Chapter 91: Whiz Kids

Chapter 91: Whiz Kids "What is going on here?" Athena demanded lightly, after pushing open the door to her children’s room just at three in the morning. She was startled to see the dim glow from a laptop illuminating the faces of her children, Kate and Nate. They were huddled together, surrounded by an explosion of papers, wires, and tiny hard drives, looking like little ruffians caught at a caper. Her side caught a sleeping Kendra, unaware of the twins’ schemes. Meanwhile, the twins immediately froze at their mother’s voice, their eyes wide as they looked at her, unsure whether to appear innocent or guilty. After a moment of awkward silence, Nathaniel spoke up, the words tumbling out. "Mom, we were... uh, working on something." "What kind of ’something’ requires you to stay up this late?" Athena asked, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "You should be sleeping, not plotting in the dark." Despite her frustration, warmth surged through her as she observed how earnest they looked, their little faces lit by the glow of the screen. Already, she had an inkling of what they might be working on. And as much their concern pleased her, she knew she wouldn’t accept it. Kathleen twirled a USB drive in her fingers, her voice barely above a whisper. "We want to hack into Mr. Ewan’s company servers," She admitted, her cheeks flushing with the implication of her daring statement. "We want to destroy it. Hurt him for hurting you. He is not fit to be our father, as he seems unable to learn that you can’t be harmed in any way. We should enlighten him again. We are starting with the company’s structure first." The truth finally said, still sent a tremor through Athena’s heart, a mix of dread and disbelief leaving her momentarily speechless, especially seeing Kathleen’s lips set in a firm line. These two, with their sharp little minds and boundless creativity, must have concocted a plan so fraught with danger—nothing better than a digital revenge scheme against a man who wouldn’t learn. Yet... "No," She said firmly, shaking her head. "Absolutely not. This isn’t the way to handle things." She felt a knot tighten in her stomach as she surveyed the room. Her children, brilliant as they were, had tapped into their anger in a way that now alarmed her. "Why not?" pleaded Nate, his voice trembling with a cocktail of anger and hurt. "Mr. Ewan hurt you. He doesn’t care about us either, because if he did, he won’t hurt you. We want him to pay for what he did." His eyes, deep blue and wide with resolve, seemed far too adult for his age. With a sigh, Athena sank to her knees, allowing her gaze to meet theirs. "I understand you’re hurt," she said softly, her heart aching at the sight of their innocent anger. "But this isn’t the answer. Hurting someone else will only lead to more pain for you. It won’t fix anything; it will only make things worse." Athena almost scoffed at her own words, because she was ready to dish back to her rivals a cut of revenge should they cross her. But she didn’t want that for her children now. They were too young to get started with that. "Leave the battle to me." She added, noting their unsatisfied looks. "I’ll take care of Mr. Ewan myself." Kathleen shifted uneasily, glancing at her brother before speaking up in a tiny voice, "We just want you to be happy again." Her words were laced with sincerity, yet they also revealed an all-too-mature understanding of the world around them. Athena took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on her shoulders. "Listen, both of you. I appreciate how much you want to help me. I do," she began, choosing her words carefully. "But I need you to undo everything you’ve done. Can you do that for me?" The twins exchanged glances, doubt clouding their expressions but then hardening with resolve. They would listen to their mother. Just then, something on the laptop screen caught Athena’s eye—a logo she recognized all too well. "What about this website, KN? What is it?" An intense silence descended on the room. Athena piqued an eyebrow at her children who kept darting worried glances at each other. "Nathaniel..." Already her suspicions were growing. "You can talk to me. You know I’m always proud of you, no matter what." Nathaniel grinned, his energy returning. "We own it! Kate and I run it," he said proudly, as if this declaration would make all the difference. Athena’s mouth dropped open. "You what?" Her dismay rendered her speechless for a moment. "You’re managing a press company? How did you even pull that off without being present?" "It’s media, so anything can be possible online!" Kate interjected, her excitement bubbling over. "We created it at first to track all the news and things