Chapter 543: How is it deception if it’s true?

Atlas scanned the crowd and soon spotted Sven standing at the back with a smirk. ’I knew it. He would do something so silly,’ he thought.

Atlas turned his gaze back to Mr. Ito and the men around him.

"Atlas, is this true? You... you were just using the Piersons to appease your grandfather after losing Ito Motors?" Theo gasped loudly. Though genuinely surprised that Atlas reached that point of desperation, Theo also made sure everyone could hear the insinuation about what kind of person Atlas was.

All this time, Theo had thought he was the only one losing sleep over everything he had to manage. It seemed Atlas, who appeared to handle things easily, might have been struggling behind closed doors too.

"Oh my god... if this is true, Global Prime Logistics will soon close down."

"I wouldn’t be surprised if they declared bankruptcy."

"Of all the people he could’ve used, why the Piersons?"

"At this point, I don’t know whether to be impressed by his guts or feel sorry for him. One thing’s for sure though: this won’t end well for the Bennets."

A woman with a big mole on her high cheek sighed, hugging her date’s arm. "Darling, is it that bad?"

"Yes," the man beside her nodded. "It’s bad because the Pierson Family is incredibly influential. Even this event is nothing to them—they wouldn’t even bother attending."

"Ohh." The woman nodded. "Then, that man is in trouble."

The man glanced at Atlas. "If it’s true, then yes, he’s in trouble."

"How about the old man?" the woman tiptoed and whispered. "Why is he so angry at that man?"

"That’s because they used to be partners—or rather, their families had strong ties. But recently, Ito Motors switched to the Miller Family."

The naive woman pouted. "Then doesn’t that make him the bad guy?"

"Not exactly. From what I heard, the Ito and Bennet families were discussing strengthening their ties through marriage. But it turns out the Bennet daughter married young. So, to compensate, the Bennet Family was expected to make amends because this marriage had been decided generations ago."

"Ohhh..."

"However, instead of compensating, Atlas Bennet raised their prices to an unreasonable level."

What the man was saying was well-known to everyone. Everyone had heard about it at some point, as news like this spread quickly in the business world. Not because they liked gossip, but because such information was valuable, especially when it involved people like Atlas and Ito Motors.

"No, it’s not true," Atlas remarked calmly, maintaining a dignified poise as though the slander didn’t faze him. "You are welcome to entertain whatever rumors you’ve heard. Whether you believe them or not is up to you."

He cast a frosty look at Mr. Ito. "Mr. Ito, parting ways with Ito Motors was a sad farewell for us. But I still wish you the best with the Millers."

"Hah!" the middle-aged man standing behind Mr. Ito scowled. "Mr. Bennet, is that all you have to say after causing so much trouble for everyone?"

"And what trouble did I cause?" Atlas tilted his head. "I didn’t spread these ridiculous rumors, nor do I need to explain myself. Moreover, there’s no point in arguing during an event that promotes such good causes."

"Are you just trying to escape?" another man remarked, clearly there to keep Atlas engaged in the conversation. "Shrugging us off like your conscience is clean? Atlas, why don’t you be a man and prove that you and the Piersons really have something going on?"

"That’s right. You ditched Ito Motors without saying a word. Don’t the Ito Family deserve an explanation?"

Deep lines creased Atlas’s forehead as he listened to these old men spout nonsense. He thought that even if he owed Ito Motors an explanation, he’d prefer to do it privately. But it seemed they had come here tonight with the sole purpose of making him lose face.

"Sir," Allen whispered, moving closer to Atlas’s side. "I think you need to defuse this situation, or it’s going to get worse."

Allen glanced around, and Atlas followed his gaze. He hadn’t paid attention earlier, but now he realized they had attracted quite an audience. Many of the faces were familiar to Atlas, as he had met them in similar settings or more formal events. All of them carried these looks that had a mix of disappointment and doubt.

Atlas knew that it wouldn’t be good to shrug it off now. Surely, this person, Mr. Ito, made him a spectacle just to get back at him.

’I see. So this is how they want to play it.’The corners of Atlas’s eyes squinted slightly, as if in amusement. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Sven approached the group.

"Mr. Ito, I’m sorry if my cousin is causing you trouble," Sven said politely. "But with all due respect, what you said is not true at all!"

Both Allen and Atlas furrowed their brows at Sven’s remarks. Sven then stood beside Atlas, looking around as if he was ready to fight on his cousin’s behalf, even against a giant.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Ito. There seems to be a misunderstanding here. My cousin is smart and would never do something like that!" Sven continued, casting Atlas a reassuring look. But as they exchanged glances, a glint flickered in Sven’s eyes. "Cousin, tell them that you invited Mr. Pierson tonight and that he’s coming!"

"What? Zoren Pierson is attending tonight?" gasped the crowd.

Some faces showed excitement, while others seemed skeptical. But everyone knew that if Zoren Pierson or any of the Piersons arrived, it would make Mr. Ito look like the source of fake news.

"Right, Cousin?" Sven smirked, then grinned proudly. "Tell them all that Mr. Pierson is coming. After all, our Bennet Family has formed strong ties with the Piersons!"

Theo squinted suspiciously at Sven. "If that’s true, then where is he? The event started long ago, and he hasn’t arrived yet!"

"Hah! Sven," Mr. Ito shook his head. "I know you’re siding with Atlas because he’s family, but it seems you’ve been deceived too."

Suddenly, a low, cool voice echoed through the hall, making everyone turn their heads.

"How is it deception if it’s true?"