From Betrayal to Brilliance Her Rise to a New Life novel Chapter 279

hapter 279 A Quiet Challenge

Just now, Maya heard from Barbara that Athena had moved into the hospital dorms.

That meant the day she went to see Zaden must’ve caused some kind of fallout between him and Athena. Even if Zaden threw her out that day, her plan had still worked.

Maya’s hope grew stronger.

Now that she ran into Athena again, she couldn’t waste the chance to plant a few more seeds of doubt.

She started dropping the kind of words that would make anyone suspicious.

If Athena thought Zaden was having dinner with her, then the argument between them would only get worse. Maybe, just maybe, they’d be getting a divorce soon.

“Ms. Hall,” Maya said sweetly, “sorry for showing up that day without warning. Oh, by the way, you and Zaden didn’t fight, did you?”

Athena answered flatly, “No.”

Maya gave a short laugh. Of course Athena would deny it. Still pretending everything was fine.

“Well, I should go. Wouldn’t want to keep him waiting,” Maya said as she pressed the gas and drove off.

She had dropped Zaden’s name deliberately, just enough for Athena to connect the dots.

Athena stood there, watching Maya’s car disappear down the street. Only then did she realize what those words meant. Was Maya trying to say she had dinner plans with Zaden tonight?

Athena finally arrived at the address Zaden had texted her. It was a private restaurant–quiet, cozy, and nothing fancy. The kind of place where you could actually enjoy a peaceful meal.

She saw Zaden inside the restaurant.

He had taken off his suit jacket, leaving just a crisp white shirt that fit him perfectly. The way the soft light hit him made him look effortlessly handsome, charming in a calm, confident way.

When Zaden saw Athena, he stood up right away and pulled out the chair beside him.

Athena sat down quietly.

She glanced at him and said in a deliberate tone, “I ran into someone on my way here.”

11:23 Mon, Nov 10

Chapter 279 A Quiet Challenge

Zaden raised an eyebrow. From her tone, he already knew who she meant.

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Finished

“I didn’t know Maya went to Storm Hospital,” Zaden said. “It was my mother who arranged that. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll have her fired.”

He had just found out that Maya had joined the hospital by coincidence. Moreover, she worked in the same hospital where Athena worked. Even though they were in different departments, he knew Athena would feel uneasy.

Athena had already been uneasy about Maya. Now that they both worked in the same hospital, seeing each other almost every day, she was bound to feel uncomfortable.

Before Athena arrived, Zaden had already been considering getting rid of Maya.

Athena had wanted to test him, to see what he’d say. But his quick, decisive response caught her off guard. He didn’t hesitate at all. That made her feel almost petty, like she was overreacting about something small.

She didn’t want to rely on anyone else to deal with Maya, especially not a man. She wanted to win using her skills.

If people found out she’d needed Zaden’s help, her reputation would be ruined.

So she quickly waved her hand. “No, don’t interfere. Maya challenged me today. I’ve already accepted.”

Zaden raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“A challenge? What kind of challenge?”

Before Athena could answer, a knock came at the door. The waiter entered with their food. To her surprise, every dish was something she liked.

It seemed Zaden had ordered before she even got there.

Even though things between Athena and Zaden had cooled off lately and they were both keeping their distance, she couldn’t help feeling a little moved when she saw how carefully he still remembered her favorite dishes.

Once the waiter left, Zaden handed her the tablet.

“I was afraid you’d be hungry,” he said. “So I ordered a few dishes for you. We can start eating when you get here. If there’s anything else you want, go ahead and add it.”

Athena glanced at the dishes in front of her.

For just the two of them, it was more than enough, maybe even too much.

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