Chapter 27: One Hundred Million Dollars' Worth of Goods
Atlas moved closer as he spoke. Just as I was getting flustered, he reached out and lightly tapped my nose, then sat back with a grin and said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to eat you."
"I want to tell you about me and the Armstrong family so you don't get the wrong idea and lie awake at night overthinking things. That would be my fault, wouldn't it?"
"Who says I'll be lying awake overthinking?" I muttered in protest.
He chuckled softly and said, "Okay, okay, so I'll be the one overthinking, happy now?"
Then he cleared his throat and said, "To prevent me from overthinking, let me explain everything about the Armstrong family clearly."
I didn't really want to listen, but I was pretty curious about his story.
Atlas began, "When I was eight, my mom passed away. After she died, I left the Lancaster family. Mr. Armstrong took me in, and I lived at his house until I was twelve. That's when my grandfather personally came to The Armstrong Villa to bring me back, and I returned to the Lancaster family."
"The Armstrong family is like a second home to me. I think of Nancy as my sister."
He might see Nancy as a sister, but Nancy only wanted him as a lover.
But from Atlas's brief words, I could hear the conflicts between wealthy families.
"After my mother died, my father remarried. His current wife has a son and a daughter. My father has high hopes for my brother. After mom passed, there was no place for me at home anymore, so I rarely go back."
Atlas's tone was calm, but I could still hear the sadness in it.
Losing his mother's protection at a young age, being sent to live elsewhere, then coming home only to be pushed aside by his stepmother's two children—how could such a life be happy?
I took a deep breath and looked at him seriously. "It's okay. Everything will get better."
"Yeah."
He leaned his head against the car seat and turned toward me, his eyes full of shining starlight.
"Everything will get better. Helena, thank you."
I was confused. "Thank me for what?"
"Thank you for letting me meet you, and thank you for listening to me."
When he finished speaking, my face grew hot. Atlas, really.
After thinking for a moment, I asked, "You said you knew me before. When exactly was that?"
He chuckled softly. "That was when I first went to The Armstrong Villa. I saw you once. It's been so long, you probably don't remember."
From his evasive tone, I could tell something was off.
He was only eight when he went to The Armstrong Villa. I would have been even younger then. How could he possibly remember me?
But Atlas clearly didn't want to say more, so I didn't press him.
After that, Atlas didn't say anything else. He just leaned against the car seat, quietly staring at the night outside.
Atlas always seemed domineering and cold to me. This was the first time he'd shown such a vulnerable side in front of me. He must be missing his mother.
Seeing him like this made my heart ache a little. I didn't say anything more either, just sat quietly with him.
I don't know how long passed before Atlas came back to himself.
"Let's go. I'll take you home."
The car made a loud roar in the quiet night, and we quickly arrived at my door. The moment I jumped out of the car, Atlas said, "Thank you for tonight."
I turned back and waved my hand. "Atlas, even though I won't accept your pursuit, I still want to tell you—everything will get better. Keep going!"
I pumped my fist for emphasis, then turned and left.
Behind me came a soft voice: "Keep going!"
I tossed and turned all night.Even in my dreams, all I could see was that annoying Atlas. Finally, I just sat up, got up early, and went to the company.
Today I was planning to go do market research with York, but before we could leave, I heard Lyndon's loud voice calling out.
"Ms. Lockwood, come quick! Someone's here to see you."
"Who is it?"
As I spoke, Lyndon had already reached me, his face full of smiles. "Ms. Lockwood, hurry! A big client is here and specifically asked to see you."
"See me?"
I was a bit surprised. I'd only been on the job for a few days. Who would want to see me at this point?
Half-believing, I followed Lyndon to the conference room. I pushed open the door and saw Atlas's annoying face.
I was a bit confused. I looked around—it was daytime, not a dream. Wait, why was Atlas here?
"Let me introduce everyone. This is Helena, currently in charge of equipment sales."
Lyndon said this while nodding and bowing to Atlas. "Mr. Lancaster, Ms. Lockwood can represent the company. Whatever requirements you have, you can discuss them with Ms. Lockwood."
I watched as Atlas made a show of nodding, then turned to his secretary. "Casey, go ahead."
"Ms. Lockwood, please sit."
Seeing me still standing there in a daze, Lyndon quickly called me to sit down.
I glanced at York, who was already in full business mode, and hurried to adjust my mood and get into work mode too.
"This time we need one hundred million dollars' worth of goods. If you can complete the production volume within the agreed time, we'll add another hundred million dollars after that."
After Casey finished reporting, she closed her notebook and turned to Atlas. "Mr. Lancaster, please add anything."
Atlas said casually, "You all heard it. The price is negotiable. The only requirement is on-time delivery. And I want Ms. Lockwood to personally oversee this batch of goods."
Lyndon beside me was almost crazy with joy. This was a hundred-million-dollar deal! He was already grinning from ear to ear.
He nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, no problem. We'll do everything as Mr. Lancaster says."
"Ms. Lockwood, Ms. Lockwood."
"What?"
Hearing Lyndon's voice, I snapped back to attention.
Lyndon quickly gave me meaningful looks. "Ms. Lockwood, Mr. Lancaster said he wants you to follow through on everything. Give him your answer."
I looked up and saw Atlas smiling somewhat smugly.
I nodded mechanically, but couldn't help confirming: "Mr. Lancaster, you're sure you want a hundred million dollars' worth of goods? This isn't a joke. Once the contract is signed, it can't be changed."