The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 523

Chapter 523

Athena gave a faint, indifferent smile. “No buyer, no deal. If you’re not making an offer, I’m already dead. So why should t waste my tia for free

With that, she turned and made to step onto the bridge.

Her move stunned the black–clad men, their eyes widening in alarm. One of them barked urgently, “Hold it! Are you just going to abandon your She got hurt protecting you!”

“I care about her life, but mine takes priority,” Athena said flatly, slipping the pawn ticket out of sight. “Bring me to your master. I want a face to face Once I’m delivered, the rest will take care of itself.”

The black–clad men hesitated, caught in a dilemma. Their orders were clear: eliminate Athena and retrieve the pawn ticket.

But with Michael blocking their way at every turn and involving the Osborne family in this affair, they knew returning empty–handed would mean facing

severe punishment.

Athena’s words set their minds racing.

The black–clad men exchanged glances, then gave slight nods in unison.

At this sight, Athena let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“You’d better not try any tricks,” one of the black–clad men warned Athena.

Athena nodded and shot them a mocking look. “You’re not scared of a defenseless little woman like me, are you?”

Athena jerked her chin at Jessa. “Give her the antidote.”

Despite being clearly at a disadvantage, Athena showed not a trace of the fear or submission expected from a captive.

Defiantly, she even started barking orders at the black–clad men.

The black–clad men seethed with anger but had no choice but to comply. After all, they wanted to stay alive too.

The antidote took effect as Jessa swallowed it. Her mind gradually cleared, though her limbs remained weak.

Seeing the poison had cleared, Athena urged, “Go now!”

Jessa hesitated briefly, but after seeing the determined look in Athena’s eyes, she gave a reluctant nod. Clutching her injured arm, she staggered away.

The actions of Athena and Jessa left the black–clad men thoroughly perplexed.

As they followed the pair, the black–clad men noticed something odd; Athena and Jessa didn’t act like a typical lady and her maid.

If anything, they seemed more like sisters.

But when real danger hit, that sisterly bond shattered in a heartbeat. Each one left the other behind without hesitation.

“So much for that sisterly bond,” one of the black–clad men said, scoffing. “She left her behind without a second thought.”

He had almost bought their little act, until it fell apart so easily.

Then, Athena, blindfolded with her hands bound, was forced to follow behind them.

After hearing the black–clad man’s words, a faint smirk played on Athena’s lips. “So, killing her would be useless, right?”

The black–clad men vaguely sensed something was off, but they couldn’t put their finger on it.

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11:28 Sat, 26 Jul

Chapter 523

Looking at Athena’s pitifully frail frame, the man sneered to himself. ‘This delicate thing, I could snap her neck with one hand. As if she could ever

escape.‘

However, suddenly, Athena cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.

Her fine dress was caked with mud, staining the delicate slippers and stockings.

Athena hit the dirt, grime smudging her face. But even then, she didn’t look broken. There was something raw and wild in her, something beautiful in its defiance.

The black–clad men looked at her with utter contempt, as if she were nothing more than a small insect.

One of the black–clad men barked at Athena, “Get up! Nobody’s gonna help you here, quit acting like some spoiled princess.”

Athena’s face twisted in pain. “I think I’ve sprained my ankle, I can’t get up.”

“What a nuisance,” another black–clad man grumbled, stepping forward to roughly haul Athena to her feet, then immediately let go and turned away, ignoring her.

With her hands bound and eyes blindfolded, Athena could only shuffle forward at a painfully slow pace.

An hour later, they were still trudging through the mountains.

As the sun began to sink, one of the black–clad men grew visibly impatient. “At this rate, we’re moving way too slow.”

After days of relentless pursuit, the black–clad men were running on fumes.

Seething with pent–up frustration, they now glared at Athena with undisguised malice.