Atticus exuded maturity and a hint of worldly experience, unlike Atlas. The former smiled at me, saying, “It’s okay. I can handle my liquor. This issue has weighed on my heart for over a decade. I couldn’t talk about it since I had no one to confide in. Chloe…”

He pointed to his chest and continued, “It hurts a lot. Did you ever expect the grand CEO of Echelon Group to be stepped on consistently for a decade? How can I swallow that humiliation?”

I didn’t know how to console him.

“You stirred things up and gave me a helping hand. Although you always say it was accidental, you gave me an excuse to vent my frustrations. That’s also why Liora hates you.”

I was in disbelief. “I thought Liora was just vindictive. I never thought…”

Atticus continued in a hushed tone, “It was too sudden at that time. Everything developed too quickly for them to respond. This time…”

I couldn’t believe my ears. I felt uneasy as I asked, “Are you sure?”

He nodded solemnly, and a chill ran down my spine. Su