CHAPTER 44

"What else did they do?" Atlas asked me with a furrowed brow.

"They whipped me when I didn't answer their questions, and sometimes they pulled my hair, punched or slapped me. They did the same thing to Oceanus," I quickly replied.

Oceanus and I had already recovered from what happened to us at the Zevallos mansion. It had been almost over a month since I was abducted, and only now was Atlas bringing up the subject. Perhaps he chose to wait until we had fully healed before asking about it.

"Don't worry, Atlas. I couldn't have told them your real name even if I wanted to because I honestly don't know it," I lied.

I noticed Oceanus looking at me when I mentioned that. The large scar on his face was still very noticeable—a diagonal line starting from his left eyebrow down to his right cheek. I just shrugged at him, knowing exactly why he gave me that look.

We were currently in the first-floor basement of Atlas's place, sitting in the cozy living area of the lobby while recounting the events that transpired in the torture chamber. I sat alone on the long, soft sofa while Oceanus was on a single-seater chair, and Atlas was seated on another single-seater across from him. Their seats were positioned at opposite ends of the center table in the living area.

"Are you sure that's all they did to you?" Atlas asked me, glancing at Oceanus as if to confirm whether I had left anything out.

"Is there anything she hasn't told me, Oceanus?" Atlas asked him before turning his gaze back to me. "Did they touch you? You know what I mean, Hexia."

I quickly shook my head. "No, they didn't do that to me."

"Okay, that's good."

I watched Atlas as he stood up from his seat. He dusted off his clothes and walked to the side of the laboratory door, retrieving a white folder resting on a small drawer.

"Thanks for the info, Hexia. Don't worry, this won't happen again. And I'm sorry it took us so long to save you," Atlas said, his back turned as he faced the closed laboratory door.

"It's alright. What matters is that Oceanus and I got out safely. Anyway, what's happened has already happened," I replied.

Atlas nodded briefly before entering the laboratory, leaving Oceanus and me alone in the living area. We exchanged glances, and I gestured for him to come closer.

"Come here, I need to tell you something," I said softly, as if someone might overhear us even though no one else was around.

Oceanus furrowed his brows slightly before moving to sit beside me. He looked eager, like someone desperate for gossip, which made me shake my head and chuckle under my breath. When he finally sat next to me, I cleared my throat.

"I haven't told you this. You know Helios, right?" I asked.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. He's Perses' right-hand man. Why?"

"You remember the friend of mine who died? The one named Rafael that Atlas mentioned when I overheard your conversation? They're the same person. It's not just a coincidence that they share the same name—they're one and the same," I whispered firmly.

"Okay... so what's the connection between Rafael and Helios? And that Rafael to Atlas?" Oceanus asked, his forehead creased in confusion.

I glanced around to ensure no one was nearby. There were CCTV cameras in the lobby, but they didn't record audio, so I wasn't worried about Atlas overhearing us.

"Rafael is Atlas' son!" I said in a loud whisper.

Oceanus stared at me, his face still painted with confusion.

"Huh?" Oceanus asked, baffled. "What does Helios have to do with Rafael being Atlas' son? And how can you be so sure that Rafael is Atlas' son?"

"They share the same last name. Randy David Zevallos and Rafael Zevallos. You saw that picture of Atlas when he was younger in the black folder, didn't you?" I asked.

"Yeah, I did," Oceanus replied.

"They look exactly alike," I said, pulling out the old phone Rafael gave me on my birthday. I opened the photo album and showed him a picture of Rafael and me together. "Here. That's Rafael, my friend who died. You can't deny it—Rafael is the spitting image of Atlas. They're practically carbon copies."

I saw Oceanus's eyes widen slowly as he took the phone from me. "Shit. They really do look alike," he muttered, disbelief evident in his voice, before glancing back at me. "Okay, now it makes sense why our boss suddenly disappeared without a word. He must have found out his son was dead. But what's the connection between Perses' right-hand man and them?"

