Atlas stepped out of his car, and banged the door shut.
If everyone's attention had not been drawn already by how roughly he drove into the building site, it sure was now that he almost uprooted the car door from its hinges.
"You look ecstatic," Theo Charming, Atlas' best friend chuckled, as he approached him.
Atlas didn't respond to him with words, but only just stretched out his hand to him.
"Whats this? Your fifth phone in the last two months?" He said, handing him over a new phone.
"Rather the phone than someone's face, right?" Atlas snatched the phone out of his hand.
"Whoa!" He took a step back. "I've told you time and time again that what you really need is therapy. Lots of it. Throw in an anger management class too. Also I don't get how everyone considers you this dreamy mysterious guy when you're so angry."
"People are stupid. What's new? Also, thanks to the Sinclair name, people think we shit gold that smells like lavender," he hissed.
"Alright, son, what made you so upset this beautiful morning?" He placed a hand on Atlas' shoulder and squeezed.
Atlas looked up at the construction workers working on his latest building.
This time around, Atlas wasn't building something for the sinners.
It was an estate he had major plans for. Plans that only Theo knew something scout.
"What are you all looking at? Do I pay you to look at me? Get working!" He snapped, and they hurriedly returned to work.
"Common man. What is it?" Theo asked again, this time, very concerned.
"Get your hands off me first of all," he warned as he went through the phone.
Theo sighed, but swiftly took his hand off his shoulders.
"How do you manage to input all of the necessary details every time you replace my phone?"
"Is that a thank you I hear?" Theo's eyes lit up.
"In your dreams," Atlas rolled his eyes, but laughed right after. "Pussy."
"Bastard," Theo chuckled. "Common, tell me what's wrong."
"Who else?" He looked up from the phone, and sighed.
"I mean a lot, considering the bomb you dropped last night. How come I had to see it in the news just as I stepped out of the airport this morning? I mean, are congratulations in place, even though I didn't know you were seeing a woman?" Theo shook his head, his confusion evident.
"Nah, it's not like that. I had to take drastic measures. You know how obsessed mum is with the idea of me and Faiza together."
"Oh—" he nodded his head. "Faiza. Now I understand you. So this unlucky girl is a pawn in the Sinclair game?"
Atlas eyed him pointedly. "Unfortunately," he replied.
"Damn!" He shook his head. "Is she a horrible person at least? I mean then the hurricane would be deserved."
"Horrible?" An image of Aveline sprung up in his head. "Far from it. She's just— well—"
"Oh shit!" Theo read his mind.
"I know."
"You know there's nothing mum hates more than a poor person, and you picked one to be your bride? Do you even like this girl as a person at all?"
"She's alright. Very pretty actually. That's a plus right?" He lifted a hopeful brow.
"Nope. Even worse because Faiza's jealousy will skyrocket, leading to mum wanting to protect her more, which will then lead to even more hostility towards our bride. By the time they're done with her she would have more scars than a WW survivor."
"Damn!" Atlas cursed this time.
"Yep. Unless you're ready to protect her," he took a step back, and gave Atlas a once-over. "Which I just don't see happening. Your mother is your weakness, despite how much you two butt heads. You always want to make her happy. I mean, isn't that why you're still in this unhealthy competition with Reese?"
Atlas turned to the car, feeling a little too exposed. "You know too much," he said behind his shoulders.
"That's why we're besties," Theo laughed.
"Yuck," Atlas faked a wretch before raising his voice towards the workers. "Good job boys, you're doing really great. I'll have Daria give you all a raise!"
Pleasant cheers broke out all around, as energies were boosted.
"Do I get a raise too for being your emotional dump?" Theo slid into the passenger seat as Atlas started the car.
"Not yet. We're going to the Sinclair mansion."
"We're going to Sin City?" Theo's eyes lit up.
"Yeah. I figured since Aveline was a surprise, the least I can do is for us to stay there until after the wedding," he explained, as he drove away.
"So let me get this straight, you're going to go pick up your wife to be. The one I'll be meeting for the very first time, and then together, you'll be bringing her to the Sinclair mansion? You do see how this proves my point right?" His voice was filled with laughter as he asked.
"What point?" Atlas' nose turned.
"This move is your way of placating your mother, whether you admit it or not. Anyway, I don't even mind. You know I'm always up for a mini vacation at the Sinclair's," Theo chuckled heartily.
"That's because you're not one of the grandchildren," he thought. "First we have to go shopping for Aveline. We can't bump her into an heiress, so we might as well place her in the middle-class section so that the marriage is not completely opposed."
"And what happens when mummy dearest does her research and finds out the truth?"
"Don't worry, I have that all figured out," he said, his thoughts playing out right in his mind.
Atlas drove into his compound many hours later with a trunk filled to the brim.
"I can't believe you made me pick out underwear for your wife, Atlas," Theo fumed as they began to offload.
Atlas chuckled. "If I remember correctly, you crowned yourself king of hearts. You said you know women more than you know yourself. Well here's how you prove that hogwash theory." He shrugged.
"Bastard," Theo muttered under his breath.
Atlas continued to laugh, as with the help of Nelson, they brought the bags inside the house.
"Sir, I made sure to rid the room of everything belonging to Miss Faiza," Nelson announced when they had brought the last of the bag into the living room.
"You did good. I'll forgive you for your mistake, but it must never repeat itself." He pulled up a warning finger.
Nelson nodded. "Yes sir."
"Where is Aveline?" He asked, looking around as if he expected her to magically appear in the living room.
"In her room, sir—" he looked like he wanted to say more, but shut his mouth at the nick of time.
Atlas caught it though, and so did Theo.
"What is it?" Atlas asked.
"Nothing sir." He shook his head vigorously.
"Nelson?" Atlas and Theo both chorused.
He sighed in defeat. "Sir, with all due respect, she's a little bit strange."
"Who? Aveline?" Atlas questioned for clarity.
"Yes sir. I overheard her talking to herself as if there was someone present with her. It was so creepy." He shuddered.
Atlas eyes squinted. "But that isn't—"
"Mr Nelson, can I get the bag containing those paintings please?" Aveline paused on her tracks on seeing not just Nelson, but two other people present in the living room as well.
Her heart skipped a beat. She could have sworn she had heard just his voice on her way to the living room.
"You're Aveline?" An unfamiliar voice asked, and as she turned towards its source, she gasped loud enough for a passerby at the gate to hear.