Chapter 39 Morning Misunderstanding "Athena." 667 Finished Teri was already awake, still in her pajamas, sitting by Athena's bed and watching her quietly. Athena blinked in confusion for a moment before slowly sitting up. "Morning, Teri." She got up, washed, and changed into a clean outfit. Just as she was about to take Teri downstairs, there was a knock on the door. Zaden's deep, magnetic voice came from outside. "Ms. Hall, breakfast is ready. Come downstairs." Athena hurried to open the door. Zaden stood there in dark loungewear, his tall figure outlined by the morning light. His slightly messy hair and calm, lazy expression gave him a warm, domestic look-like a perfect husband starting his day at home. For a second, it almost felt like they were living together. Realizing where her thoughts were going, Athena quickly looked away, forcing her tone to stay calm. "I'll be right down." Just then, a loud thud came from the stairs. Both Athena and Zaden turned to look. Harriet was standing there, staring at them with wide eyes, completely stunned. "Athena, you ... you two ... "1 Athena froze. Only now did she realize how this must look-her being in Zaden's house early in the morning. Of course Harriet would get the wrong idea. Athena quickly explained, "Teri went missing last night. She ran to my place, so I brought her back here. It was late, and I couldn't drive home, so I stayed the night. Don't get the wrong idea." "Oh, I see. Harriet's voice carried a teasing tone, Whether she believed the explanation or not was unclear, but the way she looked at Athena made her whole body feel uncomfortable. : 1/3 14:42 Sat, Oct 18 Chapter 39 Morning Misunderstanding : Aa (67 Finished In the dining room, Athena sat beside Harriet, and Zaden sat across from them. Under the table, Harriet nudged Athena with her elbow and leaned close, whispering, "Come on, tell me the truth. What really happened last night? Did you sleep with Zaden? Wow, girl, I didn't expect that from you!" "Cough!" Athena choked on her milk. She shot Harriet a glare. What on earth is going on in that head of hers? Worried that Zaden might have heard, she carefully glanced his way. He sat there eating breakfast, calm and unbothered, not even lifting his eyes. It was as if he hadn't heard a thing. Athena finally let out a small sigh of relief. Then she whispered back, "Don't be gross. Nothing happened between us!" Harriet smirked. "Oh, please. You spent the night in his house. That's not exactly what I'd call nothing going on." Athena fell silent. There was no winning this argument. When breakfast was over, Zaden picked up his car keys, ready to head to work. He turned to Harriet. "I'll leave Teri with you today." "Don't worry," Harriet said confidently. "I'll take care of her." Zaden paused at the door, as if remembering something. Then he added, "And please drive Ms. Hall home." After saying that, Zaden left the villa. The moment he was gone, Athena and Harriet both relaxed completely. Harriet rubbed her chin with a teasing smile. "But seriously... 11 She said, "If you really end up divorcing Lewis, being with Zaden wouldn't be such a bad thing. He's every woman's dream-handsome, rich, and already a father. You don't have to give birth to a child." Athena nearly rolled her eyes. "Honestly," she muttered, "you and Kit have the same problem. You both spend way too much time daydreaming about nonsense." 2/3 14:42 Sat, Oct 18 Chapter 39 Morning Misunderstanding 67 Finished Harriet didn't change her mind about this. In fact, she thought it was a great idea. Once Athena was officially single, she was determined to play matchmaker. If Athena and Zaden got together, they'd all be one big happy family-that sounded perfect to her. Teri, sitting quietly nearby, had heard every word. Her eyes sparkled with hope. Could Athena become my mom? Is that possible? I want that more than anything. "Come on, I'll drive you home," Harriet said to Athena. The three of them got in the car and drove off together. On the way, Athena finally learned why Harriet had shown up so early that morning at Zaden's villa. Teri wasn't comfortable around most people. She avoided strangers and didn't trust easily. The allergy incident last time hadn't been an accident. Zaden didn't dare leave her with anyone else, so he had asked Harriet to help. Last night, when Athena had listened to Teri talk, she had sensed that the Storms didn't seem to care much for the little girl. That thought made her heart ache again. A child without a mother truly had it the hardest. When Harriet's car passed by Lewis's villa, she clicked her tongue. "So this is where Lewis and that homewrecker live? Ugh, good thing we didn't run into him. That would've ruined my morning." "I ran into him last night," Athena said calmly. Send Gifts 150 R ~ (* 14:42 Sat, Oct 18 ... 67 From Betrayal to Brilliance Her Rise to a New Life