Chapter 1333

Chapter 1333 Gift

Ottilie silently observed Mia.

She then mused, "Mia can be surprisingly emotionally insightful at times, but she has a strange way of

connecting dots.

It's obvious to anyone that Aiden's moment with Athena isn't just because Aiden didn't want to learn to

fight.

Yet...

maybe it's better she sees it this way.

If Mia saw things too clearly, it might hurt her more."

That was something she had picked up from Martin yesterday.

Once the Christmas Eve dinner concluded, it was time for fireworks outside.

These weren't just typical fireworks. It was special as Byron had them custom-made.

The sky was then illuminated with dazzling bursts.

First, there were the cute animals Mia adored, and later came the mathematical symbols Aiden wished

for.

Mia spotted the symbols and became more thrilled than she was with the animals. She clutched

Aiden's arm, almost bouncing with excitement. "Aiden, look at that! They're all from your textbooks! Oh,

how amazing!"

Aiden tilted his head and gazed at the sky.

The radiant blue fireworks showcased brief glimpses of mathematical symbols, which then quickly

faded away.

The fleeting display was reminiscent of the brief moments he shared with his father before they were

abruptly parted.

"Thank you," Aiden whispered so softly that only he could hear. He then lowered his gaze, softly

adding, "Dad."

The fireworks continued to light up the sky for about half an hour.

The final firework burst into the night sky, leaving behind the image of a family of four.

"It's the picture we took when watching the animal fireworks!" Mia immediately recognized, elated.

Athena looked up and was instantly overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down her face.

Athena's heart ached as she silently pleaded, "Byron, please come back. No matter where you are,

please come back to me."

Rose's heart also ached when she gazed at Athena.

She hadn't planned on launching the fireworks, but Aiden had learned of them.

He was adamant about setting off the ones their father had arranged.

Those fireworks would have brought immense joy if Byron had been with them. However, in his

absence, they only deepened the pain.

Every Christmas, it was customary for Aiden and Mia to stay awake past midnight.

This particular year, Ottilie and Paul also joined the tradition.

After that night, Paul quickly noticed something had gone wrong with Mia's family.

News suggesting Byron had gone missing at sea reached him by the next day.

Given that the culprit was already in custody, Paul should have left.

But after pondering for a night, he chose to stay, ensuring Mia's studies continued smoothly so as not

to add to Athena's daily burden of picking him up and dropping him off.

Over the past few days, besides teaching Mia, Paul mostly stayed in his room working on his

assignments and papers.

He had hardly seen Athena.

Mia had grown so tired as midnight approached that she nestled into Rose, nearly falling asleep.

Paul then briefly returned to his room.

He came back with a gift and gently approached Athena.

"Mrs. Crawford," he softly remarked, "I'd like you to have this."

Upon seeing the gift, Athena paused momentarily. "A gift for me?" she asked.

"It's a tradition from my father's side. This is a token of good luck. If you accept it, your fortunes will

double in the coming year," Paul explained earnestly.

Smiling warmly, Athena took the gift and replied, "Twice the good fortune? I can't refuse, then. Thank

you, Paul."

Paul mumbled a response and then returned to his seat and resumed watching the Christmas show.

After Paul had left, Athena stared at the present in her hands. The burden she felt inside seemed to

ease a bit.