Elijah didn't even seem bothered by the rumors about him and Athena at all. He didn't even try to clear things up. Or maybe ... Elijah actually wanted the misunderstanding to go on. That way, Zaden would end up fighting and breaking up with Athena. Unfortunately for him, Zaden trusted Athena no matter what. In the end, nothing came of Elijah's plan. As for Maya, the one behind all of it, she was exposed. Elijah caught the cautious look in Athena's eyes and couldn't help but smirk. At this point, Maya still believed she had a chance to talk her way out of this. She knew Elijah would never side with Athena. His real enemy was Zaden, and Athena belonged to Zaden. She figured Elijah would step in and smooth things over, not letting her get suspended. So, she was sure nothing would actually happen to her. With that, Maya relaxed, her tense nerves starting to unwind. She said to Elijah, "Mr. Elijah, I think this must be a misunderstanding. Maybe we should look into it a little more before making a final decision." Maya was hinting that Elijah should just let it slide. If he covered for her, it would eventually blow over. Athena's face darkened. She was already preparing herself for the possibility that Maya would get away with everything. Still, at least the truth was out now and she'd finally cleared her own name. That was enough for her. But just as Athena started to get frustrated, Elijah suddenly laughed and turned to Maya. "Professor Rice, I have to address the false rumors you spread about me and Athena ... " Maya's eyes widened in disbelief. She didn't expect Elijah to say that.Was Elijah really about to stand up for Athena? Athena was just as surprised. She hadn't expected Elijah to step up and actually deal with this, but she still didn't feel any relief. She knew Elijah always had his own agenda. Elijah continued, "Dr. Bennett, I heard you were discussing suspending Professor Rice?" Rick had been torn, not sure how to handle Maya since she had connections. But with Elijah now running the hospital, he had the final say on any decision concerning it. If he supported their decision to suspend Maya, anything Beverly said afterward wouldn't matter. Rick immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Elijah, we took a vote and decided on that just before you walked in, but we hadn't finalized it yet." Then he asked, "Mr. Elijah, how do you think we should handle Professor Rice's case?" Elijah answered coolly, "Just do as you decided." "Starting tomorrow, Professor Rice is suspended from her position until further notice." Maya heard her punishment and instantly fell apart, totally defeated. She'd really hit rock bottom this time. But then she thought about how Zaden no longer had anything to do with the hospital, so maybe leaving wasn't the end of the world. She'd find another way to get close to him. That thought made her feel a little better. With that, the meeting ended, and people started to leave. Athena turned to Kate. "Professor Warner, let's go."The two of them left together. As Athena walked past Elijah, she suddenly heard him say, "Athena, I helped you out this time. You'd better thank me properly." Athena nearly rolled her eyes at him. Does Elijah really believe he did me a favor? It's ridiculous. He hadn't lifted a finger to help. He just let the drama play out, only stepping in at the end so he could look good. Now he swoops in, makes a quick decision, and expects me to be grateful? He is really so full of himself! Athena ignored him and walked out. She and Kate returned to her office. Kate looked at her with concern. "Athena, Mr. Elijah and Zaden seem to be at odds. He may try something else. Don't get too close to him." Athena nodded. "Don't worry, Professor. I understand." Kate had seen Athena take a risk by meeting with Elijah just to prove her innocence. It could have gone badly. Luckily, it had ended well. Maya had kept coming after Athena because of her connection to Zaden. Now that Maya was finally gone, they could finally focus on treating patients. The thought made Kate smile. "It's a good thing Maya's gone." Athena agreed, nodding. She added, "Maybe Elijah didn't help Maya because she was put here by Mrs. Storm. If he protected Maya, it'd be like siding with Mrs. Storm, and he doesn't want that. He only helped because it was convenient for him, not because he cared about me."