame Athena, worried about jeopardizing the potential cooperation.
“I’ll inform Mr. Crawford about this!” One of Jack’s associates said, clearly upset.
Athena, however, didn’t even glance at Byron. In fact, it might be better if Byron was mad at her now—it would save her the trouble of having to try and disgust him any further.
“Was she wrong?” Byron’s voice broke through the murmurs, cold and composed as he leaned back in his chair. “Is it rude to ask for the truth?”
Athena blinked, caught off guard by his defense. Her gaze flickered to Byron, his tone suggesting indifference, but his words were a clear acknowledgment of her stance.
In business, fake financial reports were common. People often turned a blind eye, negotiating around the discrepancies. Athena understood this better than anyone. But the financial report in her hands was so poorly done that it bordered on absurd.
She had heard whispers about Jack badmouthing her, but now she was done staying silent.
If Jack refused to change the report, she would call him out in front of everyone. No more pretending. She couldn’t hold back any longer.
What surprised her, though, was Byron’s unexpected support. This was a first—he had never defended her in public before.
“Mr. Crawford…” someone tried again, eager to resolve the tension.
Athena cut them off, her gaze unwavering. “What’s the point of calling for Mr. Crawford now?” she challenged Jack directly. “If this financial statement doesn’t even pass my scrutiny, then you don’t need to bother Mr. Crawford.”
As she spoke, she glanced around at the others in the room—the leaders from Dunlop City’s branch office, the people who were supposed to be helping establish this cooperation.
“Are all of you senior members of the Crawford family? How could you not notice the issues with such a ridiculous report? And yet, you still brought it to the meeting?” Her words were direct, cold.
The higher-ups shifted uncomfortably. One of them finally spoke up, voice tight with frustration. “Miss Newton, you don’t understand. We’ve already reviewed the financial report, and there are no issues with it. Mr. Crawford…”
Athena wasn’t even a formal part of the executive team—just a mere secretary to the president. And yet here she was, calling out the flaws that others had missed.
“Is there truly no issue?” Byron’s voice cut through the room again, laced with an unpredictable tone. Whether he was amused or angered was unclear, but his words made everyone in the room nervous.
One of the higher-ups tried to placate him. “Mr. Crawford, perhaps you should take a break. We can discuss this later?”
But Byron didn’t acknowledge the suggestion. Instead, he turned his cold eyes back to Athena, who stood poised in her defiance.
There was something about her—so beautiful when she was obedient and gentle, but even more striking when she was calm and fearless.
“Miss Newton,” Byron said, his voice cool but heavy with underlying intent, “what do you think?”