FamodunOluwasegun

Athena Stanford is a 21-year-old orphan living in the bustling city of New York. She is jobless and lonely, but she catches the eye of Caleb Martin's, a charming and successful businessman. After a whirlwind romance, Caleb confesses his feelings for Athena, and they become a couple.

However, their happiness is short-lived when Caleb develops a nervous problem that requires an expensive operation. Determined to help the man she loves, Athena takes up various jobs to earn money for Caleb's operation. Her journey leads her to the Elite Restaurant, a prestigious establishment owned by the wealthy and powerful Liam Steele.

During her time working at the restaurant, Athena encounters Luke Steele, a notorious playboy known for his perverted interests. Luke becomes infatuated with Athena and starts pursuing her relentlessly, despite her clear rejection of his advances.

One fateful day, Athena stumbles upon a beautiful ruby pendant and impulsively decides to sell it to cover Caleb's medical expenses. Unbeknownst to her, the pendant actually belongs to Liam Steele, who values it dearly. Determined to retrieve his precious possession, Liam seeks out Athena, but rather than taking her as a slave as expected, he becomes intrigued by her resilience and independence.

Meanwhile, the Steele family faces internal turmoil when Logan Steele, Liam' brother, discovers that Luke has betrayed him by sleeping with Logan's fiancée, Jaden Ravenwood. Seeking revenge, Logan sets his sights on Athena, using her as a pawn to inflict pain upon Luke. With the help of his loyal bodyguard, Flynn Martin's, and devoted right-hand woman, Sandra Scott, Logan begins a dangerous game of manipulation, which further complicates Athena's life and fuels tensions within the Steele family.

Shadow of deceit

As she was packing away the last of the baby clothes, Logan received a call from Amanda, Luke's fiancée, who had always had a dislike for Athena.

"Hey, , how's Athena doing?" Amanda asked, her voice filled with a hint of insincerity and pretence.

"She's doing as well as can be expected," Logan replied curtly.

"I heard about the test results mix-up. Quite unfortunate," Amanda said, her tone clearly masking a hint of glee.

"Unfortunate? You caused that mix-up, Amanda," Logan said, her anger and frustration seeping through her voice.

Amanda let out a forced chuckle. "Oh, , you're still so naive. Luke was always supposed to be with someone better than a girl from the hood like Athena."

Logan felt a knot form in her stomach. She couldn't believe the cruelty and callousness with which Amanda was speaking about someone who was fighting for their life.

Chapter Twenty Seven