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

Chapter 1219: Go on. Do it. I dare you

"Now, let him go, or I'll crush his skull. If he dies, I'll drag another one out and do the same. Even if you stab Atlas, know that your fate afterward will be far worse than a life sentence for hijacking this plane."

The air inside the airplane grew thick with tension. The man holding Atlas hostage trembled, his lips quivering. He studied Penny and Zoren's expressions, his heart pounding.

Hostage-taking was only effective when people cared enough to comply. But if no one feared for the hostage's safety, then this wouldn't work. It was more like shooting himself in the foot. Still, how could Penny and Zoren risk Atlas's life so easily?

"You're... bluffing," the man breathed out with a nervous laugh. "Do you think I'd believe you? Haha! This is not going to work!"

"Huh?" Penny furrowed her brows. "You don't want to save your friends too? Aren't you heartless? I bet they'd be disheartened if they heard about this betrayal."

"Shut up!" he barked. "I'm done with your nonsense, bitch! I'm telling you one last time="

"What did you just call her?" Atlas's voice cut through the air, sharp and unwavering. Slowly, he turned his head, his eyes glinting with something dark. "What did you just call her?"

The man felt his entire body seize up the moment he locked eyes with Atlas. He still had his blade against Atlas's neck, but the latter didn't seem to care anymore.

"Stop moving," the man warned, shifting the knife slightly away. "I'm still holding my knife. If you don't want to get hurt, then—"

His breath hitched when Atlas grabbed his arm, pulling it closer to his own neck. "Who said I'm afraid of getting hurt?" Atlas taunted, his voice devoid of anything but cold indifference. "I don't like getting hurt as a preference, as a choice. After all, no sane person would willingly choose pain when other options exist. But that doesn't mean I fear it."

it. I dare you," Atlas added, his

a word. If an outsider had witnessed the scene, they might have thought the man was the one being held

his ego, pride, and panic fueling his next move. "If you want

his voice rang out, Penny shouted, "Second

intended to provoke him into killing him.

had time to react before he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He turned his head-only to see Hugo already in midair,

second,

the - - Why are these people — They all belong in

last coherent thought before Hugo's foot connected with his cheek, tilting his jaw with

back to normal, and the next thing the man knew, his body was flying away from Atlas. When he crashed into the opposite corner of the cabin, pain exploded through his back. The impact was so intense

ducked and pulled away just in time to avoid getting caught in Hugo's attack. Releasing the man's arm at the last second, Atlas managed to soften his own landing, though

at Atlas's side in an instant, helping

palm to Atlas's neck, tilting it slightly to check the wound. "It's

she picked up the weapon that had been flung across the cabin. "Tch. Even if he stabbed him

glared at the man writhing on the floor. "That bastard. How dare he beat me to killing him—" She took a step forward, ready

shaking his head. "It's fine, my love."

on Atlas. "How do you feel,

touched his neck, checking the blood on his palm.