Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours! - Chapter 223

Chapter 223: Meeting The President II
“Doctor Athena, welcome. Did something happen, though? You took more time to come in than I thought necessary…” President George Walls spoke, standing up from his seat, as Athena walked majestically into the room.

“Good morning, Mr. President. I’m truly sorry about that, sir. There had been a case of emergency at home that I had to sort out—or rather, tried to sort out—before coming into the office. I apologize for that. Thank you for your patience, too,” Athena responded calmly and politely, not seeing the need to inform the president that she had taken a few pictures with his overly excited secretary.

“I hope all is well, though? Do you need to reschedule this meeting?”

Athena shook her head, furrowing her brows. “Not at all.”

She stepped further into the office, pondering if the president was truly humble, as people said he was, or just downright naïve—a tool in the hands of those who had put him there.

Holding back a sigh, she settled into the seat he gestured for her to take and looked around the office.

The office was grand and imposing, exuding an air of power and professionalism. High ceilings loomed above, and large windows let in an abundance of natural light. The walls were adorned with intricately crafted wooden paneling, and the polished hardwood floors gleamed.

Before her was a large, ornate desk, behind which sat a leather-upholstered chair—his chair—impressive in stature.

She herself, was sitting on a high-backed chair, one of the pair of high-backed chairs for visitors, which offered comfort tremendously.

A striking marble fireplace stood on one side, while built-in bookshelves stood on the other side, holding a variety of decorative items, including flags and works of art reflecting the nation’s history.

“So, how are you doing, Doctor Athena? That’s a fine suit you have there,” President George started jovially, dragging Athena’s attention back to him.

“I’m fine, Mr. President…”

“Just call me George. I think it will make the communication easier.”

Athena bit her lip, wondering if this statement was peculiar to her or if this was the normal behavior of this handsome man.

Standing at six feet and a few inches tall, President George had a strong, imposing presence. His thick, expressive eyebrows framed piercing eyes that seemed to bore into those he looked at. His nose was straight and perfectly proportional to the rest of his facial features, while his full lips was curled now into a charming smile.

His dark hair was neatly styled, and the strong, chiseled lines of his jaw, the smooth, unlined complexion of his, suggested a life of good health and prosperity. It was easy to see why Gianna had been fangirling over him.

Still, what president tells his citizens to call him by his name? Athena inhaled softly, slightly taken aback by the request. She looked at him steadily, yet didn’t see any lust or suggestion of interest in her; rather, he appeared genuinely curious about her and their impending conversation.

“Was that a huge request to make?” President George continued in Athena’s silence, sitting down. “Well, I get that a lot…” He said with an over-exaggerated sigh, reclining deeper into his chair.

“But it’s what I want, though. The term ‘president’ can be quite heavy on one’s mouth when speaking and all, and since this is a private meeting, I just thought there was no need for formalities. So, just call me George. Is that okay, Athena?”

Athena paused, then nodded. After all, wasn’t she meant to obey the president in such little matters?

“Good. Now, let’s get down to business. I invited you to talk about your medical research…” President George began, going straight to the point. “You turned down my two requests yesterday, and I would love to know why first, before we proceed to other matters. Don’t worry, the soundproof quality of this room has been turned on.”

Athena inhaled softly again, pleased with that statement. This was it; presenting her case to the president of the country.

“Firstly, I apologize, George,”—calling the president by his name still sounded odd in her mouth—”for turning down your requests yesterday. But honestly, it was inevitable. One, I don’t need the security detail, really…”

“And why is that?” The president cut in calmly, folding his arms across his chest. “You don’t trust the government, I presume?”

Athena pursed her lips, meeting the president’s gaze for a moment before nodding. “I don’t trust the government. There are many politics involved, and I don’t want that around my research. Hence, why I turned down the security detail and the order to turn over my research to the state.”

The president unfolded his hands and placed them on the table, starting a steady beat on the surface with his index finger a few seconds later. “I see. So, my orders don’t faze you?”

