"Welco ho, son."
Having Atlas ho was not sothing they were expecting today. However, it wasn’t sothing they didn’t want. If anything, it was sothing they had been praying for.
"Atlas, how co you told no one that you’d be coming ho?" Allison muttered, reaching to hold his hand. She wanted to hug him, but with Hugo, Penny, and Slater already hugging him, she didn’t want to add to the pile.
Atlas smiled a bit. "I wanted to surprise everyone."
"First Brother, it’s good to see you again," Nina smiled warmly at him, making Atlas glance at her.
"I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your wedding," he said, then cast Finn a look.
Finn flashed him a smile. "We had your picture and a standee, so it’s fine."
"Son!" Charles grabbed Atlas’s shoulder, and Zoren stood next to him.
Zoren didn’t speak imdiately, studying Atlas from head to toe. The latter didn’t look any different from how they rembered him. He offered Atlas a smile, and Atlas nodded back at him.
"First Brother! How could you not reply to ?!" Slater complained, hugging his brother’s leg while looking up.
"I do, once every three days," Atlas said, making Slater whimper.
"How could you—! Do you even read my ssages?! Your only replies are very short!" Slater harrumphed, and joining him was Penny, who had been bombarding Atlas’s phone. "How co you reply to him once every three days and only reply to once every five days?!"
And they usually just received "ok" from him!
"..." Atlas let out a shallow breath, letting them be. He snapped his eyes ahead, catching all the warm smiles before him.
"I’m glad you’re back, son," Charles said, squeezing his shoulder and nodding at him.
Atlas smiled subtly and nodded. " too, Dad."
His siblings still acted like children complaining, but it was just as he imagined it would be at ho.
"Hello, there!" Just then, Allen, who had been just outside the family room, peeked his head in.
"ALLEN!" Benjamin jumped up and quickly ran past Atlas. When he stood in front of Allen, he bobbed his head up and down before excitent twinkled in his eyes.
Allen grinned, and then, as if they shared the sa brainwave, they both said at the sa ti, "I have tons of gossip to share!"
The slightly quiet family room instantly brightened with life as they all welcod Atlas and Allen back.
Butler Jen stood on the side, watching Atlas talk to everyone while ignoring his siblings’ weeping. Benjamin, Allen, and then Mint were gossiping nonstop in the other corner.
A subtle smile dominated Butler Jen’s face, heaving a sigh of relief. After all, it had been a year since Atlas left. Everyone could feel his absence and the loneliness it carried, especially for Charles, Allison, and the little siblings.
"He may not stay here for long," Butler Jen thought, his smile stretching until his eyes were squinting. "But at least, for a while, this house... is back to how it used to be."
For others, this place was a mansion that sheltered a wealthy family. But for them, this was just a house.
A house full of life, full of voices, and full of love.
It may be a little different now that the children have grown up into such fine young n and ladies, but this place will always be ho for all of them to return to.
And it was sothing that ti would never change.
---
"Ah!"
While everyone was busy, Charles, Hugo, and Zoren ambushed Allen, who had left the backyard and was just returning. Allen almost jumped in surprise when he turned, only to et these n towering behind him.
"Ye—yes?" Allen stuttered, darting his eyes at the three. Their expressions were stern, as if he had done sothing terrible. "Did I... do sothing bad?"
"Tell us the truth," Charles began. "Why are you guys here?"
"Why did you two co back?" Hugo chid in, followed by Zoren’s stern voice. "Did sothing bad happen?"
Hearing their questions, a look of conflict appeared on Allen’s face. Seeing his reaction, the three of them gulped with worry.
"What happened?" Charles asked, his voice firr this ti. "Does he need help?"
"Uh..." Allen scratched the back of his head. "No, sir. Thing is..."
He paused and sighed, leaning in a bit as he whispered. "They hate him."
Hugo, Zoren, Charles: "..."
"He wasn’t supposed to leave the island, but everyone’s already begging him to take a vacation," Allen shared nervously. "He’s going to kill all of them if I don’t drag him back ho. Even Madam Sybil’s maintenance pills tripled since he took over."
Atlas wasn’t supposed to leave the secret society, but him being away was the only way everyone else survived.
Again, the trio was speechless.
"Before he took over, she still had five years to live. But I heard she only has half a year left now. So, they needed a break from him," Allen added very carefully. "So, it’s not actually his vacation. It’s everyone’s vacation."
"So, yeah, there’s a problem. Him. Sir Atlas is the problem."
The trio blinked, rendered speechless. When they spoke, all they could say was one word, but with different tones.
Hugo: "Wow."
Zoren nodded. "Wow?"
"Wow!" Charles scoffed. "I never realized my firstborn is THE problem until now."
Allen let out a deep sigh. ’If only you knew...’ he thought, before his mouth hooked up with pride.
Even though everyone in the Secret Society, Zorken Family, and the Shadow Order had mixed opinions of Atlas, one thing they all agreed on was this:
Atlas was by far the best—and the scariest—head the Zorken Family had ever had. After all, the second Atlas touched the Zorken Family’s businesses and territories, not only did he manage to earn strong allies, but he also earned everyone’s respect, especially those in the Zorken and the Shadow Order.
They sort of hated him, sure. But at the sa ti, they respected him more than anyone.
"He’s fine, overall," Allen reassured the n with a nod. "Aside from the fact that he misses you all, he’s fine. He is Sir Atlas, after all."
Charles, Hugo, and Zoren raised their brows and studied Allen from head to toe. Their shoulders relaxed when they saw the reassuring look in Allen’s expression.
"You’ve changed, huh?" Charles remarked, making Allen furrow his brows. "I thought it was just , but you look a bit..."
"Stronger," Hugo chid in, and Charles nodded in agreent.
"More mature too," Zoren added with a smile. "Thank you, Allen."
"Huh? Thanks for—"
"For going with him," Hugo chuckled, smiling warmly. "If you didn’t, I was planning to go myself. But then, I don’t think my wife would appreciate it if I just kidnapped her again."
"Treat your wife better," Charles glared at Hugo, who had been getting an earful because of how much Hugo adored his wife—it was suffocating his father, instead.
"Hehe." Allen scratched the back of his head.
With Allen’s reassurance, the trio finally cald down, and they moved on to talk about Allen’s well-being as they headed back to their barbecue party in the backyard.
They might not know what else Allen couldn’t and haven’t shared, but just his words alone were enough to ease everyone’s heart. And forever, the Bennets and the Piersons would be forever grateful for this man nad Allen.
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