Chapter 194: We’re back~!
"Kidnapped?!"
Lola’s face twisted as a wave of unspeakable panic momentarily blanked her mind. Her shaking eyes darted between Atlas and Slater before she whipped her head toward where the van had sped off. She took an abrupt step, only to pause and look at the two men.
"What are you doing?" she gasped. "The twins are kidnapped! This is no time for just standing here!"
Yet, Slater just stared at her with his hands behind his head. As for Atlas, he simply watched her, calm as ever. They weren’t even trying to think of what to do, nor did they look shocked by this sudden turn of events.
They just... stared!
"Slater, call the police! I’ll try to go after them—"
"Sis, it’s okay!" Slater cut her off before she could dash off on her own. "They’ll be back."
"HUH?!"
"My kids are used to this," Atlas said, checking his wristwatch for a moment before looking back at Lola. "They’ll be back in a minute. There’s no need to panic."
Lola’s mind went blank once more as she looked at them. What the hell were they talking about? The twins were used to... getting kidnapped?! Did that mean they were used to it, too?!
This wasn’t normal—not at all!
Even with their family’s wealth and potential for ransom money, how could they just get used to this?!
But as her thoughts spiraled and dread crawled over her with its claws, another loud screech pierced her ears. Lola jolted as a white van once again pulled up before them. Her eyes widened as the door abruptly slid open.
"Sorry, wrong kids!" was all she heard before the door slammed shut.
SLAM!
Then, without idling for another second, the same van sped away once again, its tires churning up smoke and dirt. Before Lola could even process what had happened, it was gone.
"..." She blinked, her jaw dropping in disbelief. Lola narrowed her eyes slightly, wondering if it was just her, but the masked men who had just abducted the twins were now unmasked and... had swollen faces? And one of them even had a nosebleed?
Slowly, Lola turned her head back to Atlas and Slater, then caught sight of two little figures standing on the previously empty spot.
"We’re back~!" Chacha cheered. "Is that part of the amusement park’s last ride?! It’s so fun!"
"The Uncles are so funny!" Second added. "But Mommy should teach them, too, along with the uncles and aunties in the House of Horrors!"
The twins turned to Lola, smiling as if nothing had happened. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. All she could do was stare blankly at the twins, and then at their father and uncle.
"See? I told you, sis!" Slater grinned. "They are back!"
Lola shook her head, unconsciously taking a step back from the four of them. She darted her eyes between them, utterly speechless at what she had just witnessed.
What in the... world just happened here?
****
Kidnapping was probably the worst nightmare a parent would never wish to happen to their children. Yet, just now, Lola had witnessed a blatant abduction, only to be even more confused when the kidnappers returned the twins a minute later.
Lola was just too shocked that she couldn’t wrap her head around it, even now that they were on their way home.
"Second, Chacha," she called and gazed down, only to realize the kids had fallen asleep. Second had his head on her lap, his feet touching Chacha’s as the latter rested on her father’s lap.
Lola was about to ask what happened in that minute they were gone, but it seemed she had to wait... or not. Shifting her attention to Atlas, her mouth opened and closed until she finally managed to get a word out.
"Seriously?"
Atlas raised his brows and cast her a sidelong glance. "What?"
"Your children are used to getting abducted?" She asked, gasping, only to see him nod. "Why? I mean, how? No, HUH?!"
He tilted his head a bit, blinking almost innocently. "Because I am their father, their uncle is him, their other uncle is... he’s not included, and their auntie is crazy. Moreover, they are Zorkens. That’s why."
He meant... his kids were used to getting abducted because their family was ultra-rich, right?
Still...
Lola tried to speak again, but there were so many questions she wanted to ask that it clogged her throat.
"My world is different and not at all in a good way," he continued, seeing a hint of an existential crisis starting in her eyes. "The secret society is a dangerous place. It is especially dangerous for me since many people don’t like me."
"Was that news to you?" she blurted out. "Atlas, just how many toes have you stepped on that kidnapping has become a routine?"
"A lot."
"!!!" Why did she even ask?!
"However, even if I tread carefully, others will still take my actions personally," he shrugged. "I couldn’t control others, but I could prevent such a horrible thing from happening. It’s why I trained my children the second they started walking."
It was a good thing his children were naturally... adventurous. Hence, it was easy to train them so they could protect themselves and buy him some time before he rescued them. But with so many of those situations happening, especially in the past, the twins just got better and would come home themselves without bothering their father.
"..." Lola just stared at him with pure dread, unsure if she should even believe this. But then again, how stubborn and stupid could she be when it happened right before her eyes?
"By training..." she trailed off, her face twisting even more. "You mean...?"
"I threw them in the wilderness for a month to survive on their own, dropped them in a well to climb out, threw them out of a plane while it was in the air, and many others," he listed so casually that Lola’s expression just died.
"Those... those really happened?" she blurted out, familiar with those scenarios as the twins had told her a while back. "You... you did that?"
Atlas nodded proudly. "Is there something wrong with it?"
Everything about it was wrong!