Athena had just been interrupted, and the courage that had been gathering inside her vanished in an instant. Zaden looked at her and asked, "You said you wanted to ask me something earlier. What is it?" "N–nothing ... " Athena shook her head, lightly biting her lip before saying, "I just wanted to ask what we're having for dinner tonight." Hearing that, Zaden couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at his lips. He had thought Athena was still reluctant to come home tonight, but now that she had brought it up herself, it meant she wanted to go home. The irritation he'd felt earlier because of her instantly vanished. "I'll arrange for someone to cook dinner. When you're off work, we'll head straight home and dinner will be ready. Teri's nanny will pick her up too, so you don't have to worry about her." Athena could tell that Zaden had arranged everything perfectly to make things easier for her. A soft warmth spread through her chest. "Alright. Then I'll go back to work." After speaking, Athena turned to leave, but before she could take a step, Zaden caught her by the wrist. She turned back to look at him. Lowering his gaze to meet hers, Zaden said, "I was upset just now. Aren't you going to cheer me up?" Athena had brought him here intending to do exactly that, but she'd gotten sidetracked. Hearing his reminder, she smiled. "Weren't you already over it?""I am—but there's still a little something left," he replied, raising a brow. "And how do I fix that little something?" Zaden looked a little smug, his eyes shining triumphantly. "I don't know. Depends on how you perform." It was the first time Athena had ever seen this teasing side of him. Wanting to appease him quickly, she glanced around nervously, then leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. She was about to flee when he caught her again. He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her lips instead. Perhaps because they'd been distant for several days after their quarrel, Zaden's kiss was especially forceful and possessive, as if he meant to steal every breath from her. It took a while before Zaden finally let go of Athena, and she slowly came back to her senses, still feeling a little dazed. She glared at him. "As a shareholder of this hospital, you're not supposed to be the one breaking the rules first, Mr. Storm. That's inappropriate!" Zaden chuckled at her accusation. His gaze lingered on her face as he said leisurely, "If I'm not mistaken, Dr. Hall, you were the one who made the first move just now. So tell me—who's at fault here?" Athena was left speechless. Finally, she muttered, "Alright, I'm not arguing with you. I really have to get back to work. Stop distracting me. Let me focus on treating Ariana. I've studied her condition and I know how to handle her. I won't get hurt again." Zaden had already agreed earlier, and hearing her say that, he didn't press the issue any further. He said with a teasing grin, "Alright then. Looks like I've just been bribed by Dr. Hall."Athena's cheeks flushed at his serious tone when he called her "Dr. Hall." Without another word, she turned and walked out. But just as she stepped into the hallway, she ran into someone completely unexpected. It was Maya. Maya was holding a fruit basket, clearly here to visit Ariana. The two women exchanged a brief look, neither saying a word. Athena didn't feel there was anything left to say between them, so she simply turned and walked away. Maya frowned as she watched Athena's retreating back. Because of Athena, she had been forced to hide at the Rice Residence for a long time. Only after everything had settled and the scandal had died down did she finally dare to appear in public again. Just thinking about it filled her with resentment. Fortunately, her grandmother had promised to stand up for her. When the time came, Athena would get what she deserved. As Maya was still lost in her thoughts, the stairwell door opened again. When Zaden stepped out, Maya was startled. Her eyes darted from Zaden to the direction Athena had gone, and a dark realization hit her. Her expression turned instantly cold. Zaden and Athena had just come out of the stairwell. What were they doing there together? Maya bit her lip as jealousy flashed in her eyes. "Zaden," she said, "do you know my grandmother's in the hospital? She's always been very fond of you. Would you like to visit her?"