<h4>Chapter 219: The ‘Psychatric Clinic’ VI</h4>


    A silent pause ensued after Ewan’s question, inviting an uncertain atmosphere over the dining area of the living room.


    "Do you think she is the one that saved you those years ago?" Zane broke the silence finally, leaning forward, his eyebrows raised in disbelief.


    Ewan said nothing at first.


    "Ewan..."


    Ewan sighed and inhaled deeply. "I’m not sure. The timing somehow matches, I think."


    Zane shook his head. "That won’t be possible, remember? At that time, you weren’t allowed to cross over to Zack’s boundary; none of us were allowed without the guidance of an adult, most likely our parents. At least, I know that before my father shipped me out of the country for my education or whatever..."


    A significant pause.


    "Even though there was a truce between Zack and your father, it was a fragile one. So how can you meet Athena in the first ce, not to mention build asting friendship where she jumps into raging waters to save you before thinking of herself?"


    Ewan swallowed, reclining deeper into the chair. Zane was right in his deductions. There was no way he would have been close to Athena then. Yet...


    He sighed and looked at Sandro, who was watching him with furrowed eyebrows. "What ident was that?"


    A frown masked Sandro’s face when he peered into the screen. "It wasn’t mentioned here. ording to the sources, even her friends are unaware of the type of ident."


    A pregnant pause, after which Sandro looked at Ewan. "If we are really going to get a real answer, we will have to meet Zack."


    "That we will do, first thing tomorrow. As a matter of fact, I will try to speak with him tonight. I hope he doesn’t get cocky and make stupid demands," Ewan agreed, turning up his lips as he contemted this matter—Zack’s readiness to reveal the truth when called upon.


    Sandro and Zane exchanged nces before nodding along. Whatever the boss said, they thought. But there was no way Athena was Ewan’s savior. That would be pushing coincidences very far.


    "Is there anything about the friction between her and Morgan’s gang? What’s the current y now?" Ewan asked, pushing aside thoughts of the ident. There was no need to dwell on them when he would be getting answers soon.


    "Well, there is," Sandro answered, scrolling through the document again. "It’s as Athena stated during the court case. The gang’s first attempt on her life was a few years ago, and thenst year too. They want her medical research about the Grey disease. But at every turn, they keep failing. Our sources also mentioned Athena’s direct link to the CIA and the Nimbus operation."


    "Nimbus operation? What is that?" Zane asked, folding his hands across his chest. Ewan, too, had a confused expression on his face. None of them had heard of Nimbus.


    Sandro shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. But the document exins that it is an organization formed by a select few that resigned from the CIA due to their misgivings about the agency."


    "And I take it that Athena is among them?" Zane queried, raising an eyebrow.


    When Sandro nodded, Zane sighed and shook his head. "I can see why my father respects her so much. She seems to be everywhere. She is too connected, which is why he mentions that she is someone not to cross on a normal day."


    "Speaking of your father, Zane, what’s his deal with Athena? I suspect they had a sh at one time before he made his due research." Ewan directed his gaze to Zane, who threw his hands up in frustration.


    "Your guess is as good as mine, Ewan. I don’t know. He didn’t tell me about it. He only told me to always be on good terms with her."


    "So you were trying to date her because your father sent you after her?" Ewan’s voice had taken on a chilly quality.


    Sandro huffed and kept the tab on the table. <i>Alert: Macho male on disy, </i>He thought, sparing Zane a nce. But Zane wasn’t in the least bothered or fazed.


    "Not exactly. I got close to Athena because of my father, yes, but she triggered my liking and respect because she was..." Zane paused, cocking his head to the left. "Which word would I use to effectively describe her personality?"


    A pause. "She is just excellent. Not perfect. Just excellent, and damn so beautiful."


    Ewan scowled. "You talk like you are still pining for her. Do you still want her?"


