The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!

Chapter 828: Does This Make Sense

Atlas stood outside Lola’s company building. Fog formed before his face with each breath as the night grew chillier with winter approaching.

He rubbed his hands together, wrapped in a black overcoat with a dark red scarf around his neck. Then, looked up to see an electronic billboard that was playing the commercial starring Cedrick, Pixie, and Megan — the artists of Taz Entertainment.

"I guess she still has a lot of work," he muttered.

Since Atlas took over the Order after he fully recovered, things had lightened up for Lola. He even wanted to take over her work for the company, but she refused.

So, he dropped her off here this morning since Lola told him she needed to focus on helping Amala a bit. Also, because many artists wanted to be managed by her agency. The agency she built to help an old friend, but now growing rapidly because of the artists’ success.

"Baby~!"

Atlas snapped his eyes up and saw her by the entrance. She was grinning, her nose already a little red, dressed lightly despite the cold. He smiled as he marched toward her, untangling his scarf.

Once he reached her, he wrapped the scarf around her neck.

"It’s cold," he said, but Lola just jumped at him and hugged him.

Her smile was so big that her eyes seemed to gleam. "It’s very cold."

"Haha." Pulling the lapels of his overcoat, he wrapped her small frame inside it while hugging her. "Better?"

She nodded, making him let out a helpless laugh. Then his brows rose slightly as he noticed that her smile was bigger than ever.

"Did something good happen?" he asked. "You look... very happy."

"Hehe. I’ll tell you once I’m sure," she giggled. "But I think... I’m already sure."

Once they got home tonight, she would surely take a pregnancy test. The fried chicken Silo brought was something Lola would usually chow down on without a problem. But tonight, for some reason, just the mere scent of it made her throw up. So, Silo had to take it away.

Good thing that happened before she had any alcoholic beverages.

It also reminded her how sensitive she had been when she was carrying the twins.

"I see." He nodded with a smile. Whatever it was, he was already happy for her.

But then Lola suddenly spoke.

"Baby," she said, pursing her lips, her cheeks red. "Before we go home, can we drop by somewhere really quick? I need to buy something."

"Sure," he nodded. "Where?"

"To the pharmacy."

He paused, his brows crinkling. "Pharmacy? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No," she shook her head and then giggled. "I need a pregnancy test. I might be... you know?"

Atlas blinked, and blinked some more. When her words finally sank in, he leaned back a little, shock written all over his face.

"You..." he trailed off as she nodded, giggling and smiling.

Then, without a word, he picked her up into the air.

"Kyah!" she screamed happily, her hands on his shoulders.

"Really?" he asked, cocking his head back to look her in the eye. "You might be?"

"Might." She pouted. "So, we need to be sure—kyah!"

Lola squealed and laughed as he suddenly spun her a little, only for him to quickly put her down when he realized she might be pregnant and that it might not be good for the baby. He then pulled her into his embrace, smiling just as brightly as she was.

Little did they know, just several meters across from them stood a man.

Derek was leaning against the side of his car, dressed lightly as if he hadn’t expected it to be this chilly tonight. Not that he looked bothered as he quietly kept his focus on the couple across the street.

Lola’s squeal and laughter echoed to where he was, and the smile on her face was something that could brighten up the entire area.

A shallow breath escaped him as his eyes softened. Derek didn’t even know why he came here tonight when he heard Lola was in Novera. He heard it from Travis when the latter mentioned in passing earlier that Atlas was in the country.

After what happened at the holy grounds, Derek didn’t get the chance to talk to her. When they were rescued, he was taken away from the area to recover. Then he was sent back to Novera after being warned not to speak a word about it. Not that he planned to, because who would believe him?

"Maybe..." he trailed off, watching Atlas finally put her down and simply embrace her.

When he saw Atlas lowering his head for a kiss, Derek looked away. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, but the tension in his throat didn’t disappear.

A few seconds later, he heard tires screeching. He turned his head and saw that the couple was gone from their spot, their car already pulling away.

"I guess coming here was a mistake," he whispered. "And that I don’t need to talk about what happened."

There was no need for him to question how Lola could take down people without hesitation. Or why she looked so used to it. Or even wonder if she was in a good place. What he had seen just now told him everything he wanted to know and even things he didn’t want to know.

"I..." he paused when he noticed white flakes falling.

Derek opened his palm and then looked up, seeing that snow had begun to fall. A wry smile turned up on his face, sadness and regret shining so brightly in his eyes that the corners of them looked red.

"... I really lost her a long time ago, didn’t I?" he whispered to himself as his eyes softened, his eyelids drooping. "That’s... that’s cold."

A weak laugh escaped him as he lowered his head, leaned his back against the car, and stood there while the snow fell, hoping the coldness would knock some sense into him. Or perhaps just numb this bitter acceptance that he had lost Lola a long time ago.

And no matter what he said or did, the only thing he could ever do was regret.

"Not that you deserved her in the first place," he told himself, turning his head in the direction their car had disappeared.

"Because you are pathetic," another deep exhale escaped him. "... but damn, it hurts."

It hurt to know that he was the one who ruined the chance he should have had. That the only person to blame for this sadness and regret was no one else but him. But even when it hurt this much—so much that his heart felt like it was being torn apart piece by piece—there was this strange relief in it.

"How is it that even when I feel like crying, and even when I just miss you... I am glad that you’re happy?" he wondered under his breath. "Does this make sense?"