Chapter 20 A Long-Awaited Reunion (68 Finished So Harriet really was related to the Storms. Kate and Harriet lived in a small, old neighborhood apartment, nothing fancy. They didn't even share the same last name. Harriet had never mentioned anything about being connected to Zaden. Her daily life was simple, even frugal. She had none of the spoiled attitude of a rich heiress that people might expect. Who could ever link her to Zaden? "Ms. Hall has helped Teri a few times," Zaden explained simply. Harriet nodded as if it all made sense. She didn't care much about the details. Smiling warmly, she walked right up to Athena and said, "My mom's been waiting for you." Before Athena could think, Harriet grabbed her hand and pulled her inside. There she was-Kate. The woman who had once guided Athena, teaching her like both a mentor and a mother. Maybe it was because of her practice in holistic medicine, but Kate looked almost the same as years ago. Athena's throat tightened. It took her a long moment before she finally whispered, "Professor ... All the speech she had prepared vanished in an instant. Then Harriet suddenly piped up, "Mom, remember what we agreed on yesterday! If Athena comes, you can't scold her. What if she gets upset and leaves?" Her interruption broke the tension and lightened the mood. Kate shot her a sharp look. "You talk too much. Go set the table." "Okay." Harriet turned to Athena and grinned. "Don't worry. I've arranged everything. No scolding today." With that, she laughed and dashed off to get the food. Athena's nervous heart finally began to settle. She sat down beside Kate, her face serious and sincere. "Professor Warner, I'm sorry. I failed you back then. I didn't live up to your expectations." Kate's eyes grew moist, though her voice was calm. "The past is past. I've forgotten it all." Athena knew Kate wasn't holding any grudges. Her shoulders relaxed at last. Kate's gaze dropped to Athena's leg. "What happened to your leg?" 1/3 14:37 Sat, Oct 18 Chapter 20 A Long Awaited Reunion 68 Finished "There was a gas explosion at home a while back. I got hurt," Athena answered briefly. "Roll up your pants and show me." Kate leaned closer, intending to check the injury. Athena didn't refuse. She did as she was told, letting Kate examine the wound. "It's nothing too serious," Kate said after a moment. "I'll give you a treatment. That'll help it heal faster." Before long, everyone in the house gathered around to watch Kate treat Athena. Teri grinned and said, "No wonder I like Athena so much! It's because she's just as amazing as Aunt Kate!" Athena laughed and corrected her. "She's my professor. She's way better than me." "Nope," Teri shook her head firmly. "I think Athena's even better. Aunt Kate can't fix my body, but Athena can." Kate had already heard that someone helped Teri during her last attack. She never guessed it would be her student. That alone proved Athena hadn't forgotten her training. She had even improved her skills. Instead of being upset, Kate felt deeply proud. Meanwhile, Lewis sat on a hospital bench, staring coldly at his phone. A message from Ned had just arrived. "Mr. Belmont, here's Mrs. Belmont's schedule for the week." Lewis scrolled through it quickly. Athena had stayed home for two days straight, not going anywhere, and no one had visited her. Maybe she had already broken up with that boy toy. Lewis's eyes glinted with satisfaction. He kept scrolling until he saw that Athena finally went out. At first, it was just to meet a woman, so he didn't care. But then he noticed where she had gone today. His thoughts jumped back to the woman he had seen earlier. He flipped back through the information and suddenly remembered Harriet's identity-she was a relative of the Storms. Why would Athena know her? The more he thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. Lewis immediately called Ned 14:37 Sat, Oct 18 Chapter 20 A Long Awaited Reunion : and told him to check Zaden's whereabouts for the day. Five minutes later, the results came in-Zaden and Athena had gone to the same neighborhood! 68 Finished Lewis's mind flashed back to that day at the hospital, when he saw Athena with the man who looked so much like Zaden. Could they really have something going on in secret? His face darkened at the thought. That evening, Athena enjoyed a warm dinner at Kate's house. It felt like all the old grudges melted away over the meal. Afterward, Harriet drove her home. On the way, Harriet said with a smile, "You know, I used to think about setting you up with Zaden. But I never imagined you'd both have your own relationships already." Athena blinked in surprise. Me and Zaden? That's almost too strange to picture. Harriet went on, "By the way, are you really planning to just stay home all the time? Your son's grown now; he's in preschool. If you're ready to start fresh, we'd be more than happy to welcome you back."