Chapter 483: Grapes

"I was actually reborn — I went back in time, you know?"

Atlas sat in the backseat, the culprit’s words replaying in his mind. After the man confessed, the officer glanced at the mirror. They squeezed out more information from him, but everyone assumed the man was probably sick in the head.

Since there wasn’t much else to do, Atlas decided to leave and visit his sister. As for the culprit, he would remain detained, facing a pile of charges.

’Why would he say he went back in time?’Atlas wondered, only for his thoughts to halt when the door on the other side flew open. He turned to Hugo, who was getting into the backseat.

"How is it?" Atlas asked. "Did they detain him?"

"I told them to make sure they keep him locked up. Otherwise, he’ll get hurt the moment he steps out," Hugo replied, exhaling deeply as he cocked his head back and closed his eyes. "Damn it... I want to kill him."

Atlas pressed his lips into a thin line, glancing at the rearview mirror. He nodded slightly, signaling the driver to go.

"Penny’s staying in the hospital — Slater said so," Atlas muttered, just to break the silence in the car. "You’d better stay calm. Penny might be alright, but Slater’s definitely emotional after what happened. After all, he’ll think he put his sister at risk — which he did."

Hugo slowly cracked his eyes open and glanced at Atlas from the corner of his eye. "First Brother, are you bothered?"

"I was bothered the moment I heard someone attacked my little sibling."

"No, I’m talking about what that guy said."

"What’s there to be bothered about?" Atlas snapped, his expression flat. "He’s insane. Everything he said was nonsense. The most logical explanation is that he’s obsessive, and his admiration for Slater turned into an obsession. He probably attacked Slater because of his twisted logic."

Hugo studied Atlas’s profile and nodded. "You’re bothered," he pointed out. "You don’t talk this much if something doesn’t bother you. Well, that makes two of us."

"Of all the things he could say, he said he was reborn," Hugo continued, shaking his head as he mulled it over. "What a strange thing to say..."

Atlas remained silent, staring at Hugo’s side profile. A shallow breath slipped past him as he turned to look out the window, the reflection revealing the concern in his eyes.

’Why am I so bothered by it?’Atlas thought. ’He’s a crazy person, so nothing he said should make sense.’

And yet, Atlas couldn’t stop hearing the culprit’s confession echoing in his mind.

It was strange for both of them. Normally, they wouldn’t let something like this bother them. They’d developed that habit long ago because of Slater. However, there was this lingering feeling that neither of them could quite identify.

The only thing they knew for sure was that this feeling of uncertainty wasn’t good.

"First Brother." Hugo’s voice snapped Atlas out of his thoughts. "Have you started investigating Penny’s security?"

Atlas pushed the other thoughts aside and nodded. "And you?"

"Mhm. I sent my report to the base. Although I didn’t detail it, I’ve gathered enough evidence to clear her name."

"Did Zoren Pierson help you?"

"Hah. Why would I need his help?" Hugo snorted. "He offered, but I’d rather not. He’d better focus on keeping my sister safe, as promised."

A glint flickered across Hugo’s eyes as he looked away, though Atlas didn’t miss it. Even so, he didn’t mention it.

"That person..." Atlas spoke again after a brief silence. "... do you think he was sent by the people who were after Dad?"

Hugo hummed, rubbing his chin. "To be honest? I’m not too sure."

"Hugo," Atlas called, waiting for Hugo to look back at him. "Don’t go too far."

"Hmm?"

"The more you investigate the people who were after Dad, the more danger will come your way," Atlas reminded him of the plan they’d discussed the night Zoren came to the Bennet household. "Uncle Haines already warned you. Because he didn’t stop investigating the baby swap, they almost killed him — and Penny."

Atlas paused, shaking his head, his eyes locked on Hugo. "Don’t go too far. Focus on keeping Penny safe — on keeping our family safe from any more attacks."

"I know." Hugo sighed, defeated. "As much as I hate it, I don’t want to put the entire family at risk just because I’m stubborn. There’s a limit to how stubborn a person can be."

"Just reminding you."

"Thanks." Hugo smiled appreciatively. "It’s good to be reminded of things every once in a while."

Atlas just shook his head, slightly allergic to Hugo’s sentimental remark. Seeing his reaction, Hugo couldn’t help but laugh.

"First Brother, sometimes I wish you’d come to the base every once in a while," Hugo quipped. "My colleagues would love you."

"I’m not built for that," Atlas replied, uninterested in exchanging any more banter with Hugo. Still, he had to admit that Hugo’s presence helped ease his mind. If not for Hugo, Atlas would’ve been thinking about the culprit’s words until he reached the hospital.

Silence filled the car for a while until Hugo’s brows rose.

"First Brother," Hugo said, turning quickly to Atlas. "Did that guy, Pierson, hear about what happened?"

"Impossible."

"Huh?" Hugo blinked. "But the news —"

"I stopped it from coming out," Atlas said confidently. "I even requested that any online article about it be taken down. And just in case, there’s already a celebrity scandal lined up to bury the story."

Hugo clapped in awe. "Wow, First Brother. I always knew you were amazing, but I didn’t know you were this amazing."

Atlas just shrugged indifferently, confident that the news wouldn’t reach Zoren’s ears. It wasn’t that they feared him; they just didn’t want Zoren to rub it in their faces that he was more capable of protecting Penny.

Atlas and Hugo relaxed at the thought, heading smoothly to the hospital. But alas, when they arrived, the first thing they saw was Zoren feeding their little sister some grapes.