Chapter 4 Your Son Needs You Sweat broke out across Lewis's forehead. He pressed a hand hard against his stomach, gasping for air, fighting through the sharp waves of pain. It wasn't the first time. He remembered this happening years ago. Back then, Athena had given him something, and the pain had stopped almost right away. Athena ... He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. "The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again." Lewis froze. He thought she would pick up right away and didn't expect this. What? Did she block me? His eyes darkened with anger. How dare Athena do this to me? The burst of rage only made the stomach cramps worse. He groaned, clutching his middle, certain he was about to die. "Lewis! Something's wrong! Dion's having an allergic reaction!" Nina rushed in, holding Dion in her arms. The boy's face was red, his skin covered in rashes, and he looked weak as he cried in pain. When Nina saw Lewis lying pale on the couch, she was shocked. "Lewis, what's happening to you?" Lewis could hardly believe it. Dion, too? Forcing himself upright, he muttered weakly, "Maybe that Cajun boil tonight was too spicy for my stomach to handle." Before he could finish, Nina burst into tears. "I didn't know this would happen! I just wanted to celebrate moving into the new house. I'm so sorry." She sat beside him, sobbing pitifully. Her wailing only made Lewis's pain worse. Lewis's head pounded like it would split apart. If Athena were here, she would have handled it calmly. She always had a way of fixing things fast. Damn it. Why is she on my mind again? Did she really think blocking my number would make me come running back? His eyes turned cold. He grabbed his phone and called his assistant. "My stomach pain is back. Get an ambulance here, now!" Lewis thought the hospital would fix it. But this time the pain hit harder. Not even the pain shots worked this time. Lewis snapped, yelling at the medical staff. "Are you all useless? You can't even treat a minor stomachache?" "Please calm down, Mr. Belmont," Ned said carefully. When he saw how badly Lewis was suffering, he suggested quietly, "Maybe we should call Mrs. Belmont. She might-" "Shut up!" Lewis barked, his face dark. He had wondered why Athena had the nerve to stay mad at him; it turned out she wanted to use his stomach problem to manipulate him. If I went crawling back, she'd use it against me. No. I would never beg her. After a storm of chaos, Lewis's pain finally eased. Dion's allergic reactions were eased. But both of them looked like they had been dragged through hell, worn and miserable. "Dad, I feel awful. Can I have some water?" Dion lay weakly on the hospital bed, looking at Lewis with pleading eyes. Lewis sat pale on the couch nearby. His brows tightened as he snapped, "Can't you see I'm sick too?" He actually asked his sick old man to take care of him? What an ungrateful son. "Lewis, don't be mad at Dion. I'll get the water," Nina said quickly. She rose up, poured a glass of water, and held it to Dion. The boy took one sip and spat it right out. "This water tastes bitter! It's not sweet at all! I don't want it-I want sweet water!" Nina's eyes filled with tears at his complaint. Her voice choked, "That's impossible. It's just plain water." "It's bitter! I don't want it!" Dion cried wrongly, rolling in frustration, thrashing on the bed. Lewis's face darkened as he watched his son's tantrum, his patience running thin. Ned spoke softly from the side. "Mr. Belmont, when Dion got sick before, Mrs. Belmont always gave him honey water." Nina heard this, and she asked helplessly, "Where am I supposed to find honey here?" Lewis frowned, already losing patience. "Ned, go buy a bottle of honey." Ten minutes later, Ned came back and handed the jar to Nina. She quickly mixed the honey water and brought it to Dion. But after one sip, Dion gagged and threw it up. He cried louder, shouting it didn't taste right. Nina stood by helplessly, tears streaming down her face as she asked Lewis what to do. Lewis rubbed his temples; his head was on the verge of exploding. How am I supposed to know? Athena had always taken care of Dion. She never asked him for help, and he never had to deal with these little everyday problems. Finally, frustrated and out of options, Lewis snapped at Dion, nearly ready to spank him. The boy cried until he wore himself out, then slowly fell asleep. Lewis pinched the bridge of his nose. For the first time, he found things didn't go his way. Dion never listened and always cried and fussed. And Nina-she was useless, only knowing how to cry along with him. Just then, Ned stepped back into the room and informed him. "There's a problem with a project at the company." Lewis stood up at once. "Stay here with Dion. I need to go to the office." "Lewis, it's so late, and you still have to work?" Nina's eyes were red, her voice pitiful. "If you leave, what am I supposed to do alone?" She had never cared for Dion by herself, not even for a single day. Tonight, just giving him a drink had already worn her out. How could she possibly manage him all alone? Lewis sighed helplessly. He tried to soothe her. "Athena's still mad at me. She's not coming back anytime soon. You'll just have to hang on for a couple of days. Once she regrets it and comes back, you won't have to worry anymore." Nina nodded. "Alright." ... Athena was eating the takeout Zaden had ordered. She never thought her birthday would be like this-special in one way, but also the day she lost her husband and her son. Her phone rang. She swiped to answer. Before she could speak, Nina's voice rushed through the line. "Athena, your son had an allergic reaction. He's in the hospital. You need to come take care of him!" Athena set down her fork, her lips curling into a cold smile. "How did that happen?" "I-I don't know. Maybe he ate the wrong thing!" Athena knew Dion's allergies well. She had always been strict about his meals, never letting him touch anything risky. She had managed his condition carefully for years, and he'd been fine. Now, the moment he was back in Nina's hands, he ended up in the hospital. It was almost laughable. "If you don't want to tell me, then forget it." She was ready to hang up. Nina panicked. "H-he ate a little spicy Cajun boil." Athena let out a sharp laugh. "A little? More like a lot." Nina's voice trembled, full of helplessness. "Athena, your son is sick. Don't you even care?" My son? Those words stabbed straight into Athena's heart. She had treated Dion like her own, caring for him day and night, never complaining. And what did she get in return? The cruel truth-Dion wasn't hers at all. He was Nina and Lewis's child. He had nothing to do with her. Her expression hardened. Her voice dropped low. "I can't come. You take care of him yourself." With that, she hung up. Athena drew in a deep breath, fighting to steady herself. She refused to cry here, not with two other people sitting close by. When she lifted her head, she met Zaden's dark, steady gaze. Worry flickered in his eyes. "You okay?" he asked gently.