Chapter 201: The President’s Order

Words : 1078 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

Chapter 201: The President’s Order "You really are not going to let this go?" Athena queried as she adorned her finely smooth wrist with a silver bracelet. "Why would I? It’s not every day that I get to hear Antonio’s vulnerability," Aiden replied cheerfully, munching on an apple. His laidback attitude this morning made Athena almost regret letting him into her room. Sighing, tired of his relentless banter, she turned and shot him a glare. But that didn’t faze Aiden, rather he mimicked Antonio’s words from last night just before the call had ended. "Goodnight, Athena. I love you." Athena shook her head, resolutely refusing to find amusement in Aiden’s taunt. "Shouldn’t this play be behind your age grade?" She asked, picking up the brown leather tote bag that contained her laptop and a couple of files from the bed, bracing herself for whatever challenges the day would fling her way. In there too was her bottle of pills. After the troubling episodes of two days ago, she vowed never to go anywhere without them. She had even transferred them to a gum container to deflect any suspicions from those around her. Aiden stood up and chuckled, shaking his head. "Not at all. I can’t wait to see his face today... Do you think he will remember?" Athena’s brow furrowed as she hoped for the opposite outcome. "I don’t think so. He was too consumed by sleep, remember? So, I would appreciate it if you kept your thoughts to yourself. Your sense of humor won’t be appreciated in this regard; you’ll just end up embarrassing me and putting me in a bad spot." Aiden punched the air in mock frustration. "Damn! I would have loved to tease him about this." Athena huffed and started toward the door. "Grow up, Aiden. You talked about me forgetting the grievances of the twins toward me, and here you are, ready to dunk on Antonio because of his actions toward you last year..." Aiden snorted. "This is different! The dude hadn’t let me hear the end of it for weeks because I slept on a stripper’s lap instead of doing what I was supposed to. Worse, I ended up spouting gibberish..." Athena laughed out loud then, reliving that hilarious episode, much to Aiden’s chagrin. "Let it go, Aiden. Take your own advice." She opened the door and walked into the hallway, Aiden trailing closely behind. In the sitting room, Old Mr. Thorne and his wife were already waiting. After exchanging greetings, Athena asked, "Where are Gianna and the kids?" "She went to drop them off at school. Don’t worry; there’s a large security detail following them— very trained personnel," Mr. Thorne reassured her. Athena nodded, willing her racing heart to calm down. Old Mr. Thorne’s security team comprised some of the most skilled personnel she had ever encountered. "Alright then, shall we...?" She began, but stopped when Old Mr. Thorne pointed toward the dining table. There was breakfast waiting for her. "You have to eat something, and take aspirin at least..." Athena shook her head; there was no time for breakfast. They were just ten minutes out from the shareholders’ meeting. "I’ve had some apples..." She lied, knowing Aiden wouldn’t call her out. "Besides, I don’t feel any aches in my head or legs..." She flexed her legs as proof, suppressing a wince when a sharp pain shot through her leg. Nothing a few days and some medication wouldn’t fix later. "Alright then. But you will have a large lunch. I will make sure of that." Athena bobbed her head, managing a smile. "That would be a pleasure." However, when they stepped into the compound to get into the black bulletproof cars, eager to reach Ewan’s company, they were halted by the sight of a group of men in black suits and white shirts outside the gate, requesting entrance. Athena furrowed her brow. "Who are these people?" She asked, looking around. Aiden and Old Mr. Thorne shook their heads in confusion. "No idea. Maybe we should ask them," Florence suggested. Old Mr. Thorne waved at one of his security detail, and the latter opened the gate. The strange men outside immediately strolled in. From their gait and facial expressions, Athena could tell they were a security detail—but from whom? When she saw Antonio walk into the compound with a worried expression on his face, she guessed they were from him. Oh Antonio, she thought ruefully. Well, she was mistaken. "Good morning, Doctor Athena," The leader of the group, a man nearing forty, spoke, his eyes darting around the compound, examining her people in a matter of seconds. "Good morning," Athena responded, glancing at Antonio, who stood at a respectful distance from the men. Yet... "You need not have bothered. Mr. Thorne has me covered." She said to him. Antonio furrowed his brows, alerting Athena to some misunderstanding. "I don’t know them, Athena. I just met them on the way. As a matter of fact, the only reason I successfully walked through the gate was because I proved I knew you..." Athena steeled herself, turning her full attention to the chief. "Who are you?" "I am Valentine. We are the special forces of the president, deployed to ensure your safety considering the turn of events..." Athena raised an eyebrow, incredulity etched on her face. A chuckle escaped her lips a second later. "The president? This must be a joke, right? Why would the president deploy troops to keep me safe?" Aiden pursed his lips; he had expected this, but not so soon. Athena wasn’t going to like this. "You are an asset to the government—of great value to the nation. We can’t afford your life to be at risk. The economies of nations, the populations of nations depend on your safety and that of your research. Hence, the order. We are here to ensure that what happened two days ago won’t happen again." Athena shook her head, her displeasure evident. "My friends can do the protecting..." "They didn’t do enough two days ago..." The chief agent sharply interrupted, his gaze fixed solely on Athena. Athena scoffed and stepped closer to him. "Now, listen to me, Valentine... I have no use for your troops, nor do I admire the idea of being followed around by the government. I can take care of myself! Now move out of my way!" "I’m sorry, but I cannot do that, ma’am," Valentine replied, maintaining his calm demeanor.

Chapter 201: The President’s Order

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