chapter120

For some reason, even though he was scolding me, I felt a strange warmth radiating from him.

When he started the car, I asked where we were going, but he remained silent. Instead, he reached out, his fingers firm as he tilted my chin up to examine my face. I felt a blush creep up my neck and quickly pushed his hand away, glancing nervously at the driver.

“What are you doing?” I whispered.

Without a word, Atlas reached forward and raised the privacy partition, sealing us in the back of the car. I couldn't help but think that the benefits at ATL Empire must be extraordinary if an assistant to a high-level executive had access to such luxury.

“Show me the bruises,” he commanded.

“I’m fine, really. You’ve seen enough already,” I said, avoiding his gaze as I tried to mask my discomfort.

His tone sharpened, turning harsh again. “Are you telling me the photos were fake? Are you going to show me the injuries, or do I have to force you?”

My breath hitched. The air in the small space suddenly felt too intimate, too heavy. There were bruises in private areas that I simply didn't have the courage to show him.

“I—”

Before I could finish, Atlas reached out and pulled me toward him. His hand pressed against the small of my back, and I couldn't help but let out a soft, involuntary moan of pain.

Without warning, he lifted the hem of my shirt. I gasped, reflexively shielding my chest with my arms. “Hey! You’re going too far…”

I felt his movement stop abruptly. Silence filled the car as he stared at the dark, mottled bruises blooming across my ribs and abdomen. I ventured a glance at him; his expression had turned ice-cold. He ran his fingertips lightly over the edge of an injury, causing me to tense up.

Then, he gently turned me around to inspect my back. While the injuries there were fewer, they still looked horrific against my pale skin. Atlas rested his warm palm over the wounds, and for a moment, the heat from his hand seemed to dull the throbbing ache.

But his touch also made my heart race for an entirely different reason. I had never allowed anyone besides Matthew to cross these boundaries.

Sensing my mounting distress, Atlas finally adjusted my clothes, smoothing the fabric back into place. He turned me to face him, his eyes dark as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.

“I… I’m fine,” I stammered, trying to regain my composure. “I just don’t like you being so overbearing.”

“You’re an idiot for going back there alone,” Atlas said, his voice thick with frustration. “Don’t you realize they were blinded by rage? They could have killed you.”

I looked away, a sense of weary resignation washing over me. “They had to vent it somehow. I consider it a trial. Matthew lost everything when I exposed his lies; it’s only natural he’d try to take something from me in return. I had to sacrifice one thing to gain another.”

“You’re remarkably understanding,” Atlas countered sarcastically, though his grip on me didn't loosen. “Did Matthew go too easy on you? I’ve never heard of someone defending their own abuser.”

I remained silent, but I felt him pull me closer, tucking my head against his shoulder. In the quiet of the moving car, surrounded by his warmth, the tension finally began to bleed out of me. For the first time in a very long time—perhaps for the first time ever—I felt a sense of true safety. I didn't just feel protected; I felt like I could finally stop fighting.

I no longer cared where he was taking me or what would happen next. Wrapped in a trust I didn't quite understand, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep in his arms.