The Devil CEO's Contract Wife novel Chapter 252

Chapter 252: Pain & Guilt

"Athena?" I said softly when she was yet to say a word for over a minute.

She took her hand away from my hold, and I felt that maybe I shouldn’t have asked that question. It was as if something had been unlocked, and the once brightened Athena turned gloomy.

"Why did you come to me with this?"

"I thought—" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Of course you thought..." She chuckled, but the sound was weak and lifeless.

Silence lingered, so loud I could hear my inner thoughts. Athena’s eyes had turned distant, and I wasn’t sure she was looking at me right now.

"Ares is yet to tell you," she began in a murmur.

"I-Is he meant to tell me something?"

She forced a sad smile. "He has to because that is the way he would..." Her words paused as speaking about it further was too much.

"He would... what?" I asked softly, with pleading, because I needed to understand why something like that was a crucial part of his life.

Was he so ingrained in his pattern that he couldn’t deviate from it? Why can’t he? What was the reason? I get he had changed, but there was still something holding him back.

"It’s not my place, my sweet Cat."

Her words were like a hole in my heart, killing all chances I had with her.

But then a thought crossed my mind.

Does this have to do with what Agatha told me years ago? Weren’t they all lies? Or was there an atom of truth to it?

I can’t conclude, and that was the last thing I needed to do.

"What about you, Cat?"

"Hmm?"

"I don’t need to open your brain to tell you’re struggling with something too."

"I-I’m not struggling."

"I’m sure you’re not. Well, whatever it is... if it has to do with you running away... You did the right thing."

"W-What?" I questioned in shock.

"My brother wouldn’t have had a reality check slapped on his face, and he probably wouldn’t have realized anything because of that stone heart of his. Ares has always been more difficult than I. His patterns and the things he does to ground himself..." Her mind wandered again, but it was back the next second. "The absence of you transformed him."

I want to agree with her truly, but I don’t think anything would ever erase this... guilt.

"Thank you, Athena... but you don’t need to say something like that..."

"Call me biased, but I meant what I said. You don’t have to agree with me."

I cleared my throat. "Still need your nails done?"

"I’m sleepy now."

"Sure...!" I stood and turned away to leave, but paused, sparing a look at Athena. "You are not as crazy as you were years ago. Well, maybe you still are, but I’m starting to warm up to it, a little bit."

Her eyes widened. "That is the nicest shit you have ever said to me!"

"Don’t count on this nice shit happening again." I closed the door behind me, lost in thought for a while before I found my way back to the lounge.

I heard giggles and voices that sounded like mine. I narrowed my eyes, standing at the point I was last time.

The laptop screen darkened and brightened as if he was watching a video, and when I heard more sounds from it, I realized what.

A squeeze found my chest, almost getting to the point where I couldn’t breathe. He’s watching Esme’s videos, possibly the same ones I recorded over the years.

I thought he was working the entire time, but I was wrong.

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