Chapter 392: Surely, your sincerity is touching, Ray.

Unlike the way the chairman had burst into Atlas’s office, he left it beaming. The CEO’s staff couldn’t help but glance at him, exchanging looks before picking up another incoming call.

"Hahaha!" the chairman chortled as he passed by the CEO’s department office, where the phones were ringing nonstop. He nodded approvingly. "Word spreads fast! Haha! I should invite some of my friends to have golf this week!"

Sven quietly assisted his grandfather, but deep down, he felt bitter. ’Of all the Pierson family members, how did he get Zoren Pierson on his side?’

"Hahaha! What a good day! A good day, indeed!" the chairman’s voice rang out as they left the department, heading to the elevator. "I should invite Charles home for a drink as well! Hahaha! Today’s worthy of celebration!"

---

[Back in Atlas’s office...]

Atlas studied the shiny golden card between his fingers. In contrast to the busy CEO department, his office was eerily quiet.

"Zoren Pierson," he whispered, recalling everything he had heard about the man. "So, that man is actually the head of the Pierson family, huh?"

His expression soured, thinking about how Penny hadn’t mentioned this to anyone. She should’ve at least told Atlas, considering he was also in the business field and wouldn’t have been caught off guard like this.

"Even so, this invitation came just at the right time," he muttered, knowing the chairman had already been influenced by Sven earlier. "Who would have thought a mere card could also be an antidote to a poison?"

Not that Atlas didn’t have plans to resolve this matter. After all, he was someone who could take and throw the heat. Even if the chairman asked him to step down, Atlas still had plenty of time to remind the old man that he was in this position because the rest of the Bennet Family — excluding his siblings — only came in second to him.

"This event is months away," he whispered, reading the small text on the card with Zoren’s signature at the bottom. "They send out invitations so early and in such a grand manner. No wonder it’s well known among the elites."

It did feel like a king’s envoy arriving with a royal message.

Shaking his head, Atlas was about to put the invitation back in its envelope when he noticed a small card slipped inside. He hadn’t noticed it earlier. Pulling it out, Atlas narrowed his eyes.

"This is... his calling card," he whispered, noticing the contact number on it. A shallow chuckle escaped his lips as he said, "Does that mean he wants me to call him?"

Fat chance.

---

[PIERSON CORPORATION]

"That’s what he said, sir."

Zoren chuckled, holding his phone to his ear as he leaned back in his seat. "Got it. The most important thing is that he accepted my invitation," he said before hanging up on Benjamin.

"As expected of her brother," he whispered with a smile. "They do dislike me."

And yet, Zoren couldn’t help but feel amused that Penny’s brother disliked him. His amusement, however, was short-lived when he realized this wasn’t good for him. The smile on his face slowly faded as he thought about how he could make her brothers like him.

"Hmm." He hummed, deep in thought.

Amid his musings, the door to his office suddenly flew open. Even before Zoren could lift his eyes or guess who it might be, he already knew. After all, only two people in this world dared to barge into his office unannounced: Old Mrs. Pierson and his dearest cousin, Ray.

"And what do I..." Zoren trailed off as his gaze fell on Ray, noticing the dark mood seeping from his cousin. "... you’re sad?"

"Cousin!" Ray cried out, nearly weeping. "My heart was broken far too many times last night!"

With that, Ray closed the door and flopped onto the vacant couch. He melted into the cushions, recalling how his marriage proposal had been brutally rejected and how he was nearly drowned by her vicious second brother.

Zoren didn’t speak; he simply glanced at Ray and shrugged, resuming work that didn’t require Benjamin’s help.

"Cousin, how could she be so cruel to me?" Ray lamented dramatically, his eyes reddening. "I’ve waited for her all these years, and all I got was a thousand percent assurance she would never marry me. Not in this lifetime, and definitely not in the next."

"..."

Ray clasped his hands together. "I think I’m going to have a fever. Do you know her brother tossed me into the pool because of her?"

"I don’t even know who you’re talking about," Zoren said flatly.

"It’s that girl!"

"Ah."

Ray scrunched up his nose, knowing Zoren was only pretending to understand when, in fact, he had no idea who Ray was talking about. "Renren, I’ve mentioned her to you many times! The one who didn’t even make it into the star section because she graduated before all of us!"

"Ah." Zoren nodded, finally recalling that girl, as this was the reason he could never see his cousin in the same light again. "That girl... that made you a pedophile. Now I remember."

"Yes!" Ray sighed in relief, now able to continue his dramatic act. "I proposed to her last night, and she rejected me without batting an eye. Worse, her brother was there."

"The brother you offended many years ago?"

"Yes."

"I told you before," Zoren shrugged, indulging him since he was in a good mood. "That brother will never forgive you. I wouldn’t either if I were in his shoes."

"But that was years ago! All these years of waiting should’ve been enough to show my sincerity!"

"All these years of waiting?" Zoren repeated, blinking. "With Clara, Alexa, Beauty, Katherine, and many more?"

Ray’s face stiffened as Zoren listed a few of his ex-girlfriends from the past twelve years.

"I can’t remember them all, but if I were to list them all, it would take me a day," Zoren added in the same flat tone. "Surely, your sincerity is touching, Ray."