From Betrayal to Brilliance Her Rise to a New Life novel Chapter 268

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Chapter 268 The Candlelight Dinner

A ridiculous thought crossed Athena’s mind.

Zaden stood tall across from her, his gaze steady. “Maya came to see ine at the office today,” he said slowly.

Athena pressed her lips together and waited for him to continue.

She had already prepared herself for this conversation, but hearing it out loud still made her tense. Her fingers curled at her side without her realizing it.

Maybe she wasn’t as calm as she thought.

Or maybe–deep down–she already cared for Zaden more than she wanted to admit.

Keeping her expression steady, Athena simply nodded. “Oh.”

After a pause, she added, “I saw Maya’s post on Instagram.”

For a moment, she almost wanted to congratulated them for getting back together.

But the words stuck in her throat.

There was no point in making things awkward.

Zaden’s lips pressed into a thin line. She acted calm, but he could tell it was bothering her.

She had seen Maya’s Instagram post too.

Without saying a word, Zaden stepped closer, gently took Athena’s hand, and led her to the living room. He turned off the lights and lit a few candles instead.

Athena watched him, puzzled.

What was he doing? If they were just having dinner, this setup seemed way too romantic.

Could this be their last dinner together?

The thought made her heart tighten. She quickly told herself not to overthink it.

Zaden sat down across from her, his eyes meeting hers in the soft candlelight.

They sat together in that warm, quiet setting, the table filled with a lavish dinner spread. Zaden’s eyes carried an emotion she couldn’t quite name. If Athena hadn’t already known what he was going to say, she might have let herself get lost in the moment.

“I want to tell you something,” Athena said first.

Zaden looked at her. “Go ahead.”

“I reported to the hospital today,” she said calmly. “They’ve arranged a dorm for me. I’ve decided to move there; it’ll make work easier. I’ll move out tonight or tomorrow.”

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Chapter 268 The Candlelight Dinner

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Zaden’s expression tightened. For the first time, he realized how serious the whole situation was.

Athena wanted to leave.

He stayed silent for a few seconds, then spoke in a low voice. “Athena, I wanted to talk to you last night, but you were asleep.”

Athena felt awkward.

The truth was, she hadn’t been asleep at all. She just didn’t know how to face him and pretended to be. She hadn’t expected to get caught.

At least now she had her new job and a place to stay.

Even if she moved out tonight, it wouldn’t really affect her life.

Zaden couldn’t help but sigh when he saw how calm and detached Athena was.

In a way, he almost wished she’d lose her cool, question him, and demand to know what was going on between him and Maya. Maybe then, they had already fixed their problem.

But Athena was too composed, too rational. And if he kept waiting for her to open up, they’d just keep drifting further apart.

That was why he’d prepared this dinner. He wanted to talk honestly, once and for all.

“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?” he finally said.

Athena lowered her eyes. Should she ask Zaden something? About Maya, maybe?

She was cu

—of course she was–but she didn’t want to embarrass herself. Better to stay calm and face it with dignity. Even if Zaden had made up his mind to get back with Maya, she’d smile and wish them well.

Maybe the only thing Athena truly felt was how pathetic she must look.

After all the courage it took to take that first step forward, fate had thrown her right back into this mess.

Zaden pressed his lips together before speaking, his tone quiet but sharp. “Ask me about Maya,” he said. “Ask what she wanted today. Ask what we talked about.”

Athena let out a dry, bitter laugh. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

Looking up at him, she said calmly, “Zaden, you don’t have to keep cornering me like this. If you’ve changed your mind and want to get back with Maya, I won’t stop you. I’ll even wish you both well.”

She paused, then added softly, “We’re adults. If it has to end, we can part peacefully.”

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself. “I was thinking of moving into the staff dorm tomorrow,” she continued, “but now. I think I’ll go tonight. I’ll start packing.”

She stood and turned toward the stairs.

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But before she could take a single step, Zaden caught her hand. He pulled her back, his arms wrapping around her and holding her tight against his chest.

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