Chapter 169: Visiting Mr. Thorne VIII
Athena couldn’t shake the feeling that Margaret had been crying for the past four days.
The croaky quality of the latter’s voice was unmistakable, reminiscent of a frog’s croak, and her words came out almost in whispers, as if they were fragile and could shatter at any moment.
"Margaret, how are you doing?" Old Mr. Thorne asked, embodying the gentleman he had always been, his concern shining through despite the gravity of their impending conversation.
"I’m fine, thank you," Margaret replied, her voice trembling slightly. "I heard you’re keeping my family until the shareholders’ meeting..." There was a pause laden with tension. "Are they still alive?"
Athena sighed, reclining deeper into the plush sofa, feeling the weight of the moment settle heavily on her chest.
Florence mirrored her actions beside her, and the twins, usually restless and full of energy, were still with Old Mr. Thorne; eyes alert and ears attuned to the adults conversations, instead of moving away to play with toys as children of their ages would have done in this scenario.
"Yes, they are. They must be present at the shareholders’ meeting, don’t they?" Old Mr. Thorne confirmed, his brow furrowed in thought.
"They do," Margaret agreed, her voice barely above a whisper. "So, why are you calling? Did something happen?"
"I just found out that Ewan was never given the documents detailing his shares and position in my empire. I had thought he had chosen to stay away, until I discovered otherwise..." Old Mr. Thorne’s voice became more resolute, but Athena could hear the undercurrents of frustration and sorrow weaving through each word.