Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 2244

It was like trying to cover your ears and pretend the bell isn't ringing—a useless attempt to deceive yourself.

Athena had already been feeling a little soft toward him, but hearing those words, her heart softened even more.

In truth, Tyler wasn’t wrong. The two of them had never truly sat down and had an honest conversation. From the very start, their relationship had been built on lies.

Tyler fell silent after that. The car sped quietly toward the place they now called home.

Once they arrived, Tyler wanted to ask her what she planned to do next. But before he could get the words out, Athena wrapped her arms around his neck, catching him completely off guard. She had made the first move before, but back then, she’d always treated him as someone else's stand-in.

But now? Was there even a sliver of sincerity in her actions?

Tyler realized he was too afraid to ask. Instead, he simply scooped her up and carried her upstairs.

The rest unfolded naturally, and he held her tightly, as if letting go would shatter the fragile peace between them.

By the time everything was over, it was already past midnight.

Neither of them felt sleepy—maybe because they'd finally managed to talk about things that had been left unsaid for so long. The tension that had hovered between them now seemed to have dissipated.

“Athena, what are you planning to do next?” Tyler asked softly, his voice breaking the comfortable silence.

“The Keller family still suspects me,” she replied, a candid edge in her tone. “I can’t just waltz back into their lives all smiles and sunshine. I’ll have to keep up the act for a while longer.”

It was the first time she’d shown Tyler this less-than-pleasant side of herself so openly. When she looked up at him, though, she only saw a gentle, understanding smile in his eyes.

“So, joining show business... that was all preparation for this?” Tyler asked quietly.

Athena lowered her gaze, her expression perfectly calm. Truthfully, she was almost always like this—composed, detached. The version of her that she showed Marlon had always been a performance.

“Yeah, you could say that,” she said. “I always figured I’d need those acting skills someday.”

That was why, after all these years, she’d remained a minor actress—never interested in chasing the spotlight.

Athena looked over the expensive presents without the slightest flicker of emotion. Lindsay certainly didn’t need any of this now.

Lindsay only ever wanted money. She had enough of that now—enough for her and the kids to live on. No amount of extra gifts could change what had already happened.

The thought made Athena want to laugh. She sighed and told the staff to return everything.

Around noon, Marlon showed up in person.

It was his first time visiting Tyler’s house. The two of them were more casual drinking buddies than real friends, and Marlon’s gaze lingered on everything before finally settling on Athena.

She was watering the flowers in the garden. Spotting him, she set the watering can down.

Marlon strolled over, a broad, casual grin on his face.

“Hey there, tending the flowers, huh?”