“Sure, where are you, Mr. Atticus?” I replied."I'm at the same clubhouse as last time. I'll send you the location.""Okay!" I agreed and hung up, receiving the location from Atticus shortly after. After checking the location and directions, I headed straight to the place. When I arrived, Atticus was already waiting there."Mr. Atticus." I walked in briskly.He wasted no time and poured me a cup of tea, saying, “I have a favor to ask of you, Ms. Chloe.”Honestly, my impression of this man improved with each encounter. He was straightforward and didn't play games. I said, “Go ahead.”Since I was receptive, he pulled out a document and passed it to me. "Look at this first."I glanced at him curiously, then took the document. It was a project contract but not under Echelon Group. The development area was substantial, and someone had done the planning well.However, I didn't understand why Atticus showed me this contract. After reading it, I looked at him. "Mr. Atticus?”He said t
I returned to the company and found that everyone else had left for the day. Meanwhile, Ryan waited for me in his office. As I walked down the corridor, I ran into Grayson. I invited him to join us in Ryan's office.I explained what Atticus had told me and handed the contract to Ryan. After he finished reading it, he passed it to Grayson. The latter also expressed that this contract likely had secrets."Perhaps we should be cautious and politely decline," I looked at them and said, "We just started to see improvements and shouldn't take unnecessary risks."Ryan chimed in, "I think it's worth considering since Atticus said we can set the conditions. I think it’s an opportunity for us."He leaned into his chair and pondered momentarily, continuing, "I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Since risks are involved, we should prepare conditions and a stop-loss strategy. Atticus mentioned the conditions are negotiable, so we shouldn't hold back."Grayson added, "He helped us significantly when we n
My hands trembled, and I remembered Atlas asking why I didn't understand his intentions. My emotions were a mess. If not for the people around me, I would’ve left to seek confirmation from Atlas.If that was the case, I had misunderstood his intentions. I forcefully regained composure. After all, I still struggled to adapt to Atlas’s distant and cold attitude. I decided not to make excuses for myself and chose to let go.No matter the circumstances, the path with him would never be easy.The following day, Ryan, Grayson, and I discussed our upcoming meeting with Atticus. I feared our actions might appear opportunistic. Ryan shook his head, stating we should protect our interests. It wouldn't mean we were abandoning our principles.He said, "The reason Atticus didn't approach anyone else isn't because he had no other options or didn't want to share the profits. It's because we’re the most suitable for this deal. Of course, we don't see all the reasons for this suitability yet."Sti
I felt a change in Ava’s demeanor and looked at her. She exclaimed in surprise and ran toward someone, calling, “Uncle Atlas!”I looked toward the entrance and froze. My heart was pounding.Ava stumbled and nearly fell from excitement and eagerness. I panicked, but Atlas caught Ava as she fell. While he kneeled and held Ava, I saw them giggling. Ava wrapped her little arms around Atlas’s neck, saying, “Uncle Atlas, you’re the best!”I couldn't help but smile at her words. Meanwhile, Atlas’s typically cold face revealed a warm smile, his eyes full of adoration for Ava. I couldn't believe someone as domineering as him could be so doting toward a little girl."Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" I timidly asked.He only glanced at me, then gave a box to Ava. "Happy birthday!""Thank you, Uncle Atlas!" Ava's voice was pure. She took the box, blinked, and asked, "Is this the best tablet?"Atlas nodded seriously. "Of course!""Uncle Atlas, you kept your promise!" Ava threw herself
My dad was the first to break the awkwardness with his warm words, “Mr. Atlas, it’s been a while.”Atlas smiled and replied, "It has, Mr. George. I've been quite busy lately and haven't had a chance to visit. How are you?""Grandpa, Uncle Atlas gave me an amazing gift. He’s also celebrating my birthday with me!" Ava seemed happy, while I felt awkward. After all, my daughter had put me in an uncomfortable situation."Really?" My dad laughed heartily. I was genuinely surprised at how he had become such a good actor."Yes!" Ava giggled, looking incredibly cute. "Right, Uncle Atlas?""Yes! I promise to do whatever you want!" Atlas was unusually talkative today.I quickly tugged at Ava. "Come down now and change with Mommy!"Still, Ava clung to Atlas as if afraid he would leave. "I want Uncle Atlas to help me change!"I was shocked, wondering when they became so close."You're a little girl, so you should let your mommy change you. Don't worry, I won't leave. I'll stay and chat wit
I wanted to kick myself as the words left my mouth. I didn’t regret saying it, but a peculiar feeling had washed over me. Sure enough, Atlas smiled at me, but I noticed an unmistakable hostility.My dad spoke up, “What are you saying? Mr. Atlas had a drink, so he shouldn’t be driving!”“Oh,” I replied, getting up. “Alright.”When we got to the car, Atlas said, “Head to Cresswind Valley.”My heart sank a bit. Although Cresswind Valley was closer than Fremont Bay, I wondered why he didn’t want to go back there.As if reading my thoughts, he explained, “Fremont Bay is too far. I don’t feel comfortable with you driving back alone.”His words left me conflicted. Was it because he cared about me?Neither of us spoke during the drive, and the silence hung heavily in the air. When we reached Cresswind Tower, he said, “Come up with me.”Atlas opened the car door and walked towards the building without acknowledging my hesitation. After a pause, I parked the car and followed him into the
Atlas lowered his gaze and didn't respond.I asked him a string of questions, "Was it really you? Why didn't you come in? Did you spend your holiday abroad or here in Foswood? Were you alone?" "Don’t you think it’s a little late to be asking all this?" He sounded annoyed.I got teary and said, "There had been rumors everywhere. First, it was Annalise, and then it was Harmony. Will there be more of them? I don't care about your wealth, but how could I love an unfaithful man?"My words came out in a rush. "I've been humiliated enough by Matthew. And now, I’ve found another man who can't keep his heart in check. Am I a person anyone can use and deceive at their whim?""Am I just anyone to you?""You're not!" I looked at him, tears rolling down my cheeks. "I've told you I'm not worthy of you. But if you try to pursue me, you must take responsibility! All I want is a simple, love-filled life. Am I unworthy of that?" "You are worthy," he gently said, holding me tightly. "Don't cry."
I looked around from my car, trying to spot anything unusual, but everything appeared normal. However, that strange feeling persisted.With that nagging thought, I pressed on the gas pedal and drove home.My parents were still in the living room, watching TV. I knew they had been waiting for me."Did you drop him off?" my mother asked."Yeah," I replied casually, changing my shoes before heading in. "Why aren't you two asleep yet?"My dad finally got up, stretching with a yawn. "We were waiting for you to get home.""Mr. Atlas seems quite special. And he treats Ava so well!" My mother seized the opportunity to tease me. "Who would've thought our little girl would be so clingy?""He's been quite lonely. Since his parents are gone, maybe he liked the warmth of our family."Atlas must have spent New Year's alone amidst the celebrations of other households. My father seemed interested. "He has a big company, right?" "The bigger the company, the more he might be constrained. Whe