Chapter 195: In Atlas’s defense
In Atlas’s defense, he might have sounded like he "punished" or "trained" his children harshly. However, he didn’t do all of that just for the sake of training them.
When he threw them in the wilderness for a month, he had given his children weekly rations. By the second week, though, the children had already learned how to find edible food and survive on their own. They even made friends with the wild animals and looked more comfortable there than anywhere else.
Besides, Atlas was there. He stayed at a small camp in the wilderness for the entire month. His men remained close to his children, camouflaging themselves and ready to rescue the twins if anything went south. When he threw his children into the well, he also stayed right beside it and waited for them to climb out.
He would even deliver food to them. Otherwise, how would they survive with no food or bathroom breaks?
As for the parachuting, he jumped with them. That, however, wasn’t something he planned. It was just that his children wanted to do it. And knowing them, they would have done it with or without his permission, so he strapped them in with safety gear, just in case.
There were more stories, and Lola couldn’t even believe them.
The twins were just five! But their extreme experiences were more than a fifty-year-old thrill-seeker’s!
Lola’s mouth gaped, her thin lips almost reaching the floor of the vehicle. Her eyes were fixed on Atlas as the man casually explained the situation to her.
"Even before they could walk, they would crawl and climb the curtains," he said in the same steady tone. "If you want proof, I can give you the list of babysitters and nannies they’ve given heart attacks to. It’s quite a long list, but I can sort them based on the severity of the case and the length of their resignation letters."
"..." Lola still didn’t react, just looking at the man with blank eyes.
She tried to process this as best she could, but it was just too... unnatural. Sure, the twins were mischievous and active when they were younger, but wasn’t this a bit too much?!
But then again, according to him, it wasn’t too much in the world he walked in.
"Is..." she trailed off, leaning closer to him and whispering, "...the secret society real? You’re not kidding?"
Atlas didn’t answer and just looked back at her. But before he could, Slater — who they thought was resting — suddenly sat upright and leaned over their seat.
"Sis, why do you think he just disappeared from the business world?" Slater rested his arms over their seats, pointing at his brother with his thumb. His eyes, however, were focused on Lola. "That’s not for fun. My brother is very popular and was ranked the number one most sought-after businessman and number one most hated person in the business world in Anteca."
"That’s not a good thing." Lola looked back at Slater. "I thought you were sleeping."
"I took a nap when I suddenly heard my brother talking," Slater mumbled. "I want to gossip."
Her face twitched. She studied Slater and then looked back at Atlas. She tilted her head a bit, still processing this endless information.
"So, you... somehow ended up in a secret society?" she asked, then shot Slater a look. "Does that mean you too? But how come? The entire world knows you. That’s not the way to keep a secret."
"Oh, not me! Just him and his kids!" Slater grinned. "I can’t give up my hard-earned fame. Besides, how else am I going to share my music if only I can listen to it? That’s not my dream."
"Oh..." Lola rocked her head, but even when she looked like she was finally grasping this, she felt like she couldn’t. There were still too many questions.
For instance, assuming they were telling the truth, and this secret society did exist, wasn’t it too impractical for Atlas to take his children into that world and not his brother?
Atlas studied the look on her face, and for some reason, he could already read the thoughts going through her mind.
"Initially, I planned to leave them in my parents’ care," he explained before she could even ask. "I did, but an incident happened. No one got hurt, but it made me realize the safest place for them is where I am. Moreover, it was also best for them to grow up with at least one parent."
She snapped her attention back to him, her brows knitting.
"It is an irony, but they were my responsibility," he added. "It is only natural for me to raise them and make sure they are prepared for the future so they can survive in such a harsh world. It’s a good thing they enjoyed it."
Lola pursed her lips while studying him, unable to come up with a response.
"Sis, it’s a little bit complicated," Slater chimed in, shaking his index finger. "But you will understand it if you learn their way of life."
Her eyes averted to Slater, her lips pursed a little more. She darted her eyes between them, shrinking back in her seat as she thought about it.
If she just thought about it, it was confusing and unbelievably ridiculous. But the people talking were Atlas and Slater. Even if Slater was silly, Lola still respected his words, especially when he wasn’t being too silly.
Secret society, huh?
Her eyes fell, deep in thought. After a second, she looked up and turned to Atlas.
"If the secret society forces you to live in hiding — in secrecy — why are you still investing in business?" she asked. "Sure, the person behind Summit Partners is kept hidden. But why bother when your plate is already full with the secret society’s affairs?"
Perhaps this question was just to find a loophole in their story. She knew it was impossible that they were pranking her, but still, she wanted to make sure they could convince her without her having constant doubts.
"I didn’t invest in business, not in the sense you’re referring to," he said, looking her straight in the eye. "Novera is one of the territories taken from the Zorkens years ago. I simply took it back and bought Summit Partners as my headquarters."
"You’re saying..."
"No, not everyone at Summit Partners is from the secret society. Nor is every board director. However, many who have an office in it are my agents who look over Novera for potential threats... and to make sure we can contribute to the economic affairs to help the governing party."
For a second, silence fell on them until it finally struck Lola. Now that he had said it, she was reminded of some old rumors when the once-dying Summit Partners rose to the top. The rumor said that the person behind Summit Partners had met only a few individuals who knew his face. One of those on the very short list was the current leader of the entire Novera.
"In other words, he owns Novera in a sense," Slater drawled in a knowing tone. "Who do you think helped the twins leave the airport when you left them there?"