novelxo Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Athena held her breath, feeling the cold, sticky liquid ooze down her forehead.
Mrs. West stormed in with a posse, and upon spotting a woman in the box, she lunged at her like an arrow from a bow.
Athena’s secretary, Zora, was chilling in the lounge chatting up Mr. West’s secretary when he got a call that turned his face ghost–white.
“Trouble’s brewing!”
He shouted at Zora and bolted towards the box where all the drama was going down.
Zora followed suit and could hear the ear–piercing screaming and cussing from afar.
Busting into the box, Zora caught Mrs. West yanking Athena’s hair and swinging her fists at her like there’s no tomorrow.
Athena didn’t dodge or fight back, just took the hits as Mrs. West’s punches rained down on
her.
After a hefty shove from Mrs. West, Athena lost her balance and crashed onto the coffee table.
“Wendy! Wendy, stop it! That’s Ms. Dempsey, you can’t hit her!”
Mr. West, restrained by Mrs. West’s crew, nearly had a heart attack when he saw Athena fall.
Zora jumped in front of Athena only to catch a slap from Mrs. West heading straight for her face!
Suddenly, Zora was shoved aside, and Mrs. West’s slap missed its mark.
Club security rushed in and pinned Mrs. West down, and only then did she realize the woman she’d been thrashing was none other than Athena, the Dempsey family’s golden girl!
“Ms. Dempsey?”
Through it all Athena didn’t utter a peep or try to defend herself.
Once Mrs. West realized she’d been pummeling Athena, she knew she’d screwed up big time.
How could Stardale City’s most prestigious heiress give a hoot about her balding, beer–bellied hubby?
Athena’s face was smeared with rotten egg goop, hair a hot mess, and her pale, snowy complexion marred by angry red scratch marks. Though her skin wasn’t broken, the vivid color on her delicate face was a sight that tugged at your heartstrings.
Athena’s face was stone–cold as she plucked shards of glass from her arm, her blood staining a good chunk of her sleeve..
“President Dempsey! Don’t pull the glass out of your arm! I’m calling an ambulance right now!”
Chapter 35
Zora frantically grabbed her phone, but Athena’s icy command was clear, “Call the police first.”
At this point, Mr. West was practically ready to kneel before Athena. “President Dempsey! Please, let’s keep the cops out of this, can we sort this out privately?”
Mrs. West had messed up trying to catch a cheater and hurt Athena in the process. If word got out, the Wests could kiss their Stardale City life goodbye.
Mrs. West was shaking like a leaf. “Ms. Dempsey, I’m so sorry, I mistook you for ”
Athena swallowed the taste of blood, her eyes clear and cool. “Mr. West bailed on the Dempsey Group at work, and Mrs. West intentionally hurt me. Calling the cops is the only road I can take now. Let’s head to the station, shall we?”
Mr. West tried to block her path. “President Dempsey, my wife’s just hot–headed, she’s blind as a bat! I’ll pay tenfold for your medical and cosmetic expenses! President Dempsey, I’m begging you! We can’t blow this up!”
Mrs. West’s face was flushed with shame. “Ms. Dempsey, I must be blind. Hit me, however you please!”
This whole ‘mistaken other woman‘ fiasco would turn her into Stardale City’s biggest joke!
“Mr. West, you think a bit of hush money for my injuries will settle this? You’re not taking the Dempsey family’s reputation seriously!”
Athena’s tone hardened, and Mr. West started sweating buckets, his forehead throbbing as he felt himself sinking into a trap with no time to think.
“President Dempsey, give us a chance! We’ll slash prices on the supplies Nossen Energy provides to the Dempsey Group, deal?”
Athena’s laugh was cold, her gaze icy. “Nossen Energy doesn’t even want to work with the Dempsey Group anymore, so what’s this about cutting prices?”
Mr. West blurted out, “Of course, I want to work with the Dempsey Group! It’s just Ms. Belinda, you know.”
He slapped his thigh, his mind racing to appease Athena. “I’ll work my personal contacts with the Bishop Group. President Dempsey, agree to Nossen Energy’s deal and please–no police. I’ll have my people take you to the hospital right now.”
“Zora, hand me the iPad.”
Zora, momentarily dazed, pulled herself together and passed Athena the iPad from her briefcase.
Athena pushed back her messy hair, unbothered by the egg on her forehead.
After pulling up the electronic contract, she handed over the iPad.
“Mr. West, sign this and I’ll treat today like I just took a little tumble,” Athena said, her pitiful look contrasted with a tone of utter finality, impossible to refuse.
2/4
Chapter 35
Mr. West felt more and more like something was off, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being played.
The security guards at the club were all rubbernecking, and Mr. West just wanted to quickly calm Athena down, then grease the palms of the folks at the club to keep mum about Mrs. West taking a swing at Athena.
He was also worried Athena might get cold feet, so he quickly grabbed the iPad, “Alright! I’ll sign! The deal with Nossen Energy and the Dempsey Group is on!”
Zora got into the car with Athena, still shaken up from Mrs. West’s meltdown.
“President Dempsey, thanks for giving me a hand back there.” If Athena hadn’t been quick on the draw, Zora would have copped a slap from Mrs. West.
Athena was wiping the egg yolk out of her hair with a wet wipe. “Taking a hit myself is a fair trade, no need to drag you into it.”
Zora’s mouth dropped open in shock, “President Dempsey, did you actually let Mrs. West?”
The pain in her arm made Athena furrow her brow; she calmly instructed, “Check out who tipped off Mrs. West to come to the Silver Club for the bust.”
Zora quickly nodded, “Got it.”
Following the info Athena sent, Newman walked into the hospital room to see Leonard tending to Athena’s wound.
The doctor had cut off the sleeve of Athena’s blazer and was using tweezers to remove glass shards from her arm.
Athena clenched her teeth and turned her face away, refusing to look at her injured arm.
Leonard, seeing Athena’s bodyguard arrive, leaned in and comforted her softly, “After the doc stitches you up, I’ll go get you some candy.”
“I don’t want stitches!” If she’d known it’d come to stitches, she wouldn’t have taken such a
hard fall.
“Stitches will prevent a big scar, though.” When Leonard heard Athena was hurt, he rushed over, his tone dripping with affection.
“Ms. Dempsey, listen to your boyfriend,” the doctor said while applying the anesthetic. Athenal was about to argue when she saw Newman, and she swallowed her words.
“Newmie, go get me some candy.” Athena commanded, while Newman gave her a frosty look, silently protesting.
Athena didn’t care; she couldn’t exactly shout out Newman’s name from Everglade City in front of Leonard.
“I want my favourite candy! Don’t mess it up.”
Chapter 35
Newman’s handsome face was stormy with coldness; after giving Leonard a chilly glance, he sarcastically told Athena,
“Let your boyfriend buy the candy for you.”
Before Athena could respond, Leonard chimed in. “I’ll get the candy. Newmie might not know which flavor you like best.”