Chapter 500
Chapter 500
Lizzie gaped at Athena, utterly dumbfounded. She had never imagined that her grand scheme to publicly disgrace Ather would backfireso spectacularly, and to her utter dismay, Athena had used the moment to turn the tables on her,
Not only were the rumors completely debunked, but Athena also gained a wave of goodwill from the crowd
Xander finally let out a sigh of relief at this sight.
He gazed at Athens with tender admiration. No wonder she had remained so composed, she’d had an exit strategy all along
Ferris stood there devastated, torn between joy and sorrow
Then, he shoved through the crowd, staggering toward the exit. Lizzie immediately gave chase, shouting “Ferris! Where do you think you’re going? Get back here now p>
The harder Lizzie chased, the faster Ferris sped away, until he vanished completely from sight
Athona watched Ferris’s hurried departure, a sharp pang twisting in her heart.
In fact, Coretta had given this gold pendant to Athena just the day before.
Loretta had told Athena that she and Ferris were simply not meant to be together in this lifetime. To protect them both from gossip, she suggested they address each other as brother and sister from then on
With rumors running rampant, Athena had no choice but to accept the arrangement, not only to clear her name, but also to put Loretta’s mind at ease
“Who would’ve thought this gold pendant would actually come in handy, Athena mused inwardly, a hint of irony in her thoughts.
Just then, Nelson approached Xander and said respectfully, “Sir, Her Highness Alexandra requests your presence, together with Lady Athena p>
There was no way the ruckus in the garden had gone unnoticed by Alexandra. ”
Summoning them both could only mean one thing Athena was about to be reprimanded.
Xander nodded, turning to Athena. “Come, let’s go see my mother”
After all, Xander had intended to bring Athena to meet Alexandra from the very start. There was nothing to fear.
Even if Alexandra tried to give Athena a hard time, Xander wouldn’t allow it
Athena quickly followed Xander to meet Alexandra.
The moment they stepped inside, every gaze in the mom snapped toward them.
Alexandra, clad in opulent robes, sat regally in the seat of honor.
Beside her sat Kendra of the Porter family, engaged in conversation with her
The moment Xander and Athena appeared, everyche in the room, except for Alexandra, rose to their feet in respect.
“Mother, your son pays his respects,” he said,
Athena followed with quiet composure. “Athena pays her respects to Your Majesty p>
in perfect unison, the two dropped to their knees and executed the full coremonial bow
With Xander present, Alexandra found it difficult to trouble Athena, so she reluctantly bade them both rise.
1/2
Chapter 500
The room was filled with ladies. Alexandra turned in Xander and said, “You needn’t stay with us, Xander, Join the men’s table for a drink, we some private matters to discuss among ourselves p>
Xander glanced at Athena, poticing her head slightly bowed with an inscrutable expression.
He declined Alexandra’s suggestion with a playful grin. “Mother, I’ve only just arrived and you’re already trying to send me away? Or are you hoarding that precious tea of you p>
With that, Xander sat down. Noticing Athena was still on her feet, he said with a playful smile, “Athing, why are you still standing? Take a seat. Mother was so delighted to see you that she completely forgot herself, she didn’t even ask you to sit p>
His words provided Alexandra with the perfect face–saving exit p>
Alexandra forced a strained smile at Athena and said, “Do sit. We’re all family here p>
With Xander refusing to leave, Alexandra, unable to directly pressure Athena, redirected the conversation to the incident in the garden. She demanded, “What exactly happened out there? And how did you end up clashing with Lizzie p>
Though Alexandra didn’t care much for Lizzie, she strategically bolstered Lizzie’s position, since her real target was Athena
Xander placed his cup back on the table, a faint chuckle escaping him. “Mother, you know Lizzie’s temperament all too well. She’s been spoiled and stubborn as ever, always eager for the last word. Her words aren’t worth a grain of salt
Alexandra watched Athena sitting quietly in her seat, not uttering a single word.
Meanwhile, Xander deftly countered every
y word she said, leaving Alexandra visibly irritated.
“Athena, answer me,” Alexandra commanded, her tone leaving no room for evasion, in her domain, there would be no walking away without
consequence.
AD
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.