I Just Can't Stop Loving You | Michael Jackson

Chapter 112-Revenge Scare

"Understood, Miss Tyler," Adrian nodded respectfully, "It won't happen again. Am I fired?" she asked nervously.

"I will leave that for my husband to decide," Athena said, emphasizing her relationship status.

Michael sat across from Alan, his expression unreadable as he considered the man's words. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice steady but firm, "You're lucky my wife has so much compassion. One more chance, Alan. But any further inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir. It won't happen again." Alan nodded, "Thank you for not firing me."

Back in the laundry room, Athena stated at Adrian.

"Yeah, I'll leave that for my husband," Athena shrugged, "He's more of the firing type anyway."

Athena left the room. Despite knowing Adrian as a person and knowing her for years, she couldn't help but be a little jealous that Adrian thought it was okay to touch a married man.

As Athena walked away, a pang of unease settled in her chest. She couldn't shake off the feeling of doubt that lingered within her. Adrian had always been a close friend, someone she trusted and confided in. But now, knowing that she had crossed boundaries with Michael, it cast a shadow over their friendship.

"Miss Tyler, wait!" Adrian called, which caused Athena ton stop in her tracks. 

"Yes?" 

Adrian sighed, "There's something you need to know." 

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Lost in her thoughts, Athena wandered through the amusement park, each step heavy with the weight of the situation. She couldn't understand why Adrian would risk their friendship for a fleeting moment of flirtation. Was there something more beneath the surface that she had missed all these years?

As she turned a corner, Athena found herself face to face with Michael, who had a contemplative expression on his face. Sensing her presence, he looked up and met her gaze, his eyes softening at the sight of her.

"Baby," he began, reaching out to gently grasp her hand, "Are you okay?"

"She asked me if she was fired," Athena paused, "I said the decision was yours. I just wanted to scare her a little. Told her you're more the firing type."

Michael studied Athena's face, seeing the conflict and uncertainty that clouded her usual confidence. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, his eyes conveying a silent understanding of her feelings. "You did the right thing, honey. Adrian needs to understand the gravity of her actions," he said quietly, his voice a soothing balm to her troubled thoughts.

"Well, you know how I hate to fire people," Athena sighed, "I've never done it before."

"You know, you may have to eventually." Michael said with a small smile, "I don't like it either, but sometimes it's necessary."

"You know what I also found out?" Athena mused as she kissed his hand.

"What did you find out?"

"That the whole thing with Alan and Adrian flirting with us was a test," Athena said, "Of our loyalty to each other."

"What?" Michael asked incredulously as he sat down, "Why would they feel the need to do that?!"

"Apparently, they thought we were cheating on each other," Athena scoffed as she placed herself in his lap.

"I feel like we should address this," Michael stated as he wrapped his arms around her to hold her to him, "If they had concerns, why didn't they come straight to us instead of pulling this elaborate scheme?"

"Maybe we should play along," Athena said playfully.

Michael raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Play along, you say? And how do you suggest we do that?" he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Athena grinned mischievously, her brown eyes sparkling with intrigue, "Well, what if we give them a taste of their own medicine?" she proposed, her voice filled with excitement.

Michael chuckled at the idea, intrigued by the prospect of turning the tables on Alan and Adrian, "I like where your head's at. So, what's the plan, Detective Tyler?" he teased, playing along with her scheme.

Athena leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered her elaborate plan. As Michael listened, a grin spread across his face, impressed by her cunning strategy.

"Let's do it," he agreed with a nod, a sense of adventure lighting up his gaze. Together, they hatched a plan to teach Alan and Adrian and the rest of their staff a lesson.

The following day, the staff members at the amusement park were in a panic as they couldn't locate either Athena or Michael. Alan and Adrian exchanged worried glances, realizing that their scheme might have backfired in a way they hadn't anticipated. Rumors started spreading among the staff, each one more outlandish than the last, speculating on the sudden disappearance of their employers. Even going as far as to say Athena and Michael disappeared one after the other to cheat on each other.

Bill and Jerome, especially, were in a real panic, "Oh my God! What are we going to do?! Bill! We have to do something!"

"Throw a party?" one of the staff members suggested.

Bill and Jerome exchanged a look of disbelief at the staff member's suggestion, their anxiety palpable.

"A party? Are you out of your mind?" Bill exclaimed, his voice tinged with panic.

Jerome shook his head, his brow furrowed in deep concern, "We can't just throw a party when Athena and Michael have gone missing like this. We need to find them," he insisted, his mind racing with worry over their employers' sudden disappearance.

"Hey, maybe they're hauled up in their bedroom having some fun," Maria shrugged.

"Maria!" Jerome scolded, "You can't say that! What if they watch this footage back and catch you questioning their sex life?!"

"Hey, she's right," Alan added, "Maybe we should throw a party!"

"What's this I hear about a party?" Michael's voice rang through the chaos, causing everyone to whirl around at his voice. He stood at the edge of the group, a sly smile playing on his lips as he watched the staff members scramble to compose themselves, "Are you guys planning an unauthorized party?" he asked sternly.

The staff froze at the sight of Michael's amused yet slightly disapproving expression. Alan and Adrian exchanged nervous glances, realizing their plan had taken an unexpected turn. Maria blushed furiously, regretting her earlier comment, while Bill and Jerome scrambled to come up with a plausible explanation for the chaos in Neverland.

"Uh..." Maria trailed off before looking at her fellow staff members, "Run!"