Moreover, it is Atlas Hallow who calls the shots in the Hallow Family. If I were to dissuade him in public, it would be too awkward, so I just quietly lowered my head and ate that bowl of sweet and rich dessert, savoring each bite with a hint of osmanthus fragrance lingering in my mouth.
The Hallow Family is a very peculiar place, continually giving Charlotte Miller new perspectives. For instance, when it came to birth control pills, as soon as Atlas Hallow mentioned needing them, the housekeeper astonishingly presented a box within five minutes, respectfully delivering it to Atlas Hallow.
The man's hands were incredibly alluring. When his slender, elegantly-knuckled hand picked up that box of pills, Charlotte's gaze involuntarily trembled. This was utterly brutal; a man seeks momentary pleasure, yet forces the woman to bear such consequences. Taking these pills too frequently leads to habitual miscarriages, so Charlotte hoped that yesterday was the first and last time in her life that she'd have to take them.
Why must women make things difficult for each other? If she hadn't complicated matters for herself, she wouldn't be facing this humiliation today.
Atlas Hallow placed the box of pills in his palm, his deep, dark gaze sweeping across the tiny mosquito-sized text on the box, and when he raised his eyes to look at Ava Walker, there was a chilling significance to it.
In a flash, the box of pills drew a parabolic arc from his hand, landing precisely on the dining table in front of Ava, sitting there steadily: "You won't know if it feels right unless you try it. She took a double dose, and you should too..."
The cold voice rose in the air, slicing through the tense atmosphere. Everyone's gaze fell on the box of pills, or rather, focused on Ava's actions, with each face displaying a myriad of expressions.
Kinsley Lee, Atlas's mother, couldn't hide a hint of schadenfreude, while Ayla Kim was somewhat indignant but dared not speak out. The most peculiar reaction came from Amir Hallow; he made no movement, leisurely drinking the milk in front of him, the white liquid staining his lips as if forming a white mustache.
A man's wife being forced to take birth control pills without his reaction - that is the strangest reaction of all.
"Why should I take it? I don't want to..." Ava, like a child, tossed the box to the ground, but there was an obvious timidity in her voice.
Atlas Hallow said nothing. The housekeeper quietly picked up the box and placed it back in front of Ava.
"Make sure she takes it before she leaves." After finishing his black coffee, Atlas Hallow spoke to the housekeeper, and the sound the cup made as he set it back on the dining table seemed almost as if it was pounding against one's heart. The past few days at the Hallow Family seemed like no meal was digestible.
His intentions were clear enough. If Ava didn't take the pills, she'd probably have to remain seated on that chair for the rest of the day.
"Let's go." Atlas Hallow took Charlotte Miller's hand and stood up. He should be heading to work.
Once he left, the Hallows returned to their rooms, leaving Ava sitting there, unable to leave. She had trapped herself in an impossible situation, helplessly watching that woman occupy the seat she once held, sitting beside the man she loved as they departed.
What took her years to fail at achieving, another woman managed in just three days. It's truly a monumental irony.
In the car, his scent permeated the air. The black coffee from the Hallow Family was aromatic, its rich scent lingering on his clothes, mingling with a faint hint of mint, perhaps from his aftershave.
"What are you thinking?" Atlas Hallow looked at Charlotte Miller sitting beside him. In her silence, she resembled a girl from an oil painting, but this girl had an intricate mind.
"Nothing." Charlotte's gaze settled on the traffic outside the windshield, the hustle and bustle of the street sharply contrasting with the quiet inside the car, as if they were two different worlds. And now, she was in this world with him. It felt a bit strange, like a little bug crawling in her heart - itchy, yet elusive.
"Is it something you can't say, or don't want to say?" Atlas Hallow, with one hand on the steering wheel, reached over with the other to hold her small, cool hand, so smooth and delicate.
"Neither, I just don't know what to say since this marriage happened so suddenly." Charlotte answered truthfully, lying to this man would take immense courage. Beneath his composed exterior lay an irresistible dominance, or rather, he was a man who wished to control everything. Such a controlling man wouldn't tolerate anyone around him harboring different intentions; he wanted to master everything, even the hearts of people.
"It's okay, we have plenty of time to get to know each other better..." His lips curled slightly, an entrancing smile that could almost take one's breath away. It's been said that beauty brings disaster, but it seems the same applies to men, as Ava got herself into trouble because of him.
In the car, the two remained silent, but their presence intertwined...
In the golden autumn morning light, the Hallow Clan Tower stood with silver-gray mirrored glass walls, huge silver letters "H" reflecting a cold, formidable aura under the sunlight.
The exclusive elevator led straight to the top floor, where his office was located.
Daniel Parker was somewhat surprised to see Atlas Hallow bringing Charlotte Miller into the office: "Good morning, President Hallow, ma'am..."
"Daniel, take Charlotte downstairs to complete her employment paperwork, and then arrange some work for her." Atlas Hallow sat on the sofa with Charlotte, his thin lips lightly parting: "If you encounter any issues at work, you can come to me directly or to Daniel."
"What issues could a restaurant waitress possibly have?" Charlotte chuckled, wearing a look that said you're overthinking it.
Daniel Parker's mind felt like it was struck by lightning, buzzing as if tears were about to fall. Working for Atlas Hallow was already pressuring enough, and now, besides the president's matters, he also had to handle the matters of the president's wife.
Restaurant waitress? Did he hear that right?
This kind of place is where troubles tend to occur the most...