Chapter 884: I don’t bet on unfair bets!

"Hah! Do you want to put that to the test?"

A sense of déjà vu instantly crept into Atlas’s heart the moment he saw Hugo pointing in his direction. But when he heard Max’s retaliation, it felt like that time all over again. Adding in what Zoren would likely say now, Atlas knew this day would test his patience above all else.

"You play basketball?" Zoren asked, looking at Atlas curiously.

"Wow, Sir First Brother, you’re more talented than I thought," Benjamin added in awe.

Twelve years ago, the person who made these kinds of side comments was Penny. Atlas let out a sigh as he saw everyone look in his direction, and then, he... smiled.

"Of course," Atlas said, tapping Zoren’s back lightly. "We don’t mind a friendly match."

"We?" Zoren and Benjamin blurted out, then exchanged confused looks. Zoren glanced at Benjamin, clearly thinking that Atlas was referring to his assistant, and Benjamin grinned.

"Sir, do you actually think I played any sports when I was a kid? I think I mentioned it before, but I was part of the school newspaper team."

Zoren nodded. "No wonder you have such a loudmouth."

"..." Benjamin’s face twitched, but he quickly remembered that Zoren hadn’t been feeling well earlier. He moved quickly to Zoren’s side and whispered, "Sir, if you don’t feel well, even if I don’t play basketball, I can join you!"

"I’m okay." Zoren flashed him a reassuring smile before turning to Atlas. "How do we play?"

Atlas raised his brows in brief surprise but shrugged. "I don’t know either."

With that, Atlas and Zoren faced Hugo’s team and then Max. As they did so, some people who hadn’t seen Zoren before furrowed their brows.

"Hey, do you know the guy with Atlas?" one spectator asked the person with her. "I haven’t seen him before. With that face, I’m sure I’d remember him."

"He probably was someone who didn’t stand out before and had this massive glow-up."

"He’s tall..." The other person looked toward the basketball team because Zoren’s stature was almost just like those on the team. "Is he an athlete? He would fit right in with our varsity team."

"Oh, this reminds me of that time Max and the basketball team played before."

"The betting pool back then was... amazing."

"Where’s Penny? Shouldn’t she be here starting the bet?"

"Let’s look for the betting pool corner. I’m sure she’s setting it up already."

While some people decided to find Penny, knowing she was the star when it came to starting a betting pool, others wanted to stay and see how this situation would unfold. Meanwhile, Penny, who had started this feud between Max and the basketball team just so she could initiate a betting pool—and knowing Hugo would drag Atlas into this—found herself crawling away.

"Penny?" Suddenly, Penny bumped into a pair of legs and looked up to see Nina looking down at her. "What are you doing?"

Penny laughed nervously, then looked at the person standing beside Nina. The moment her eyes met Jonathan’s, Penny felt a painful thud in her chest. Her heart pounded so hard that it almost felt like her entire soul was trying to escape her body. Jonathan, however, held her gaze without any reaction.

Nina furrowed her brows, glancing between the two. "Is... everything okay?"

"Of course." Jonathan smiled, keeping his gaze on Penny. "It’s good to meet you up close, Miss Bennet."

Penny blinked, momentarily lost in her thoughts, before lowering her head. ’Just now...’

When Penny raised her head, her smile returned. "Hey there," she muttered, still kneeling with her palms on the floor.

"Penny, why are you crawling?" Nina asked curiously. "First Brother, Second Brother, and the basketball team seem like they’re about to play basketball with Max."

"I know."

"Then why are you...?" Nina trailed off, trying to see through the crowd. She had to stand on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of Zoren standing beside Atlas. ’I thought Penny said Mr. Pierson wouldn’t come.’

Nina looked back down at Penny and smiled. "Are you sneaking out because of your bodysuit?"

"Is it that obvious?" Penny laughed, glancing at Jonathan, who was standing with Nina. She didn’t dwell on it, instead flashing Nina a smile. "Don’t tell anyone."

With that, Penny continued crawling away, likely to hide and change clothes. Although her husband had seen her chubby version in the past, her size wasn’t the problem—her actions were.

Penny had been acting more carefree today, mainly because it was fun and because she knew the carefreeness irritated Atlas. This bodysuit was great, and she enjoyed testing its limits. Moreover, it was fun to act young and reminisce about the past. After all, Penny had barely enjoyed her youth, especially after going abroad to pursue an advanced education.

The ambiance Lily had created helped everyone loosen up, including Penny. But that was the part she didn’t want to show Zoren... yet.

However, as Penny was sneaking off on all fours, a pair of legs suddenly appeared before her. Looking up, she saw a group of officers from her fan club. They flashed her a smile and squatted down to drag her away, only to realize they needed more manpower to move her.

Even though they didn’t know how they managed to drag Penny, they believed it was the power of unity and friendship that gave them the strength to complete the task. Before Penny—or anyone—knew it, Penny was back in the middle of the action.

"Penny, are you putting all your bets on us?!" Hugo exclaimed as if he hadn’t just seen his sister get dragged back to the scene.

Penny, who had barely regained her footing, laughed awkwardly. She scooted closer to the captain of the basketball team, knowing he was big enough to hide her.

"I can’t!" Penny exclaimed, hiding behind the captain and peeking out. "I don’t bet on unfair bets! How can Max take on the basketball team when most of the players are now playing in the professional major league?! I do betting pools, but this isn’t morally right!"