"The only protection my wife needs is mine."
Lola’s brows crinkled.
I knew that voice.
Her face scrunched a little. How could she not recognize that voice? Even if she had gone deaf, she would still know it. Her crazy heart that belonged to him would.
But why was he here?
Slowly, Lola turned and saw the only man who could take her breath away. She almost squinted as Atlas approached, his expression unreadable yet dark.
This is why I didn’t ask him to come... I’d be too busy admiring him and comparing everyone else to him.
As far as Lola remembered, the person she asked to accompany her tonight was Allen. She knew Derek and the Young family’s antics. She’d dealt with them for two lifetimes. Therefore, she’d asked Allen to arrive right on time.
In other words, Lola expected Allen to show up now, not Atlas himself.
Meanwhile, everyone’s eyes fell on Atlas. Deep lines appeared on faces across the hall as guests squinted at the good-looking man approaching the scene.
"Wife?" one of the guests repeated. "Wife... you mean, Lola Young?"
"He’s not bad."
"Not bad?" another lady laughed. "Uh-huh. He’s not bad—he’s better."
"At least, he didn’t look like a rogue, as I thought he would be."
Everyone couldn’t help but follow Atlas’s figure, curiosity gleaming in their eyes. They immediately assumed he was Lola’s husband, which was shocking in itself. With Atlas’s refined, godlike presence and Lola’s blinding ensemble, a huge question mark appeared in everyone’s minds.
Was he blind?
As for Melissa, her eyes dilated as she held her breath. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest, and even if she tried, she couldn’t stop it. Her gaze locked on Atlas. His face was lethal. Not the Lola kind of lethal, but something else entirely.
Derek, on the other hand, frowned. "And you are?"
Just as those words left his mouth, Travis rose from his seat. He then assisted the chairman to stand. Even Celestine got up, wearing a faint smile.
"Why are they standing up?" the guests murmured, puzzled. The chairman never rose unless he was leaving. The organizers had rearranged tables earlier because the chairman had chosen to sit elsewhere, meaning nothing and no one could usually make him stand.
Everyone assumed the chairman was going to leave because of the commotion. But then—
SLAM!
One of the middle-aged men slammed his hand on the table, jumping to his feet. His eyes widened at Atlas, his complexion paling.
"That face... I know that face..." he breathed, his heart racing for reasons he couldn’t explain.
Those seated near him stared in confusion until another person gasped.
"I knew it," the second man whispered, hand covering his mouth. "I thought I was mistaken, but I’m not. That man..."
"Who is he?"
The first man glared at the younger guest who dared to ask. "You’re new to business, but that’s no excuse for ignorance."
The younger man frowned, but bit his tongue. The speaker held more influence than he did.
"Not what it looks like?" Atlas arched a brow at them, only for Melissa to step forward and blurt out,
"Mr. Bennet, Lola is my stepsister. Please don’t punish her for pretending to be Mrs. Bennet!" she cried, her mind blank as she was too panicked to think.
Derek’s eyes darted between the guests, realizing the sudden politeness his family—and the chairman—were showing the man. When he heard them call Atlas Mr. Bennet, his stomach twisted.
"Mr. Bennet, we’re sorry you had to see this," Derek said hastily. "We’ve been trying to cast that woman out. She’s been causing trouble and even claiming she’s Mrs. Bennet! We understand how offensive this must be for you, but we’re clearing things up now."
He turned to the staff. "What are you waiting for? Get her out of here."
The staff members, none of whom were security, exchanged panicked glances. Without thinking, they moved toward Lola, only to be blocked by men in black suits. Even the real security couldn’t get through the wall of men.
"What?" Derek scoffed, glaring at Lola. "Lola! Tell these hoodlums you hired to move aside!"
Lola pouted, crossing her arms. "Derek, I’m not the one signing those rogues’ paychecks."
She smiled and tilted her head toward Atlas. When Derek followed her gesture, his gaze met Atlas’s.
"What?"
Atlas’s expression didn’t change, but the weight of his disapproval filled the air. Lola’s grin stretched wide, and since Atlas was already here, she skipped to his side and wrapped her arms around him.
"Hubby, you didn’t have to come~" Lola cooed loudly for everyone to hear. "I told you I wouldn’t take long! You didn’t have to miss me this much~"
Atlas gave her a sidelong glance, his sharp eyes glinting even more fiercely as they shifted toward Melissa and Derek.
"As I said," he spoke evenly, "don’t concern yourselves with my wife’s well-being. As for the Youngs and the Lancasters..." His gaze hardened. "Tell me—who’s going to protect you?"

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