She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 133

Chapter 133
Jaden’s harsh words left Athena momentarily stunned, her mouth slightly open in disbelief.
Jaden is usually so calm and patient, but now, here he is, holding a grudge? Whatever Linda did, it must’ve been terrible, Athena thought.
Jaden’s voice was emotionless as he replied to Linda. “You’re reading too much into this. I’ve never held a grudge against you. I moved on– you should too.”
He shifted his gaze away from her, stepping to the sale, clearly ready to walk away.
But Linda was quick, grabbing the hem of his shirt and turning to face him, desperation in her eyes. “But I haven’t moved ot Can we… can we please talk?”
Jaden shook his head. “There’s nothing left to say between us. I’ve got things to do. Let go.”
“I won’t! I’d rather die than let go!” Linda’s face was now streaked with tears. “Jaden, I know I messed up badly. Every single day for the past three years, I’ve hated myself for it. I’ve been planning to pay you back, to fix my mistakes”
She dug through
esigner purse and pulled out her phone. I’ve been trying to find you, but you changed your number. I even thought about showing up at your house to apologize in person. I’ll add you on iMessage and later transfer the money right now. I’ll pay you back the 200 thousand dollars.”
“That’s not necessary,” Jaden said, his tone flat. “You helped my family a lot during those years, I remember that. Just consider the interest your payment for all the trouble.”
He pulled out a pen and paper and quickly wrote down his bank account information. Just send me 100 thousand dollars. and we’ll call it even.””
Linda’s teary eyes brightened with a flicker of hope. Jaden, if you still remember what we had, it means.
Jaden interrupted her coldly. “Someone’s waiting for me. I’m in a hurry. Just pay me, and we’re done.”
Linda followed his gaze and spotted Athena sitting in the car, her face a mix of admiration and envy. She bit her lip, frustrated. “But I don’t want us to be done! Even if you hate me, even if I don’t pay, I can’t stand the idea of us being over.”
“Then don’t pay Jaden shrugged, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Tm leaving.”
“Let me drive you,” Linda offered, reaching for his shirt again.
But Jaden had already anticipated her move, sidestepping her with ease as he spoke, making sure she couldn’t catch him this
time.
She hurried after him, the sound of her heels clicking frantically on the pavement, but Jaden picked up the pace, quickly pulling ahead of her by several steps.
Seeing how determined Jaden was to leave, Athena acted right on time. She opened the passenger door and started the engine.
Jaden slipped into the car smoothly, closing the door behind him. “Let’s go.”
Athena pressed down on the gas.
The car rolled past Linda, who stood helplessly as her hand fell against the car, grabbing at nothing.
Her eyes stayed glued to Athena, frustration and defeat written all over her face.
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Chapter 133
But Athena didn’t pay frer any attention, focusing on the road ahead.
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As they approached the intersection in front of the mall, Athena glanced over at Jaden. “Have you eaten yer? What’s next for you?”
Jaden leaned back in his seat! “There’s an international robotics exhibition at the convention center. I wanted to check it out, but it’s a big event, and I’m not dressed for it. Plus, tickets are still out. I might just head to the farmer’s market instead?
The convention center was just across from the mall they’d passeil.
Athena’s eyes lit up with an idea. She grabbed her phone and stabbed typing away.
A few seconds later, she grinned. “I just messaged some friends from my lab-they said they can get us in. We’ll have staff passes and everything!
Jaden laughed. “Your lab sounds like it can work miracles.”
Athena smiled back. “It kind of does, doesn’t it?”
Athena spun the car around and drove back into the underground parking garage of the mall they had just left.
center
“It’s lunchtime, so let’s pick up a suit from the mall and grab a bite to eat. After that, we’ll head over to the convention to check out the 1 cs exhibition. I’ve got plenty of cash, and was thinking of buying you a designer suit Would you turn that down?” A…na asked d
Jaden smiled. “How could I possibly refuse something so generous?”
Athena’s face lit up with a joyful grin “Fantastic! Let’s go.”
After they got out of the car, Athena naturally looped her arm through Jaden’s. They chatted and laughed as they headed to the elevator, making their way to the third floor of the upscale men’s clothing store.
Meanwhile, on the fourth floor of the mall, Linda sat in a private booth at a Japanese restaurant with friends, trying to enjoy her meal while engaging in conversation.
But her thoughts were elsewhere, preoccupied with Jaden and that stunning girl with the car. Her eyes kept darting around.
unable to focIES.
Suddenly, her gaze was drawn to the men’s clothing store across the way.
There was Jaden, shopping with Athena.
He stood like a model in front of a mirror, watching the girl with affection as she picked out various suits for him to try on. Each time he changed into a new suit, Athena clapped and took photos, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
It was no surprise. Jaden looked impressive, tall, and handsome, with a blend of mature charm and youthful energy. He was the kind of man who seemed to have it all, and who wouldn’t be drawn to that?
Not just Athena, but even the sales staff were gathered around him, nodding approvingly. Passersby outside slowed down to get a better look or pulled out their phones to snap pictures.
Linda’s
‘s eyes burned with jealousy as she tightly gripped her small wine glass.
She always believed that Jaden was supposed to be hers
Suddenly, someone nudged her, startling her. She turned, annoyed. “Who pushed me?”
A few well-dressed women looked at her with concern. “Mrs. Smith, what are you staring at? Your coffee’s spilling over. We’ve
Chapter 133
been trying to get your attention, but you didn’t hear us.”
She looked down to see coffee spilling from her cup onto her skirt.
She gasped, quickly grabbed a napkin to clean up the mess, and then rushed to the restroom to dry off the stain with a hand dryer.
When she returned to her seat, Jaden and Athena were nowhere to be seen in the men’s clothing store.
Panicked, Linda scanned the area, desperately searching for any sign of Jaden.
Eventually, she spotted him.
He and Athena were dining in a restaurant just a few stores away from the clothing st
store
While everything in the building was expensive, this restaurant was especially pricey, known for its renowned French chef. It was a place she couldn’t afford to visit regularly.
“Jaden has changed,” she muttered to herself, her eyes reflecting mix of anxiety, disappointment, and sadness. “He’s mingling with a rich socialite and accepting her lavish gifts. He wasn’t like this before.
“No wonder he doesn’t care about the 100 thousand dollars I owe him. Maybe his change isn’t such a bad thing for me, considering have left is money”
As she spoke to herself, she saw Jaden and Athena finishing their lunch. They called for the check, and after paying, Athena linked her arm with Jaden’s as they laughed and headed downstairs. Their figures quickly vanished from sight.
Linda’s frustration grew, but she couldn’t just leave. She forced smile and continued to mingle until the gathering ended. Then she hurried out of the restaurant and began searching for them, floor by floor.
She went from the fourth floor to the first, then from the first to the sixth
Tired, she took a short break, then resumed her search until she finally spotted Athena’s new SUV in the basement parking
lot.
Normally, she wouldn’t have paid much attention to an ordinary vehicle, but this SUV was noticeably larger and newer, with a shiny finish that caught the eye.
“Well, can’t find them?” Linda sneered. “I’ll just wait for them”
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