Chapter 125: Christmas Play III

Words : 1071 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 125: Christmas Play III The play, which depicted the birth of Jesus—the very essence of Christmas—was nothing short of amazing. Through every scene, Athena kept smiling from ear to ear, her heart full of love and pride for her children and for the other children too, who managed to make this age-old drama a wonder to behold, taking to the stage without a single flaw. The teachers had truly done their work well! Athena watched her daughter cradle a baby Jesus, and couldn’t help the laughter that broke from her lips at the motherly grace her little girl seemed to embody perfectly. Beside her, Gianna laughed even more freely, capturing the moments with her camera as snapshots of joy. If Athena had risked a glance at Ewan, she would have seen the joy in his eyes, the smile on his lips stretching despite the turmoil churning within him. Right now, he had never felt so proud of anything as he did at this moment for his children; his accomplishments with the company didn’t even come close. Was this how much happiness he had missed over the last five years? Pain shot through his heart. How could Athena let him miss out on this? How could she decide to enjoy this all alone? Didn’t she think he might want to be a part of it? Yet as he wrestled with these thoughts, another part of him chastised him for the role he had played in keeping himself distant from their lives. He finally risked a glance at Athena again; she was clapping wildly, for the drama had come to an end. The happiness on her face, the twinkling in her eyes, made him uncomfortable. He quickly turned away, trying to fend off the allure of her beauty that drove him crazy, especially the sound of her laughter. Could she just stop? He wondered, gripping his thighs with clenched fists. "Till next week," he thought, as the kids hurried from the stage toward their mother—eliciting laughter from the parents who found the scene irresistibly cute—as they continued to ignore him. Minutes later, after the choir had presented another song to close the program, the principal of the school stepped onto the podium. "Now, before the founder of our school gets up to the podium to give a speech before closure, we shall be offering gifts, as we usually do, to the best performing students of the year..." "Oh, the other kids never stood a chance, did they?" Gianna asked Athena as she watched Nathaniel and Kathleen collect most of the prizes for their grade. Athena chuckled softly and shrugged. "It isn’t their fault that they were born geniuses." Ewan, hearing this comment, bit back his tongue, refraining from asking the implication of that statement. However, he felt a swell of pride as he witnessed his children collecting different awards. Even as he battled feelings of annoyance over his absence in their lives, he had to admit that Athena had done a commendable job with them, despite turning them against him. "Now, let’s call on the founder of our school to give a closing announcement. Everyone, let’s welcome the one who made this night a reality, Mr. Ewan Giacometti..." As applause filled the room, Ewan elegantly stood up from his seat and started toward the podium. Athena was momentarily speechless. She knew that Ewan was one of the leading shareholders in the school, but a founder? That was out of the question! It hadn’t even been on the research blog! She looked at Gianna, who shared the same expression of disbelief. Her children, however, had a different reaction—they knew! She could see it in the gleam of their eyes. Sighing, she looked away and focused on Ewan as he began his speech: "Good evening, everyone. Tonight, we gather not only to celebrate the achievements of our children but to recognize the spirit of Christmas. This season is about more than just festivities; it is a reminder of the importance of community, love, and goodwill. "As we watch our children shine on this stage, we are reminded that they are our future. Let us instill in them the values of kindness and compassion, teaching them that the greatest gifts are those we share with others—whether it be our time, our resources, or our hearts. "In this season of giving, let us remember those who are less fortunate and be the light in their lives. Together, we can create a ripple effect of goodwill that lasts beyond the holiday season. Let’s commit to nurturing an environment of generosity and support, ensuring that we all prosper together as a community." Athena scoffed at one point, her skepticism bubbling to the surface. What a pretender. "Let’s go," she said to her family, rising from her seat. Outside, Jake was already waiting, ready to whisk them away. "I hope you enjoyed the Christmas event, ma’am?" He asked, opening the car doors for them. "I did, Jake, thank you," Athena replied, forcing a smile. As they drove out of the school environment, her lips curved into a smirk when she saw Ewan suddenly appear outside the school hall, breathing heavily, his eyes darting here and there. He was searching for them? Just before she lost sight of him, she caught him beckoning to a man close to a car—his driver, perhaps. Was he attempting to pursue them? Five minutes later, Athena’s earlier amusement turned to anger as she realized her intuition was correct. Ewan was indeed following them. For what? She couldn’t tell. "Ma’am, do you know the car behind us?" Jake asked, his voice laced with concern. "Don’t mind it. Speed up. We have a dinner to get to." Jake obeyed, pressing the gas pedal. But as they sped up, Ewan commanded his driver to do the same. The man furrowed his brows, likely perplexed at the sudden increase in tension. But before he could fully comprehend the situation, a large trailer suddenly sped from the adjacent lane and blocked the road horizontally, causing Athena’s car to come to an abrupt stop. Before they could understand the intentions of the large vehicle, another large vehicle, structured like an armored tank, rushed from behind, past Ewan’s car, and stopped right behind Atheba’s car Suddenly the windows of the strange car was opened and gunshots erupted, shattering the relative peace of the night as bullets struck Athena’s car sporadically.

Chapter 125: Christmas Play III

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