Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours! - Chapter 452

Chapter 452: Reservations

Athena sighed in relief as the video call with Dr. Damian ended.

Relief—because therapy wasn’t easy. The one-hour session alone had opened up a caveat in her mind she never thought she would approach again.

Susan had given her a heads-up about his methods, and yet she had been powerless against them, despite being a doctor herself and knowing a thing or two about psychology.

At least he had permitted the session to take place virtually, understanding her position at the moment…

She sighed again, dragging her fingers through her hair, and went through her to-do list on the tablet beside her. Another sigh escaped her lips when she noted she had to cancel dinner with Ewan—maybe shift it till tomorrow—since Antonio had insisted on taking her out tonight.

That text had come in just after she had hurriedly ended the call with him then.

Athena reclined in her seat and let it twirl her slowly, the gentle spin matching the rhythm of her thoughts.

There wasn’t much debate about which dinner to cancel, she insisted to herself, stopping the spinning motion abruptly with a light tap of her heel. Ewan would understand.

She picked up her phone and made the call.

“Hey, birthday celebrant…” Ewan started when he answered, his tone cheerful enough to make her smile—and feel a little bad for what she was about to say. “How’s your day going?”

“Fine,” she replied, glancing at her desk. “And yours?”

Ewan went on about budget cuts and company policies, his tone animated as always, and Athena listened quietly. After all, she held a significant amount of shares in the company—it was only natural she stayed informed.

“So, enough about me,” he said finally, teasing. “What’s the reason you called? Surely it can’t be because you’re missing me…”

Athena snorted softly at his attempt at humor. “As if! I’m calling because of the appointment today—the celebratory dinner. I received your message and reservation,” she said, licking her lower lip, pausing. “And I won’t be able to make it. Maybe we can reschedule?”

A certain pause followed on the other end, long enough to make Athena’s heart rhythm shift a little.

“As you wish, co-celebrant,” came his quiet response.

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“But we don’t need to reschedule though…”

Athena’s breath caught again. Maybe she had celebrated too early?

“We can have a simple dinner at home when you return. I’ll cook.”

Her brows shot up, nearly touching her hairline. Ewan? Cook?

That was a sight she hadn’t imagined. Yes, her children had told her about the toasted bread he’d once made for them, but she had always suspected they were exaggerating. Still, they’d described it as “delicious.” Could it be true?

“You’re not saying anything,” he added with a playful tone, “which tells me that’s the best decision. So, are you in?”

Athena inhaled deeply, smiling despite herself. “What about the family? Won’t we be interrupted?”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it. In or out, co-celebrant?”

Athena laughed easily now. In another life, she and Ewan would have been best friends—easily. “I’m in.”

“Cool. See you later… fighting!”

Athena laughed harder when the call ended abruptly, as though Ewan didn’t want to hear the consequence of his chirpy farewell—or the embarrassment sure to follow.

“Fighting?” she muttered, shaking her head, laughter bubbling again as she returned to her files.

Was this a South Korean drama?

Moments later, she tidied her desk and got to her feet, stretching lightly. Fatigue tugged at her shoulders, the kind that came from mental work more than physical, but she still intended to stop by her grandmother’s ward before heading home.

When she stepped out of her office, she came in contact with Ciara talking to Stella. They both stopped when they saw her approaching.

“What’s happening?” she asked, gripping her handbag with her left hand as though ensuring it stayed balanced on her shoulder.

“Nothing much,” Stella replied quickly. “Just informing Ciara—so she can let you know—we’ve been having a steady increase in the number of people coming in for the Grey Variant. As a matter of fact, about five minutes ago, the guards outside brought in like fifty patients. It’s like…”

Athena nodded, understanding immediately. This must be what Kael meant when he talked about surprises.

Good thing she had prepared the vaccines in batches. Good thing she had gotten that tip earlier. What would she have done otherwise? At least this cure they had kept secret would buy them some time before the gang boss got creative again.

“Keep it going, Stella,” she said. “I’m sorry you’ll be stressed during this period.”

Stella shook her head, a calm smile touching her lips. “It’s okay. I’m not bothered.”

Athena smiled back at the doctor who, coincidentally, bore the same name as Kendra’s foster mother—Stella—the woman who was currently cruising around the world, a reclusive vlogger whose isolation had saved her from the gang’s schemes.

“Thank you very much,” Athena said sincerely.

With that, she gave a few more instructions, bid them well, and then made her way toward her grandmother’s ward.

When she got there, her grandfather was still with Florence. They both seemed to be communicating lovingly with their eyes, that silent understanding that came from years of companionship.

The sight made Athena’s heart ache with a quiet longing. She wanted that kind of union someday—simple, lasting.

“My daughter… how are you doing?” Old Mr. Thorne’s voice pulled her back.

Athena smiled warmly, answering his question before stepping closer to her grandmother’s bedside. She placed her palm gently over Florence’s forehead. “You’re as good as new.”

Florence chuckled softly, her tired voice still croaked but cheerful.

“You’ll be discharged before the week is over,” Athena added with a confident smile.

Old Mr. Thorne’s face brightened instantly. “Thank you very much, my dear.”

Athena shook her head lightly. “I should be thanking you, Grandpa. You’re sponsoring the treatments.”

Old Mr. Thorne waved it off with a dismissive flick of his hand. “There would have been no need for that if you hadn’t made the cure available in the first place.”

Athena mused quietly, holding her grandmother’s hand a little longer. Her grandfather was too modest.

“I’ll be going now,” she said finally. “To the lab first though…”

“That’s okay. But remember to rest at intervals. Don’t burn out,” he warned gently.

Athena bobbed her head obediently, then leaned down to drop a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. “I’ll see you both later.”

Meanwhile, Ewan, back at his company, was in communication with the group his son Nathaniel had helped him contact. They were still gathering information about the gang—tracking movements, intercepting signals.

So far, so good. He thought. Very soon, he would have the entire stack of intel in his hands and would deal with Kael as it should be done.

But the real reason behind his uncharacteristic energy—the real thing making him so excited that he ignored Victoria’s remarks about overworking—was the dinner he would be having with his ex-wife. His mind refused to let it go, painting scenarios of table settings and meal options with every ticking minute.

“You’re working with so much gusto…” Sandro commented as he walked into the office, a pile of files in hand.

Ewan, seeing the files, shook his head instantly. “Take it back.”

Sandro laughed, amused. “I thought you were in the zone…”

“I have a dinner to plan—and cook. I don’t have time for the files,” Ewan said with a dismissive wave, already rising from his chair.

Sandro stood there, bemused. “Last I checked, you booked a restaurant…”

“She cancelled—probably has to check the lab. I heard Kael has been up to his tricks…” A sly smile touched Ewan’s lips. “Too bad we’re faster than him this time.”