Chapter 17 Drawing the Line : 468 Finished Did Lewis even know what he was saying? He kept calling her like he'd lost his mind, all just to defend Nina? If he hadn't brought up the necklace, Athena wouldn't have been this mad. But the moment he did, she thought of the one she had treasured so carefully-the fake one. Nina strutted around with the real piece, proud as could be, while Athena had held on to a worthless copy, treating it like some treasure. And Lewis wanted her to sit quietly and accept that? That jerk should go to hell! She rolled her eyes and snapped, "Lewis, who do you think you are? Playing the dominant CEO again? You tell me to wait, and I'm supposed to sit here and wait? Give me a break." Her voice cut sharper. "Nina's nothing but a homewrecker. If I knocked her down, no one would miss her. And now you're ordering me to show up in twenty minutes? And you want me to show up in twenty minutes? Why don't you go see a doctor with her and get your heads checked together?" She didn't give him a chance to answer. Athena hung up the phone. Unbelievable! What a trash! She had tolerated Lewis's temper for years. Not anymore. Ever since they got married, she had never raised her voice at him. He always lost his cool, and she always let it slide. But things were different now. She wasn't going to put up with it anymore. Outside, Carmen handed Teri over to Zaden. Her eyes hadn't left him once since he walked up. He was just too perfect. No matter how many times she saw him, her heart skipped a beat every time. Rich, handsome, successful-he was everything women dreamed about. The only drawback was that he had a daughter. But to Carmen, that wasn't a problem. She softened her voice, smiling brightly. "Mr. Storm, I was about to take Teri home myself, but I didn't expect you'd come in person. You really are such a good dad." 1/3 14:37 Sat, Oct 18 Chapter 17 Drawing the Line Zaden gave a polite nod. "I had business to take care of. Thanks for helping, Ms. Hum." 68 Finished Carmen didn't mind at all. In fact, she loved spending time with Teri. The more Teri liked her, the easier it would be to get closer to Zaden. Win the daughter, win the father-that was her plan. An idea popped into her mind. She leaned toward Zaden and said, "Mr. Storm, the kindergarten is hosting a parent-child field day this weekend. They'd like both parents to join if possible." She paused, smiling sweetly. "But if things at home are complicated, I could stand in as Teri's mom for a day. What do you think?" The smile faded from Teri's face. Her mood sank instantly. No one could replace her mom. And she didn't want Carmen pretending to be hers. Zaden noticed Teri was in low spirits. He reached out and gently patted her head, then said, "I won't trouble you, Ms. Hum. I'll figure it out." He looked at her and added, "Teri, Athena's here." At the mention of Athena, Teri's face lit up. She quickly turned toward the car and spotted Athena sitting in the front passenger seat. Her mood lifted at once. Grabbing Zaden's hand, she urged, "Daddy, let's go see Athena!" Though Athena had only helped her twice, Teri already thought the world of her. Zaden nodded and walked with her toward the car. Not far away, Carmen frowned, suddenly on edge. Athena? She had asked Teri before, and Zaden didn't have a girlfriend. So who was this Athena? Could she be his girlfriend after all? Carmen tried to get a better look, but the car windows were tinted. She could only make out part of Athena's profile. She looked so graceful, and from the glimpse alone, she had to be beautiful. Jealousy burned in her chest. She had thought she had the best chance, being so close to Zaden. 2/3 14:37 Sat, Oct 18 Chapter 17 Drawing the Line But now another woman had stepped in. Still, Carmen quickly steadied herself. : Athena was only a girlfriend. As long as there was no wedding ring, the game wasn't over. Inside the car, Teri couldn't stop talking. She told Athena everything about her day at kindergarten, detail after detail. 68 Finished Athena listened with patience, smiling warmly, answering every little story. The two of them chatted all the way to Athena's place. When it was time to say goodbye, Teri didn't want to let go. She asked, "Athena, can I have your contact? That way I can talk to you anytime!" She held out her kid's smartwatch. Athena laughed and shook her head, amused. "Of course. If you ever feel bad or need me, you can call me anytime." Once she saved Athena's contact, Teri beamed with satisfaction. Then she blurted out, "Athena, this weekend our school has a parent-child sports day. The teacher says both Mom and Dad have to come. Can you pretend to be my mom and us?" go with