Chapter 1678: DELRO

[Bennet Mansion]

When Allison came home, she half-expected a depressed husband. Much to her surprise, when she arrived, Charles was sitting in the living area, reading a book.

Her steps slowed, and she narrowed her eyes as she studied her husband’s side profile while approaching.

"Charles?" she called when she was close enough, watching him lift his eyes over his reading glasses.

Charles smiled at her, putting the book down. "You’re home?"

"Mhm," she hummed, setting her purse down as she joined him on the couch. "You look... different."

"Welcome back, Madam." Just then, Butler Jen came hurrying in. He slowed when he saw Allison with Charles and bowed slightly. "Apologies, Madam. I was busy assisting the helpers and couldn’t welcome you on time."

Allison smiled wearily, waving a hand. "Butler Jen, I told you not to bother. My youngest son already bothers you in the middle of the night. Don’t worry about it. Please."

Butler Jen chuckled, tempted to say it wasn’t a bother at all. After all, Slater might’ve misunderstood him, but somehow, he always found himself waiting for Slater to come home because he knew the young man needed some comfort.

"Anyway, what’s going on here?" she asked, confused. "Charles, are you okay now?"

Charles shrugged, giving Butler Jen a look.

"Sir Haines was here earlier today," Butler Jen explained. "It seemed the First Young Master sat both his father and Sir Haines down to talk."

"Oh..." Allison’s mouth formed a round shape as she nodded. "So, that explains it."

"Haines and I talked, and we’ve set some things aside," Charles added. "But I still owe him and need to pay for that."

He then faced Allison, looking at her sincerely. "Allison, Haines also wants to suffer with me."

"What?"

"He said that he’s been third-wheeling for decades. So, he wants us to be third wheels."

Allison blinked, studying her husband. After a second, she shook her head and peeled his hand from hers.

"Charles, I’m tired. The restaurant’s packed today, so please," she huffed. "Don’t drag me into this. I know Haines will never ask such a thing."

Charles winced. "How did you know?"

"We’ve been married long enough to have a built-in lie detector test I didn’t ask for." She smacked her lips before smiling. "But I’m glad you two made up."

She knew they would. Why was she even worried?

"So?" Allison tilted her head slightly. "Since he mentioned making you a third wheel, does that mean his relationship with his secret lover is blossoming well?"

Charles leaned back and thought about it. "Considering he’s not planning on going home for now and staying with her until his surgery, they are."

"Oh?" Her brows shot up. "So, he’s been staying with her?"

"Mhm. They’ve been living together." Charles narrowed his eyes, still tempted to follow Haines and find out who this mysterious woman was. If not for Haines’s warning, he would’ve done it today with Butler Jen.

Allison pondered it before a smile crept up on her face. She studied her husband’s curious look, chuckling as she shifted her attention to Butler Jen. Butler Jen smiled back at her, both of them reading Charles like he was an open book.

Meanwhile, they also knew that Haines seemed to have found someone he would treasure. And that alone was enough for them—whatever this woman had done to melt the impossible ice around Haines’ heart.

---

Meanwhile, in a hospital...

Atlas sat quietly beside the hospital bed. All he could hear was the mechanical beeping of the heart monitor in the private ward. He had his arms crossed, deep in thought, his eyes remaining on the patient lying unconscious on the bed.

Jonathan.

"How stupid," he whispered. "He already survived one life-and-death situation because Penny saved him. And yet, he wasn’t careful enough."

But then again, he heard that the person who had stabbed Jonathan multiple times was actually one of Zoren’s men. So, he wasn’t sure if that counted. Even so, Jonathan was still stupid in his eyes.

"Delro..." he whispered to himself. "I wonder what that was?"

Atlas thought about it for another minute before glaring at Jonathan. If he just pulled out that oxygen, that would be one less stupidity in this world.

How dare Jonathan fall just like that and utter one word?

He had no right to leave more mystery when there was already too much of it.

Amid the silence in the ward and Atlas’s loud, intrusive thoughts, the door of the ward suddenly slid open. Atlas’s thoughts halted as he glanced over his shoulder.

The person who entered paused.

"Atlas?" Dean called, confused. "What are you doing here?"

Slowly, Atlas turned and met Dean’s eyes. "I should be the one asking."

"I came to check if the news is true," Dean shrugged, shifting his eyes to Jonathan. He quietly walked closer to the bed, his eyes studying the patient to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.

"Atlas," he called, then cast Atlas a look. "If you unplug that thing over there, that’s one less piece of garbage in this world, and one more fertilizer for Mother Earth."

"If you want to do it, I won’t stop you," Atlas returned flatly, pushing himself to stand up. Without a word, he turned and walked away. But as he did, Dean spoke.

"You’re leaving now?" he asked, watching Atlas stop.

"I’m giving you privacy, as I do not want to be called a witness for anything," Atlas glanced over his shoulder before resuming his steps.

Not minding him, Dean shrugged and walked closer to Jonathan. Instead of sympathy, he nodded in appreciation, as if this was how he imagined Jonathan in his coffin.

"Stunning," he commented. At the same time, Atlas paused when he reached out to the door handle.

Dean furrowed his brows and glanced at Atlas, who had just stopped. "What? Don’t tell me you haven’t imagined what this guy looks like in his coffin?"

"I never thought he’d be in his coffin in one piece," Atlas looked back at him, as if what he’d just said was something he would say on a normal Friday night. "By the way, have you heard of Delro?"

"Huh?"

"You’ve been stalking the deadbeat. I just thought you might know."

Dean blinked. "Why?"

"Do you know?"

"Mhm, but I want to know why?"

"..." Atlas didn’t answer immediately. He just observed Dean’s reaction, making sure the latter wasn’t bluffing. "That’s what he said before he passed out."

"Oh." Dean rocked his head and then glanced at Jonathan.

"Who or where is it?"

"It’s not who or where," Dean remarked in a knowing tone. "It’s his password. DELRO — 33576."

Atlas blinked and stared at Dean, not even astounded by this discovery. Rather, he had one thought in mind:

’Mint is right. Penny should be ashamed for being the main character.’