I swallowed hard and exhaled deeply. "This is going to sound confusing, but Rafael and Helios are the same person. Atlas doesn't know that, though. As far as Atlas is concerned, Rafael is dead. But the truth is, Rafael survived, changed his identity, and altered his appearance. He became Amadeus Alejandro Zevallos, better known now as Helios. I only found out when I woke up in his room and we talked."

Oceanus's jaw dropped as the realization hit him. His eyes were wide, and it was clear he couldn't believe what I was saying.

"They're really difficult to understand, huh," he said, holding his head like he was battling a migraine.

I shook my head and lightly tapped him on the forehead. "You're overreacting again, but I get it. I was just as shocked. Now I have a hunch that one of the reasons Atlas wants to kill Perses is because he knew Rafael was dead."

"Huh? Why would that be the reason?" Oceanus asked, frowning.

I shrugged. "Atlas only knows now that Rafael is dead, right? When Rafael and I were still close, he lived in their mansion. I only recently got to enter that mansion, despite how long Rafael and I had been friends. For all we know, Atlas wants revenge because of what happened there."

"But Atlas has wanted to take down Perses for a long time. How could that be the reason?"

I rolled my eyes. "I said it could be one of the reasons, didn't I? One. One of the reasons," I repeated.

Oceanus sighed heavily and leaned back against the soft sofa cushions.

"Don't tell me Perses might also have some connection to Atlas," he said, staring at the ceiling.

"What else could it be? Rafael lived in the Zevallos mansion, of course, and Perses was there too. Rafael is Perses' grandson. Atlas is Perses' son. And I think the reason Atlas is so determined to kill Perses is because who wouldn't think about doing something like that if they found out their child died under their father's care?"

Oceanus closed his eyes tightly, digesting everything I had said. "Alright, I understand your story now. But I still can't believe any of this. I barely know anything about Atlas' life, Hexia. All I know is that his wife died. I never even knew if they had a child because it felt too intrusive to ask him about something like that."

I let out a deep breath and leaned back on the soft sofa cushions as well.

"Now that I understand one of the reasons why Atlas is the way he is, I can't wait to find out the real reason why he wants to kill Perses," I said, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I turned to Oceanus when he suddenly spoke.

"I think that's where things will get difficult for you, Hexia," he said.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"Take care. Don't worry, we've placed a tracker on Oceanus' car. If anything happens to you, we can back you up immediately," Atlas said over the phone.

I scratched my head at his words. I was at the grocery store, picking out ingredients for the dishes I planned to cook this Christmas. Out of nowhere, Atlas called, and that was the first thing he told me.

"Yes, father," I teased.

"Father?!" Oceanus practically yelled from the other end of the line, his voice full of laughter.

I just shook my head and ended the call, focusing back on my shopping. I had volunteered to cook for Christmas since we were all sick of the takeout food Atlas kept buying. With no chef around in Atlas' warehouse and so many workers bustling about, it would be a hassle for someone else to prepare the food.

But this time, it's on me. It's just one day, after all, and we don't celebrate Christmas every day.

I glanced down at the large cart, now almost full of the items I'd picked out. I carefully checked everything again, counting to ensure I had everything I needed, then headed to the cashier to pay.

A few minutes later, I had paid for everything. Some of the items were placed in a box and loaded onto the large cart. One of the staff members was about to push it to the parking lot when I signaled him to stop.

"I've got it from here. Thank you," I said, stopping the man.

He froze for a moment, then quickly nodded at my words. "Alright, ma'am. Thank you, and take care on your way home."

I smiled at him and headed for the large cart, gripping its handle. "Thank you, too."

Slowly, I pushed the cart toward the parking lot. Oceanus' car was parked at the far end, so I had quite a distance to cover. The cart was slightly heavy, but it was manageable, and I didn't mind the effort.

Ever since Oceanus and I resumed training, I'd started feeling lighter and stronger. I doubled the intensity of my workouts to quickly regain my stamina, and it seemed to be paying off.

