Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1744

Chapter 1744: Talking to people’s my favorite thing

[Pierson Corporation: COO’s Office]

Atlas sat quietly on the one-seater couch in his office with a dead expression. His eyes lingered on the few men seated across from him on the other couch—William among them.

Which meant, whatever this was, he didn’t want to hear it. He would rather drown than have it, but then again, Atlas had no choice.

"Atlas, this is the umpteenth time you’ve interfered with a project under my wing!" William snapped, tapping the document on the table and glaring at him. "Explain this to me! Why are you just targeting me!?"

"I’m not..."

"At this rate, it’s abuse of power!" one of the other men — head of the current project Atlas had just sent a memo to — added furiously. He then started pointing at the men in the room. "First you stopped his project, then his, and now mine?!"

"There were dozens of projects this year under other people’s names, but you only stop ours!" another added, dismayed. "Yet, it seemed you only have problems with ours!"

"We’re calling an emergency board meeting if this continues!" William fumed. "You shouldn’t even have the authority to question it—"

"Yet I did," Atlas replied—not with his usual monotone, but like someone whose last brain cell had just died. But these men weren’t letting him mourn for it. "And not only did I question it, I shut it down. Regardless of the resources spent."

He blinked lazily. "Want to know how I did that?"

"It’s because all these projects... there’s something wrong with them," he continued, his voice getting deader by the second. "If you’re confident nothing shady is going on, then you should have no problem with the audit we’re conducting."

Their faces twisted further — unsure if it was his words or the look on his face that angered them the most.

"I’m not accusing anyone, but if something shady is happening without your knowledge, then I’m simply saving this company from a bigger disaster," Atlas said, his blinks slow and tired. "If you’re still upset, feel free to call for another emergency meeting. I love meetings. Talking to people’s my favorite thing."

"Atlas, are you mocking us—"

Knock knock.

William nearly bit his tongue at the interruption. All heads turned to the door, where Allen peeked inside. Everyone in the room — except Atlas — frowned.

Couldn’t Allen see they were in the middle of something important?

"Sir..." Allen said awkwardly, wilting under the older men’s death stares. He turned his attention to Atlas and froze.

Atlas’s face looked... gone.

’Did he just turn off his brain? Is he in auto-pilot mode?’ Allen wondered, trying not to focus on that dead-eyed stare from his boss. ’I guess that’s the case.’

"Allen," Atlas breathed out, as if even talking required effort. This was what happened when he didn’t sleep properly and had to deal with William in the morning. He should’ve had some coffee earlier. That would’ve helped... probably.

"Can’t you see I have important people here?" he said flatly, as if reading the others’ thoughts. "Don’t interrupt us. We’re in the middle of something important. Unless that’s more important."

"But sir, the CEO wants to see you," Allen announced, quieter. "He’s outside."

"We still have a lot to consider—including who should take over the Zorken Family," Zoren sighed. "We told you the gist already, but..."

Zoren gave a shortened version of the discussion, hitting only the important parts. Atlas nodded along, aware of the weight that came with replacing Nathalie.

"I see." Atlas hummed. "That is problematic."

"That’s why I’m planning to consult Dad or Uncle Haines," Zoren continued. "It’s a tricky decision. Everyone with that kind of power tends to get greedy—or worse, changed by it."

Atlas blinked and stared at him. "You don’t want to claim it yourself?"

"I’ll consider it if things get worse. But Penny and I still need to talk about it."

"I see." Atlas nodded again. "In your previous life, what were the restrictions of being the family head?"

"There were quite a few. It’s like leading a kingdom—but modernized. The Zorken Family and the other party each have their own affairs to handle."

"Does that mean you and Penny won’t be able to come home?"

"We can. But we won’t be able to stay long."

"Okay." Atlas nodded again, more firmly this time. "Then I’ll take it—before I get tried as someone who buried William Pierson alive."