She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew)

Chapter

228

Even during the Christmas holiday, heirs like Anabel and Matthew remained busy, with social obligations seamlessly woven into their lives.

Only families like the Donovan family could truly kick back and relax, free from the burdens of family visits, indulging in whatever leisure activities they chose. Arthur and Alaric made time every day to teach Maria how to drive, practicing in the parking lot of their community with the car Athena had given Arthur.

They kept the speed excruciatingly low; one brother sat in the passenger seat, guiding Maria while the other patrolled the area, ensuring that no pets or kids wandered in and caused an accident. Fortunately, the parking lot was mostly empty, with hardly a car in sight.

However, it quickly became evident that Maria wasn't a natural behind the wheel. After several days of lessons, she could barely manage to crawl along, and it seemed unlikely she'd pass the driving test without failing at least four or five times. Alaric ruffled her hair, speaking earnestly. "Maria, this just proves you're not cut out to be a driver; you're meant to have someone else chauffeur you around. Keep at it, and one day you'll have your car and driver." Maria could only respond with a resigned sigh. Thanks for the pep talk, Alaric." When they weren't out practicing brothers Among them, Brandon often found

dimself e

the Donovan be

Zayn, Harry, and Rufus often found the engrossed in deep ten took people from Vission Group out for basketball or tennis. After burning off energy, they'd return for snacks and drinks, wrapping up their evenings with games.

conversations with Penny and Nickle, as the three seemed to connect remarkably well

themselves in the boxing ring, throwing punches and getting in some serious practice, while the rest of the crew cheered them on from the sidelines, shouting encouragement. Meanwhile, Wesley and Claire were frequently seen hand in hand, though no one really knew where they kept slipping off to-most likely off chasing some youthful romance. Athena, on the other hand, was usually glued to her computer,

typing a away, only breaking away to take her grandmother for leisurely walks.

By the fourth day of the Christmas celebrations, the folks from Vission Group were gearing up to head home."

As they prepared to leave, each of them handed Josie a gift before grabbing the treats Claire had packed up, thanking the Donovan family as they drove away.

With her arms piled high with presents, Josie looked up and sweetly announced, "Mom, these are for you."

Everyone around her affectionately patted her little head, chiming in, "Josie, you're so thoughtful! Your mom is so lucky to have you.

the table, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Wow, these boxes are packed; they must have a ton of stuff inside." Claire laughed as she began unwrapping one of the gifts. "These are all for

trailed off,

"Walt, are those... dollars?"

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Chapter 228

with deep green hundred-dollar bills,

disbelief. disbe

eyes widened in disbelief. "No way, are you saying

open every single gift, her jaw dropping as she realized they were all hundred-dollar bills-not a single exception. After counting, she

wasn't struggling financially anymore, the sheer volume of cash left

Athena,

is way too much money; we absolutely

dismissively, her demeanor relaxed. "For them, this is just pocket change; it really means nothing. If we try to give it back, it would just seem rude." Claire was left s left staring, utterly speechless, just

so impressive: I'm honestly scared to even ask where they come from Athena smited tightly. "Honestly, they're just regular people-two eyes, a nose, a mouth-nothing special. Besides, they don't mean us any harm, so

The Donovan

exchanged glances,

"Since Athena has said it,

she began tapping away on her phone.

just like that, two days later, the Christmas holiday came

the hospital, and as she returned home, everyone else shifted back into work mode, shaking off the holiday

was thrilled to learn that Brandon had landed a full-time

he waved her off, saying, "There's so much traffic during rush hour; the subway is way quicker than driving. Plus, since I'm in tech, I'm mostly stuck in the office anyway. I rarely go out for meetings, so a car wouldn't do

knew it, a week zipped by in a

immediately spotted Brandon, who was glaring

she followed his intense gaze to the screen, which