I pulled out the car key and pressed a button, causing Oceanus' car to beep. I moved straight to the trunk, opened it, and placed the boxes inside. Once done, I pushed the cart to the designated area for returning them.

My brows furrowed as I felt a strange sensation, like someone was following or watching me. A chill ran down my spine. I quickly entered the car, reached for my pocket knife, and prepared to step out, ready for any threat.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed mine.

My heart raced twice as fast, startled by the unexpected contact. Instinctively, I gripped the person's hand, twisted it behind his back, and slammed him face-first against Oceanus' car hood. With my free hand holding the pocket knife, I pressed the blade against his neck, ready to strike if necessary.

"What are you doing?" I asked coldly, my voice firm and unyielding.

"You got me there, huh."

I froze, immediately recognizing the voice. "Helios..." I whispered, almost inaudibly.

He wore a black hoodie and dark blue jeans, the hood covering most of his face. As he stood and faced me, he slowly pulled back the hood, revealing his handsome face.

Without realizing it, I found myself leaning against his broad chest, my eyes closed. His strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist, embracing me as if we hadn't seen each other in years.

And to me, almost a month apart felt like an years. Not a single day or night passed without thoughts of him crossing my mind.

I quickly opened my eyes when he held my waist and lifted me, setting me gently on the hood of the car. His face leaned into the curve of my neck, his breath warm against my skin, sending a wave of unfamiliar but undeniable sensations coursing through me.

"I miss you," he whispered. "I miss you so much."

I smiled sparingly and hugged him tightly. My hand rose and gently stroked his incredibly soft hair. Nothing seemed to have changed. The texture of his hair was still the same as before.

"Me too. I missed you so much," I whispered back to him. "It's been almost a month since we last saw each other."

"I know..." he replied. "I've just been so busy, and Perses always has me doing other tasks. But you never left my mind. Even at work, it's always you I think about."

I gasped softly when he lifted me up again. I wrapped my legs around his waist and saw him open the backseat door for us to get in. I lay down on the seat and couldn't move immediately when he attacked my lips with a passionate kiss.

I gladly accepted it and just caressed his cheek as I followed the movement of his lips on mine. It was hot and intense, and I felt the fire between us slowly growing.

Our hands were both busy caressing each other's bodies while our kiss continued uninterrupted. The hair on my body stood on end whenever he gently bit my lower lip. I gasped softly when I felt his hand go straight between my thighs as he slipped his hand into my underwear.

That's when he had the chance to slip his tongue in, and it tickled my entire being. I didn't have a hard time imitating him because I was following the rhythm of the kiss that he was giving me.

"You're wet," he said seductively to my lips.

I let out heavy breaths, and what was supposed to happen happened. We both moaned each other's names inside the car as we made the most of the time we were together because I didn't know, and neither did he, when we would see each other again.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

"The chaos happening now is connected to Faction Tres," I murmured to Helios as I drove.

I was on my way back to Atlas' warehouse, but I decided to take a detour through Austria City to drop Helios off at one of the malls. I couldn't drop him off directly at their mansion gate, as I didn't want a repeat of what happened before.

"How did you figure that out?" Helios asked, turning his head toward me.

"I heard that Cronus is already aware of the issues with Faction Tres. I'm not sure if you know, but that's where the troublemakers from the Abyss Order end up. It's always chaotic there. Atlas had mentioned to me before that one of Faction Tres' associates was following our warehouse. Atlas is always being targeted by them."

I furrowed my brows as I kept my eyes focused on the road. When I didn't get a response from Helios, I glanced over at him. He, too, had a furrowed brow, staring ahead at the road as if deep in thought.

I pressed the brake when the traffic light turned red. I sighed softly and leaned back in my seat, lost in my thoughts.

