h4Chapter 18: Little Revtion/h4

"The twins are Ewan’s right?"

The white te in Athena’s hand quivered as her hand became unsteady by the virtue of Zane’s question.

Already she was in some kind of knot, thinking of the possible union of Fiona and Luca—the when and how the possibility had urred—and now Zanees up with the million dor question.

But that was to be expected. Zane hadn’t made the deduction earlier because he hadn’t known she was affiliated with Ewan.

Now that he knew, he was connecting the obvious dots.

Surely if Zane could do so, then Ewan would too, if heid his eyes on the kids.

Athena shuddered involuntarily at the court battle that might ensue after that. However, she was ready if it ever came to that. That had been factored in her game ns too.

"Yes they are. But I will appreciate it if you keep that Information to yourself."

Zane raised his two hands, watching Athena dish food into the ceramic te. The twins were ying in the sitting room.

"I promise, Athena. The truth won’t leave my lips. It’s not my fault that my best friend chose to be foolish six years ago."

"Thank you, Zane."

Zane shrugged his shoulders. "It’s the right thing to do. After all, my father will have my balls on a tter if he finds out that I had betrayed you unjustly. Yesternight, he almost had them..."

Athena chuckled and shook her head. Her earlier worries about Zane’s father had been for nothing. It seemed the old man knew more about her, than he let on.

"Will you ever tell him?"

Athena shook her head. "But he will find out. I will prefer itter though. I need to put some things in order."

"Things like what?"

Zane’s question was met with only a nk stare.

Zane mused and turned away. That was it again. He thought. The mystery that kept pulling him in. He wasn’t sure if he loved Athena, or if he just wanted to unravel her, or if it was the both.

"Do you want yours with extra chili sauce?"

And like that, the topic was changed—changed and lost forever.

Zane sighed and nodded. He needed enough pepper to push down the frustration that came with dealing with Athena sometimes.

"Extra salt?" She asked, when he took a spoon of food to his mouth.

"No. This is perfect."

A pause.

"You didn’t ask the question from earlier again.."

Athena shrugged her shoulders. "I didn’t want toe off as eager."

How could she be eager for that reply, when the story of the century hadnded on herp! Fiona had a child with Luca! The timing too was crazier!

If Zane was Gianna, she would have enlisted him into stalking the child, getting a hair sample from both the little one and Fiona, and running a DNA test.

But he wasn’t Gianna.

When was her best friending back? Wasn’t she done with the work emergency? It was alreadyte.

Meanwhile, Zaneughed at her previous response. "You rarelye off as eager, Athena. At least you don’t make it seem so. You have perfected the act of human rtions."

Athena turned up her lipsically, before closing the pot.

"You aren’t eating?"

She shook her head. "Had a heavy lunch. Let’s go. The children might get silly, after waiting for us."

"Like the children of Israel in the old times after Moses went to the mountain?"

Athena scowled.

Zane divulged inughter.

Three hourster, with the children tucked into bed, Athena and Zane converged in the sitting room.

Zane plunged into the chair tiredly, causing Athena tough.

"How do you deal with those hyperactive children of yours..."

"Well, I don’t indulge them as you do."

Zane frowned, then gave up, when Athenaughed at him again.

She stopped, however, when a deeper frown metamorphosed in his face. "What’s the problem, Zane?"

"Just thinking how you were able to take care of them since birth. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you."

"No, it wasn’t. Doesn’t mean I want to talk about it either."

Zane epted the sharp rebuttal, and sought another topic to speak on. He liked spending time with Athena.

"About your question earlier, your father made a contract with Ewan some months before your wedding..."

Athena inhaled sharply, yet softly and reclined deeper in the chair. She knew whatever she would hear would put some things in a different light. "What contract is that?"

Zane sighed, and turned away from the nk stare on Athena’s face. He knew she had pushed her feelings one side, only allowing her brain to process whatever he was going to tell her logically. "It’s a long story, but I will cut it short,"

A slight pause.

"As you know, the two towns have always been at loggerheads, sometimes over petty issues, but really they were justpetitive; and to be honest that had helped in the development of the towns and the city as a whole into what it is now."

Athena agreed with a nod.

"Well, there was a time when Ewan’s n went bankrupt; during the great copse of the economy. That time, your father or rather Zack’s grandfather bought a certainnd from Ewan’s grandfather, to help thetter stand in those times. Money had been an issue. It was noted that the two towns had peace during that period, since thend was important one. However, the narrative changed when the two men died..."

Athena tapped her thighs intermittently, starting a beat.

Zane pretended not to notice, and continued the story.

"Zack’s father abused the privileges, by using thend as an opportunity to interfere in the affairs of Ewan’s town. Ewan’s father ignored it. It brought a lot of chaos then. During Ewan’s time, he wanted to stop it. So, he met your father. He asked your father to name a price for thend. Ewan was ready to pay billions to have thend—it had been his father’s dying wish. And he was set to aplish it, by all means..."

Athena clenched her fists. She already knew where the story was heading to.

"I told him the offer to make; we all knew that Zack loved money. So, we thought he would fall for it. But Zack brought forth another proposition. I’m sure you can guess what that is..."

Athena opened her mouth to speak then, words alreadyced with hatred, when a knocknded on the door.

At first, she thought to ignore it. Yet the knocknded again.

"I know what you are talking about, Zane. Please, go on."

She turned to the door, picked a remote on the table and pressed the green button on it. "Come in Gia, the door is open."

But she was slightly put off when she didn’t hear Gia’s voice in response, when she saw the startled look on Zane’s face after reverting her attention to him.

Her curiosity piqued, she turned again, immensely startled when she saw who was standing in her sitting room.

It was Ewan.