Chapter 708: Promise me.

The incident on the road could just be a coincidence. After all, Slater wasn’t the only one who liked flashy things and drove a red sports car. Whoever it was, Atlas had no idea. However, he firmly believed that Slater wasn’t daring enough to do such a thing.

Not that Slater was a coward... just slightly.

But one question remained: Why did Slater get a copy of the dashcam footage?

Slater winced, looking back at his older brother as if the latter had just caught him red-handed. "He mentioned me?"

"He did. I only have one popular brother whose signature makes people happy."

"First Brother, I’m sure your signature makes people happy—especially if it comes with a raise!"

"Slater." Atlas’s face darkened. "Don’t change the subject. Answer me. Why?"

"..." Slater pursed his lips, looking at his brother as if considering an escape. But with the look on Atlas’s face, he knew his brother would get an answer, even if he had to break him limb by limb.

"Tsk. Fine!" Slater grumbled and sighed in surrender. "I’ll tell you, okay? So stop glaring at me—I might melt."

"Tell me now."

"Tsk." Slater sighed for the umpteenth time, snapping his eyes upward as if to think for a moment. When he locked eyes with Atlas again, he huffed faintly. "When I heard about Assistant Allen and what he did, I couldn’t believe it, okay? Assistant Allen has always been so kind to me. He would tell me if you were in the mood for favors and even sneak sweets whenever he visited, without James knowing. How could someone like that do something so horrible?"

He paused and crossed his arms. "I don’t believe he would betray you and our family like that. But I heard that the investigation is saying otherwise. I don’t like it!"

"So?" Atlas arched a brow, studying his younger brother’s reaction and every little movement he made. However, he couldn’t see anything suspicious at all.

"So I’m doing my own investigation!" Slater declared. "I have plenty of time anyway, so I thought I should do something meaningful. I’ve watched enough thriller and suspense movies and documentaries to know what to do."

"..."

"And I’m a genius because I found the blue car—hehe!" Slater grinned proudly, only to clear his throat when Atlas’s expression didn’t change. "That’s why I contacted the owner with James’ help."

He then clasped his hands to his side, his eyes burning with determination. "I will catch the real culprit and clear Assistant Allen’s name. How dare they drag his name through the mud?"

For a moment, Atlas was rendered speechless, even though he had already considered this reasoning. It was still shocking to hear it straight from Slater’s mouth.

’I don’t know if I should be relieved or still upset,’Atlas wondered, exhaling in relief. "Stop that now, Slater."

"Why?" Slater frowned. "I’m doing this for Assistant Allen. If I stop, people might see him as a traitor, and the company will pressure you to kick out an innocent man!"

"I will not kick him out."

"I know, but the shareholders and the board will surely pressure you to do so! Once the investigation is closed, it’s only a matter of time before those old troublemakers start troubling you again!" Slater reasoned, frowning. "I just want to help you."

He pouted, studying his brother’s exhausted look. "Just look at you. You look like a mess, First Brother, and just now you were losing your temper. You don’t usually lose your temper so easily, but you just did. I thought you were going to punch me."

"..." Atlas pressed his lips into a thin line, seeing the swirling concern and worry in Slater’s eyes. His mouth partially opened and closed, but he couldn’t articulate what he felt.

How could he when he just realized his actions?

Not just today, but also the other day. Atlas’s mood had been swinging ever since Allen was found at the emergency exit. Controlling his reactions was taking more energy than usual, and he had almost snapped at Slater, which he normally wouldn’t do.

"I’m sorry," Atlas breathed out, huffing as he approached Slater. "I’m sorry about that."

Slater frowned, allowing his brother to ruffle his hair. "What are you sorry for?"

"For... everything."

"First Brother, that’s not how you apologize! You should say specifically what you’re sorry for because saying everything is lazy!"

"Don’t push it." Atlas’s tone turned cold, making Slater whimper. Even so, he kept ruffling Slater’s hair until it was messy before withdrawing his hand. "Thank you for believing in Allen, and I appreciate your effort. You’re a genius for catching that blue car."

"Hehe." Slater rubbed the tip of his nose, only to furrow his brows upon hearing Atlas’s next remark.

"However, I’d like you to stop now."

"Huh?" Slater tilted his head. "First Brother, you just told me I’m a genius. Why are you telling me to stop now?"

"Because..." Atlas trailed off, staring at Slater before he sighed. "Because it might be dangerous, and I don’t want you to be in danger as well."

"How is it dangerous?"

Atlas pressed his lips together and shrugged. "I’m still not sure yet, but I’ll tell you once I confirm it. As you can tell, the investigation is painting Allen as a person he isn’t. That means whoever did this is... meticulous. I don’t want you to get caught up in all of it."

"..."

"Please, Slater." Atlas squeezed his younger brother’s shoulder, nodding at him mildly. "Promise me."

"But... it was fun," Slater murmured, his shoulders drooping. In the end, he sighed and nodded in surrender. "Fine, I’ll stop if that will ease your mind."

"Thank you."

"But promise me to help Assistant Allen!"

"I promise you."

"Tsk." Slater clicked his tongue as Atlas withdrew his hand from his brother’s shoulder. "But First Brother, why did you want to see my car?"

Atlas turned his head and glanced at the garage. The corner of his mouth hooked up slightly before he faced Slater again.

"Just... because," he shrugged. "I thought I saw it earlier, but I guess there are more people who share the same taste as you."

With that, Atlas turned to walk away. As for Slater, he repeated his brother’s answer in his mind a few times before his expression soured.

"First Brother, my car is very pretty!" he yelled, stomping his feet as he followed Atlas. "How could you say it’s not?! No, actually, have you ever thought that your taste is the problem when everyone else shares the same taste as I do?!"

Atlas only chuckled as he picked up his pace, but Slater jogged to complain in his ear. Well, it wasn’t too bad of a punishment for not being able to control himself. Thanks to Slater, he was reminded of his own standing and that there were still people who cared for him. What happened to Allen wasn’t a license to lash out at others.