The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!-Chapter 736: Together

Meanwhile...

Lola glanced at Atlas, her lips parting before pressing together again. A shallow breath escaped her as she swallowed the words that refused to come out.

The sound of their quiet footsteps echoed through the mansion. It was not always silent, nor was it always loud—but at this moment, it felt oddly, and unsurprisingly, quieter.

When they reached the family wing, Lola slowed to a stop. Atlas took a few steps ahead before pausing and looking back at her.

"Darling," she called softly, finally finding her voice. "Do you want to be alone for a while?"

Atlas simply stared at her, clearly considering it. She didn’t wait for his answer and smiled gently.

"I’ll wash up and then head back," she said quietly. "I’ll see what Allen and Slater are up to. You know where to find me, alright?"

"Mhm." He nodded, watching her turn on her heel and walk away. He stayed where he was, keeping his eyes on her until she disappeared from view.

After a moment, a deep exhale escaped him as he lowered his gaze to the floor. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his chest heavy. Still, he turned and let his feet carry him wherever they would.

Soon, he found himself on the same balcony where he and Lola had been during the attack. He stopped by the railing, scanning the surroundings in heavy silence.

Atlas didn’t personally know everyone arrested tonight. He knew some—like the town chief’s son, because he knew the chief. He was also aware of Pika’s boss, even though the man hadn’t worked directly under him. Still, Atlas remembered him well, mostly because he remembered the story about his daughter.

Compared to those he personally knew, the people he didn’t were far too many to count. Yet after listening to their stories and justifications, questions lingered in his mind.

And the feeling was unpleasant.

Heavier—more crippling—than he had expected.

After all, these people were still his people. The role he had taken was not one he had wished for, but one he accepted out of necessity—for his sister and his younger brother-in-law. Over time, he couldn’t say he had grown to love it, but it had undeniably become part of his life.

And for the first time in a long while, he felt he had done something wrong.

That realization weighed on his heart more than he could put into words. These were lives—real people whose lives had been played with.

Atlas undid the top button of his shirt as if it were strangling him. He felt suffocated, overwhelmed. With worries about Yuri and other matters pressing at the back of his mind, it felt as if an invisible hand had reached into his chest and gripped his heart—tight enough to hurt, but loose enough not to shatter it.

Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep breath, his jaw clenched as one hand rested on the railing for support. Before he could open his eyes, warmth spread across his back as a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind.

Atlas snapped his eyes open and glanced over his shoulder, finding Lola hugging him.

"I thought you might want some time alone," she said, resting her cheek against his back. Her eyes were soft, her lips curved into a wry smile. "While I was walking away, I kept telling myself that you probably needed space... or silence."

"But then," Lola paused, lifting her gaze toward him and forcing a smile, "after hearing Pika’s story about his former boss, it weighed so heavily on me. I didn’t want to be alone, so I came to find you. I want to be comforted, and the kids are already asleep. I didn’t want to wake them."

Atlas’s expression softened as a quiet chuckle escaped him. He knew she was partly deflecting. In truth, she had come back because she was worried about him.

Slowly, he covered her hands resting against his stomach and exhaled. Her warmth eased his heart, allowing him to breathe normally again. The heaviness was still there, but holding her like this was... comforting.

"It’s easy to blame others for the choices they’ve made," he murmured, tightening his hold on her hands. "And it’s easy to argue that hundreds of people were in the same situation and still didn’t turn their backs on the Order."

He paused. "But at the end of the day, I’m responsible for my people. I didn’t give them many choices, but someone else did."

"It makes me angry," he admitted quietly. "Not because people did this... but because I don’t know why."

"What did I do—in my first life or even in this one—that someone decided I shouldn’t exist?" he wondered aloud. "That thought weighs on me."

Of course, Atlas had his fears, especially now that he had a wife and children, a family of his own. He worried about his parents, his siblings, and their children. Then his own children. And beyond that... his people.

He might not remember his first life, but he knew he had failed everyone back then. And he refused to repeat that failure in this lifetime.

That was what terrified him the most, failing to protect those dear to his heart and losing everyone because of it.

Lola smacked her lips and gently released him before stepping in front of him with a bright smile.

"That’s not going to happen," she said firmly. "You know why?"

He blinked, but didn’t respond.

"Because everyone wants to protect something," she continued. "I want to protect myself, but I also want to protect our kids and you. Penny wants to protect her children, and Zoren protects them too. Kiara protects herself so Hugo can do the same and know he has a home to return to."

"Slater protects his vanity. Your dad—Dad—still protects this family. Mom protects the house so her children always have somewhere to come back to when life does what life does," she beamed. "You try to protect everyone, but that’s impossible. People make their own choices—like Penny choosing to keep her gambling addiction, or Slater choosing to hide his snacks when everyone already knows where they are. Like Loren Young choosing silence instead of correcting the so-called mistake she made."

"I chose to leave everything behind—not for you, but for myself," she added, spreading her arms wide. "And right now, Atlas Bennet, you have a choice. You can hug me... or you can drown in the choices others have made."

Her brows lifted when he didn’t move. "You know," she added lightly, "I think the first option is pretty good. If I were the one offering choices, I’d definitely—"

Before she could finish, Atlas pulled her abruptly into his arms. Lola laughed softly, hugging him just as tightly.

"Atlas," she whispered, patting his back gently. "Do you want to hear a secret?"

He didn’t answer, but he listened.

"I loved you before, and I still loved you when I met you again," she murmured. "But do you know why I gambled and opened my heart? It wasn’t because I’m the twins’ mother. And it wasn’t because I wanted to escape the people and places that broke me."

"It was because I saw how you torment your siblings... and yet they still act silly, comfortable, and fearless around you. The twins are the same," she said softly. "I thought they must feel safe enough to behave that way."

Her pats slowed, gentle and soothing. "That’s when I knew you’d never hurt me. Even if I’m—well—clinically insane?"

Atlas smiled faintly, his eyes softening as he pulled her closer.

"You and I aren’t alone anymore," she whispered. "So let me protect the things and people you protect... and let others protect us too."

This time, his tense muscles finally relaxed under her warmth and the tenderness of her words. It wasn’t the first time Atlas felt loved—but it was the first time he felt so deeply, so utterly grateful to have someone like Lola beside him, sharing the weight he carried.