A shallow breath slipped past Penny’s lips as she shook her head, choosing to ignore Slater for now. She cast a look at Mr. Ito.
"Mr. Ito, you’ve gathered a lot of attention tonight, and kowtowing... do you think that will make things better?" Penny asked, stopping when Hugo suddenly slid his foot to step on her toes. She quickly cast her second brother a look, her eyes telling him, ’I wouldn’t step on his back.’
’Then why were you raising your foot?’Hugo’s eyes seed to ask.
Seeing the brief exchange of looks between Penny and Hugo, Atlas shook his head. He knew that Penny had nearly stepped on Mr. Ito’s back, despite her words. Thankfully, Hugo had stopped her.
"Mr. Ito, please. You’re making us look like bullies, especially my sister," Atlas intervened, knowing Penny might do sothing dramatic, as her plan was to establish her presence in Anteca tonight. It was the reason Atlas hadn’t asked her to be his date for the evening—Penny had been making donations to all these charity groups, as Charles had supported them during his ti.
She and Atlas had arrived separately, not as brother and sister, but as the CEOs of their own companies.
"CEO Bennet is right," Penny nodded, squatting down slightly and reaching out to Mr. Ito’s arm. "Please, Mr. Ito, stand up. Don’t do this anymore."
Mr. Ito slowly looked up at the person helping him to his feet. But the mont he locked eyes with Penny, he froze. Penny didn’t look like she was forgiving him; rather, it seed she was simply holding herself back.
As she gently tugged on his arm, Mr. Ito felt like a leaf riding the wind. At this mont, he allowed Penny to assist him. But as she helped him up, she leaned in and whispered, "You are lucky my brother doesn’t wish for your demise. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have Ito Motors to return to tonight."
Mr. Ito shuddered but said nothing. All he could do was stand in front of Penny with wide eyes while she flashed him a friendly smile.
Standing in the middle of the scene, Atlas looked around at everyone. He held a glass of champagne in his hand, rocking his head with an upright posture and a high chin.
"I’m sorry that this has all happened on such a good occasion, and because of ," said Atlas politely and loudly, ensuring everyone could hear him. "Even though I wasn’t directly involved, the person involved is a part of my family. Therefore, I ask for everyone’s understanding and forgiveness."
Atlas scanned the room before his eyes landed on Sven. "Rest assured, though, this won’t happen again."
As those words reached Sven’s ears, he felt his entire soul leave him. Atlas had phrased his remarks politely, but everyone knew what it ant.
It wouldn’t happen again because Sven wouldn’t be allowed near such gatherings in the future.
"Mr. Ito, I apologize for what has happened between us. However, my sentints are sincere. Parting with Ito Motors is a sad farewell, not just for Global Pri Logistics, but for the Bennet family as well," Atlas continued, his gaze on Mr. Ito. "On behalf of the entire Bennet family, I wish you luck and prosperity with the Miller family."
The corner of his lips curled up. "As a parting gesture, I asked my sister to give you a chance to voice your concerns. Although the outco of your negotiations is up to her and you, I hope this serves as a sufficient parting gift."
"Mr. Ito, I hope we can put this behind us and maintain a civil relationship despite our separation," he added amicably.
"Wow..." People murmured to each other, and so couldn’t take their eyes off Atlas.
Just monts ago, the situation had been so tense that everyone was on the edge of their seats, unsure of what would happen next. From the start, Atlas had denied the accusations and didn’t want to cause a scene. He had barely spoken, but now that he had, the situation didn’t seem as dire as everyone had imagined.
Of course, people couldn’t disregard the significance of Penny’s and Zoren’s presence. But it was clear why Atlas had cut ties with Ito Motors and how he had managed to shake hands with Zoren Pierson. He was worthy of replacing Charles Bennet.
"Despite everything that happened tonight, Atlas Bennet still has the grace to acknowledge their history with Ito Motors."
"This just shows who had the upper hand from the beginning."
"Ito Motors might have helped the Bennets when they were starting out, but now it’s obvious that the Bennets reached their position through their own rit."
"They’re amazing..."
"Loyalty till the end," another person comnted, looking at Atlas with admiration. "That’s what real loyalty is. Even after parting ways, you remain loyal and wish your forr ally a good journey."
Slowly, the shock and initial impressions everyone had of Atlas shifted. It was now clear to everyone that Atlas was a man who wouldn’t be shaken by slander or adversity.
Penny smiled in satisfaction, turning her head slowly toward Mr. Ito. "That’s right, Mr. Ito," she said. "My First Brother was concerned about you when he had to raise his prices to a normal level after years of keeping them below the minimum so the Ito family could recover from the crisis you faced. My father, after all, always rembered how the Ito family helped the Bennets in the past. So, when it was our turn to help, we did for as long as we could."
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged confused looks. At first, they wondered, ’What does that an?’ Then, they recalled the major crisis Ito Motors had faced many years ago. It didn’t take long for everyone to grasp the implications of Penny’s words.
Once again, all eyes turned to Mr. Ito, and any sympathy they had for him vanished.
So, all this ti, the Ito family had been leeching off the Bennets and had thrown a tantrum when the Bennets finally decided enough was enough? Mr. Ito had a lot of nerve, causing a scene when he was partly to bla.
"Don’t worry," Penny reassured him with a smile. "I’ll give you a chance to plead your case."
She then cast a look at Theo. "Don’t you also worry, Mr. Miller. Pri Group and Global Pri Logistics are separate entities. My First Brother has no intention of taking Ito Motors from you. So, rest assured."
Theo forced a smile, glancing around before his eyes returned to Penny. ’Is she... is she saying Atlas wouldn’t pick up the trash he already tossed?’ His jaw tightened as he swallowed hard, surveying the room.
It was clear as day that, after what Penny had said, everyone was now looking at Theo—and perhaps the entire Miller family—as the Bennet family’s trash bin.
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