Chapter 80 Just to Make Her Happy?
Athena couldn’t help but feel that something was off with Byron. His behavior was strangely unpredictable, and the others shared her suspicions. It was almost as if he had lost his mind.
“Just make the decision, Mr. Crawford,” Athena said, her voice cold as she tried to distance herself from the situation. “Then delay it for one day.”
Surprisingly, Byron was calm about it. “If you can’t provide a financial report that satisfies Miss Newton tomorrow, then find someone else to cooperate with.”
Satisfy who? Everyone was stunned by his sudden shift in attitude.
After Byron and Athena left the meeting, Jack looked at the senior executives, amusement in his eyes. “Did Mr. Crawford’s marriage annoy Miss Newton? Is he trying to use our project to amuse her?”
The others weren’t so sure, but Jack’s suggestion felt oddly plausible.
“Mr. Crawford is not like that!” someone retorted, clearly not willing to believe it.
“Isn’t he? I just feel like he’s doing all this to please her,” Jack said with a smirk. “By the way, Mr. Crawford’s lips are hurt. It’s clear someone’s bitten them!”
“Is Miss Newton that gentle? Does she dare to bite her boss?” someone joked.
“Well, she might be upset over a promotion.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of, I don’t want to point fingers, but Mr. Shelton, your financial report was outrageous. We’re talking about an investment worth more than three billion dollars. We need to be more cautious!”
Shelton looked uncomfortable, clearly aware of the inaccuracies in his report. Their company’s data for the last quarter was poor, so he had fabricated the numbers to make the deal more appealing to Byron. If the truth came out, the deal’s price would drop significantly.
Meanwhile, Byron and Athena returned to the hotel. As soon as the door closed behind them, Byron moved quickly, pulling Athena against the wall with one arm around her.
“You dare to lose your temper in the meeting now, huh?” he said, his voice low and teasing.
Athena, knowing she had pushed his buttons, smirked. “Why wouldn’t I? I have Mr. Crawford, after all.”
Her playful words seemed to provoke Byron, who leaned in and kissed her twice.
“Since you have me, you can do whatever you want, right?” he said, his voice playful yet intense.
Athena couldn’t help but feel conflicted. Since the incident in the secretary’s room, Byron hadn’t touched her, but now he was coming onto her with an intensity she didn’t know how to handle. His kisses brushed against her ear and neck, sending shivers down her spine.
But then, Athena’s mind raced, and she quickly tried to distract him. “Really? Then it’s okay for me to bully your wife, isn’t it?”
Byron’s face shifted instantly. His expression darkened as he pulled back.
“What do you mean by wife? It’s just a marriage. She’s not my wife. Don’t think too much about it,” he snapped, clearly annoyed.
Athena tilted her head, trying to play on his jealousy. “Then can I bully her?”
She knew she wouldn’t, of course. She admired Heather, Byron’s wife, far too much to hurt her. But seeing Byron’s reaction made it tempting to push his buttons further.
Byron softened slightly but remained firm. “No,” he said, his tone more gentle now as he stroked her cheek. “You won’t have any connection with her. When the time comes, she’ll leave.”
Athena feigned anger, brushing him off. “Right. I’m just a tool for Mr. Crawford to vent his animal desires. How could I bully Mrs. Crawford?”
Byron was silent, caught off guard by her words.
Athena pushed him away, clearly exhausted. “I don’t want to… I’m tired.”
Byron seemed to hesitate before pulling her back into his arms. He buried his head in her chest, his tone uncharacteristically soft.
“It’s okay…” he whispered, surprising her with his gentleness.
Athena was taken aback. He was acting strange. He was always so demanding, so in control, but tonight, he seemed to have compromised, letting her have her way for once.
“I want to sleep with you in my arms,” he murmured, his voice tinged with what almost sounded like a note of vulnerability. “I didn’t sleep well when you weren’t here.”
Athena, still confused by his behavior, felt a knot tighten in her stomach. He wasn’t the Byron she knew. He seemed almost… aggrieved? And that wasn’t something she was used to seeing from him. She wondered if there was something deeper behind his actions, something that was driving him to behave so unusually.