Athena raised her left eyebrow, waiting for the other shoe to drop. It seemed that the group who had left the office earlier had done their job successfully. So, why had they kept long faces?

“I’m waiting for your response, Athena…” The president continued.

Athena took her lower lip in, battling with her words, or rather the choice of words rolling through her head. This was the president; never mind that he asked her to call him George. She had to be mindful, all the same. For all she knew, this might be a game to him.

“Your orders did faze me…” Athena started calmly, her hands resting on her thighs as she met the president’s gaze respectfully. “But I just couldn’t go along with them.”

“You don’t care for the consequences of that?”

Athena paused, exhaled, and nodded. “I’ll take whatever consequences come, so long as my research is safe and sound with me.”

The president nodded slowly, still beating the table. “I see. You are ready to be an enemy of the state, then. My chief security officer informed me that you mentioned traveling out of the country if I pushed harder than you wanted, seeing as you have more than one citizenship. You are bold. How sure are you that you will leave this building in one piece? For all you know, there may be people waiting outside to make you comply with the state’s demands?”

A chuckle escaped Athena before she could help it, followed by a boisterous laugh when she saw the confusion spread across the president’s face.

Didn’t he conduct extensive research on her? If he did, he would have known at least that she wouldn’t be fazed by these threats.

“What’s funny, Doctor Athena?”

Oh, we are back to using official names? Athena thought amusedly. That didn’t take long!

“Nothing at all, Mr. President. I just felt instantly tickled and couldn’t help it. My apologies.” A pause. “Yet my stance remains… I’m not giving up my research, no matter the consequences. I’m not complying with the state’s orders, if that’s what they are. And if that’s all you called me here to say, I’m sure I’ve made myself clear. I would like to take my leave now…”

The president scoffed gently. “You are just as bold and as rude as they say…”

“They” meaning those people who just left? Athena wondered as she crossed her arms, fire flashing through her eyes.

There was no need to maintain a calm demeanor; it seemed there was more battle ahead. She had to gear up.

Noticing this swift change, the president smiled and shook his head. “All this headstrongness will take you nowhere, Athena. Don’t you know who you are sitting before? I could have you dead within a second.”

Athena smiled coldly, cocking her head to the left. “And I can have you dead in less than that, Mr. President.”

Athena grinned widely when she saw the president visibly pale for a second before he recovered.

“I don’t think you know who you are speaking to either, Mr. President. Did you think I came here empty-handed, just like that? Well, that would have been stupid of me…” Athena continued, feeling somewhat foolish, since she had really come empty-handed and was just making big talk.

She had thought that the president would be civil at least, even if he might not agree with her rules. But it looked like something else was at play here.

Subtly, she brought out her phone from her bag without looking down or away from the president, who was staring at her intently.

“Mr. President, I didn’t arrive at my position by following people blindly. So, with that said…” She typed away on her phone. “Do you want things to go south?”

It was the president’s turn to laugh boisterously. He laughed and got to his feet, walking toward the large window in the office.

Athena watched him like a hawk, scanning the entire office for any cameras or signs that she was about to be attacked.

“Athena Caddells…” The president muttered, savoring the name slowly. “When the secret operations team gave me the full details of your persona, your activities, your companies, I couldn’t believe it. How could one woman, from nowhere, just zap into stardom, simply because she met an old martial artist who was besotted with an adulterous wife?”

Athena narrowed her eyes, watching as the president turned away from the window to face her. “But then I finally related to your story because it reminded me of mine—a young boy who grew up on an abandoned farmland, becoming president… who would have believed that?”

“Those weren’t in your records on the net…” Athena cut in sharply, leaning forward.

President George chuckled softly. “Just like most of your acts aren’t on the internet, too. My team had to dig deeper and broader before they could even come up with the real facts. And yet, there was still a limit to the information we managed to gather.”

A pause followed. “I think what amazed me most was your speed. It took you barely six years to become known. That takes more than luck. I think you have the Midas touch.”

Athena barked a disbelieving laugh. “I’m tired of all these. Are we done here, Mr. President?”

“Done? Doctor Athena, we have not even started…”