From Betrayal to Brilliance Her Rise to a New Life novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195 Heavy Silence

When Zaden got into the car, his cold gaze swept over Tommy. The moment he caught that grin on Tommy’s face, his expression darkened.

Tommy’s smile froze. Wait … this isn’t how it was supposed to go.

Isn’t Zaden supposed to be in a good mood after spending time alone with Athena? Shouldn’t he be giving me a bonus right now? So why does he look like he’s about to murder me?

After following Zaden for so long, Tommy could read his moods better than anyone. Even though Zaden’s face looked calm, it was clear he wasn’t happy.

The ride back to Vlephia was unusually quiet.

Athena could tell something was off with Zaden’s mood. She didn’t dare speak, so she decided to fake being asleep. With her eyes shut, she realized that neither Zaden nor Tommy said a single word the entire trip.

She didn’t even dare open her eyes.

Then, out of nowhere, she felt Zaden’s arm slide around her shoulders, pulling her gently against him until her head rested on his lap.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

She almost sat up on reflex but quickly stopped herself. Waking up now would be way too awkward.

She had just brought up the whole “let’s split up” thing earlier. Now she was lying on his lap? That was a dangerous combination.

The whole ride felt endless. Every bump in the road made her tense up, and she was terrified she might accidentally press against … well, somewhere she really shouldn’t.

So she held perfectly still, pretending to sleep, her body stiff with nerves.

After more than two hours, the torture finally ended when they reached Vlephia.

When Tommy announced they were back in the city, Athena finally “woke up,” rubbing her eyes and pretending to be surprised. “Oh, we’re already here? I must’ve slept for a while!”

Zaden’s lips curved into a faint smile.

For some reason, that tiny smile made her feel completely exposed–like he knew she’d been faking it the whole time.

She quickly looked away. “Tommy, could you drop me off at my place?”

“Of course, Ms. Hall,” Tommy replied immediately.

But the second he said that, he felt a chill run down his spine. For a moment, he thought the car’s A/C had kicked in. Then he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Zaden’s expression.

Oh no…

He realized too late–Zaden probably wanted more time alone with Athena.

Trying to make up for it, Tommy slowed the car down to a crawl.

After a while, Athena noticed people walking past them on the sidewalk faster than they were moving. “Tommy, aren’t you driving a little slow?”

Driving that slow actually took talent.

Tommy stayed calm. “Ms. Hall, the cops have been cracking down on speeding lately. I’m just being cautious–don’t want to get fined.”

Athena forced a smile. That excuse was way too fake, but she didn’t bother to argue. They’d get there eventually.

It took almost another hour before they finally reached her apartment. Honestly, if Athena hadn’t asked to get out, Tommy might’ve driven all night.

When the car stopped, Athena let out a quiet sigh of relief. If she had to spend another minute in that heavy silence, she’d lose her mind.

…

She opened the door and looked back at Zaden. “Um I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? We can take care of everything then. I’m heading in now.”

With that, she stepped out and closed the door.

Tommy watched her disappear into the building, then couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Mr. Storm, what did Ms. Hall mean by ‘take care of everything“?”

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