    Zane scoffed. "Get over the possessiveness, Ewan. Athena isn’t yours. And if you are interested in her, then go butt heads with Antonio. That’s yourpetition, because I have dropped out. A strongpetition that is, since he is the adoptive father of the children. I really do not see a chance for you in the mix."


    Ewan sighed, letting his premature anger and jealousy go. "There is something I have to tell you guys..." He muttered, his fingers starting the drumming motion again.


    Zane and Sandro exchanged furtive nces. Whatever Ewan wanted to share must be huge if it had swallowed a good amount of his deep voice.


    Ewan’s hesitation to continue with his confession strengthened the uncertain atmosphere again at the dining table, increasing Sandro and Zane’s curiosity. What could be that heavy?


    "Ewan..." Zane called when he couldn’t take it any longer.


    Ewan exhaled tiredly. "It’s about the divorce papers between Athena and me."


    Sandro and Zane exchanged nces again, this time a worry-themed one.


    "What happened to the divorce papers?" Sandro asked, his lips thinning into a straight line as suspicions rose within him.


    "I didn’t sign them."


    A thick silence pressed down into the space, eating up any words left in the mouths of Zane and Sandro. They couldn’t even look at each other this time. Each was left to his own silence and thoughts.


    Zane didn’t know what to make of this, didn’t know how to believe the authenticity of this information, even while knowing that Ewan couldn’t lie about such sensitive topics.


    He opened his mouth to speak, but a croak was what came out. He wet his tongue and looked at Sandro.


    Thetter looked just as shocked as he was.


    Was that anger on his face too? He thought skeptically, right before Sandro mmed his hand on the desk in anger.


    "You did not do what?!"


    Ewan tucked his lips in, understanding the root cause of his friend’s rage.


    "Ewan, you better start talking." Sandro continued, pushing back his chair and getting to his feet, ring at Ewan.


    "I didn’t sign the papers. They are still in my drawer."


    "Why?" Zane asked when Sandro broke out in augh of disbelief before starting to pace the room.


    Ewan looked at his hands. "I don’t know," he muttered. "I honestly don’t know."


    Zane shook his head. "That’s not enough reason, Ewan. Weren’t you about to marry Fiona? What exactly was your n? What exactly were you thinking?"


    "I thought I would sign the papers before marrying Fiona," Ewan answered. "All these years, I couldn’t get around to putting down my signature on those papers. I just couldn’t. Mywyer gave up asking about them the same year after I told him to keep his mouth shut."


    He paused and looked up as if searching for something in the ceiling. "Whenever I pick up those papers to sign, I feel a weight deep in my chest, hurting me..." He sighed and redirected his gaze to Zane. "I just can’t exin it, Zane. I know this is bad..."


    "Of course it’s bad!" Sandro shouted, halting near a pir. "You both are still married, and she isn’t even aware of it! If thises to light, it would seem she is an adulterer, leaving you for Antonio. Is that your n?"


    "Of course not! How can you think I would do that?!" Ewan shouted, getting out of his seat and ring hotly at Sandro. "I won’t do anything to jeopardize her life. She has suffered enough!"


    Sandro met his gaze without flinching.


    After a few seconds of heated, uninterrupted ring, Sandro nodded. "Good, Ewan. Because I won’t let you do that. You should move on, like she has. She already showed you mercy by letting you see your kids once a month. You should make do with that and not jeopardize it. The consequences may be dire."


    "But how do I make do with that, Sandro? Seeing my kids once a month? I don’t think I can cope with that."


    Sandroughed in derision then, upsetting Ewan. "How can you??? Wasn’t that the same condition you gave her during the court case? You can’t take the heat now..."


    "Sandro, tone it down..." Zane pleaded, getting to his feet, needing to quench the rising fire between his two friends.


    "Still, I can’t. It’s selfish, but I can’t," Ewan said with all determination.


    "So, what are you going to do? Because hell will freeze over before I let you threaten Athena with unsigned divorce papers."