happening with Mr. Ewan, but we found out we could do so much more, like making money for you and the future!" Her eyes sparkled with youthful defiance. Athena felt a whirlwind of emotions. Memories rushed back to her—articles and news snippets swirling around Ewan’s complexities, spinning tales that made her own life feel like a soap opera. How had this escaped her eyes? "You’re running a site that has been involved in—" she hesitated, trying to stitch together her thoughts in a coherent manner. "—everything that’s been happening with Ewan and other rich people? This is huge!" "Yes! And we’re planning to expand!" Nate added, his voice full of fervor. "Soon everyone will know our names, and we can help you and make sure no one hurts you again!" The revelation sent up a tidal wave of emotions—confusion, pride, and an inkling of fear. "How much money do you have from the company?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady. The twins exchanged conspiratorial grins, the kind that anyone could see were marks of a collective secret. "Well, take a guess, mom..." Kate said, a twinkle in her eye that made Athena’s heart leap and drop simultaneously. Surely more than five hundred milion dollars. Athena thought, shaking her head vigorously. Here she was worrying about the kids and their future, and the kids were doing just that. She just wished they could be mere children, play around and enjoy themselves, not run a full blown company from behind the scenes, like she was doing. Like mother, like children eh? "Mom, we are whiz kids..." Nathaniel interjected, sensing his mother’s uncertainty, his tone brimming with the raw confidence that only a child could exhibit. "You don’t have to worry about us, mom. We had everywhere covered totally, no one will know a kid is really behind this. Don’t be afraid for the company either, you can trust us. We have learned how to analyze the market." He shifted closer to the laptop as though to show Athena everything they had accomplished. Athena inhaled deeply, a mixture of pride and dread swirling within her. "That’s incredible, but it’s also dangerous, you know? What you’re doing—managing a company like this at your age—isn’t something to take lightly." They frowned, momentarily disheartened. "But we just want to protect you!" Kate said, her voice trembling slightly. "Trust us. We can do it." Athena could feel the weight of their words pressing down on her. Here were her children, her little warriors, ready to stand against the world. Their desire to act was pure, but the potential ramifications of their actions lay heavy on her heart. She felt a flicker of what she had embraced: the deep satisfaction of revenge. But that was not the path she wanted the kids to walk. "Listen," she said, lowering her voice to keep it steady, "I won’t harm Ewan unless he crosses me again. You shouldn’t do the same either." She paused. "You shouldn’t do anything either if he misbehaves. I don’t want either of you embroiled in something that could end badly. Remember your promise to me." The twins muttered their consent, not pleased with the outcome of events. "Can we keep running the company then?" Kate asked, hope woven into her innocent tone. "If you promise to use it for good, then yes," Athena replied, her heart softening. "But only for good. I know you both have potential beyond what anyone can imagine. Use it wisely. Unless no more cakes for you!" With that, the twins erupted into laughter, joyful sounds that filled the room like sweet music. "Deal!" they shouted in unison, their little faces lit up with triumph. Athena felt her heart swell as she tucked them into their cozy beds, feeling both protective and empowered by their conviction. She brushed a lock of hair away from Kate’s forehead, her fingers lingering as she gazed down at them. "Rest now, you two. Remember your promise too." "Love you, Mom!" Nate mumbled, eyes fluttering closed as exhaustion began to weigh down his little limbs. "Sleep well, my darlings," she whispered, leaning in to kiss their foreheads before gently pulling the door shut behind her. As she stepped into the hallway, Athena felt the weight of pride settle on her heart. Her children were the best. Her phone vibrated in her hand then, beeping with an incoming call. She answered quickly, her voice even. "Ethan, I need to know about the companies we acquired. How are they running now?" "Everything is on track, Boss. The transition for the companies we bought from our enemies has been smooth. I anticipate they will be fully operational by next week." "That’s excellent. Goodnight Ethan." "Goodnight Boss." As Athena ended the call, she saw a message alert from Chelsea. ’The results are ready. I’ll see you soon.’