"Mommy, aren’t you getting tired?" Chacha tilted her head, studying Lola’s side profile. "I miss playing with you."
Second perked up. "Mommy, if you co with us, you’ll finally outrun them!"
"..." Lola forced out a smile, abandoning all thoughts of conserving energy as she turned to the side — where a golf cart approached, the twins riding in it with Baby behind the wheel.
"I’m sorry, sweetie," she said between heavy breaths. "Mommy’s just... a little busy today."
"We know that, Mommy." Chacha blinked innocently. "Daddy said you might join the Olympics."
"Mommy, if you start competing, Chacha and Second will always cheer for you!" Second encouraged brightly. "Just don’t let your feet end up like flat tires."
"..." Lola pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to maintain her smile. Her eyes flicked ahead and froze.
A crowd had gathered around the jogging path.
Night had already fallen, and the number of onlookers had grown. People whispered among themselves, watching with fascination. Atlas was there too, seated like a king while the chef prepared the table beside him.
Lola clenched her teeth and looked away from all the distractions.
I can’t believe I put myself in this situation, she thought, feeling regret gnaw beneath her sweaty skin.
But her pride was already on the line. After all that big talk, she couldn’t back down now.
They hate , don’t they?! Is that why instead of resting, they keep going?!
Little did she know, the sa thought was running through the n’s minds.
Looking at her, their eyes blazed with equal frustration. Does she hate us that much?!
Now it had beco a battle of stubborn pride — either they stopped and got punished again because of her, or they kept going and watched her collapse!
Grinding their teeth — Lola included — they faced forward and kept running without a word.
"Go, Mommy~!" the twins cheered. "Uncle Baby, let’s catch up to them!"
anwhile, on the sidelines of the "Olympics," Slater suddenly pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed the corners of his eyes dramatically.
"First Brother, please stop her!!" he wailed. "Think about your marriage! If you don’t stop her now, she’s going to wither before she even says ’I do!’ Let her wither after that, not now! Penny’s gonna kill you!"
Allen opened his mouth, then closed it again. He simply watched as Slater clung to Atlas’s leg, crying pitifully while Atlas — seated calmly at the outdoor dining table — didn’t budge.
"Chacha, Second," Atlas called calmly when the group circled back near them. "Dinner ti."
The twins perked up as Baby slowed the cart. But before they fell behind the runners, Second leaned out and shouted,
"Mommy, we’re just going to have dinner, okay~? We’ll join you again with Uncle Baby later!"
With that, the twins hopped off the golf cart and happily climbed into their seats.
As they sat down, they looked at the two empty chairs — one for Lola, and the other for...
"Uncle Best, that won’t work anymore," Chacha muttered with a slight pout. "We used up that card these past few months. Its effectiveness rate is down to two percent now. We need to replenish it."
Second nodded sagely. "Not long ago, it was fifteen percent, but Auntie Penny used it all up. So the effectiveness is really low now."
"Hands off, Slater," Atlas said coldly, kicking him away from his leg. "Sit. You’re not a child anymore."
Slater froze, his fake tears stopping mid-flow. He pouted at the twins, then at Atlas.
"Goodness! Am I the only one worried about this?" he snapped, clicking his tongue as he sat down.
Allen, who had joined them for dinner, chuckled. "Slater, Miss Lola’s stamina is good. I’m sure she’ll be fine. This isn’t going to kill her."
"Tch." Slater clicked his tongue again, then frowned when his phone vibrated. Glancing at the screen, his confusion grew. "Why is Penny calling ? She never calls ."
He answered, but Penny’s voice ca first.
"Third Brother, where’s Big Sister?"
"Huh?" Slater scrunched his nose. "Penny, she’s busy."
"I know, and I still want to see her." She rolled her eyes. "Flip the cara before I fly there again. This ti, to send you flying."
Slater groaned but switched to the rear cara. The screen first showed the outdoor dining table, still waiting for food.
"Where’s the food?" Penny muttered, before spotting the twins waving at her. "Hey, kids~! Miss you guys~!"
"We miss you too, Auntie Petty~!"
The cara tilted up, showing the group still jogging with Lola running just outside their formation. Penny squinted, then smirked.
"Heh." Her lips curved. "I’m going to win."
"What do you an you’re going to win?" Slater asked, only to see his sister’s grin widen. "You’re not even running."
"None of your business."
Slater’s frown deepened. He turned suspiciously toward Allen, who smiled awkwardly. Fearing Slater’s wrath, Allen quickly gave in.
"Uh... Miss Penny started a betting pool—"
"WHAT?!" Slater nearly fell off his chair. "Penny! How could you?! Don’t you want her to live?! She’s dying out there, and you’re betting?! I can’t believe you’d do this!"
He turned to Atlas in outrage. "First Brother, did you know what your little sister did?!"
"Mhm." Atlas motioned for the chef to bring the dishes while answering coolly. "Slater, don’t be surprised if the snake bites you after you’ve cared for it. Asking why it did so is pointless — it’s simply in its nature."
He continued without missing a beat. "The sa goes for a gambling addict like Penny."
"Hey! I’m not a gambling addict!"
Atlas ignored her. "Don’t be surprised if she gambles. It’s called an addiction for a reason. Penny is a lost cause."
Slater’s sour expression softened. After a mont, he nodded thoughtfully. "First Brother, this is why you’re the eldest. Your wisdom truly fits the title. And Penny’s the youngest, she’s weird."
"Anyway, Penny," he said, turning back to the screen. "Where do I put my bets?"
A wicked grin spread across Penny’s face. "Before that, do a favor. Set up a cara and start a livestream of the run. I’ve invited everyone over tonight to watch. We had mini bets here too."
And so, what started as Lola’s desperate attempt to save lives turned into a public spectacle — a live broadcast where people placed bets and cheered like it was an official sports event.
Unaware of the chaos unfolding around her, Lola kept running, having no idea that the entire thing had already spiraled far beyond her control.
anwhile, Atlas had another plan. He looked over Lola, then at the chef, nodding at him. The chef, wearing a solemn expression, nodded back.
Without a word, the chef took off the lid of the dishes he had prepared. At the sa ti, so helpers started reheating so food not far away, and in no ti, the food’s aroma filled the entire area.
Surely, the devil doesn’t have horns.
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