My Mommy Became A Billionaire After the Breakup
Chapter 7

Chapter 7 No Invitation

Gideon smirked. Byron might be putting on a tough front, but his angry eyes gave him away!

But... Was Athena really here to replace a man?

Gideon watched Athena as she moved through the crowd, clearly heading towards a specific destination.

He followed her gaze to the end of the deck, where a classical band was playing.

"Isn't that Brad, the owner of Maxwell Electronics?" Gideon asked.

Byron glanced over, seemingly unsurprised.

Gideon widened his eyes. "Oh!! You said you wouldn't come to this party, and yet here you are! You knew Brad would be here! You're here to talk to him for Athena's project, right?" Byron stared at him, his gaze as icy as a winter breeze, sending a chill down Gideon's spine on this summer evening.

"You think she deserves my efforts? She's just a substitute I dumped."

Gideon was speechless.

"I came here because Ruby wanted to come," Byron added.

Gideon smiled awkwardly. Byron was usually not much of a talker. The more he tried to explain, the more guilty he seemed.

Obviously, Byron also became aware of this. His face was filled with annoyance.

***

Spotting Brad was easy, but approaching him proved to be difficult.

As Athena walked towards Brad, a bodyguard stopped her.

"Miss, that area is off-limits," the guard said.

"Excuse me. I want to see Mr. Maxwell."

The guard remained cold, "You can schedule an appointment. Mr. Maxwell will not have any business meeting tonight."

Just then, Brad glanced over. Unlike most men, when he saw Athena, he showed no interest and even frowned in apparent disgust.

Athena had already done her research on Brad.

He had a technical background, was known for his integrity, and had a very good relationship with his late wife.

Two years ago, when his wife passed away, Brad was devastated and spent nearly half a year in the hospital.

Brad wasn't interested in any other women and even disliked those who tried to get close to him.

Athena was stunningly beautiful and didn't seem like someone who could get things done. He must have misunderstood her intentions, thinking she was here to seduce him.

Athena overheard Brad regretfully saying to his companions, "That harp looks very nice. It's a shame they didn't hire a harpist and are just using it as a display."

Athena's gaze locked onto the golden harp on the music stand. Her eyes lit up.

Her grandmother used to be a famous harpist, and Athena had learned from her since young.

Although she hadn't practiced much in recent years, whenever she visited her grandmother, she would play the harp for her. While her skill might not compare to a master's, it was still pleasing to the ear. As Brad walked away, his guards followed suit. Athena walked directly to the harp and sat down.

Taking a deep breath, her delicate fingers gently plucked the strings.

Brad, who was about to enter the banquet hall, stopped in his tracks and turned back.

Athena's long hair cascaded, concealing her lowered gaze. Her fingertips played the music beautifully.

People were drawn by the enchanting melody and gathered around.

Brad also hurried back to listen as he felt an indescribable familiarity.

This woman seemed simply seductive to him just moments ago, but now as she played the harp, she looked serene and elegant.

As Brad watched Athena, he lost in his thoughts, reminiscing about the afternoon he first met his wife forty years ago.

Gideon and Byron also noticed Athena's performance.

"Athena can play the harp?!" Gideon exclaimed in surprise.

Byron didn't answer because he also didn't know.

Athena's calm and composed demeanor made him feel unfamiliar; it was as if she wasn't the same person who had been with him for the past five years.

This thought deepened Byron's gloom. He had been deceived by Athena for five long years!

Meanwhile, Gabe Chambers, the man Athena met before, was escorted back to his parents by bodyguards.

Today was his birthday, and he had planned to spend his vacation at Black Beach in Iceland.

Yet his parents insisted on throwing a birthday party for him, just so he could get to know more influential people he would need to deal with in the future when inheriting the family business. Listening to his mother and the guests talk about business, Gabe felt utterly bored.

Just then, he heard melodious music from behind and turned to look.

Finally, his eyes lit up once more.

As the music ended, Gabe let out a content sigh.

Perfect, not a single wrong note!

After a brief silence, applause erupted from the surroundings.

Athena stood up gracefully and acknowledged with a bow.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Brad walking towards her.

But just then...

"May I see your invitation, Miss?" Two crew members approached Athena with stern expressions.

Not far away, Ruby watched gleefully.

'How dare this bitch steal the spotlight and grab everyone's attention!' she cursed in her mind, 'Now everyone's gonna see how shameless she is, sneaking in here to flirt with guys!'

Athena felt like luck had been really against her lately. But then, amidst the crowd, she spotted Ruby. And as soon as Ruby caught Athena's eye, she wore the most smug expression ever. It was practically written all over her face, "I did it!"

Athena's expression darkened.

But if Ruby was here, then Byron...

As Athena looked around, some people started to gossip.

"Unbelievable! Coming here to seduce men and not even willing to buy an invitation? Trying to get something for nothing?"

"She's really here for business, haha."

"I KNEW something was off about her!"

"The Chambers' security is lacking! How could they let someone without an invitation get on board..."

The crew member raised his voice, "Miss, let us see your invitation!"

Ruby watched Athena's awkward situation and felt extremely pleased. However, her joy didn't last long because she noticed Byron was no longer on the second floor. Looking around, Byron and Gideon had already come down and were walking towards here.

Byron must be coming to help Athena out!

"Sorry..." Athena said helplessly.

A voice sounded from behind the crowd. "She doesn't need an invitation."

Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice, and so did Athena.

But when she saw who it was, she was dumbfounded.