CHAPTER 109: DEFEND YOUR TERRITORY

"Mommy~!"

Everyone’s eyes were on the twins, Allen, and the woman with him. And in that brief second, everyone already believed and even took secret photos of the "madam" they should curry favor with. But then, the twins completely ignored the woman and ran off.

In no time, they saw the twins clinging to the first woman’s leg they had all been staring at earlier.

"Mommy, I miss you so, so much~!" Second exclaimed, clutching Lola’s leg and bouncing a bit.

"I miss mommy more~! I miss her so much, much, much—it’s bigger than the world!"

"Mine is bigger than the universe~!"

"Mine is bigger than... than what’s bigger than the universe!"

Lola chuckled awkwardly as the twins’ voices kept rising as if they wanted the whole world to hear them. At this rate, they might need those big speakers. But it was sweet.

"Haha," she laughed, pinching their cheeks. "No, it’s me who missed you so, so, so, so much I almost cried."

The twins giggled happily. Lola then raised her head to look at Allen, and then at the men with the twins.

"Miss Young," Allen approached. "I didn’t notice you were here. Are you headed upstairs? I can take you to the chairman’s office."

Lola shook her head mildly, looking at the woman standing a few paces behind Allen, then at the other men. She offered them a meek smile.

"There’s no need for that," she said. "I’m only here to pick up the twins, and I also need a car. I already told At—"

She bit her tongue, glancing at the people around them. "I already told the chairman that I need to borrow his car."

"About that—" Harvey cleared his throat as he moved closer to Lola. "Hello, Young Madam. The Chairman told me to hand this over to you."

He opened his palm and revealed the car keys. "My name’s Harvey Ryaa, by the way, Madam. If you need anything, you can always call me. I already have my calling card in the car, so don’t hesitate!"

After all, Harvey could still remember delivering those flowers and creating a misunderstanding in her family. It was a good thing Atlas wasn’t angry about it, but instead, he got praise. However, that didn’t mean mistakes like that were accepted—it was a lucky mistake.

"Thank you, Mister Ryaa." Lola took the keys politely, only for Harvey to wave and laugh.

"Just Harvey, Young Madam."

Lola forced a smile, wanting to correct Harvey about how he addressed her so politely, but she didn’t bother. She was sure Atlas would correct that, or at least, she hoped Allen would. After all, Allen was aware of her situation and the "squatter" in her home.

There were a few more who seemed eager to introduce themselves. However, the twins had already spoken up and were tugging on Lola’s hand, telling her they should go. So, with Allen’s offer, he walked them out to where the car was already waiting for her. Harvey, on the other hand, went to escort the chairman’s guests.

With that alone, everyone who had been watching this unfold quietly gained clarity. Allen, leaving the woman with him to walk Lola out, was enough to show the difference in importance between the two women.

***

"He’s letting me drive this?" Lola turned to Allen as soon as they reached the outside. "Mister King, are you sure?"

Allen chuckled. "Of course, Miss Young. Please don’t worry about anything. If you need a car, my boss will let you use anything you prefer."

But this car’s brand was a top-tier luxury vehicle. It wasn’t one of those blinding sports cars that were enough to make her look away, but she knew enough about vehicles.

"Also, please call me Allen," Allen continued politely. "Mister King sounds too distant. However, only when you feel comfortable."

Lola pursed her lips, looking at Allen and remembering spying on his room with Atlas through the CCTV camera. She didn’t even know why he had a camera in his room, but she knew what she had done with Atlas. Now, standing in front of the man, she felt a mild guilt.

"I’ll take care of it," she said before gazing down at the twins. "Let’s go?"

"Okay~!"

She chuckled before facing Allen again. "We’re off now. Thank you."

The three of them went to the car. Lola secured the twins in the backseat first before jogging to the driver’s seat. She gave Allen one last nod before getting in, then driving off with the twins on board.

Allen watched the car drive away very slowly before the smile on his face faded.

"Shit," he whispered, wincing. "At this point, I don’t know who will kill me first."

Shaking his head as he thought of the issues he was carrying with him, he pulled out his phone. Pressing it against his ear, he spoke calmly.

"They’ve left the building," he said quietly. "Follow them and make sure she doesn’t notice."

He didn’t even wait for a reply from the other end and simply ended the call. Allen just stared in the same direction that the car Lola was driving had left.

A shallow breath escaped him, and his eyes sharpened. "He’s right... to stay here, after all."

Because, like always, Atlas was right. Going back to the island where they were supposed to be was not safe now.

***

Meanwhile, Lola drove carefully, not just because the twins were with her, but because a single dent in this car would hurt her pockets. But as she drove, she noticed the twins were quiet.

"Babies, are you okay?" she asked, glancing at them through the rearview mirror. The second she did, she saw the two of them frowning. "Why? What happened? Is something wrong? Why are you upset?"

To her surprise, Chacha and Second leaned forward.

"Mommy, you need to defend your territory from invaders!" Second intoned encouragingly. "Don’t let anyone take what’s yours from you!"

Chacha nodded. "Second is right, Mommy! Protect your husband with all your might! Or someone else will crawl into his bed if they find out he’s sleeping alone!"