Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Atlas straightened his clothes, doing his best to keep his cool as he walked toward the door.

When he saw Angelina, he kept his voice steady as he asked, “Angelina, did you need something?”

“I came to apologize for my outburst at the palace the other day. You don’t have a girlfriend, but I said something I shouldn’t have. Hope you’re not mad at me?” Angelina said softly, studying Atlas closely.

His eyes looked a bit flushed, his skin almost too pale, and there was a subtle hint of cedar lingering in the air around him.

Angelina’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Is Atlas about to go into rut?’ she thought to herself.

She was conflicted. To be honest, she’d always been caught between Atlas and Krish, never quite able to make up her mind.

Angelina and Atlas were childhood friends; she’d even saved his life once when they were little.

Atlas was infamous for his bad temper, especially around women, but when it came to Angelina, he was always different. She was the exception to his rule.

If Angelina ever wanted to marry Atlas, it wouldn’t be much of an issue.

But the real catch was, Krish was the one destined to inherit the throne. He was gentle and kind-hearted, and he’d always treated Angelina with care.

The Logan family had a solid reputation, and honestly, Angelina found herself drawn more to Krish’s gentle nature.

What she really wanted was to become Krish’s wife.

Right now, with Atlas about to hit his rut, this was the easiest time to get close to him.

If she played her cards right, she might just end up marrying him.

‘If only it were His Highness Krish going into rut today,’ Angelina thought, a little wistfully.

Angelina’s hesitation was seriously testing Atlas’s patience. He was already feeling terrible, and with his rut about to hit, he could barely keep his emotions in check.

He just wanted her out of there as soon as possible.

“Angelina, if there’s nothing else, you should head back,” Atlas said.

Angelina hesitated.

Zee watched the whole thing, anxiety spiking in its core processor.

It knew Atlas couldn’t hold out much longer. The best thing to do now was to call Layla over.

Without wasting a second, Zee secretly shot a message over to Zan.

When Zaa got the message, Layla had just finished a class and was packing up to head over to the mech lab.

The retractable dagger she’d been working on for Annie was still missing a bit of tin alloy. She’d finally managed to get her hands on it, so she was about to install it.

Adding the tin alloy would make the dagger lighter and give it even better flexibility.

“Layla, Zee just messaged me. It says Atlas wants to meet up and talk about the divorce,” Zaa said.

Chapter 65

Layla froze for a moment.

She lowered her eyes, paused for a few seconds, then said, “Just tell Zee I can’t leave campus right now.

“There’s nothing to discuss about the divorce. If Atlas agrees, I can file for it anytime, or he can do it himself

Zaa immediately relayed Layla’s message to Zee.

Zee was losing it on the other end. All nine tails were out, Atlas looked totally dazed, and the scent of his pheromones was thickening in the air.

If Angelina weren’t so fixated on becoming Krish’s wife, she probably would’ve already gone over to try and soothe Atlas.

That was exactly why Zee sent that message about meeting up to talk about divorce.

It knew Layla had been wanting to split from Atlas for a long time. Any other reason, and she wouldn’t have come.

After all its careful planning, Zee completely forgot that Imperial Academy was still locked down because of the rebels.

But this was urgent. Only Layla could fix things for Atlas now.

Zee: [Zaa, tell Mrs. Zimmer she needs to come in person. To leave campus, she can use Mr. Zimmer’s private passage. The aero-vehicle is already waiting for her at the exit.]

Layla thought to herself, ‘This feels kind of strange.’

But honestly, she couldn’t wait to get the divorce over with. The longer she stayed married to Atlas, the more unexpected trouble could pop up.

After a moment’s hesitation, she messaged Annie, telling her they’d have to reschedule the weapon mod for another day.

Once that was done, she made her way to Atlas’s private passage, which Zee had told her about.

Meanwhile, at the gate of Atlas’s private estate, Atlas stood with his gaze lowered, his patience running thin as he waited for Angelina to respond.

When she kept silent for too long, he frowned, ready to turn around and head back inside.

But just as he was about to leave, Angelina suddenly reached out to stop him, catching him by the sleeve.

“Atlas, are you not feeling well?” Angelina asked.

“Angelina, do you still need something?” Atlas replied, discreetly freeing himself from her grip.

Angelina looked genuinely hurt, her voice trembling with sadness. “Atlas, are you still upset about what I said the other day?

“Or is it because you’ve got feelings for someone else now, so you’re starting to ignore me and keep your distance? Is it all because of Layla?”

Atlas was already struggling against the agony of his rut, but the moment he heard Layla’s name, he just snapped. He couldn’t hold it together anymore.

His once cold, distant eyes grew hazy and wet, the kind of look that could mesmerize anyone who saw it.

Atlas was infamous for his bad temper and how hard he was to approach, but when his rut hit, the difference was night and day. Plus, he was a rare nine-tailed fox shifter, which only made things more intense.

19:5

Chapter 65

And with the pheromones swirling thick in the air, the tension was almost unbearable.

Angelina’s heart raced, and before she could stop herself, she moved, drawn irresistibly toward Atlas by the thick. intoxicating scent of his pheromones.

Meanwhile, Layla was already riding in the aero-vehicle reserved for Atlas’s estate. With exclusive access, she flew straight to her destination at top speed, no obstacles in her way.

The moment she left campus, the security officer on duty spotted it immediately.

But since Layla used Atlas’s private passage, the officer had to notify Davis.

Davis stayed calm as ever. “His Highness must have something important to discuss with her. No need to worry about it.”

“Yes, sir,” the officer replied.

Davis was one of the few who knew the real story. After all, Atlas had even moved into Layla’s dorm room back then.

He picked up his cup, took a small sip, and clicked his tongue.

Who would’ve thought that wild, rebellious prince would actually shack up with a girl from campus?’ Davis thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

‘And judging by how things looked before, the crown prince probably still has no idea,’ Davis couldn’t help but find it funny.

Meanwhile, in the aero-vehicle, Zee’s voice was urgent. “Where are you? Hurry up,”

Layla frowned, feeling confused. ‘Isn’t this supposed to be about the divorce? If Atlas is so desperate now, what was he waiting for before?’ she wondered.

She couldn’t help but feel annoyed. ‘He was the one who refused to split up before, and now he’s the one acting like it’s urgent to end things,’ Layla grumbled to herself.

Layla took a deep breath. Just one more time. This is the last time, for real,’ she told herself.

When the aero-vehicle finally touched down on the helipad, Layla stepped out, only to see a ball of fluff bolt toward her like a rocket.

Before she could even react, it dove straight into her arms.

“Star, you’re finally here,” Atlas called out, his voice thick with relief.

The handsome boy looked up at her, eyes shimmering with tears, biting his lip, and looking so pitiful. Behind him, his fluffy white tail curled up in misery, matching the aggrieved look on his face.

Layla just stared, speechless, not even sure how to react.

‘So, Atlas wants to divorce me when he’s thinking straight, but the second his rut kicks in, he turns into a total puppy and won’t let go?’ Layla grumbled inwardly.

But just as that thought flashed through Layla’s mind, she suddenly heard the sound of someone groaning in pain nearby.

She walked over and was taken aback to find Angelina cowering in the corner, her face battered and her nose swollen.

19:50 Fri, Jan 9