Chapter 687: Myself

Atlas had heard all sorts of ridiculous things since the start of his tenure—and even before that. But nothing could compare to what he was hearing now.

Standing at the side of the bed, Atlas gazed at Allen, who was lying on the bed, with blank eyes.

"That can’t be right," he whispered, balling his hands into tight fists. "Allen wouldn’t do that."

Hugo, who stood several steps away from his brother and the bed, sighed heavily. He glanced at the man on the bed and then at Atlas’s side profile.

"But that’s the report that came back to us," Hugo replied, his tone grave. "He was stealing from you, Atlas."

Atlas held his breath, turning his head to face his second brother. "He... wouldn’t do that, Hugo. I know him, and he’s not that kind of person."

"Then how would you explain those documents in his car? The flash drive in his pocket containing a copy of your database? And those messages on his phone?" Hugo’s expression was solemn and dark, unfazed by the burning look in Atlas’s eyes. "What about why he was there? What was so important for him to come back to the office in the middle of the night?"

Late last night, Atlas received a call from the hospital regarding an "accident" involving Allen. When he rushed to the hospital, he was informed about what had happened to his assistant.

According to the report, Allen had been found in the emergency exit by a janitor. The janitor quickly called for help, and Allen was rushed to the hospital as soon as possible. Because of the time of the accident and the time he was found, even though Allen didn’t die, he fell into a coma.

With all of this happening, Atlas decided to call Hugo to assist with the investigation. After all, he was not pleased with the police investigation and hoped Hugo’s connections might help. But alas, instead of clarity, Hugo was telling Atlas the same thing the police had told him.

"Hugo," Atlas breathed out, taking large steps toward him. Reaching out, he clasped Hugo’s collar tightly. In that moment, their height difference didn’t seem to matter. "Don’t you trust me anymore, Hugo? I said Allen wouldn’t do such a thing!"

"And I also said, can you explain all the evidence we found on him?" Unfazed, Hugo held his brother’s burning gaze before clasping Atlas’s wrist. "First Brother, the evidence is clear as day—"

"I don’t care about the evidence! I don’t believe it, and I don’t have to believe it."

"Then what will you believe?"

"Myself." Atlas’s grip on Hugo’s collar tightened, his jaw clenched. "I know him and what kind of person he is. He wouldn’t do something like this. I know that. Unless he tells me he did, then everything else doesn’t matter at the moment."

For a moment, the two brothers stared at each other in silence. However, the tension between them was thicker than any words could create.

"Then... I trust you," Hugo finally said, nodding. "If you say he is not what the investigation makes him out to be, then... I trust you."

Atlas ground his teeth before releasing Hugo’s collar. He huffed and looked away, setting his gaze on Allen. Meanwhile, Hugo tugged his shirt to straighten the creases in his collar.

"First Brother, you have to calm down," Hugo said. "If what I think you’re thinking is correct, then you really have to calm down... even though it’s difficult."

"Whoever did this to him must have planned it," Atlas whispered, keeping his eyes on Allen. "I don’t know why he was in the office or what was so important for him to come back. I don’t even know why he was in the fire exit."

He paused, swallowing the tension in his throat. "But what I do know is that whoever did this... Allen must have known who it was. The fact that the CCTV cameras magically didn’t work last night is proof, and I’m sure it wasn’t Allen who broke them."

Hugo assessed his brother before shifting his gaze to Allen. He wanted to believe Atlas completely and wished he could have the same faith in Allen. However, he couldn’t blindly believe something just because he liked the guy.

After all, Allen could have been a traitor.

As someone with Hugo’s standing, he had seen all sorts of enemies and what they could do. One would be surprised, but more than that, it could leave people amazed by what they could do and how they could deceive others.

’I can’t disregard the possibility that Allen might be trained to deceive people like First Brother. Gaining people’s trust takes years, and those patient ones are the most dangerous,’ was what went through Hugo’s mind. But when he shifted his attention back to Atlas, a shallow breath slipped past him.

’But then again, gaining this guy’s trust would take decades,’ he reasoned. ’Being too perfect is suspicious for him; being too dumb means they won’t even come close. And being in the middle... he doesn’t like people with a perfect balance. Moreover, if Allen is that cunning, why would all the evidence be laid open for everyone to find?’

Hugo pinched the bridge of his nose, massaging his head as he knew this was going to be a problem. On one hand, he couldn’t disregard the evidence, and on the other, believing the evidence not only pointed to Allen’s "wrongdoings" but opened up more questions than clarity.

"Hugo," Atlas called quietly, turning to face his second brother. "Do you think this has something to do with the people who were after Dad?"

This time, Hugo paused before peeking at him. "Considering all the evidence pointing at Allen, it is possible. But then again, why him? They wanted Penny, but Charles Bennet had other children. Naturally, they would come after you, me, or Slater..." he trailed off as realization dawned on him while Atlas nodded, as if this had already crossed his mind.

"Allen must have found something... or someone," Atlas repeated what he had said earlier. "And whoever they are, I’m sure they want to keep him quiet forever."