Chapter 103

Toby's expression soured. He had never put aside his dignity for anyone since the establishment of Century Group, not to mention getting on his knees. He had only done so to Atlas out of desperation, but Atlas ignored his plight and left. Toby slowly rose from the ground after Atlas left. A murderous look filled his eyes. He was soon joined by Sierra, who helped him up from the ground. She spat, "Uncle Toby, Atlas Blackwell is a brat!" "I admit that I have underestimated the difficulty of 'The Celestial Acupuncture Codex.' Our team hasn't mastered it after spreading five years studying it. "But that doesn't give him the right to act all haughty just because the Codex once belonged to his mom. I will crush the Herbal Emporium and Tabitha before my wedding." Toby got up from the ground. He had felt small earlier, but now, all that was left was fury. He dusted his shirt and said sternly, "Cece, you need to speed things up. The Kingstons have invited that the big to the wedding celebration. You need to tie up the loose ends so that the big shot doesn't hear about it. Got it?" She nodded and smiled. "Uncle Toby, I know what to do." … When Atlas and Tabitha returned to the Herbal Emporium, a line had formed outside due to its sudden popularity. The noisy crowds chatted and cheered outside the place. Callie was waiting eagerly for the couple by the entrance. She looked delighted when Atlas returned. "Good job, Atlas! You finally made us proud. What would you like for dinner tonight? I'll head home early to make dinner for you." Callie was happy to learn that the successful Century Group had been put in their place by the humble Herbal Emporium. On the other hand, Atlas handled his victory with calm. He was no stranger to such major events after what he had gone through in the past. He calmly declared, "Today is just a taste for what is to come." Callie looked at him with doubt. Did he claim that his victory over Sierra was just a prelude? "Ah, that sounds right. Atlas, I have trust in you!" Tabitha's Herbal Emporium recorded its busiest day. The foot traffic was double the daily average, and she was on her feet until night arrived. The family went home to Royale Manor, where she slumped on the couch. Atlas noticed her fatigue and suggested, "Let the others handle the business tomorrow. You should take two days off." She quickly shook her head. "That won't do. I am yet to deal with a lot of customer orders from today. I need to get that done tomorrow. No way I'll waste the golden opportunity." He watched her in silence. Her eyes were pristine pools. She was the most innocent of them all, yet the most competitive. After five yearrs of being bullied by Sierra, it never occurred to Tabitha that she could ever leave the godforsaken junkyard with her child, not to mention competing against Sierra as equals. She would not let this opportunity slip by. He agreed without much arguing, "Sure." After dinner, Tabitha was enjoying a foot bath in the living room. When Atlas did the dishes, he noticed that Stacy had brought the hot water for Tabitha's foot bath. He approached Tabitha and spotted many bruises across her legs. From the look of it, those were old bruises, presumably from the day she struggled as she drowned at the lake. Her bruises didn't heal up, even until today. The injuries affected her, as she couldn't keep her balance for long. He took over and gently wiped her foot. "Don't worry. I'll be by your side no matter what happens." She beamed at him. Her smile was as lovely as the spring breeze. … In the next few days, Herbal Emporium's business surged, but that also meant bad news for their competitors.