The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 234

Chapter 234: Chapter 234 I Want Him Punished
Athena remained silent, tossing her bag aside as she slumped onto the couch next to her mother, whose body tensed visibly. Even her father could tell from Athena’s expression that the blind date had been a disaster. They had all gathered in the living room as they usually did, waiting to gauge her reaction, a ritual that Athena was acutely aware of. She knew her parents were eager to discuss the outcome of the blind date, just as they always did.

As Athena’s family observed her unusual behavior, their anxiety mounted, intensifying their curiosity about what transpired. Speculations ran wild—they feared Athena might have been mistreated and bullied, and their imaginations fueled their growing anger. Before even knowing the full truth, they were already on edge, imagining the worst-case scenario.

The tense silence shattered with Athena’s icy tone, hinting at an impending storm. “Mom, Dad, Uncle… I want him punished,” Athena declared through gritted teeth. Her mind raced with thoughts, and emotions swirling chaotically. In her anger-fueled state, she struggled to articulate her thoughts clearly but said the outcome she wanted and demand for consequences was resolute in her voice.

Upon hearing Athena’s demand, her father and uncle immediately sensed the severity of the situation. Anger simmered beneath their controlled exteriors, their concern shifting swiftly to the source of Athena’s fury. They abandoned any thoughts of hesitating and collectively urged her to explain further, their minds racing with apprehension and their chests tightening with worry. Sasha, visibly concerned, gently clasped Athena’s hands in hers, meeting her daughter’s gaze with unwavering worry. “Honey, please tell us what happened. Why are you so upset?”

“Mom, that man, Tyler Lennon, tried to drug me,” Athena uttered each word deliberately, her voice low yet charged with seething anger. Her expression remained icy, reflecting her deep fury. The room fell silent, pierced only by a collective gasp of shock. Each person present pondered the implications, struggling to comprehend the audacity of Tyler Lennon’s actions. To target the sole heiress of the Jackson and Lowery families in such a manner seemed beyond reckless. Did he not grasp the repercussions of antagonizing two powerful families simultaneously?

Even before Athena’s father could voice his anger, her uncle roared, shooting up from his seat in a surge of fury. “That bastard!” His voice thundered through the room, his eyes ablaze with rage, already turning red. “How dare he!” Athena was like a daughter to him, cherished and protected just as fiercely as by her parents.

Upon hearing Athena reveal that someone had tried to drug her during what was supposed to be a harmless blind date, it was beyond their worst expectations. Sasha, who had arranged the date, felt a pang of guilt. She had pushed Athena into these situations in hopes of seeing her daughter enjoy her youth and possibly meet someone. However, seeing Athena’s close friendship with Hera had led Sasha to worry that her daughter might be interested in women instead. While she admired Hera herself and saw her as a second daughter, Sasha couldn’t help but feel uncertain about what Athena truly desired.

She thought that encouraging her daughter to date at her age might bring about a change in Athena. Sasha could see that while Athena often talked about handsome men, it seemed more like admiration for their appearance than genuine romantic interest. Perhaps, once Athena found someone she truly liked, Sasha hoped she could stop worrying about her daughter’s love life altogether.

But now, it seemed like she had unwittingly led her daughter into a dangerous situation. Sasha felt overwhelmed with emotion, on the verge of tears, when a loud thud at the door startled everyone. Turning their attention from Athena, they saw her older brother standing there, his face twisted with anger as if ready to confront someone. He had rushed home from the company upon hearing Athena might return soon, bringing the food he thought Athena loved, only to drop it to the ground upon hearing Athena reveal that someone had tried to drug her.

He strode over to the couch and plopped down heavily, his anger evident in every movement. The force of his seating caused the person next to him, his father, to feel the seat wobble up and down, nearly lifting him off his feet.

Now, with everyone gathered in the living room, Athena’s gaze swept from one family member to the next. Gradually, her anger gave way to deep sorrow, and she began to pout and cry softly.

“Dad, Mom, Uncle, Older Brother,” she sniffled. “That asshole tried to drug me, but he ended up hurting Hera instead. She and her friend ended up in the hospital. I can’t bear to think what might have happened.”

Athena was keenly aware of how her family cherished and protected her, like a delicate flower in a greenhouse. Had she not insisted on venturing out with Hera, they might never have let her out of their sight. But now, she knew that the most effective way to rouse their anger was to shed tears and convey her distress.

She continued, recounting everything she had learned from Hera and the findings of Zhane’s investigation. Her family listened in silence, their expressions grim. Her older brother appeared to be brewing some vengeful scheme against Tyler Lennon, which secretly pleased Athena. She wanted her family united, fighting alongside her. If only the Lowerys took action, it might not be enough—Tyler Lennon’s power overshadowed theirs. But together, the Lowerys and Jacksons could apply significant pressure. Despite their different business interests, a united front would surely give the Lennon a headache.

Even an elephant would falter if a colony of ants worked together to bring it down, let alone Tyler Lennon, who had now offended not just the Lowerys and Jacksons, but also the Averys. If Zhane was truly starting to take an interest in Hera, even the Everetts might retaliate against them. No matter how small the retaliation from the Everetts might be, it could still prove significant when added to the rest.

Athena made sure to convey Hera’s final instructions she gave to Gerald to her family. “Hera suspected that this might not be the first time Tyler Lennon has done something like this. There could be more victims out there, and he may be using his family’s influence to cover up his misdeeds.”

Sasha’s frown deepened further. “So all the effort I put into checking his family background amounted to nothing. He was well-prepared and covered everything up immediately afterward to maintain a clean record. Despite his reputation and the gossip, I dismissed it as merely rumors spread by his ex because they parted in a bad term, believing my background check was thorough. Turns out, the information was too good to be true—a complete scam,” she huffed in anger, feeling manipulated and used like a pawn.

Mr. Lowery broke the silence. “Do you think his actions were aimed not just at blackmailing Athena into marrying him, but also at gaining leverage over us? Perhaps he saw Athena as a means to control our family businesses,” he pondered aloud, his thoughts deep and contemplative. He couldn’t believe Tyler Lennon would risk offending two prominent families simultaneously, especially when meeting Athena under the guise of a blind date with the Lowerys.

He might even cleaned his record solely for this purpose. This is the only explanation he could think of because no matter how stupid Tyler Lennon might be, he wouldn’t be as stupid as to think that this would go unnoticed and solely rely on that Athena would not breathe a word about this.