[Flashback: Novera]
"Sir."
Allen pressed his lips together, hesitation flickering in his eyes as he approached Atlas’s desk. He let out a shallow breath and placed a docunt down.
"What is it?" Atlas paused, holding two separate docunts in one hand as he glanced at the new one.
"I don’t think I should say anything further," Allen said solemnly. "However, I ca across this while looking into the clinic regularly visited and the hospital where Miss Young was admitted during her accident."
Atlas’s brows crinkled. His assistant wasn’t the type to withhold reports unless it was personal. He nodded and waved him off.
As Allen bowed and walked away, he pushed the door open—only to find Penny standing outside. He forced a smile and quietly excused himself, not exchanging more than that.
anwhile, Penny furrowed her brows as she walked into the office, closing the door behind her.
"Is Allen okay?" she asked, pointing at the door. "Or did you scold him again?"
As usual, Atlas didn’t answer his sister, who was there to help him with sothing. Instead, he set aside the docunts he had been reading and picked up the new one. Penny, a busybody as always, jumped to his side and read along with him.
Her eyes were quick, skimming through everything before he shoved her aside. Her usual assumptions didn’t even have ti to form because both of them froze at the information inside.
"Huh?" Confusion surfaced on her face as she blurted out, "Whose records are these?"
When she turned her head to Atlas, all she saw was his grim expression as he answered coldly,
"Lola’s."
At that instant, Penny froze, her breath hitching. However, her mind recovered quickly as if recognizing an ergency situation.
"First Brother, don’t do anything."
"Why not?" Atlas remained calm. His expression, although grim, didn’t change. He kept his eyes on the docunt, his hand trembling as it rested on it.
Penny straightened, her lips pressed into a thin line. To be honest, she had no idea how to begin or how to convince him to stay out of this. This matter wasn’t simple; it violated soone’s rights over their own body.
It was a cri.
It was almost impossible—perhaps even foolish—to stop her brother from stepping in when she herself wanted to do the sa.
"Did she tell you about it?" she asked. "If not, then don’t do anything."
Slowly, Atlas turned to face her. "Penny, do you know what this ans?"
"I know." She nodded without hesitation. "But this is her life. It’s her issue, and you are—what?"
Silence settled heavily between them as they locked eyes. At this point, Lola and Atlas had only just begun. He might be certain that Lola was the twins’ mother, but it was still too early to understand her feelings.
"First Brother, if you’re going to do sothing about this, I won’t stop you," Penny said quietly. "However, if what you said is true—and this docunt proves it—I can only think that everyone has been violating that poor woman’s life, her rights... everything."
Her gaze never left her brother. "I’m not one to talk. I understand how it feels to lose control of everything and how hard it is to regain it."
In her mind, she was grateful for her second life. She had been given the chance to redo everything, starting as a newborn. Had she been reborn any later, she doubted it would’ve been this easy.
"Don’t be soone who takes things away from her," Penny continued, her voice low but sincere. "Even her problems. Unless she asks, until then, all you can do is stay by her side and support her. I don’t know her yet, but I think soone like her would prefer that."
She shrugged lightly. "That’s just what I think. You know her better than I do."
Atlas didn’t respond. He simply stared at his sister. The quiet turmoil inside him eased slightly as he looked away and back down at the docunt.
If Penny hadn’t been there, Atlas would’ve acted already. He would’ve ordered the Young Family’s downfall, or perhaps issued a hit on all of them.
It would’ve been judgnt day.
Stay on her side and support her.
He repeated Penny’s words in his head.
How could I do that?
Atlas was used to stepping in, handling things directly and efficiently. But after eting Lola, it felt as if everyone, even the universe itself, kept telling him to step back. As though the world was trying to teach him sothing, he stubbornly refused to learn.
"You know... you’re annoying."
His brow twitched at her comnt. When he turned, Penny was already walking away. She stopped only when she reached the door.
Looking back at him, Penny let out a shallow breath. "I know you trust us, and this might sound ungrateful. But First Brother, have you ever trusted anyone completely?"
"I love you, and I know you love all of us more than you could ever say," she added with a wry smile. "But sotis, I wonder if there’s sothing I do wrong that makes you unable to trust us fully."
"Don’t push her away by making her feel like she needs you more than you need her," Penny continued softly. "Don’t make her sad... like how you make us sad sotis."
With that, Penny left the office to et Lola for the first ti. She had planned to see her earlier, but decided to check on her First Brother first. Now, she no longer wanted to delay.
anwhile, Atlas stared at the door stoically. If he were being honest, he didn’t fully understand Penny. Wasn’t the reason she was there because he trusted her and needed her help?
"Did she watch a drama before coming here?" he muttered. "Where did she learn that dialogue?"
It took Atlas ti to understand what his little sister truly ant, especially after being forced to step back several more tis while watching Lola struggle. Eventually, he realized that stepping back didn’t an doing nothing.
It ant being present.
It ant trusting the other person to figure things out on their own.
He understood that now... and he was still learning.
*****
[Present Ti]
"I know," he said, raising his hand to gently cup her cheek.
His eyes softened as a subtle smile curved his lips. "And I’m glad you finally found the courage to face this... reality with ."
Lola held her breath as a tear slipped down her cheek before she even realized it.
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