[PRESENT TIME]
Atlas jolted awake, suppressing a memory he desperately wanted to avoid. "That was close." His body tensed, and a shallow breath escaped through his nostrils.
At that moment, he noticed a figure settling into the seat across from him. The lines between his brows deepened as he lifted his gaze to meet the man's pair of dark eyes.
Atlas straightened. "Mr. Pierson."
"Mr. Atlas Bennet," Zoren responded evenly. "I hope you don't mind; I took the liberty of sitting down."
"It's alright. Thank you for accepting my invitation on such short notice."
"There's no need for thanks. I'm just glad I didn't have to wait long," Zoren trailed off, raising his brows. "...and the timing of your call was impeccable."
Impeccable timing…
Atlas studied Zoren's expression, wondering if Penny's drunken state had anything to do with his comment. Though Zoren still appeared paler than most, he didn't look as drained as the time he had picked up Penny for their first date.
