"I’m so glad that you ca to visit, Stephen," Allison expressed, smiling gently at him. "When I heard you’d be coming over for dinner, I was so happy!"
"Huh?" Stephen snapped out of his daze when he heard what Allison had just said.
"Hehe. Life’s hard, but this family sticks together no matter what!" Charles laughed at his wife. "Ali, honey, do you need any help?"
Allison pouted a little. "Don’t ask if you’re only doing so to make yourself feel better when I already know you don’t want to help."
"Honey, that’s not true!"
"It’s fine. We can handle it." Allison nodded reassuringly, offering Stephen a polite smile. "So, should I get your order?"
Stephen furrowed his brows, looking at Allison in disbelief. Didn’t Charles say they were having dinner together? Why was Allison acting like she didn’t know anything about it?
"There’s no need for us to get anything," said Haines kindly. "Jessa said she will serve us herself."
"Oh..." Allison’s mouth ford an "o" shape, rocking her head. "She said that?"
"She can’t forget what Stephen said many years ago," Charles bead, reminding his wife about how he’d told her about Stephen’s usual ridiculing in the past. Out of frustration, Allison had vented to Jessa. Hence, Jessa knew about it.
"Oh." The smile on Allison’s face quickly disappeared, replaced by an awkward expression. "I see. That ans she’s going to make sothing special for you, gentlen."
With that, Allison took a step back. "Anyway, if you need anything, you can always call —or the server. Charles, Haines, Stephen, I forgot I have to do sothing in the office. Enjoy your food.
Without waiting for a response, Allison turned her back on them. She winced a little, her face crumpling in awkwardness because she realized her big mouth had caused Jessa to go "on fire" in the kitchen.
anwhile, the gentlen at the table watched Allison with varying expressions.
"She’s flustered," Haines pointed out, earning a laugh from Charles.
"Surely, she’s still cute at this age."
Haines sighed, getting a little numb to Charles’s comnts. He only cast Charles a glance, shaking his head mildly. He raised an eyebrow when Stephen suddenly spoke.
"What’s the aning of this?" Stephen asked, looking at the two incredulously. "You said there’s a planned dinner...? What are you two talking about now?"
"There is a planned dinner, but it’s too early," Charles said nonchalantly. "So, we’re going to be here all night. I hope you won’t hurt your back sitting here all night, but then again, considering you sit all day in your office, I suppose you’re used to it."
Stephen’s face darkened. "I’m leaving."
"You should stay," Haines said, stopping Stephen from going anywhere. "Not when your car is being driven by soone you don’t know."
Stephen’s breath hitched the mont he heard Haines’s remark. His eyes slowly widened as they darted between Charles and Haines, who were looking back at him as though they already figured it out.
"Atlas... told you?" he blurted out under his breath, watching Charles nod his head.
’Why do they keep telling people?!’
Stephen ntally panicked. First, Slater told him to tell Atlas because Atlas would know what to do. And now, Atlas hadn’t just told Charles but Haines as well! Who would these two tell next? Their neighbor?
’Why can’t they just shut up?!’
While Stephen was ntally panicking, realizing his "secret" was now known by more people in less than twenty-four hours after parting with Slater, Charles took out a handkerchief with a phone underneath it. He placed it in front of him, keeping it close to him where he knew it would be out of sight.
"Uncle."
Much to Stephen’s surprise, he suddenly heard Atlas’s voice. His eyes widened slightly as they fell on the handkerchief near Charles, hidden underneath the napkin.
"Keep frowning," Haines remarked, earning a shocked look from Stephen. "If you think you’re being watched, make sure not to show whatever is happening here on your face."
"Don’t worry, no one can hear us here," Charles said casually. "There might not be a door to the partition, but it’s enough to give us so privacy to talk."
Stephen then shifted his eyes to Charles, looking around at the small semi-private space in the restaurant.
"Uncle, it’s alright." Atlas’s voice was heard again. Although he was in speaker mode, it wasn’t loud enough to disturb others. Unless, of course, soone leaned closer to the partition or walked in, then they would hear Atlas on the call.
"Atlas, why...?"
"This matter is a family matter, and as the head of the family, I’m required to inform the forr head of the family about this. As for Uncle Haines, having more heads is better since he assisted Penny during the early years of Pri Group and even provided support after his retirent. He’ll be able to help," Atlas explained in his usual tone. "Moreover, since you and I can’t be in the sa place for long, I thought it was best if we did it this way. After all, they wouldn’t suspect anything if my father dragged you along like before."
Atlas paused, allowing Stephen a mont to process what he had said. "Now, we can discuss what you told in the lift. Don’t worry about my father and Uncle Haines. I’ve already inford them of what you told . It’s better if we listen together than for to relay it to them like a ssenger."
Stephen’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly as he looked at Charles and then at Haines. He breathed out a jagged breath, only to hear Haines remind him to look angry and displeased. So, even though it was hard at the mont, Stephen forced himself to frown.
’That’s why they jumped in the car and annoyed the hell out of ,’ he thought, sighing once more as he recalled how Charles would always step into Stephen’s business to save him from sothing. Stephen used to hate it, but now he was... grateful.
"Very well." After taking a deep breath, he deepened his frown, his expression darkening in displeasure. "You’re right. That driver... is soone I don’t know. He’s different from the one who ambushed the first night outside the police station after Sven was arrested. However, I’m certain... he’s going to take sowhere."
Stephen clicked his tongue as if bantering with Charles. "What do I do? They’ve got on a leash, and now they want to kick Atlas out, even if it ans poisoning the chairman to death. They wanted him out."
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