Chapter 303: Not a deal breaker
Baby looked around the mess of the penthouse. It looked like a storm had just hit it, leaving everything broken or overturned. The walls displayed an uncanny pattern, etched by bullets. Even the glass wall under the railing by the stairwell was shattered. Above all, the bodies scattered across the floor were not less ten people.
"This is a hell of a mess!" One of the men in a suit scanned the scene as he approached the gigantic figure standing in the center. He whistled cockily, scoffing as he took in the sight. "One shot, one kill. Just like that."
Examining the gunshot wounds, many bodies bore bullets in their vests. But what killed all of them were shots to the head or other fatal spots. Interestingly, it was clear these shots were intentional. Anyone could tell that just by looking at their injuries.
"Did she really do all this?" the man asked, turning to Baby with raised brows. "That’s sick. She took everyone down while still in the towel. I didn’t know she could do this."
No one knew, you’re not the only one.
Baby swept his eyes over the scene one last time. "Before you ask if this was her doing, you should ready your neck—it’ll be on the chopping block soon enough." He turned to face the man. "You’re responsible for her security. You’re lucky she’s alive. Even so, you’d better have a damn good explanation. Otherwise, you’d better start running now."
Baby stepped forward. "Forget about his wrath once he calls for you. I will tear you apart myself."
Without another word, Baby walked past him and signaled to someone in the distance.
"Shut down the entire building," Baby ordered. "Until this mess is cleared, get everyone out."
He continued through the chaos, his expression grim, fists tight. On the way, Baby stopped at a fire alarm. He shattered it with his elbow before pressing the button, sending blaring alarms through the building as water sprinklers soaked the hallways.
Residents poured from their units, crowding the hallways. Baby remained unfazed, heading for the lift instead of the fire exits, where everyone else was fleeing.
Meanwhile, the man Baby had just threatened kept his eyes in the direction Baby had left. Once the alarm bells rang in the building, he clapped his hand to get everyone’s attention.
"You heard the man. Time to clean up the bodies!"
*****
Meanwhile, Atlas sat in the backseat of a car with Lola. He turned his gaze toward her. She was quiet, her body hiding under the blanket he had taken from the penthouse. There was no time to linger as he had to get her away from the scene.
After a moment, he reached for her hand. The instant his cold hand wrapped around hers, Lola looked up.
"No," he said. "It’s not a deal breaker."
Relief flooded her chest as she exhaled deeply. "That scared me for a second. I thought you were going to break up with me. Why did it take you so long to answer?"
"I needed you out of that place first," he said, squeezing her hand. Her brows rose as she noticed the slight tremor in his grip. "I’m sorry this happened."
"Mhm." She shook her head. "It’s not your fault. Nothing to apologize for."
His jaw tightened, eyes locked on hers. Unspoken words swirled between them, and Lola scooted closer.
"I’m okay," she whispered, resting her hand on his chest. To her surprise, his heart was racing, throbbing so forcefully she could feel it against her palm.
She drew her head back, studying him. His expression remained cold and plain, though the dim light in the backseat softened it slightly. At the same time, Penny’s words from not long ago flashed in her mind.
Swallowing the heaviness in her chest, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. Her grip tightened.
"I’m fine," she whispered, chin pressed against his shoulder. "I’m... okay. I’m alive, and that’s all that matters. Don’t worry."
Atlas held her gaze, raising a hand to pat her arm. "I know you are."
A glint flickered in his eyes as his hand moved to the back of her head, pulling her slightly closer until her head rested comfortably on his shoulder.
"Rest first," he said. "We’ll be there soon."
"Don’t take me to where the kids are," she murmured. "I don’t want to scare or worry them."
*****
Atlas honored her request, avoiding the home where the twins were. Instead, he brought her to a hotel scouted by his men. Once inside, he helped her clean the blood off her body. Though none of her injuries were fatal, Lola had bruises—on her right abdomen, arm, neck, and a large one on her leg. Her lips were busted, and a faint bruise marked her cheekbone.
Atlas sat before her while she perched on the bed’s edge. She looked up at him, smiling.
"I told you I’m fine!" she cooed, holding the towel. "These are nothing. Didn’t I say? I am—"
"Alive," he interrupted, and her smile widened. "And being alive is all that matters."
She nodded. "I have a point, don’t I?"
This time, he didn’t answer. Atlas studied her closely before reaching to brush her lips with his thumb. She winced slightly.
"This hurts a bit," she said, leaning back a little.
He nodded, picking up the ointment beside her. Quietly, he applied it to the corner of her lips. Then he asked,
"How did this happen?"
Lola raised her brows. "Ah, you mean my mouth? Well... I wonder how..." She trailed off, recalling the penthouse chaos. It took her a moment to remember the elbow that hit her.
"Long story short, they were quite the fighters," she shrugged, refocusing on Atlas. "They fight really, really hard—they almost killed me!"
He frowned.
"Kidding! Hehe." She raised her brows and bit her tongue. "It happens, Atlas."
Atlas studied her, impressed by how composed she seemed. "Was this not the first time?"
Lola didn’t answer immediately. She held his gaze sternly, then exhaled shallowly, forcing a smile.
"I told you about Vito, didn’t I?" she said quietly. "And I also told you he taught me a lot of things. Tossing me in a cage for an underground fight is one of them."