Chapter 80: Cartoon Character

Chapter 80: Cartoon Character "Hello, Zack..." Athena spoke, after waiting in vain for Zack to speak first. "Helloooo... Athenaaaaa..." Hearing the slurs and drawls in Zack’s voice, Athena huffed in displeasure. The man was undoubtedly drunk. She removed the phone from her ear, ready to end the call, not in the mood to converse with a tipsy man. However, curiosity stopped her short. What could a drunken Zack possibly have to say? She had never seen him like this before—he was always so uptight. Resuming the call to her ear, she braced herself. "Athenaaaaa, are you thereeee?" "Yes, Zack, I’m here. Why are you calling?" There was a pause on the other end, followed by the sound of shuffling feet. "To tell you that I’m sorry for how I acted last time. It was very foolish of me..." Athena remained silent, weighing his words. "You know, to be honest, I never thought you would return. I thought you had died during your time in exile. How did you do it? Who is your backer? Your husband? My sources mentioned that you returned to the country with two children. You didn’t tell me I’m a grandfather! That’s wrong of you, bad daughter! You make me look bad!" Athena ignored the fact that Zack sounded like a cartoon character and focused on the one matter that concerned her the most. He already knew about her kids. Not that she had been hiding it, but it was clear they had all been investigating her. Too bad for them, she thought. They won’t find anything. "A warning to you, Zack. If you don’t want to lose the rest of your treasures, keep your distance from my children." Zack hissed in anger. "Keep away? You must be joking! I heard one is a male. That one will take over my company..." "What company?" She replied, incredulous. "The one that’s already in shreds?" "You can revive it and pass it on to him as an inheritance. Talk to your husband about it—I promise, my grandson will love it." Athena shook her head. The opposite was true; Nathaniel despised Zack more than he did Ewan. "Just stay away from my children, Zack. Or you won’t like my next steps. Have a nice night." "Wait! Please don’t end the call, Athena!" Athena sighed in irritation. She shouldn’t have answered in the first place. "What is it now, Zack?" "The company. I will stay away from the children if you revive the company." Athena laughed—a full-bodied laugh that sent tears streaming down her cheeks and left her sides aching. "Are you threatening me, Zack?" She asked, her voice mysteriously calm. Zack was wise enough to keep quiet. "That’s a bold—stupid—move. I won’t be reviving your company, and I don’t want to see you near my children for any reason. If I do, I will chop off your tongue first." Zack shuddered at the thought, sensing for some inexplicable reason that Athena was speaking with ironclad seriousness. "I’m sorry, Athena. Just help me out here. What can I do to make this easier?" "Sell the company to me. Wasn’t it more of my mother’s hard work than yours? What better way to honor her legacy than to keep the company running?" There was a pause before Zack spoke. "If you want to celebrate your mother’s legacy, then you shouldn’t be asking for a buyout. You should be helping me..." "I’m honoring her legacy by buying out the company. You’re not fit to be the head of her hard work. I pity her, truly, for toiling away for a man who never respected her efforts, a man she lifted to prominence." Athena couldn’t help but snicker. "Isn’t it fitting that a daughter will ultimately bring you down?" Zack hissed, indignant. "You are not her daughter!" "Oh really? That’s a different tune you’re dancing to now. My offer still stands. Sell the company to me and retire." "I won’t do such a thing! I would rather sell it to a stranger! I would rather sell it to Ewan!" Athena chuckled softly, a devious plan fermenting in her mind. "Is that so, Zack? Have a good night then." She ended the call and burst into laughter. He would rather sell to a stranger? How fortuitous it was that she knew a stranger then. She sent Ethan a quick text, instructing him on his next business endeavor. Just as she was grinning at her plan, a knock echoed through her door. Athena furrowed her eyebrows, peeking at her watch. It was a little past eight p.m. Who could be visiting her at this hour? Ewan? She quickly shook her head. He had his hands full with a suicidal Fiona. So, who was it? With the tension mounting inside her, she quickly looked around for a weapon when the knock sounded again. "Who is that?" She called calmly, recognizing that she had no means to defend herself. "It’s Zane. I’m with my father." Athena exhaled sharply, her heart racing momentarily. For a second, she had feared the kidnappers had traced her and had come to finish what they started. "Good evening, Herbert, Zane. How do you do?" She greeted after they heeded her ’come in’ statement and entered her room. The Whitmans nodded at her before returning her greeting. "I’m sorry I’m just coming now. I was held up with work," Herbert explained, settling on the sofa, while maintaining his gaze on her. "It’s okay, Herbert. I’m glad you’re here." Athena said, righting herself well on the bed. Beside her bed was Zane, checking out the drugs on the tall stool. "I’m pleased to hear that. Do you know who was behind the attack?" Athena shook her head. "I’m not sure." Herbert’s brow furrowed with concern. "It’s okay, at least you’re safe. And I’m sure you have people working on it already." Athena nodded. "I have a favor to ask," "What is it?" Herbert asked slowly. "Can I revisit the contract? I would like to make some adjustments. The position I’m occupying is quite stressful." Herbert chuckled softly. He had thought the favor was something difficult at first. "Well, that’s because you are stressing yourself. You can hire more assistants, more doctors to aid your cause. I can give referrals if you’d like." Athena sighed, stroking her chin as she considered his words. "Okay, let’s set something up. Publicity for employments maybe? Zane turned aside, looking between his father and Athena with an undeniable sense of curiosity. "What kind of employments are we talking about here?" he asked, his voice laced with intrigue. Herbert turned towards Zane. "It’s all about making the work environment more manageable for Athena here. We don’t want to burn out our highly esteemed staff, and I do think we need to establish clearer boundaries." Athena nodded, appreciating the sentiment. "Fair enough. Thanks Herbert. Let’s start drafting a new proposal. But first, I need to know exactly how you envision this improved structure." As they moved into deeper discussions about the hospital and her position, Athena’s mind flitted back to Zack. She felt a sense of satisfaction and peace settling in her chest. Whatever challenges lay ahead, she would face them head-on. After all, she had already fought her way through the fire once. How hard could it be to do so again?