"Based on statements from several reporters, they learned about Mrs. Athena’s presence in this office from someone, sir. Apparently, they received the information via a text message from an unknown number."
Hearing Edward’s explanation, Leon’s head throbbed even more. He hadn’t finished dealing with the issue of Athena, who now had one of the pieces of evidence of his deceit, and he still didn’t know who had exposed Athena’s presence here, causing the chaos earlier that morning.
"Could it have been the Mayor? Isn’t he one of the most enthusiastic supporters of Athena joining this project?" Crystal finally chimed in, her curiosity piqued.
"I don’t know yet, Miss Crystal. I’ve already checked the phone number that sent the information about Mrs. Athena’s location here. It was a disposable number, so I can’t track or contact it."
Letting out a long sigh, Leon leaned back in his large chair. This still felt like a mystery to him, especially since there was a possibility that the person behind it was someone aligned with Athena.
"If the Mayor had leaked the information, it’s unlikely he would’ve done so covertly like this. He likes being in the spotlight. If he wanted to, he would’ve announced Athena’s presence here via social media or spoken directly to reporters during interviews."
"Exactly, sir. That’s why I wouldn’t make any assumptions in that direction."
Sighing as well, Crystal walked toward the window, seeking a different view to distract herself. Before discussing this matter, Leon had mentioned that Athena might fight back more fiercely now that she was beginning to drop her pretense of being unable to speak.
"Your secretary is here!" she exclaimed, noticing someone’s approaching footsteps. Leon quickly adjusted his posture as his secretary entered and bowed respectfully.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir. I just wanted to inform you that one of the elevators is malfunctioning, and Mrs. Athena is likely trapped inside with her bodyguard."
"What?! So she... I mean, my wife is trapped in there?"
"Yes, sir. One of the cleaning staff happened to see Mrs. Athena earlier."
"Oh dear, my poor friend!" Crystal exclaimed, approaching with a look of mock sympathy. She acted as though she genuinely cared for Athena. "Thank you for letting us know. I’m sure the evacuation team will arrive soon."
"Yes, but please keep this incident confidential for now. I don’t want the public to panic again!" Leon immediately instructed.
"Understood, sir. I’ll inform the others to keep this under wraps for now."
After expressing her gratitude, Crystal escorted the secretary out. She then closed the door and turned back, her eyes gleaming as though she’d hit the jackpot.
"See? They’re in trouble now. Isn’t this a fortunate coincidence?" She stepped toward Leon and settled herself on his lap. "I think we can use this opportunity to send her a warning. What do you think?"
"What if she retaliates even harder? The problem is, she still has that evidence, and it seems like she’s already aware of most of our plans."
Chuckling, Crystal kissed the man in front of her. "If that happens, we’ll just delay the evacuation until tomorrow. I think we can use this situation to turn the tide and restore our reputation in the public eye."
"Ack!"
Back with Athena and Arthur, the two of them were still trapped in the elevator, and the situation was worsening. After waiting more than five hours for help that never came, the elevator began moving downward with a jolt, throwing them around inside.
"Arthur, I don’t want to be stuck here forever!" Athena cried out, tears streaming uncontrollably. A blow to her immobilized arm caused her to whimper in pain, her body trembling and drenched in cold sweat.
"Calm down, Athena. We’ll get out of here soon!" Arthur whispered, trying to reassure her. Seeing bloodstains, he carefully examined her injured arm.
"What if we’re stuck here for a long time, Arthur? I... I’m afraid this isn’t just a coincidence. What if Leon, Crystal, and everyone else have already left? What if they—"
"We’ll figure it out after we get out of here, Athena. Just stay calm. Everything will be fine!"
Shaking her head, Athena bit her lower lip hard as Arthur began tending to her arm. Her eyes squeezed shut, and soon afterward, another loud jolt caused her head to hit the wall.
"We need to get to a hospital as soon as we’re out. Your arm..."
Arthur stopped mid-sentence as his phone rang. Sharing a glance with Athena, he grabbed his phone and widened his eyes at the caller ID.
"What are you waiting for, Arthur? Call for help so we can get out of here!" Thinking Arthur would continue treating her arm, Athena glanced at his phone screen and froze when she saw the photo of a beautiful woman displayed on it.
"Is this..."
"Your girlfriend? That’s fine. Ask her to get help from outside," Athena said quickly, turning her gaze away. For some reason, a strange feeling crept into her heart, though she didn’t notice Arthur declining the call and dialing another number instead.
"Act quickly when the area clears out. Be discreet. I don’t want anyone suspecting you’re working for me!"
["Understood, sir. We’ll handle everything!"]
Nodding, Arthur ended the call. For now, he only needed to wait for office hours to end, ensuring that neither Leon nor Crystal could prevent the evacuation.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, noticing Athena’s unusual stare.
"I was just curious why you didn’t want to tell your girlfriend. Are you afraid she’ll panic and worry? Or are you afraid she’ll be jealous because I’m stuck here with you?"
With a faint smile, he sat beside her. "Your guess isn’t entirely right, but it’s not entirely wrong either. So how should I explain it to you?"
"Why are you asking me? You always confuse me with all your mysterious behavior, Arthur!" Athena grumbled, trying to move away. But of course, he easily held her in place.
"You’ll know everything in time, Athena. Just be patient, because that moment will come. Do you remember my question about what’s most valuable in the world? It’s all connected to that!"