3.3.5.7.6
Atlas stared at Dean, thinking about the number combination and the word that didn’t seem to have any connection. After a mont, he nodded.
"The letters of a keypad," he muttered, watching Dean shrug.
"Heard him say that to the support team during his training in my departnt when they ca to check his PC," Dean remained indifferent. "The guy always unplugs his mouse or keyboard and then reports that sothing’s wrong with his computer to avoid more work."
Atlas didn’t care about that detail—he only needed a lead.
This may or may not be a useful lead, but it was worth considering.
"I see." Atlas nodded and turned to leave.
At the sa ti, Dean jumped from his spot and rushed to him. In just a few seconds, he was already standing beside Atlas by the door.
Atlas paused, hand on the door handle, his eyes slowly eting Dean’s. "What?"
"Hehe." Dean smiled from ear to ear, his eyes squinting. "I don’t like that ’I see’ look on your face. I’m tagging along."
Atlas deadpanned, but that wasn’t enough to stop Dean from adding,
"I feel like sothing interesting is going to unfold," Dean remarked. "And I think the answer I just gave you earned a front-row seat."
"I’m going ho."
"No, you’re not." Dean shook his head, pointing at Atlas. "I have more information because you don’t even know where that passcode is used."
"Tell where—"
"Nope." Dean shook his head. "I’ll tell you when you let tag along."
Atlas opened his mouth, then closed it again. He stared at Dean with a flat expression, while the latter kept smiling. It was true that Atlas had been planning to go ho after making a quick phone call to Zoren. However, it wouldn’t hurt to know what else Dean knew.
"Fine," he conceded after a mont of contemplation. "Just don’t cry when I ask you what it feels like to have my sister as your new auntie."
Dean’s smile froze while Atlas slid the door open. His face twitched, watching the man walk out after throwing a verbal jab at him.
After a mont, Atlas paused in his tracks and looked back at him.
"What?" he asked. "Coming or not?"
Dean hissed, glaring at him. He didn’t answer but quietly followed.
As they walked out with Atlas a step ahead, the corners of his mouth curled up.
Oh, how Atlas loved poking people where it hurt.
---
Minutes later...
"Start talking now," Atlas remarked coldly as he sat behind the wheel. "And I’m not dropping you off at your ho. So, I hope you know how to get from our house to yours."
Dean leaned back in the front passenger seat, looking at him in dismay. "Atlas, when you were born, was your mother stressed out? Because clearly, sothing is very wrong with you."
"She was the happiest," Atlas answered without sparing him a look. "I’m the first child. By the ti she gave birth to Slater and Penny, she was tired."
"And you sound proud of that?"
"Why wouldn’t I be? My parents thought my mother was going to die during childbirth since she didn’t have the best health. But she managed."
"..." Dean scrunched up his nose, staring at Atlas’s side profile. "Atlas, if your mother wasn’t in good health, how co she had three more?"
"My dad was probably trying to kill her because divorce wasn’t well-received during that ti."
Hearing that answer, Dean was even more speechless.
"I hope you’re kidding," he remarked, but he knew Atlas had said those words with utter seriousness.
Now, he was certain Atlas was conceived out of heartache. Perhaps, he might’ve been an accident baby as well.
"Stop asking about my parents now," Atlas muttered after a while. "Otherwise, I might start asking about yours—even when I already know the answers—just to hurt your feelings."
Dean frowned, not pleased by that. "Who told you?"
"I work at Pierson Corporation, and William Pierson likes to run his mouth. Even when I don’t want to hear the information, I’m not spared."
Dean’s hands tightened into fists, cursing William Pierson in his heart. He knew it. It was that damned uncle of his who would openly talk about Dean’s parents and family because William knew it would hurt him. If not hurt, then infuriate him.
"Don’t bla him," Atlas humd, sensing the growing fire in the front passenger seat. "You try to give him a heart attack at every turn. He’s a vengeful man, so he would settle scores."
"I’m not trying to give him a heart attack," Dean corrected. "I’m trying to kill the man."
"Sa thing."
"It’s not the sa thing when he could survive a heart attack."
"..." Atlas blinked before casting Dean a sidelong glance. "Get out of here."
"Nope!" Dean leaned back even more, arms crossed over his chest like a mummy to keep his seatbelt in place. "I’m going with you."
Again, Atlas was quiet. ’I should find soone who can install an eject button.’ He nodded at the thought, having it as one of his next modifications to get done.
"Anyway, take that turn." Dean pointed in a direction, only to hear Atlas’s brutal refusal.
"No. I’m not taking you ho."
He scrunched up his nose. "That’s not my way ho. We need to go sowhere else."
"I am not comfortable going sowhere I don’t know with a stranger in the middle of the night."
"What do you an by a stranger?"
Atlas shrugged while Dean’s face soured. Surely, the forr was saying everything just to get back at Dean for forcing him to agree with his demand.
"We’re going to unlock Delro," Dean remarked with a deep frown. "Like I told you, I know quite a lot of information from my obsession phase with that dude."
Atlas arched a brow and glanced at Dean. His attention didn’t linger on the man for long, but he could tell Dean wasn’t bluffing.
"For what it’s worth, I don’t like you, Atlas," Dean remarked. "And staying with you is more insufferable for than it is for you."
"The feeling is mutual, I’d say," Atlas humd. "I’m glad Penny didn’t marry you. Otherwise, I’d have to plan your divorce before my own murder."
With that, Atlas stirred the wheel and headed in the direction Dean had told him to.
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