Athena inhaled deeply, striving to calm the rage simring beneath the surface as she observed Valentine, who was expertly maintaining his stoic facade.
Yes, she needed protection. That was a fact. But she didn’t want—or need—the governnt’s protection. Hadn’t she once worked for them? She was all too familiar with their operations, and now, she wanted nothing to do with them.
How could she disentangle herself from this entanglent? Was it even possible?
"What else did he ask you to do? Surely, the order isn’t just to look after like a nanny?" She finally asked, stepping back.
Valentine pursed his lips, a fleeting frown passing across his face, but Athena noticed his budding annoyance. "He also ordered that you hand over the research material..."
"It’s not happening, Valentine. Get that ssage back to him. It is absolutely not happening. My research, my lab, everything stays with ."
Valentine furrowed his brows, astonished by the audacity of this woman whose na was on the lips of nearly everyone he knew. "You would dare disobey the president of the country?"
"Yes, Valentine. I would dare to. After all, I have citizenship in other countries. If he tries to play a chess ga with , I can simply move to another board. So, what’s it going to be, chief security officer?"
Valentine quelled the anger that surged within him, especially in the presence of her entourage.
Aiden Hunt, his senior during their ti in the army, regarded him with a bored expression, as expected. And there were Mr. and Mrs. Thorne, owners of one of the leading companies in the country.
They could likely keep this smart-mouthed doctor safe—he certainly had no interest in babysitting a rude woman—but this was a direct order from the president, and defying it was not an option.
"I can’t disobey a direct order from the president..."
"You don’t have to..." Athena interjected, glancing at her wristwatch, impatience creeping in. "Just relay my ssage back to him. If he wants to talk, let him schedule a eting to discuss my protection and research—that’s the most I can agree to. But having you all tailing ? I can’t have it. That would do more harm than good. As you can see..."
She gestured to the security detail standing behind her. "My friends have covered. Still, thanks for your concern, Valentine."
Valentine clenched his jaw so tightly that his lips burned from the friction. "Okay then," He finally said. "I’ll take your report back to the president."
Athena sighed in relief, but that relief was short-lived when Valentine added, "But I’ll leave three of my n here. They will join your security detail. That’s the compromise I can offer until I get in touch with the president."
Athena’s retort was caught in her throat as Aiden spoke. "Okay, Valentine. Keep the three n with us and go. We have a eting to attend to."
Valentine bowed his head slightly to Aiden, a reflexive gesture—stemming of years of following ranks in the military—catching himself a mont too late.
Athena’s lips thinned in amusent. She knew she shouldn’t push her luck. She watched as the frustrated man bit back a hiss, turned around, and walked out of the compound with his detail, leaving three hefty guards behind.
She didn’t bother asking for their nas; she simply walked toward the car waiting for her. There was no need for introductions, she thought, settling into her seat, because they wouldn’t be there long. She was determined not to allow any governnt spies into her research.
"Athena..." Antonio’s voice broke into her thoughts as he joined her in the car.
From the view mirror, Athena caught the amusent lurking in Aiden’s eyes as he sat in the front seat with the driver.
"You didn’t tell you were attacked! I didn’t know really! I turned off my phone after calling your number then; I was just so tired..."
"It’s okay, Antonio," Athena said, trying to smooth the worried lines on her friend’s face. But Antonio wasn’t ready to let it go.
"It’s not okay, Athena! I saw the video—both the accident and when Aiden carried you from the bush. There was nothing okay about that! We must kill Morgan! Please tell there’s a plan in motion because I already have one..."
Athena was left speechless. "Uhmm..." What could she say? "We already have plans in place. Don’t worry, Morgan will pay for what he did. You can be assured of that."
Antonio sighed heavily and pulled Athena’s face towards him, shocking her.
"Don’t scare like that again, Athena..." He spoke softly, his eyes scanning her face as if searching for the scars he’d seen in the video, finally resting on her pink, plump lips.
"I won’t, Antonio," Athena muttered, gently pulling away. "You don’t have to worry."
Antonio sighed and turned away, unaware of Aiden’s internal battle not to say, "Goodnight, Athena. I love you," as it seed Antonio didn’t rember his words from the previous night.
Monts later, they arrived at Ewan’s company.
As Athena stepped out of the car, she was imdiately taken aback by the cheers echoing around her from passersby and workers alike who had paused to see who the convoy was bearing.
She pursed her lips and hurried into the company alongside Aiden and Old Mr. Thorne with his wife—they had dropped Antonio off at Herbert’s company—knowing that it was only a matter of ti before the press arrived there.
Oh Lord, she mused as she walked toward the conference room, with Old Mr. Thorne leading the way.
They t Zane by the door, on a call.
Spotting them, he greeted them with a smile.
Then he hung up and enveloped Athena in a hug.
"You’re looking even better than before..." He said when they separated.
Athena continued to smile. "Thank you, Zane. And thank you, too, for saving ."
Zane shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly. "I think the person deserving of thanks is Ewan. He made it all possible."
Athena raised an eyebrow. Ewan again? "Will he be around for today’s eting?"
"I don’t actually know. Neither he nor Sandro are picking up my calls."
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