Ewan watched the heart-touching spectacle before him, feeling a strange mixture of ease, pleasure, and relief that things were finally looking up for the Thorne family. Never mind that this matter ant the continuation of the dangerous political gas within the Thorne clan.
It didn’t matter. He thought. He would personally see to Cedric—Cedric and anyone else foolish enough to think they could walk over his wife and children. Even if it cost him his life.
"Can you see what you and your family almost ruined?" Ewan’s gruff voice cut through the air as he questioned Fiona, whose head remained bowed, her shoulders sagging under the weight of sha.
"I’m sorry." Fiona whispered, her voice trembling.
"You can keep saying that in the black cells." Zane snapped, his tone sharp with disdain.
He turned away from Fiona, toward the Thorne’s reunion, a mixture of happiness and amazent flickering across his face at the unexpected turn of events.
Athena was already a guru in her own right—career-wise and wealth-wise; adding the Thorne empire to her cap would be sothing else.
He shook his head in amazent. He didn’t doubt she could handle it. If there was anything his father had hinted about Athena, it was that she could handle anything.
Speaking of his father, Zane pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his old man about the good news.
’Athena is a Thorne...Aunt Emily’s daughter, and the one who saved Ewan from drowning all those years ago. Can you believe it?’
He then locked his phone and slipped it away, watching as the trio disengaged from their heartfelt hug, wiping each other’s tears. He smiled at Athena as she t his gaze, giving her a thumbs up.
She chuckled softly before following her grandmother to her seat, taking the next available spot beside the old woman. The elderly woman, refusing to let go of Athena’s hand, held on tightly as if anchoring herself to the truth that had just unfolded.
"Thank you for telling the truth, Fiona. Thank you for telling the truth this ti." Athena said softly, her gaze eting Fiona, who had lifted her eyes at the sound of her na.
Fiona nodded humbly. "It was the least I could do. I’m sorry for being the thorn in your flesh for so many years."
Athena bit her lower lip, her eyes scanning Fiona’s battered body and the wounds that marred her skin. She would need a thorough dical check-up—if Fiona was to last another week. She would ask Shawn to see to that before placing her in one of the cells.
"It’s okay." Athena said gently. "It’s understandable that you felt jealous—that I stole your friend..."
Ewan and his friends widened their eyes fractionally. What was Athena doing?
Understandable? They echoed inwardly. There was nothing understandable about the evilness of Fiona!
"Maybe if your parents had done better, you wouldn’t have turned out as you did... maybe if you had my mother as yours—mothers by birth and adoption..." Athena exhaled softly.
"All the sa, thanks for being my female friend at one ti. I’m sure my younger self would have appreciated your companionship. Thanks for calling out for help to save Ewan’s life... and I’m sorry for how things turned out for you, for the unrequited love..."
Fiona’s tears spilled over again, uncontrollable now, flooding her cheeks as she kept wiping her eyes, the floodwaters refusing to stop—perhaps because Athena herself was crying, too.
"Maybe in another world, we would have been best friends... maybe..." Athena sniffed, using her right hand to dab her eyes.
"I forgive you, Fiona. I let you go." She stated softly, her voice steady despite the emotion choking her.
Fiona’s sobs grew louder, no longer sniffles but loud, broken cries that ca from the depths of a woman thoroughly shattered. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t even mutter a word—yet ’thank you’ echoed endlessly in her mind, a mantra of remorse and hope.
"But you will serve your punishnt." Athena continued, her voice quiet but firm. "A couple of years in the black cells. I don’t think you will be let out easily if we take this to court. My friend Shawn will be here soon. He’ll take you to the clinic so your wounds can be treated—and then to the black cells... for a couple of years... you will be watched... for improvent. Who knows? You might be free before you know it... your mother too. Although I’m sure she’s already remorseful... however..."
Athena’s tone softened as she glanced at Old Mr. Thorne, "as my grandfather has said..."
The old man’s smile broke through tears streaming down his face. He didn’t think he would ever tire of hearing Athena call him grandfather.
"She will have to be punished. I’m sure Lucas will have a story for Kendra. Is that okay?"
Fiona nodded, accepting her fate—knowing it could have been worse, that it should have been worse. Her life should have been snuffed out long ago, considering the number of lives she had destroyed.
