Atlas took out his phone, pulled up his gallery, and placed the phone in my hands. He started to recount the past."Take a look. This is the real Annalise!"I gazed at the young girl in the phone album. She was beautiful, with lively, sparkling eyes and a radiant smile."The night after Aunt Hailey passed away, we huddled in that empty room. I'll never forget the loneliness, helplessness, and fear. It made me anxious." He glanced at me, his eyes filled with bitterness."I was scared, but Aunt Hailey told me I was a man and had to take care of Stella. Once lively and bustling with family, that room ended up with just the two of us. It was eerily silent."A faint, sorrowful twitch appeared at the corner of Atlas's mouth.Even after so many years, he still recalled those events with a sense of helplessness."At the time, all you did was cry in my arms. I wanted to as well, but I didn't dare to cry, let alone sleep. Aunt Hailey's departure haunted me. I just wanted to wait until d
I completely understood Atlas's state of mind. How could Celine, with her cunning nature, tolerate a child harboring such resentment toward her? She even dared to mess with Louis. She couldn't bear the threat posed by a child."You were really too young to comprehend all of that." I sighed as I looked at him.He lowered his gaze, his face carrying a trace of anguish. “I couldn't find you, and I was so anxious. I acted recklessly and didn't care about anything else. All I wanted was to find you and be with you every day."Atlas's tone was incredibly gentle, devoid of any sharpness.I bit my lip, wondering how I was doing after being separated from him. I pounded my head, lamenting, "Why can't I remember anything? Even a tiny bit would be helpful!"He quickly grabbed my hand to prevent me from hurting myself. "Stella, it's not your fault. It's because I failed to protect you, causing you to suffer and become like this. Losing you for so many years is my punishment."I still fou
Atlas, seeing me suddenly lose control, grew concerned. He quickly pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "Don't be upset, Chlo... Look, fate has finally smiled upon us, letting me find you in this vast sea of people. It must be the spirit of Hailey watching over us from above, guiding us."I won't let her get away with it, absolutely not," he promised, determination in his eyes. "I will make her repay us a hundredfold, bit by bit, and bring comfort to those departed souls."His words gradually calmed me down. I listened to his strong heartbeat, feeling unprecedented security and reassurance.Atlas continued to kiss me gently, patting my back. "Everything is in the past now, isn't it?""How did you find that orphanage?" I asked him, now that I was calmer.He looked at me seriously, waiting until I had completely relaxed before recounting that undoubtedly harsh history."Ian accidentally overheard Celine instructing her subordinates to get rid of me quietly. Taking a risk,
Atlas looked at me, and in his eyes, I saw a hint of sadness. "That was just the version you heard."He continued, "They gave you that story in a deliberate attempt to confuse you. That's why I've been reminding you that you need to trust me."My mind did a quick flip. He was right. The false Stella was the one who told me about Annalise the first time."The truth is, when the real Stella was sent to that orphanage, she wasn't called Stella anymore. She was given the name 'Annalise'," Atlas said with certainty."So Celine changed her name when she sent her there," I deduced."Yes, that's right. So even though we searched every orphanage, we couldn't find Stella.”"When did you find her?" I was having trouble understanding the intricacies of the situation."Perhaps it was fate. Just as I found the lost little girl, we discovered an orphanage. We went to inquire, and when Cody came back, he told me they had someone named Stella there. Overjoyed, I ran out to see her, but they woul
Atlas’s face darkened. "I think that was a trap set by Celine.""How so?" I asked, wiping my eyes. I didn’t understand"Because later, after the Cross family rescued me, I found out that once she realized I had escaped, she quickly discovered that Ian's son had also disappeared. You can imagine what happened to Ian. She could easily speculate that I was probably going to find Stella. Wherever she sent Stella, she must have planned it well. The facts proved that her approach was correct."Atlas's reasoning was convincing."After the incident, she began to search for me like a madwoman. She might not have known whether 'Annalise' was real or fake, but she was certain that I had been there." Atlas's tone left no room for doubt.I muttered to myself, "So that’s why there's a photo of Stella and 'Annalise' from that time. When we first saw the photo that Grayson found, I couldn't understand why Stella was also in that orphanage. Now it makes sense.""That photo you had him investigate
He looked at me, full of heartache and urgency, and kissed my forehead."That spot was right next to the cliff. He pushed me with all his strength, and his car rolled down the slope and exploded. You were thrown out on a steep bend, not near the sea."After I fell, I completely lost consciousness. I didn't know where I was when I washed ashore. I woke up in a fisherman's village."They saved me. My leg was broken, and I couldn't move. I begged them to help me look for you. They searched everywhere and couldn't find you. I refused to believe it. Even if you were dead, there should have been a body." He said bitterly."I was afraid they had deceived me, so I started to search for myself despite my injured leg. I collapsed and fell unconscious, and my leg was infected after I was rescued again. The locals took me to the hospital."I looked at Atlas, silently shedding tears.He gently wiped them away. "Don't cry."I touched his leg gently, choking on my words. "What happened after t
After listening to Atlas, I realized that his concerns were not unfounded. Atlas was worried that Celine might harm me, so he carefully orchestrated the ruse with Harmony.Stella used Harmony to create a commotion, intending to force me out, but Atlas would never let her lead him astray. Her actions also clashed with my plans when she pretended to be me during the shopping spree at the mall. That incident disrupted their scheme, and I managed to reclaim the items they had seized.Subsequently, the imposter Stella resorted to a more sinister plan, attacking Harmony and ruining her face, hoping to frame me again. However, Atlas intervened before she could execute her plan.It seemed that Stella had been relatively quiet recently, but it was likely she was preparing a major move. She wouldn't sit idly by while I enjoyed a smooth ride.When I saw Atlas's worried expression, I asked, "On the surface, it looks Celine has stopped, but she's secretly using other people to do her dirty work
"According to reports from my people in the Pierce family, Celine has incurred significant losses in recent years. That's why she doesn't want to give up ATL Empire."I looked at Atlas, understanding the situation. "Because she colluded with external forces?""Yes." Atlas looked at me, smiling approvingly. "But she also understands that since the Cross family sanctioned her, ATL Empire is just an empty shell in her hands.""Oh?" My thoughts raced. "Is it because the Cross family is familiar with your father, especially since he grew up with them?”Atlas shook his head, "Not entirely. My father had already prepared for everything. This was all part of his strategic plan. After his death, the Cross family activated my father's emergency plan."We have many projects and large businesses that are not part of ATL Empire's structure. The original ones are gradually shrinking and becoming mere shell companies. The real ATL Empire has been in my hands since I was 15. She can't do anything