Chapter 86: A Reward

After Athena dropped Gianna at her workplace, she headed straight home, her mind heavy with exhaustion.

Zane had granted her as much time off as she needed, and she was grateful—she needed it more than she cared to admit. Tomorrow’s task of returning to work loomed ahead, but for the moment, she allowed herself to relish the idea of resting.

"So, do you feel better today?" Aiden asked as they drove through the city.

Athena nodded absently, her gaze drifting to the window. They were passing the spot where she had been kidnapped, a memory etched in her mind that she wished she could erase.

Her thoughts spiraled into the past: if the kidnappers had relied solely on Heronica, she believed she would have managed somehow to overthrow the young girl. But they hadn’t. They had assistance, as always. Their teamwork was as infamous as their name.

Aiden broke into her thoughts. "That’s great. What are you going to do about Alfonso’s company?"

Athena shrugged, her shoulders rising and falling. "I already sent a text to Ethan to handle it. Luckily, Alfonso operates in a different sector from Zack, so we can transform it into branches of our business—much like how Zane’s family expanded into medicine, tech, and more. Ethan should be capable of reviving it smoothly. I plan to work closely with him."

Aiden nodded, a smile spreading across his face. "Things are really looking up, aren’t they?"

"Yes," Athena admitted, but there was a shadow in her voice. "I just wish I could find those brats who kidnapped me. Did you manage to trace Heron’s blood trails? Did they wipe it clean or something?"

Aiden sighed, shaking his head. "Stop fretting, Athena. Everything will sort itself out in due time. The team is working on the details."

Athena exhaled harshly, resting her head against the car seat.

developments at work?" Aiden asked, quickly shifting

responsibilities. I’ll need to check them out tomorrow," Athena replied, her expression

"You are not going to work tomorrow, Athena. You still need


days away, Aiden! What will I be doing all through that time? Watch TV?"

these days," Aiden encouraged, his tone light. "You should catch up on them. Plus, you can cook for the children. Experiment with new recipes. You know how much you love

face despite her feigned annoyance. "Yeah, I do. But times

those things," Aiden countered, chuckling. "I’m sure the kids would

delicious dishes occupying her thoughts. She recalled how cooking had been a

adventure, a

Aiden hummed,

What do you think?" Athena asked, a hint of uncertainty

noticed his confused gaze and raised her hands in a

Aiden replied, settling back into his seat as

to be his doctor, among other things," Athena explained. "But with everything happening, I didn’t get a chance to check out the

when I saw them opening the gift packages. Ewan bought Legos for Nathaniel and a playhouse for Kathleen. They didn’t say it outright, but I could tell

raised an eyebrow. "As it should


her memories. "It was books from Colleen Hoover, signed copies. As surprising as it was that he knew my favorite author, it was the date attached that

urging her to continue. "What date was

quickening. "The books were signed a year after

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