Chapter 8 You Taught Me Well
“Mr. Chambers?” The staff members questioning Athena were startled when they saw the young man approaching.
“What’s going on?” Gabe frowned as he stepped beside Athena.
“One of the guests informed us that this lady does not have an invitation, so we were verifying the matter,” one of the staff explained.
“She doesn’t have one because I personally invited her!” Gabe stated firmly. “If there’s a problem, you can speak to me directly.”
The staff members immediately straightened up, realizing their mistake.
“We sincerely apologize, Mr. Chambers,” one of them said, turning to Athena. “Miss, we were unaware that you were Mr. Chambers’ guest. Please forgive us.”
“It’s all right. No harm done,” Athena replied calmly.
Gabe waved a hand, still looking displeased. “You may go now.”
The two staff members left quickly, looking frustrated at being misled.
Meanwhile, Ruby, who had orchestrated the situation, discreetly slipped into the crowd, hoping to avoid being recognized. As whispers spread throughout the room, murmurs of surprise and speculation filled the air.
“Did you see that? She actually knows Mr. Chambers!”
“And he defended her so openly… Could she be his girlfriend?”
“No way!”
Hearing this, Ruby’s expression paled. She had believed Athena’s influence would fade after parting ways with Byron, yet now she was being protected by someone as influential as Gabe Chambers.
Athena, too, was taken aback. She hadn’t realized the man she had met earlier was the young heir of the Chambers family, the very host of this grand event. And now, he had stepped in to help her.
“Are you all right?” Gabe asked, his tone laced with concern.
“I’m fine, Mr. Chambers. Thank you for stepping in,” Athena replied, feeling a little uneasy.
After all, she had entered the event without an official invitation. But she had more pressing matters to attend to. Scanning the crowd, she searched for Brad.
Gabe noticed her distracted look. “Are you looking for someone?” he asked.
Before she could answer, a familiar voice called out her name. Athena turned toward the source and, upon seeing who it was, felt a surge of irritation.
Ruby stood beside Byron, their arms lightly linked, presenting the image of a perfect couple.
“Mr. Crawford,” Athena greeted Byron with a polite but distant nod.
Gideon, standing nearby, cheerfully greeted Athena, but she ignored him.
He chuckled to himself, realizing she was still upset about his previous teasing at Byron’s office.
Byron’s gaze flickered between Athena and Gabe before a smirk tugged at his lips. “Impressive,” he remarked.
Athena’s heart skipped a beat, but she met his gaze with a faint smile. “Thank you. I learned from the best.”
Byron’s expression darkened slightly. Athena suspected that if they weren’t in a public setting, he might not have controlled his temper so well.
“Hello, Mr. Crawford,” Gabe greeted politely.
Byron, who had always been known for his courtesy, surprisingly ignored Gabe’s greeting and walked past him, heading toward the banquet hall with Ruby.
Gideon, amused by the exchange, observed Athena’s poised response. “You’ve certainly changed,” he mused.
Athena felt exasperated. She had come here for a purpose—to resolve the company’s crisis—yet Byron seemed intent on causing trouble by flaunting his new relationship.
Gabe’s warm voice interrupted her thoughts. “Athena.”
She looked up to meet his kind gaze. His light blue eyes carried a friendly smile.
“I like your name,” he said sincerely, making her laugh.
“Thank you.”
“My name’s Gabe. Remember it!”
Athena chuckled, feeling some of her tension ease. She still had time to meet Brad before the event ended.
Gabe, however, was still curious. “You did sneak in here, right? Why?”
She hesitated before admitting, “Yes… I came hoping to meet someone, but I missed my chance earlier.”
“Who? I can introduce you!” Gabe offered.
Athena, knowing favors often came with strings attached, tried to decline. “Mr. Chambers…”
“Just call me Gabe!” he insisted.
Athena smiled helplessly, but before she could respond, a man in a dark suit approached.
“Miss, my employer wishes to see you,” the bodyguard informed her.
Athena was surprised but nodded immediately. “Of course.”
Gabe looked wary. “Your employer? Who is it?”
Athena lowered her voice. “He works for the person I need to meet. Gabe, thank you for everything. I owe you dinner sometime!”
With that, she followed the bodyguard through the lavishly decorated hall and into a private suite aboard the cruise ship.
Inside, Brad Maxwell glanced at her briefly before cutting straight to the point. “Which company are you from?”
“Imbe Group, Mr. Maxwell,” Athena responded respectfully.
Brad paused before frowning. “Your harp performance was impressive, but Imbe Group lacks the professionalism I require. I won’t be working with an unprepared company.”
Athena, unfazed by his blunt remark, maintained her calm demeanor. “Mr. Maxwell, I assume you’ve received proposals from numerous industry leaders,” she said smoothly, her tone even and confident.
Brad nodded. “That includes your company. Imbe’s proposal was underwhelming.”
Athena remained composed. “I understand, and I sincerely apologize for any shortcomings,” she replied. “However, I believe you haven’t yet had the chance to review our full proposal.”
Brad raised an eyebrow, intrigued.