My Mommy Became A Billionaire After the Breakup novel Chapter 2009

"No one is answering." Byron held the phone, frowning.

Athena took the phone from him and listened.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."

The mechanical voice of the automated message, coldly repeating itself, resonated in her ears.

A loud thud echoed in Athena's heart, and the towering structure she desperately held up in her mind collapsed instantly.

In her mind, the video Mike brought forth reemerged.

In one of the three clips, Byron stood under a tree shade, unwrapping an ice cream and handing it to someone opposite him. He was furrowing his brows and speaking constantly.

In another clip, he was walking on a deserted path, not looking as distressed as before. It seemed as if someone by his side had said something funny, making him laugh. He walked with a smile, even making playful gestures with the unseen companion.

The last clip was similar. Byron seemed to be having a heated conversation with someone. Due to the distance from the dash cam, no sound was captured. But it was evident he was very upset. After speaking, Byron looked down, frustrated, and then made a motion to pat the other person's head.

Athena, with her sharp intuition, realized after watching the videos that her hopes, the lifeline she had clung to, were baseless.

Byron would never laugh and jest with the "himself" he despised, nor show such a caring expression to that "himself."

All signs pointed to the fact that the video captured scenes of Byron with the boy, whose childhood was similar to his own, as he'd described.

"Did he answer?" Byron's voice pulled Athena back from her thoughts.

"No." Athena's voice was a bit hoarse.

"What's wrong? Why has your complexion changed so suddenly?" Byron's brows tightened. "Do you feel unwell?"

"I didn't eat enough for breakfast. I feel a bit lightheaded." Athena lowered her gaze, her eyes becoming moist.

She wasn't worried about breaking down in front of Byron. She felt so numb she couldn't even cry.

"Come, let's wait inside the restaurant." Byron supported Athena and quickly moved her inside. "Martin, go check downstairs. He mentioned wearing a beige hoodie and arriving by bike."

"Yes!" Martin watched as Byron helped Athena into the restaurant, feeling extremely anxious. Athena had been off since they alighted from the car, and after receiving Byron's phone, it got even worse.

A thought surged in Martin's mind. Trouble was brewing! Big trouble!