Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours! - Chapter 254

Chapter 254: Long Night XVIII
Athena watched, her eyes narrowed partly in suspicion and curiosity, as Zane and Sandro retold the events of a few hours ago.

They recounted their roles in the situation, the roles which she had been ignorant about, the parts of the play where they had conveniently left the group out , as if they had their own mission.

Wasn’t anyone else seeing the loopholes in their story? Why wasn’t anyone, including Aiden, asking the right questions? How could they open those secret doors just from reading an ancient text? It was crazier they had the same lies to tell as Ewan!

Listening to Sandro recount the number of gangsters that had come at them from the bushes, attempting to attack, made it clear that no matter what had happened in the past—no matter how much Ewan had messed up regarding her and the children—they remained fiercely loyal to him, more than ever.

She couldn’t help but wonder if there was something deeper tying their loyalty to him. What exactly was the history behind their friendship? What was the true story? How could they have defeated that number of people without the aid of the others?

Yes, she could that in the company of Aiden, but as much as she was aware, Zane and Sandro hadn’t been in the military. And neither had Ewan.

Athena deftly penned that query into her notepad; she would be doing her research today. Thankfully, she didn’t owe Ewan the same grace she had shown to Gianna or Aiden. She had no qualms about digging a little deeper into his past.

After all, hadn’t he done the same for her? Wasn’t that how he knew she had worked for the CIA? She wondered how much he had paid for such a thorough hacker. Or did Spider do him another favor?

Sneaking a glance at Ewan, she saw he was sitting comfortably on one of the sofas—he had moved after their earlier misunderstanding—right beside Old Mr. Thorne. His gaze was fixed solely on Sandro, who was suggesting they check through the rubbles of the burnt hideout, hoping to find more clues.

Athena shook her head before she could help it. “I doubt we will find anything,” She began, crossing her legs on the bed. “Ewan and I had to scour through secret doors and rooms to get those loot, and that’s because he was adamant about leaving with them, not minding the issues that had nearly affected his health. And you just mentioned that despite the extra doors you and Zane opened, you found nothing—not even the boxes of drugs.”

A pause.

“Of course, it’s obvious that they were aware of our approach, that they tipped off the helicopter, and moved the drugs to another facility. I’m sure of that. So instead of going on a wild hunt, I suggest we make do with what we have. Hopefully, we’ll get more clues as we forge ahead.”

Sandro pursed his lips, his hands, which had been clasped, tightening. “Alright then, if that’s what you wish…”

Athena shook her head immediately, her hands raised in a placating gesture. “You know what? Never mind. If you want to check out the rubble, you are free to go. But don’t endanger any of my people.”

“I wasn’t planning on using your escort, Athena. I can go alone or maybe take Zane or Ewan with me.”

Athena nodded in resignation; there was no changing Sandro’s mind. Well, if he was so determined to waste his time, then… “What time are you going?”

Sandro furrowed his brows, darting a glance at Ewan, who maintained his stoic mask, not ready to dive into hot water with Athena again. Being at odds with her left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. He couldn’t still believe that she had thought him in cahoots with the gang.

“Today. Probably when the day has broken finally. Of course, I will have to stop by the company first to see how things are progressing with the recent problem…”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already made some calls…” Old Mr. Thorne spoke up, unclasping his hands from across his chest. “Everything has been absolutely taken care of—the family, compensation benefits, and all that…”

Ewan’s chest rose and fell with gratitude. He turned to face the old man. “Thank you so much… I…” He shook his head. “Thank you.”

Old Mr. Thorne nodded slowly. “I have also sent out a mini telegram on the dark web; there is a bounty on Morgan and any members of the Scorpion gang…”

Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds as everyone tried to absorb the implications of this.

“Are you aware of what you are doing, old man? That will cost you a lot of money,” Aiden finally spoke, leaning forward, his eyes trailing over Old Mr. Thorne, who didn’t seem fazed by his statement.

“I am aware, but I am ready to be done with Morgan once and for all. From Ewan’s account, Athena’s gun got to him good, so he might need to check into a hospital. If so, then what better way to get rid of him than through assassins? As for the members around the globe, I’m not sure how possible it is to erase the Scorpion gang from the face of the earth, but I am ready to do all I can. Morgan dared to threaten me and my family. I’ll make sure he regrets that for the rest of his miserable life.”

Seeing the resolve and sheer determination on Old Mr. Thorne’s face, Athena didn’t bother suggesting otherwise. If anything, she was ready to support him in any way to eradicate the gang completely.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a walk in the park, but with the combined efforts of everyone here, including the president, surely they could make some headway. Who knows? They might even uncover some clues.

“I’m glad you’re on my side, Old Mr. Thorne. Morgan won’t know what hit him,” Athena joked to ease the tension on Old Mr. Thorne’s face. She was sure he was imagining tearing Morgan limb from limb. Her plan worked; he smiled at her. “As I’m glad to be on yours.”

“I know this sounds good, but let’s be realistic…” Zane started then, leaning forward as well, his face serious. “This bounty on the Scorpion gang will mean more deaths in the country and in countries around the globe. That will bring the police investigative team into the matter. Wouldn’t it be traced back to us?”

A pause.

“Yes, I’m sure we all have police friends who could turn a blind eye, especially when they know what we are up to. But those stiff-necked ones who don’t care about being friends with us—who care about justice first, even for criminals—will be on our backs. They are suckers for doing things the right way. Shouldn’t we be concerned about that?”

A few moments of silence filled the room as everyone ruminated on this matter. Then Old Mr. Thorne cleared his throat. “You don’t have to worry too much, Zane. Everything will be taken care of. And as for the deaths, don’t worry about that; I made the terms clear in the telegram.”

Zane met Old Mr. Thorne’s gaze unflinchingly, even though he was jarred by the resolution reflected in the latter’s eyes. Athena was right; it was good that Old Mr. Thorne was on their side and not supporting the drug hippies.

“Okay then, if you say so, old man.” He reclined deeper in his chair, to Ewan’s relief.

“So, from the mission tonight, we discovered that the gang is assuredly not working alone. Did anyone make any discoveries they want to share before we go our separate ways? The day is breaking, and I’m sure many of us want to rest. It has been a long night.” Aiden said moments later.

“Well, the underground is like the president’s secret office. Did you notice that?” Athena posited.

Aiden nodded in agreement. The others had never been to the president’s office, so they could only imagine.

“So, you think the instigator works in the government? Is this a confirmation?”

Athena nodded at Sandro’s question. “That theory is supported by the loot we recovered. Apart from the journal showing that Morgan usually does dirty work for prestigious men in society, the gold bars and the pistol, which have government insignia on them, confirm that his hire was through someone in government. A high ranking one at that.”

“Do you think the president is behind this, considering the gold bars are a matter of state?” Sandro asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Athena pursed her lips, contemplating the question. “I’m not sure. But to be honest, I don’t think he is involved. I just don’t sense anything sinister about him.”

“Most times, we don’t. Some people have become so adept at wearing masks that we’re unable to differentiate their true selves from their façades,” Ewan stated, his eyes focused on the African art hung on her wall, rather than on her.

Athena huffed before she could help it, glaring at him. Was he trying to dismiss her instincts? The gall of that man!

“No, I am not trying to discredit your feelings, Athena. I’m just saying that sometimes we simply don’t get the right feeling about people until their true intentions are revealed,” Ewan muttered, as if having heard her thoughts, to her surprise.

“I think you should keep an open mind regarding everything. We are getting involved in politics given the circumstances, so I suggest we trust no one as we tread this path—not even if he is the president of the country.”