Chapter 931: the panic

Moments ago...

When Atlas saw Hugo and Zoren running out of the gymnasium, he immediately knew something was wrong. After all, when he saw how Penny smirked right after drinking, he stayed as far away from her as he could.

She could do something terrible to him, and he wanted to avoid that at all costs.

However, when he saw his brother and brother-in-law leave, he followed, just to make sure. At the end of the day, he was still Penny’s brother and family. Despite his fear of what could happen if she got her hands on him, he was concerned. Thus began the search.

As Atlas checked every location where Penny could’ve hidden, he found himself in the men’s locker room. He wouldn’t have stayed and continued searching if not for the fact that he noticed his locker wasn’t locked properly. When he checked, he was able to open it without much effort.

There, he saw his phone turned off.

"Why was it turned off?" he wondered as he reached for it. He turned it on, and when he did, he checked his things inside the locker to make sure nothing was missing.

Aside from his phone, his suit, keys, and wallet were all there. Nothing was missing from inside his wallet either. Not that he thought someone would take the only bill he had, but it was better to be sure.

"At least now I’m sure no one turned out to be a thief," he murmured, about to place his phone back into the locker, only to see the countless missed calls on the screen. "I told Allen that I’d be in a reunion and not to disturb me unless it was necessary."

Allen wouldn’t have lasted this long with Atlas if he weren’t capable enough to handle simple issues on his own. So, Atlas rarely received calls from him unless something important came up. He didn’t hesitate to call him back.

"Allen—"

"Sir Atlas, you finally called back!" Allen exclaimed as soon as the line connected. "I’ve been trying to reach you, sir. I’m sorry. I knew you were in a reunion with your siblings, but this is important."

"What is it?"

"Sir..." This time, Allen’s tone changed, which quickly sent concern to Atlas’s heart. "...Something terrible has happened. The chairman had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital."

"What did you say?"

"I just heard about it from the old residence, as the family has been trying to reach you and Sir Charles. All I know is that the chairman had a heart attack. Fortunately, Director Stephen Bennet was there when it happened."

Deep lines appeared between Atlas’s brows as he uttered, "Stephen Bennet was there when Grandpa had a heart attack?"

"Yes."

"Where are you right now?"

"I’m at the hospital, sir. I already sent you the address. However, I can’t go in or check since I’m not a family member."

"I see. I’m going there now."

With that, Atlas ended the call without another word. He glanced at the locker and then at his clothes, hissing at the wasted time. Grabbing his things, he didn’t bother changing into his suit as he marched away.

"First Brother!" Slater called as soon as he spotted Atlas walking out of the locker room. He jogged up to him and slowed down. "First Brother, have you found Penny?"

Slater’s voice trailed off when he saw the dark expression on Atlas’s face. "First Brother, what’s wrong?"

"Slater, find Penny." Atlas stopped and faced his brother, tapping a finger on Slater’s chest. "If you can’t find her, use your charm and ask more people to help you."

"Wait—what? Why? What happened?"

"Tell her that Grandpa had a heart attack. I’m going there now, but I need her to be there." Before Atlas could finish his sentence, he already turned to leave. "I’ll call Hugo, so focus on finding Penny."

Slater blinked and blinked, staring at Atlas’s back. His brows furrowed, looking a bit confused by the situation.

"Grandpa had a sudden heart attack?" he repeated under his breath, recalling the effect of the drug he recovered from Stephen. "Don’t tell me—that son of a—!"

Without wasting another moment, Slater jogged toward the opposite side to look for his little sister. It wasn’t that Slater hadn’t been looking for her, but he hadn’t put in more effort than anyone else. After all, he had no reason to look for Penny except for missing her or wanting to hang out with her.

On his way to the other building, Slater slowed when he spotted Benjamin crossing the pathway from another building.

"Hey!" he called, opening the window and jumping out of it. He was on the first floor, so it wasn’t a problem.

Benjamin turned his head when he heard someone call. The moment his eyes landed on Slater, his lips curved downward.

"What does he want this time... huh?" Benjamin’s displeasure quickly turned into confusion and curiosity. He snapped out of his thoughts when a hand suddenly grabbed his chest. "Woah! What the—are you looking for a fight?!"

"Where’s Penny?"

"What? How would I know?" Benjamin gasped. "Why does everyone think I know where Miss Penny is?! Do I look like a lost and found for Miss Penny?"

Slater studied Benjamin and clenched his teeth. "This is important. If you don’t know where she is, then help me find her."

"Why would I do that?"

"I told you, this is important," he breathed out, trying to calm himself as his grip on Benjamin’s shirt tightened. "If you see her and find her, tell her that Grandpa had a heart attack. First Brother already went there to check the situation."

After spitting all of that out, Slater released Benjamin and left. He still had to find Penny. Meanwhile, Benjamin simply furrowed his brows in confusion. When he gazed back at Slater and realized the seriousness of the situation, he quickly went to where he had left Penny and Zoren, hoping he wouldn’t interrupt their argument.

*****

[Present Time]

Benjamin panted for air, unable to take in the sight before him as he uttered, "Miss Penny, I think you should go see your grandpa."