"Thank... you..." She whispered, bowing her head, ignoring the frown that twisted Morgan’s face.
The latter would soon learn. She thought, uncapping her water bottle. He would soon learn humility. There was no other choice left when dealing with these people. That’s if they let him leave alive.
"Good. Now, Morgan..." Athena’s voice hardened imdiately, her emotions carefully contained as she turned to et Morgan’s blank stare. "Are you ready to give us the truth to our questions?"
Morgan opened his mouth to respond, but Athena held up a hand.
"Wait... before you answer, rember we just rescued Fiona from Connor’s clutches. He won’t be pleased—and he would be too willing to transfer that aggression to you. So think carefully before you reply. You and your crew of two..."
She paused, her gaze sharp. "Two, because from the last report I got from Aiden, your gang is over. Even now, your little cliques across the globe are being taken out discreetly by the governnt—not just of this country, but others. You really went far with the Grey disease..."
Morgan clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth.
"You really shouldn’t have crossed for the third ti, Morgan. You shouldn’t have touched my family."
Athena exhaled softly, a faint tsk escaping her lips as she flexed her hands.
Morgan drew back, expecting the continuation of the brutal beatings of yesterday—yet Athena remained seated.
"It’s not yet ti." She said calmly, expertly reading his thoughts, reclining in her seat. "But it will co sooner than you think if you dodge my questions. Am I clear?"
Morgan nodded slowly.
"Use your words!"
"Yes. I... understand." He croaked, eting her gaze.
"Good. Firstly, how did your rescue team locate this place?"
Morgan shook his head imdiately. "I don’t know. I only knew they were after us, from the shootout."
"Hmm... the people who ca to rescue you are not from your gang. Actually, they’re from Ewan’s forr gang. And from what I know, you lot are not even on good terms. So, it would an that your employer has already made his move—employing another gang for his dirty work..."
A tense silence fell as Athena watched the fleeting emotions flicker across Morgan’s face.
"And that the only reason they ca was to break you out—because of what you know. Your job, Morgan, right now, is to let us know what you know. That’s it."
Morgan coughed then, blood splattering onto the floor—internal bleeding, Athena noted with aloofness.
"And what’s in it for ?" Morgan managed to croak, eting Athena’s gaze.
"Nothing," Athena replied without hesitation. "Nothing is in it for you. Only that you’ll receive a little reprieve from torture... or..." She raised her left eyebrow, a sly smile curling her lips. "Do you want the torture?"
Morgan shook his head. After all, he didn’t know much. Why fall into Connor’s hands when he knew next to nothing? Better he tell his own truth—maybe then he’d get a lighter sentence.
He almost chuckled at his own thoughts. Hadn’t Athena assured him there was no reward? He wasn’t as lucky as Fiona. He envied his girlfriend.
"So, talk..." Athena pressed, her tone sharp when Morgan hesitated. "You can start with the na of your employer, and the one who goes by the code na ’Crayfish’? We found that na written in so docunts..."
Morgan coughed again, this ti reclining against Heron’s body. But Heron shrugged him off, eliciting surprise from Morgan and amusent from everyone in the room.
"Heron..." Morgan gritted, clutching his painful fists. Of course, the mighty had fallen. Loyalty ant nothing now.
He sighed, sitting upright and pushing away the dizziness and weakness that threatened to overwhelm him.
"Honestly, I’m not sure." He admitted. "I’ve never t my employer. Crayfish is the one I communicate with—I don’t think he’s my employer, maybe just a ssenger. He’s the one giving us instructions. But I don’t know his identity either."
Athena frowned, her brows furrowing. "But you ntioned that my attacker was soone close to ... I still rember..."
"Yes, but only because of the information the person gives us concerning your whereabouts and activities. I figured he must be soone close." Morgan replied, voice tired.
Athena exhaled slowly, frustration flickering across her face. It seed Morgan was only a useless piece of the puzzle.
"And what about this necklace? This key...What does it open?" Ewan asked, sensing Athena’s disappointnt. He lifted a golden necklace, his eyes lighting up when he saw the surprise on Morgan’s face.
Surely, there must be sothing there; sothing they could work with.
Morgan will not be utterly useless to the search!
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