"For sure, it's going to cause huge problems if our faction gets involved," I said seriously. "What happened in Sanctuario Seguro is a major warning. I'm sure the one responsible was inside the safe zone. Weapons aren't allowed, so how did one get through? It's really annoying to think—"

I didn't finish my sentence because, at that moment, he suddenly kissed me when I looked at him. I automatically closed my eyes and accepted his kiss. His lips were soft and moved slowly, and I mirrored his movements.

"Calm down, please?" he said gently. His hand lifted to caress my face before he took my hand that was on the steering wheel. "You're drowning yourself in this problem. Who knows, Atlas might already have a solution."

"I can't calm down with our situation right now. Atlas and I have no escape because I feel like we're both stuck in this mess. And you too," I replied. "I know Perses needs something from Atlas as well. That's why he's also sent you to kill me, right? They know I'm Atlas' weakness because I'm his wife, but that's not true. And if they succeed... if they kill me, only then will they go after Atlas."

I noticed his expression darken. Gradually, it softened as he took my hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed the back of my palm.

"There's no one else who's your weakness, Hexia. No one but me. Just me, and no one else. You're mine," he said tenderly while kissing my palm.

He never took his gaze off me, and neither did I. His ash-grey eyes had a glimmer of happiness, as if he was content that we were here together... Just the two of us.

I instinctively pulled my hand away from him, unable to stop myself from shaking my head at what he said.

"You're the only one making things that cause jealousy, Helios. Atlas is more like my father, you know. So why do you think like that?" I answered, trying to stifle my laugh.

"Why? It happens, right? An older person marrying someone much younger."

"You have a point, but for me, that's not going to happen. You know there's someone I like, and that person is you, right?" I replied, glancing at him.

He didn't respond and kept his gaze on the road, his face serious. A mischievous smile appeared on my lips when I saw his ears turn red.

"You're not saying anything now, huh?" I teased.

"Just drive," he quickly responded.

I shook my head, sensing the restraint in his voice, as if he was holding back his happiness. It took a few minutes before I finally reached a mall here in Austria City.

The car was parked on the side, and I watched Helios silently adjust himself before unbuckling his seatbelt.

"You're really going home now ?" I said sadly, looking at him. "When will we see each other again?"

I saw him freeze in his movements. He leaned over, kissed my lips, and as his lips left mine, I felt tears well up in my eyes. As soon as he pulled away, the warm tears spilled down my cheeks. He pressed our foreheads together and kissed me quickly on the lips again.

"Don't worry. Everything will be okay once this problem is over," he said softly, trying to ease my mind. "I'll text you later. I'll help you if you want. Just tell me what you need to know."

It felt tight in my chest, and even though he was trying to comfort me, it still hurt. It felt like the day wasn't enough for us to make the most of our time together. I felt so sad, and it hurt so much.

"Okay, I love you," my voice trembled as I gently caressed his cheek, gazing into his ashen eyes.

"I love you too, baby. I have to go now. Be safe on your way home, okay?"

I nodded several times and kissed him deeply and passionately. He was the one to pull away from the kiss before stepping out of the car. I sighed heavily and tried to calm myself before starting the car to head back to Atlas' warehouse.

With everything going on right now, I needed to talk to Atlas and tell him everything I had found out. I thought it would be a huge help for his plan to take down Perses. And if Helios helped me, that would be even better because it would make everything easier.

We need to find out who's behind all these problems. From the people who want to kill us, to who's responsible for what happened in the safe zone. Because I know only Atlas can put an end to this.

I turned the steering wheel and quickly but carefully drove the car.

I heard a notification sound from my phone, a message from our organization. I quickly grabbed my phone and checked what it was. My brow furrowed as I looked at it for a moment before returning my attention to the road.

You're invited to the El Orden Del Abismo Anniversary Party at Sanctuario Seguro, starting at 8:00 PM. We would be delighted to have you join us. See you there!

Please dress elegantly and remember to wear your mask.

Weapons are strictly prohibited.

Big Boss,

Cronus

SHANGPU