The Devil CEO's Contract Wife novel Chapter 257

Chapter 257: Come Bearing Gifts

"Athena?" Catherine murmured. "I thought she was at the hotel."

I didn’t expect her to be there for long.

"And who is that?" Walter asked, already walking towards the door to open it.

"Well, hello there, I brought presents for Esme’s birthday tomorrow!" She handed Gramps the pile of boxes.

"Excuse me, and who are you?"

Athena grinned. "Her favorite auntie."

"Auntie?" Walter looked to me, and then to Athena.

Recognition became his gaze when he saw the resemblance.

"Another King in my home."

"A much sweeter King." Athena let herself in.

Catherine rushed to help Gramps with the boxes, and they shared a talk, but I got distracted by Athena.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or are you glowing...? Someone slept on the positive side of the bed, or did Catherine kiss your ass?"

She did.

"You’re here."

"I’d have made it yesterday, that rain that came out of nowhere. What? Am I unwanted here?"

She’s trying to get on my nerves; she has been for the last five years.

"Doesn’t matter, I can be wherever I want, and no one’s stopping me."

I have no intention of stopping her. Again. She was trying to irk me.

"Do you still hate me?" I asked. "You made some kind of declaration like that years ago."

"Some kind? It wasn’t some kind! I hate you, and that is not changing." She flipped her head backwards. "I came here for Catherine and Esme... only. That is the only reason I travelled halfway across the world to that rundown town. Not for your sorry excuse of an ass."

I smiled. "I’m sure you were."

"What?"

"..."

She rolled her eyes.

"Walt?"

Margaret walked down the stairs, Esme following behind. She quickly rushed over to me, stopping when she saw Athena.

"Athena!"

"Hello, little dumpling."

"Are those for me?" she pointed to the boxes while jumping happily.

"Yes, but you have to open them tomorrow."

My phone rang, and I grabbed it from the table, eyeing how Athena engaged with Esme and then Margaret.

I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Good for you to finally pick up my call. Seems like the old trick of using another number worked."

Grandmother.

I walked to the kitchen for some space.

"What? Won’t you speak?"

"Speaking is no longer necessary between us..."

"That is the word you use for your enemy. I’m not your enemy. But you think otherwise, don’t you? Why? Because I knew where your runaway ex-wife was all this time, and that your heir wasn’t raised in the King’s household as she should be."

"You watched her all these years only to pull the trigger."

"Trust me... pulling the trigger was hard. I wouldn’t want my great-granddaughter to grow up motherless, but I was left with no choice. Sacrifices should be made, and you understand that better than anyone."

"It doesn’t make sense..."

"What?"

I leaned against the counter as I studied everyone. Athena was speaking with Walter now, and it seemed to be going well so far.

"You could have easily killed Catherine when you had the chance. Why now?"

"Because I didn’t imagine she would want to come back to you... Nina wouldn’t."

"Nina wouldn’t. After all, she had always wanted to escape your father. This Catherine, she intrigues me. I’d like to see her. The mother of your child."

"I’m a very patient man."

"King."

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify