<h4>Chapter 133: The Last Witness II</h4>


    "Athena, what are you doing here? After all these years of unjust torment, after letting me take the fall for a sin I didn’tmit, are you here to finally kill me?" Lucas’ voice was harsh, soaked in bitterness as he reluctantly took a seat in the iron chair at the cramped table.


    Athena faced him from across the metal surface meant for interrogations. Her little torchlight was the only source of illumination in the dark damp cell.


    Whosoever had created this idea of a cell was both a genius and a psychotic personality. She thought, checking the corners of the cell habited by ck molds.


    <i>Really wasn’t named ’ck Hole’ for nothing!</i>


    "I’m not here to kill you, Lucas," She finally replied, sitting up straight in her seat, projecting an air of authority. "Actually, I’m here to offer you a chance at freedom."


    Lucas let out a derisiveugh, reminiscent of a beast’s guttural sound. It was a sad sound, but Athena felt no sympathy for him.


    "Freedom? There’s no freedom for me. You know that; you put me here!"


    "Then how am I here?" Athena asked calmly, her arms folded across her chest.


    Lucas’s gaze traveled downward, lingering on her hands as if searching for a glimmer of sincerity in that posture.


    "I don’t know. I don’t know what or who you work for, Athena, but if I leave this ce, they’ll track me down. Do you want to deepen my punishment? Haven’t I suffered enough?" Anguishced his words.


    Athena brushed aside his pleas. There was no point in engaging in a futile debate. Lucas deserved everything he was experiencing now. "You can trust me... I—"


    "Trust you?" Lucas interrupted, shaking his head in disbelief. "You set me up four years ago, and now you want to talk about trust? That word shouldn’t even be in your vocabry. Erase it, Athena!"


    Athena couldn’t help but let out augh, which soon turned somber. "You bring up trust and betrayal now? Do you remember what you did six years ago? You were my best friend and you sold me to Alfonso and his ridiculous daughter! Do you remember that?"


    Lucas bowed his head, shame suddenly washing over him. "I’ve regretted that ever since. I could have made amends, but the lives of my brothers were at stake."


    Herughter echoed hollowly in the dimly lit cell, broken only by a rat scurrying around. "Regret? Is it because you ended up in this pit of darkness?"


    "No, I’ve regretted it from the moment I made the deal with Fiona. I thought it would be worth it—the amnesty, the money, the safety of my brothers—but none of that made the betrayal any easier to bear, especially when I learned your father had banished you too."


    Athena nodded, feeling a mix of curiosity and anger. "So, it’s not because you and Fiona had a real rtionship?"


    Lucas furrowed his brow, visibly agitated. "Rtionship? As if! It was only a fling. A one time event. A drunken mistake. The day I was supposed to leave, I met her at Ewan’s ce for my payment. She was with her father, and so she imed to be busy. She asked me to meet her in a hotel for the money and all."


    He paused, gripping the edge of the table. "But in the hotel, she drugged me and slept with me after I turned her down her advances. She’s a slut... that woman..." He caught himself, taking a deep breath. "Did she finally marry Ewan?"


    "She might as well be," Athena replied, her expression unreadable.


    Lucas clicked his tongue in disdain. "I pity Ewan then. I only went along with it because Fiona held my brothers’ lives in her hands. Eventually, I learned she had them killed and was plotting to eliminate me too. I escaped, never looking back."


    "Then you worked as a bar attendant until that night when I found you—the night of the terrorist bombing, when my team mistakenly killed the terrorist instead of capturing him for questioning, and I had to turn you in as one," Athena finished, her smile devoid of warmth.


    "That was well-yed on your part," Lucas spat, a hollow eptance in his tone. "If you want to kill me, just go ahead. I have nothing left to lose. No family, nothing."


    Athena shook her head. "I’m here to grant you freedom, Lucas."


    Lucas sighed resignedly. "Tell me about it then. What do you want me to do? Surely, it’s not for free..."


    "I need you to testify against Fiona in court to gain your freedom," Athena stated firmly. "Don’t worry about the evidence; I already have it." She reached into her pocket, retrieving a folded piece of paper, and handed it to him.


    "What is it?" Lucas asked, unfolding the paper slowly, his eyes widening in shock.


    "Your ticket to freedom," Athena replied, ncing at her watch. "We have five minutes, Lucas. Hurry up and read it!"


    Feeling the urgency in her tone, he fumbled through the paper, nching when he realized its contents. "Athena... what... is this?" He stammered, pointing at the content of the paper.


    "That’s your daughter with Fiona. She’s six. Her name is Kendra. Not only do I want you to testify against Fiona, but I’m also releasing you to be a father to her. Fiona abandoned her at birth."


    Tears instantly brimmed in Lucas’s eyes. "My daughter... abandoned? Where is she?"


    "At a safe ce. You’ll have ess to her after the case, two days from now. I promise you, the government won’t find you. Steps have already been taken to ensure that."


    "Athena...," Lucas was speechless. The weight of realization hit him, and he hurriedly left his seat and sank to his knees. "I’ll trust what I see in your eyes this time. I will testify to the truth. Thank you for this second chance. Thank you for forgiving me."


    Athena huffed, motioning for him to stand. She collected the paper from his hand and gestured for him to follow her.


    Outside, Shawn and Eric were waiting.


    "You sure took your sweet time, Athena. Long time no see, Terror," Eric teased, smirking at Lucas.


    Lucas recognized him instantly, of course.


    He was one of Athena’s colleagues that had sentenced him to hell.