Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 1201

Chapter 1201: Consistently confusing
What Butler Lee told Penny lingered in the back of her mind. He hadn’t admitted it fully, but they both knew they shared the same theory. She understood Butler Lee’s choice to keep it to himself, given his disposition. Besides, Zoren had been sick all his life, and Old Mrs. Pierson had to juggle between protecting her grandson and running the treacherous Pierson Corporation.

Still, silence could be deadly, and Butler Lee knew that. That was why he had taken the liberty of speaking to Penny the moment she was alone. It wouldn’t hurt anyone to let someone know about what had bothered him for years.

Even so, Penny wasn’t sure if going back to that workshop had been a good idea.

“Are you okay?” Zoren asked through their telecom, watching her with concern. “You’ve been a little… distracted.”

Penny snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at him. “Of course. I’m probably just feeling the post-vacation blues.”

“We’ll come back,” he reassured her with a smile. “If not here, then somewhere else in the world.”

Penny blinked, biting her tongue to stop herself from asking how many other islands they owned. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know—at least not yet. “Okay.”

With that, they fell into a comfortable silence as the chopper carried them to the airport. Penny kept reminding herself not to let Zoren notice her unease. She had already kept her exchange with Slater last night a secret. Hiding something else from him didn’t sit right with her.

But no matter how much she tried, her thoughts showed on her face.

By the time they boarded their plane, Zoren asked again, “Are you sure you’re okay?” He tilted his head, his gaze filled with concern. “If you want something, just tell me. I’ll get it for you. Or… does your leg hurt?”

Penny pursed her lips, staring at her husband. If this weren’t about his mother, she would have told him everything. But like Butler Lee, she didn’t want to add more weight to his already burdened heart.

Zoren had just begun recovering lost memories—memories of his past before his father’s accident. He was already blaming himself for the fire and for Enzo’s death.

If she told him the unconfirmed truth about his mother—the woman who had heartlessly tried to poison both a young boy and his father—it would be cruel.

After a deep breath, Penny reached for him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

Caught off guard, Zoren froze.

“Renren, no matter what happens, always remember that you are loved,” she whispered, rubbing his back as if to comfort him. “Even if the entire world turns its back on you, I never will. I’m your wife—your forever partner. Through thick and thin, I’ll stay by your side and love you just as much.”

Zoren’s forehead creased in surprise. He had no idea what had prompted her sudden words of encouragement, but somehow, they reassured him. Although unexpected, they put his heart at ease.

“Mhm,” he hummed, finally embracing her in return. “I know.”

Penny smiled, resting her head against him. But before she could add more words of reassurance—her attempt to prepare him for an inevitable truth—Slater’s voice rang in their ears.

“Seriously?” Slater blurted. “You dragged us along just to do this in front of us?”

At the sound of Slater’s voice, Penny froze.

“Ahh…” An awkward laugh escaped her as she released Zoren like a malfunctioning robot. As the couple separated, Slater’s and Benjamin’s aghast faces came into view.

Both men darted their eyes between Penny and Zoren, their expressions twisted in exaggerated horror.

Benjamin shook his head, looking at Penny with mock betrayal.

“Miss Penny, if you want to hurt me, just punch me! You don’t have to stab me in the heart by favoring your husband over me!” he wailed before storming off to the other cabin where Allen was resting.

The private plane had four sections: two passenger cabins—one where Atlas and Hugo—the third was a bedroom with a few beds, and the last was the bar station, where the cabin crew and Allen were.

Penny, Zoren, and Slater watched Benjamin’s dramatic exit, confusion etched onto their faces.

“Why would he think he should be favored over the husband?” Slater wondered aloud, genuinely puzzled. “Does he have a twin? Because he wasn’t like this last night.”

“Tell me about it,” Penny mumbled, shaking her head before turning back to Zoren. “Renren, does he never confuse you?”

“He’s very consistent with me,” Zoren replied with a shrug. “Consistently confusing. I’ve grown used to it, and at some point, I think it became kind of… adorable.”

—Until Benjamin made it onto his list.

“You should just punch him next time.”

“Renren, that’s kind of mean, you know?” Penny gasped. “What did this vacation do to you?”

“Anyway,” Slater sighed, “if you two are going to keep being like this, I’m leaving to join them.” He shifted in his seat, ready to get up. “I don’t want to intrude on your little love fest.”

And honestly, he didn’t want to see it, either. Not because he was bitter, but because watching his little sister be all lovey-dovey with Zoren was just… cringe. Sweet, but still disgusting.

“Wait.” Penny raised a hand to stop him. “Third Brother, sit down. I promise I’ll stop with the public displays of affection.”

Slater narrowed his eyes. “Promise?”

“Yep!” Penny cleared her throat and straightened her back. “Anyway, we talked last night and agreed to discuss our past lives another time. I think I’m ready now. I’d like to hear your story—how you ended up in Homeland Security, and what really happened in our previous lives. This is a sixteen-hour flight, so it’s best to make the best out of it.”

Slater’s body tensed, his eyes widening. Slowly, he turned to Zoren, who had also furrowed his brows while looking at Penny.

Seeing this, Penny grinned and shot a glance at Zoren before turning back to Slater.

“Hehe. Don’t worry,” she giggled proudly, winking at Slater and tipping her head toward Zoren, who sat beside her. “Renren knows all about it —I told him! So your secret is safe with him too.”