Chapter 881: Ring

RINGG! RINGGG!

Some men in the locker room glanced at the locker, where the phone was ringing loudly. They looked at each other, curiosity shining in their eyes.

"Whose locker is that?" asked one of the men, making the other shrug. "It’s been ringing nonstop."

The men approached the locker where the ringing phone was kept. However, there was no name on it—just the number 8, which surprised them. They had almost forgotten that lockers at the school were only labeled with numbers.

"Haha, it’s been a while since I was back at school," said one of the men, laughing. "I forgot there’s no name on it."

The other man also laughed, gazing at the number. "Let’s just tell the person with the same locker key number that his phone is ringing nonstop. It might be an emergency."

"Hey, today is twelve years ago. The only emergency we’re all getting is a pop quiz," the other man quipped as they both started walking away.

"Come on. Do you actually believe we’re back in time?"

"Haha."

"Hey, congratulations, by the way. I heard you had your first child not long ago."

"Yes, she’s very cute—ahh... I should’ve brought her here."

"But didn’t you say we’re back in time?"

"Come on, dude."

As the two men humored each other, walking back to the gymnasium after dropping off some things, the phone in one of the lockers continued to ring. They had planned to tell the locker owner about the nonstop ringing but eventually forgot because they were stopped by a few of their friends, asking for assistance.

---

Inside the gymnasium, Atlas dropped the key to his locker. But before he could pick it up, someone else already did. Deep lines appeared between his brows as he stared at the key, which had the number 8 on it, and then at the person holding it.

"Hello, Mr. Bennet."

When Atlas met the other person’s eyes, he tilted his head to the side. He blinked repeatedly, as if trying to figure out who it was.

"Ha ha..." the woman chuckled nervously under his gaze. "Mr. Bennet, did you forget... who I am?" she asked, as his look seemed to suggest he was trying to remember. "It’s me, Kiara, your new... business associate?"

Kiara flashed him an awkward grin, hoping it would explain everything.

"What makes you think I don’t know the people I’m doing business with?" he replied, reaching for his locker key from her hands.

"Oh." She laughed nervously again. "I’m sorry. I just thought you didn’t recognize me. I’m sorry."

She pressed her lips into a thin line, watching him put the key back into his pocket. As she observed, she couldn’t help but wonder why Atlas was giving her that look. If only she knew that the reason wasn’t so complicated.

Atlas was just wondering why her face looked different with long hair. After all, Atlas hadn’t recognized her the first time they met again recently because Kiara had a sporty bob haircut. But now, she had long, thick, black straight hair, like she used to have back then.

"Where is she...?" Atlas trailed off as he looked around, trying to find his sister.

In the past hour since the party started, many things had happened. The party looked more like a festival, with everyone doing their own thing. There were a few games prepared for them, which Atlas hadn’t joined. However, it had been a while since he had seen his sister.

Atlas was looking for her, so he would know which way to avoid. But as he searched, his eyes narrowed when he caught sight of a familiar person standing in the corner.

"What is he doing here?" Atlas muttered to himself, unaware that he had blurted it out.

Kiara, who was nearby, followed his gaze and saw the man in the corner. It wasn’t that she knew who Atlas was looking at, but the man’s aura in the corner made her intuitively think that was the person Atlas was focused on.

With how the man stood out among the crowd with his stature and looks, he was definitely a head-turner. However, Kiara didn’t recognize him. Was he a transferee? Or someone who had undergone a mind-blowing glow-up?

Kiara pursed her lips and glanced at Atlas, furrowing her brows as she saw how he frowned.

’Why does he look displeased?’ she wondered to herself, looking back at the man in the corner. She darted her eyes between Atlas and the stranger, and then her brows rose.

The man in the corner was surrounded by girls, who were surely trying to get to know him. But Atlas was looking at him as if he had just caught his wife cheating. With the rumors about Atlas circulating, Kiara lowered her head in surprise.

’Is the rumor true? That Atlas is into... men?’ she wondered to herself, glancing up at Atlas. To her surprise, he was marching toward the man in the corner. Kiara held her breath, but she found herself following Atlas, just in case he needed help.

It wasn’t that Kiara cared about Atlas’s preferences. After all, Atlas was a great businessman with excellent leadership skills. But she had long understood that many in the business world were still closed-minded on this subject.

Kiara had just signed a contract with Global Prime Logistics! If Atlas fell, her company would be affected too. Moreover, Global Prime Logistics was the best company she wanted to do business with. So, she found herself following Atlas, ready for anything to protect both him and her company.

---

At the same time...

"Haines, why don’t you walk Miss Sandford back to the gymnasium?" Charles wiggled his brows, sitting on a camping chair as they ended up having a barbecue party in the parking lot.

Haines heaved a heavy sigh, but just as he rose to his feet, Miss Sandford smiled.

"It’s alright," she reassured them. "I’m just going to greet the kids. I didn’t notice the time because I’ve been enjoying everyone’s company."

"No, no, no!" Charles waved as he stood up. "Miss Sandford, let Haines walk you to the gymnasium. Don’t worry. He limps, but the doctor says it’s best for him to walk around. It’s part of his therapy."

"..." Miss Sandford kept her lips straight, a bit reluctant to bother Haines.

"It’s alright," Haines reassured her. "I also want to walk around the campus. I’ll just get my phone—"

Charles blocked Haines’s path, tapping his chest. "No phones, Haines. Check it later when you come back." He puckered his lips, clearly seeing this as a good opportunity for Haines to get to know Miss Sandford.

Knowing Charles’s personality, Haines could only sigh and face Miss Sandford. "Then, let’s go, Miss Sandford," he offered politely, which she returned with a nod.

Unbeknownst to them, Charles and Haines’s phones, which were left in the car, had been ringing nonstop—just like Atlas’s phone.