Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress

Chapter 451: A rabbit among the wolves

[PRESENT TIME]

Atlas jolted awake, suppressing a memory he desperately wanted to avoid. "That was close." His body tensed, and a shallow breath escaped through his nostrils.

At that moment, he noticed a figure settling into the seat across from him. The lines between his brows deepened as he lifted his gaze to meet the man's pair of

dark eyes.

Atlas straightened. "Mr. Pierson."

"Mr. Atlas Bennet," Zoren responded evenly. "I hope you don't mind; I took the liberty of sitting down."

"It's alright. Thank you for accepting my invitation on such short notice."

"There's no need for thanks. I'm just glad I didn't have to wait long," Zoren trailed off, raising his brows. "...and the timing of your call was impeccable."

Impeccable timing...

Atlas studied Zoren's expression, wondering if Penny's drunken state had anything to do with his comment. Though Zoren still appeared paler than most, he didn't look as drained as the time he had picked up Penny for their first date.

"Last night..." Atlas paused, scrutinizing every subtle shift in Zoren's expression. The slight raise of Zoren's brow hinted that something indeed had happened the previous night. "...did my sister... happen to see you?"

Zoren hesitated, as though weighing the tone of Atlas's question. There was a carefulness, a trace of reluctance, something Atlas rarely displayed unless compelled by a powerful reason.

"Yes." Zoren nodded. "She... did."

Even Zoren noticed a similar hesitance in his own voice. Perhaps it stemmed from not wanting to disclose what Penny had done to him the previous night.

'Hang on,' Zoren squinted slightly. 'Could he also be harboring a memory he doesn't want to share?'

Zoren doubted Atlas's memory was remotely similar to his own-certainly not the kind that involved being blueballed, as they were siblings-but he sensed the weight of trauma in Atlas's unspoken past. Zoren's men would likely sympathize with him.

Atlas

long minutes. Neither seemed inclined to break it, unsure

he

faint smile in return.

scoffed lightly, scratching his temple with a finger. "I suppose that's good

though my men might disagree," Zoren replied, arching his brows, pausing slightly. "They had

expression tightened. "Was it...

as one might imagine, given their line of work. But it's definitely not something they

Atlas's forced smile faltered, imagining the chaos Zoren had endured. "And you?"

quickly, before another heavy silence fell between

tea arrived. They both lifted their cups in unison, took a sip, and placed them down

said in

looks, then

drink ever again," Atlas said when

Zoren nodded in agreement.

"I couldn't agree more."

I pictured

is mutual, Mr.

he corrected. "It seems only fair to let you

There was an unspoken

them, born of shared experiences with Penny's drunken antics. Atlas didn't plan to delve into the details

quiet understanding between them

built quite a rapport in an... unusual manner. Feel free to

Atlas reached for his cup, shaking his head slightly. "Had this been last night, we'd be sharing a glass of Scotch

his cup again.

nodded off," Atlas admitted, glossing over some details. "In a

found a way to

for the trouble

she throws

but you didn't have to.

brow at him, head tilted slightly. Zoren, still