The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy! - Chapter 420

Chapter 420: Alive, But Dead Inside
Haji walked out of the Summit Partners building with a strange heaviness clinging to him. He stopped, let out a long exhale, and glanced back at the glass facade.

When he’d seen Izu earlier, all he wanted was to satisfy his curiosity. He knew Izu would look into any hint of foul play for everyone’s peace of mind. But this was not what he expected.

“I might need a light,” he muttered as he resumed walking, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Guess I’m not quitting after all.”

What he’d discussed with Allen weighed on his shoulders, not because of anything else, but because he understood how heavy it would be for one person in particular: Lola.

*****

Meanwhile…

Allen sat alone in his office, eyes fixed on the empty chair where Haji had perched an hour earlier. The heaviness of their conversation still hung in the air. Asking Haji for input hadn’t been part of his plan, but once he’d thought of it, Allen made a decision.

Allen knew everyone in Lola’s orbit. Well, Atlas knew everyone, and Atlas’s background checks ran deep. It wasn’t surprising; the world they lived in required caution. Lola was an outsider, and Atlas had never liked putting her at risk because of him. So, if there was anyone Allen could trust with a burden like this, it would be Haji.

Another slow exhale escaped him as he replayed the talk with Haji.

*

*

*

Moments earlier…

Haji’s face had been blank, staring at Allen with wide, unblinking eyes.

“What did you say?” he asked under his breath. “You’re holding an order?”

Allen nodded. “Exactly that.”

Haji’s brows drew together. He looked away for a beat, processing the words. Allen had told him Atlas had issued a hit order on four people: Lawrence, Melissa, Mike, and Jasmine Young. Haji knew how insufferable those people could be. He’d seen enough to judge them.

But he’d never imagined Atlas would be pushed so far that he’d want them dead. That felt like overkill. More importantly, Haji worried about Lola—about what this meant for her. Because of one inconvenience, Atlas wanted to end lives.

Of course, Haji judged Atlas. Who wouldn’t?

Allen watched Haji, then offered a weary smile. “I know you’ll judge my boss,” he said. “But trust me. He did this for Miss Lola.”

“No matter how much of an asshole they are, Lola wouldn’t want them killed,” Haji said without hesitation, his tone dark. “She could destroy them if she wanted to, but she doesn’t. Do you people just decide to kill everyone who causes you trouble?”

If that was their policy, Haji thought, they weren’t so different from Vito, after all.

Vito — that cruel and twisted fellow — saw life as expendable. The underground was dangerous, but Vito had chosen this path because he liked it; he was sick in the head. The ones who truly had no choice were people like Lola and Amala. Not that Haji wanted pity—he didn’t—but he understood that their lives were constrained by forces beyond them.

Allen was quiet for a moment, rocking his head. “True,” he admitted. “She wouldn’t want them dead. But she might feel like dying if she learned what they’d done.”

Haji’s features tightened. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean… something about Miss Lola’s mother, Loren Albert,” Allen said, each word a little heavier than the last. “She did something that could change everything Miss Lola believes.”

Lines deepened on Haji’s face. “I don’t understand,” he said. “Can you stop going around in circles?”

Allen leaned forward. “My boss ordered a paternity test out of suspicion. What we found… it’s worse than a simple lie.”

He told Haji the whole thing—how the tests revealed switched parentage, the chain of decisions that followed, Loren’s actions, and the guilt buried beneath them. He spoke carefully, laying out a trap Haji would have preferred not to step into.

When Allen finished, he exhaled shallowly. “After knowing this, can you still blame my boss for issuing that order?”

Haji sat in silence for a long time, staring at Allen. The silence itself spoke volumes.

Who could blame Atlas?

This wasn’t petty vengeance or power for the sake of power. This was a preemptive act meant to protect Lola from an earth-shattering truth. Haji had known Lola longer than Allen did, and now he finally understood why Allen had come to him.

“You knew her more,” Allen said, sincerity plain in his eyes. “If you were in my position, Mr. Haji, would you have given the same order?”

Allen already had his own opinion about what should be done; he just wanted another perspective from someone who’d been at Lola’s side through her worst days.

Haji kept his head lowered, forearms resting on his thighs. He let the weight of what he’d heard settle in. When he finally lifted his gaze, his usual cocky edge was gone from his expression.

“Before you sat me down, you had a plan, didn’t you?” he asked.

Allen nodded. “I do. But that plan came with the order. I wanted to know whether it was selfishness or mercy.”

Haji didn’t need the details. He’d already pictured the options. In situations like this, there was usually only one practical choice.

“Before I answer—are you planning to tell her?” Haji asked.

Allen’s smile was subtle and tight. “I’m not in the position to tell her,” he said. “I only brought you in because I trust you not to say a word. My boss intended this as damage control; he wanted options he could deploy without broadcasting them.”

Haji sighed again, a sound that carried helplessness. “Then, if I were you…” He paused, studying Allen. “I’d rather they stay alive. All of them.”

“And why is that?” Allen asked.

“Because she can’t be the only one dying while still breathing,” Haji said slowly. He shook his head. “Lola will recover. She already has. She didn’t just survive; that woman thrived. But those people? They don’t deserve an early exit. I’d rather have them alive but dead inside.”

There it was, the merciless mercy of someone who knew the cost of truth. Haji’s answer was not about justice; it was about cruelty with a sliver of hope: let them live with what they’d done.

Let them rot from within.

For a moment, the only thing Allen and Haji shared was a quiet agreement—that whatever came next, it had to be held a secret until they could be sure the truth wouldn’t destroy the one person it would break most: Lola.