Athena held her breath as she entered the conference room. With confident steps, she walked to her seat at the end of the long table, ignoring the gazes fixed on her.
"Damn it! She actually dared to show up?" Leon muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing. "I’m sure she took that document. How can she be so calm?"
Noticing her husband’s piercing stare, Athena responded with a faint smile. The room fell silent as she finally settled into her seat. Moments later, everyone’s attention shifted back to the leader of the meeting, though the tension in the air had noticeably thickened.
"All right, now that everyone’s here, I’d like to discuss some supporting facilities. The plan is for our company to collaborate with several private entities," Leon began, masking his irritation.
Hmm, what he really means is that he’s looking for ways to make more money, Athena thought silently. I won’t let that happen, Leon. This is a charity project, which is why I insisted that you take it on in the first place!
"Well, I see you’re still here?"
As if from nowhere, Crystal suddenly appeared beside Athena and whispered, "Something’s gone missing, you know? Neither Leon nor I noticed because we were too... distracted. We can never stop once we start touching each other. You saw it, didn’t you?"
Athena turned to her with an expressionless face, then picked up her small notebook.
[I know. What’s missing is your sanity when you’re with him, right? If you’re interested, I’d be happy to find the best psychiatric hospital in the city for both of you!]
"Damn it! You...."
Ignoring Crystal’s irritation, Athena shifted her attention back to Leon. She waited for the right moment to voice her opinion. When the final session began, she raised her hand and confidently walked to the front.
"Yes, Athena? What do you want to say?" Leon asked, though his eyes radiated a clear warning.
[I don’t agree with involving several private entities in this project. Why not let our company handle everything? Haven’t some city governments entrusted this project entirely to us?]
"Collaborations are meant to speed up the timeline. Don’t worry, I’ve already consulted our experts about this," Leon said, offering a fleeting smile as one of his hands clenched into a fist.
[I’ve reviewed the backgrounds of the private companies set to collaborate with us. I found several weaknesses. Are you sure you still want to proceed?]
Ignoring her husband’s warning glare, Athena displayed the data she had meticulously gathered, projecting it for everyone to see without delay.
"Wow! It seems I wasn’t wrong to involve your wife in this project, Mr. Leon!" an unexpected voice interrupted. The Mayor had entered, beaming with approval.
"Mr. Mayor...."
"Yes, I made time to be here because this project is attracting a great deal of attention. It’s all thanks to Mrs. Athena’s involvement—she’s caught everyone’s eye!"
Leon silently growled, shooting his wife a sharp glance as he thought, Damn it! She’s trying to humiliate me. What is she planning?!
"This kind of attention to detail is exactly what we need to ensure the success of this charity project, Mr. Leon. Mrs. Athena, you’ve truly proven yourself to be a valuable asset here!"
Maintaining her graceful smile, Athena nodded slightly to acknowledge the Mayor’s compliment. She knew Leon was struggling to suppress his fury, just as Crystal glared at her, seemingly searching for a way to stop her.
How does it feel? This is just the beginning of my payback. I might have been patient if you had only targeted me, but when you involved my mother, I couldn’t wait any longer!
After the meeting, Leon pulled Athena into his private office. He shut the door firmly, unaware that Crystal had not returned after escorting the Mayor downstairs.
"You think you’re smart, don’t you?" Leon hissed, his face inches from hers. "You think flaunting your ‘brilliant analysis’ in front of everyone will bring me down?"
Athena tilted her head slightly, her calm gaze meeting his. She quickly scribbled in her notebook and held it up, ignoring the tense atmosphere that was beginning to affect her.
[I’m just doing what’s right for this project. If that makes you look bad, isn’t that your problem?]
"Damn it, Athena! You’re asking for trouble!" Leon’s jaw tightened as his fists clenched harder. "But if you keep this up...." His voice dropped, laced with menace. "I’ll make your life much harder!"
Athena offered a faint smile, unfazed.
[Go ahead and try, Leon. But don’t forget, I know more about you than you’d ever want anyone else to know.]
"Damn it!"
Leon growled, stunned by her words. The defiance in her eyes was unlike anything he had seen before. Athena seemed to be threatening him, so he reluctantly shoved his wife back against the wall until it gave a resounding thud.
"You don’t know your place, Athena! I should never have spared your life to begin with!" he spat, tightening his hand around her neck.
Though she struggled for air, Athena’s resolve remained unbroken. Even as the pain intensified, she stood tall, refusing to bow her head. But when his grip tightened further, she finally fought back, gripping his wrist firmly.
"Don’t you dare fight me!"
"That’s enough! I’m done with your threats, Leon!" Athena’s voice rang out clearly enough to shock Leon.
"No way! You... You can speak?" His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Leon! Open the door!"
Crystal’s shrill voice echoed from outside, snapping Leon out of his daze. Athena took the opportunity to lean closer and whisper, "Your affair is stupid, Leon. Doesn’t she realize that shouting will only make everyone in this office suspicious of your affair?"
"Athena! You—"
"I’m not done yet, my dear husband." Athena deliberately tugged on Leon’s collar and planted a kiss at the corner of his lips just as Crystal peered through the window. "Let me make this clear. If you can play dirty while everyone’s watching, so can I! This is only the beginning, Leon. And I’m doing this because you started it first!"