"This is the Hallow Family. If you have any issues with me, you can leave with her. No one is forcing you to stay here..." Atlas Hallow stopped half a meter away from Ava Walker, his expression cold and devoid of any warmth as he spoke.
"It's something the Hallow Family owes me; shouldn't you repay it?" Ava steeled her heart and spoke out. Since it had already come to this, she might as well make things clear.
"Isn't it enough repayment?" The half-meter distance between them felt as clear-cut as a boundary line.
Ava had long known that there was nothing anyone could do when this man became ruthless.
Atlas ignored Ava's pale face, instructed the housekeeper to help Ella Johnson pack belongings, and was about to head upstairs.
"Eldest Young Master Hallow, that's not what was said initially. When the Hallow Family agreed to marry Ava, they promised they would treat her well," Ella Johnson shouted anxiously at Atlas's retreating back.
"The Hallow Family treated her poorly? In what way? Should I let my woman take medicine to avoid having children for her to consider it being treated well? Where did you get the courage to do such a thing?" Atlas turned around, his gaze cold and hard as ice in a winter month, devoid of light and full of devouring darkness.
"You know full well that Ava likes you, so why didn't you marry her?" Ella had seen everything her daughter went through. She endured all the grievances and pain, hoping her daughter could attain happiness. Her own life had been unfortunate enough; she only wished for Ava to live the life she desired.
"Right in this living room, Ava was given the choice of all nine people from the Hallow Family and its branches. I stood right there, and she didn't choose me. That was her own decision; what does it have to do with me?" Atlas sneered, glancing at Ava's face, as pale as paper. When her tear-filled eyes met his, she couldn't help but shrink back a little.
"But you know I like you, you knew it..." Ava had always thought that Atlas liked her too. There was never any other woman by his side, only her. She thought Atlas liked her but was too proud to confess, thinking that by finding a way to humble him, he would end up liking her more and listening to her. However, she never thought that when she chose Amir, Atlas showed no reaction. Was it all wishful thinking on her part?
"Why would you think I know, and why would you think I also like you?" His voice was not just cold; it carried contempt and ridicule. Atlas said nothing more, glanced at Amir, and walked into the elevator.
Amir shrugged, stood up nonchalantly, and asked someone to bring the car around as he prepared to go out.
"You're going out again?" Ava said angrily. There wasn't a single good person in the Hallow Family. Even a man as useless as Amir bullied her; they were all bastards.
"Having just heard my wife confess to my brother, my heart is shattered. If I don't go out, I might just die..." Amir said with mock seriousness, a disdainful and distant look on his handsome face.
After quickly leaving, only Ava, Ella Johnson, and Butler Kent, who stood at a distance observing it all, were left in the living room...
Atlas went upstairs and opened the bedroom door, discovering that she had already fallen asleep. Just like a small cat afraid of the cold, she was almost entirely curled up in the blanket, revealing half of her face. Her long eyelashes cast a captivating curve, throwing an alluring shadow on her eye sockets. He couldn't help but reach out gently to tuck her hair behind her ear, looking at her delicate, sweet-profiled face. That previous feeling of dry mouth and tongue struck him again.
This woman's body was undoubtedly attractive to him; this was the one thing in all matters that he hadn't accounted for.
The next morning, when Charlotte Miller awoke, she found that Atlas had already returned from his run. She was very curious since no matter how late the man slept, he always woke up earlier than she did. For instance, now it was six-thirty, so he must have been up an hour or even earlier.
She always thought she was very disciplined and lived a very regular life, not expecting to meet someone even more disciplined than herself.
"Morning..." From within the fluffy blanket, her long hair spilled messily around her, and the autumn light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a gentle glow on her still drowsy face; she seemed like an innocent girl, pure and fresh as water.
Atlas walked over, looked into her clear eyes, and gently touched her face with his thin lips, giving her a morning kiss.
Was this a morning kiss? It was so light, like a butterfly passing through the flowers, like a mountain breeze brushing the leaves...
"Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to work? I had Daniel Parker compile all the available positions yesterday for you to choose from," Charlotte's overseas background was somewhat concealed. When Daniel Parker remarked it would take a bit of time, Atlas realized his new wife was surely not an ordinary person, so arranging for her to stay by his side was the best option.
Not having to stay in this place was simply fantastic news for Charlotte. No matter what, she needed to leave the Hallow Family first. If she saw that Ava again, there was no guarantee she wouldn't lose her temper and end up fighting.
Throwing off the blanket, she rushed barefoot to the document bag on the coffee table where Atlas indicated, buzzing with excitement.
Being young, still unable to hide joy or anger on her face, was leaving the Hallow Family to go outside really so joyous? Atlas smiled bitterly and walked into the bathroom, allowing her to burst with excitement as she opened the document bag, like a child receiving a gift.
The cold water washed away the sweat on his body, a habit cultivated from a young age. Regardless of the season, taking a cold shower after morning exercises was never negotiable, it allowed him to maintain vitality throughout the day.
Coming out, he saw she had finished reading through the documents; her speed was quite impressive.
Actually, he had Daniel Parker leave a spot open in every department for her to choose. He wanted to see which department she would select.
"So, which department do you like?" Atlas sat down, the white bathrobe contrasting against his deep tan skin, making him appear exceptionally attractive, even his voice sounded magnetic and pleasant.
Charlotte bit her lip and quietly said, "I think the executive dining room on the thirtieth floor is pretty nice; thirty is my lucky number."
Atlas was stunned for a moment, looking at Charlotte with disbelief. Did she mean to work as a little waitress in the executive dining room? This woman always surprised him; she was truly unpredictable, catching him off guard.
"Are you certain?" He looked at Charlotte's face to ensure she wasn't joking. What exactly was this woman trying to do?
"Of course, I like thirty." Charlotte nodded earnestly and seriously.
That place was where one could learn the most about what was happening. She needed to find out what had happened in the Hallow Family, and she couldn't get that from their mouths; she needed to start externally. The dining room was where the most gossip happened, and although many rumors were not reliable, they often held a grain of truth.
"Anyway, no one knows about our marriage registration, and the wedding was canceled. I could just use the job to pass the time. Studying abroad was quite taxing on the mind, and now I just want to do the simplest and most straightforward work. Is that okay?" Charlotte's soft voice flowed, more intoxicating than the autumn scenery outside...