Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours!

Chapter 359: At Odds II

Athena was aware of the unresolved, slight tension between her and Antonio, as a result of her sharp response

to his previous question, when she strolled into the living room with him in tow—but she didn’t let it worry her.

Ewan’s presence, however, was a case to be worried for—especially with his laughter booming across the room;

with Kathleen sitting on his thigh, laughing.

Nathaniel was on his other thigh, gazing between his great-grandfather and his father while the duo made more

arguments on football, with Chelsea fanning the flames. Florence sat beside her husband, showing silent

support.

This picture—yes—was enough to spike Athena's anxiety levels.

Without so much as a word (not that the jolly people in the room stopped their conversation to let them in), she

hurried to the dining table and sat down. Antotook the next seat.

"lI am sorry," he started, as soon as he sat down. "But you can see why | am worried. He's like a leech that won't

go away."

Athena frowned. She understood Antonio's jealousy, yet it didn’t make her mild surprise go away; she had

always known Antoas an accommodating person, not one with a bitterness to his voice that wouldn't go

away.

"He's my children’s father, Antonio. Like a son to the Thornes too—would have been but for the intervention of

Alfonso. You will have to get used to his presence."

Antonodded. "Maybe. But | think | can only relax properly when we are married."

That word again. Athena unconsciously let the fork down—the latter making a clanging noise on the ceramic

plate and quenching the noise in the living room.

It confirmed Athena's suspicions that her family was very much aware of her presence, for how else would they

have heard that clang amidst their arguments and boisterous laughter?

"Athena, is the food not to your liking?" Florence broke the silence, darting a curious glance at Antonio, whose

only attention was on Athena.

Beneath the table, his hand reached for her thighs, to soothe her, to placate her, but Athena shuddered, unable

to help it—to his chagrin.

"It’s tasty, Grandma. I'm just tired. | mustn't have been holding the fork well."

A lie apparent to the adults in the room, but no one said anything.

"Please, you can continue the discussions. | won't drop the fork again," she continued, eager to make the silence

disappear, a teasing lilt in her voice.

This time, the twins chuckled before drawing their father into another round of conversation.

Athena sighed, hearing Ewan'’s laugh again... what was happening to her? She met Old Mr. Thorne’s gaze, right

before she returned to her food.

Are you okay? his gaze spoke, needing no words. She gave a barely-there nod, picking the fork and continuing

her dinner.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Antoasked a few minutes later, unable to take the tense silence between them,

his hand dropping away from her thigh.

"You claim that | have no cause to worry, but anytEwan is around, it’s like you lose touch of yourself—of our

relationship."

"That's not true, babe," Athena countered as smoothly as she could, as confidently—whereas deep within her,

she knew her boyfriend was speaking the truth.

"Why then were you so fraught with the topic of marriage?"

"Antonio, would you letfinish eating? You are not making this easier for me. | asked for space, and you are

asking for marriage—on the snight!"

A whispered shout, the last phrase was—but the missing decibel was enunciated in the fire flaring in her eyes as

she met his gaze.

"Why won't you let this move at a normal pace? Why inject roadblocks, which you think are speed boosters on

the way? First, it was the paparazzi, and now... marriage?" Athena shook her head. "I think you should leave,

Antonio. You are really confusing me."

"How so?" Antonio's voice had lost its earlier conviction and confidence. "Why do | confuse you? I've always been

open about my feelings for you."

"It's not about your feelings. I'm confused about your character. It’s like you got into this state and became

something else—or | don’t know..." Athena rubbed her face. "You weren't this..."

She couldn't find the right word, so she gestured to his face, hand weaving nothing in the air. "...when we were

back in your country. You were a darling, both toand the kids—attentive. You listened to me."

"Ewan wasn’t in the picture then. You hated him then. | gave you the whole space in the world then—do you

remember?"

Antonio’s voice had gone softer, but that was when he was to be feared, Athena thought, forcefully taking a

forkful of food, wishing he had actually let her eat.

Her grandmother wouldn't be happy if she didn’t eat a reasonable amount of this palatable dish before her.

But he was right, in his own way. He had respected her boundaries then. Ewan in the picture must have upset

him so greatly.

She placed her hand over his, meeting his gaze tenderly. "Ewan and | are in the past. We are the present,

Antonio. The future too."

A pause, where her eyes swept across his tensed face lovingly. "You can trust me, as always. For marriage..."

She heard the sharp, almost silent intake of breath from him.

"...we will do that when the tis right. However, you must remember my misgivings about it, my experience

with it. So pardonif | take more tthan necessary."

Another significant pause, where she dropped her fork softly on the plate and touched his cheek—needing to

reassure him, to reassure herself.

"Ewan is in the past. You are the present. | hate cheats—do you think | will demote myself to that level? Besides,

you have known the twins far longer than Ewan has. | am sure they understand that too—their place in their

lives."

She held his face with both her hands now.

"Ewan is the past. You are the present." She repeated it, just at the stthat she noticed her voice decibel

had increased, that the chatter in the room had stopped.

Oh God. They were the center of attention.

Gracefully, she dropped a kiss on Antonio’s jaw—while convincing herself she had done nothing wrong—and

returned to her food, consciously taking forkfuls, aware that she was being watched.

And when she heard Chelsea’s "Wow," she knew that surely, they had heard her—or at least part of her

declaration to Antonio.

Aware of Antonow eating with gusto, she sighed, relieved that the storm between them had passed.

She tried to breathe easy then, but she was surprised to find it laboured.

Ewan. Of course. The elephant in the room.

He is the past. She chanted it to herself, indulging in forceful forkfuls of food, stamping down the urge to turn

toward the sitting room to see what he was doing.

She refused to be at odds with her decisions again—her feelings. She chose Antonio.

"I will be going now, old man." Ewan’s voice broke into the now quiet night a few minutes later—just as those in

the living room had settled on scartoon to watch on the television, and Athena was almost done with her

meal.

"I thought you were spending the night?" Worry could be heard in Florence's voice.

Worry for what? Athena couldn’t help but wonder.

"Not at all. | just cto see these super kids of mine," he said.

And Athena couldn't stop the pull now. She turned to the living room, watching as he dealt tender kisses on the

foreheads of the children.

"See you when | see you." The three chanted, then laughed—an almost hollow laugh.

They must be feeling the tension too. Athena bit her lips. Were the children at odds too—of whom they would

prefer her to be with?

She watched as Ewan kissed her grandparents too, even Chelsea—right before he left the house.

He didn’t throw her a glance still—not even a flitting one. He was letting her go.

The realization sank like the heaviest granite in her stomach.

"Good for him," she heard Antomutter, but she couldn't be bothered to say a word.

Losing the will to eat totally, she dropped the fork softly on her plate and cleaned her mouth with the serviette.

"Are you done eating?" she asked Antocalmly—needing saction, smovement, something to distract

her.

"A minute more, please..." Antoreplied, puzzled, wondering if Ewan’s departure was going to create another

tension between him and his girlfriend.

Was she about to send him away?

He reduced the rate at which he ate—even scooping a little out of the bigger bowl—wanting to spend more time

with her.

However, when the minute was up—a minute where she spent looking at sinvisible matter on the wall—he

was done.

"I'm done," he said hesitantly, not sure what to think when Athena stood, picked their plates, and went into the

kitchen; when she cout a few seconds later, and told Chelsea to tuck her children into bed; when she bid

her grandparents good night; when she beckoned on him to follow her; when she led him into her room.

"Do you care to spend the night, babe?" she asked, sidling to him after he shut the door—right before she

claimed his lips voraciously.

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