Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 1485

Chapter 1485: Kidnapped in the middle of the night
At the after-party of the competition, eliminated players, finalists, organizers, and a few guests gathered to celebrate everyone’s efforts. Although only one team had taken home the grand prize, many attended just for the fun of it.

“Hey man, congrats on your win. It was well-deserved,” someone from Team D said, offering a hive five to a member of Team A on the back. “That was one hell of a round.”

“Haha!” The leader of Team A bumped fists with him. “You guys gave us a tough game. I almost broke my fingers in that last round.”

Truth be told, the first game was probably the only match that really mattered. After all, breaking through the Fortress’s first layer of defense was nearly impossible. Perhaps, given weeks or even months of analysis, they might’ve left a dent in the system.

Still, luck played a huge role too. No one could tell if the other team could succeed in breaking through the Fortress’s first line of defense. And so, they gave it their all.

“Gotta admit, though — that damn X is really good for pulling off that stunt and managed to infiltrate Fortress,” one of them chimed in. “We gave everything we had and still didn’t even scratch the surface.”

“Same here. X is really on a whole different level.”

“Just goes to show T. Mouse’s skills. Damn, that match was insane! It’s better than watching an e-sport game.”

“Haha! That’s true.”

Now that the competition had ended and a victor had been crowned, everyone was more relaxed. Any previous tension or rivalry had evaporated. After a grueling week of games, tonight was their chance to finally unwind. Hence, the players casually mingled and exchanged kind words.

“Honestly, even though we won, it kind of feels like that final battle between T. Mouse and X stole the whole show,” another admitted. “Not complaining, though. It was exciting as hell.”

“Hey, by the way, have any of Prime Group’s reps approached you yet?”

“I don’t think this is the right place to talk about that.”

“Haha, fair. Just trying my luck—might start updating my resume after this!”

Initially, many had considered getting scouted by Prime Group as a backup plan. Most believed the company would reach out when the time came. But after witnessing the legendary clash between Penny and X, their perspective changed. Now, joining Prime Group wasn’t just a safety net — it was a goal.

Listening quietly from the sidelines, Nathaniel let out a long sigh. A few people had approached to congratulate him or acknowledge his efforts, but with his social awkwardness and lack of interest, they didn’t linger long. Now, he stood alone in a corner, simply observing.

‘I’m glad it all worked out,’ he thought, relieved. ‘But still… Penny hasn’t contacted me. When will she finally reach out?’

His expression darkened. There were things they needed to talk about—things he couldn’t keep bottling up.

“I shouldn’t think about that right now,” he muttered, setting aside the untouched glass of wine he’d only been holding to blend in. “Might as well just sleep before I head out tomorrow.”

With that, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and quietly slipped away from the party.

—

When Nathaniel reached his hotel room, another deep sigh escaped him as he collapsed face-down onto the bed. His stomach pressed into the mattress, his head turned to the side.

“Damn it,” he grumbled. “I’ve been losing sleep because of her… and she’s just made a billion-dollar deal made from scrap. Not exactly the kind of thing they’ll be thrilled to hear.”

Clicking his tongue, he slowly closed his eyes, allowing his body to finally relax. Ever since joining the contest, he’d been tense, on edge. He’d known what would happen tonight — but warning Penny had been impossible. Every method of contact was too risky, and he hadn’t dared try. Thus, now that the problem was solved, he allowed himself to relax a little.

With that thought in mind, sleep gradually took hold of him.

But deep into the night, just as the world had gone still, a few pairs of hands jolted Nathaniel awake, gripping his arms and yanking him upward.

“Huh?!” He snapped awake, twisting from left to right. The room was dark, but he could make out figures holding him down.

“What the—?!”

Before he could yell, a cloth was pressed to his nose and mouth. His scream was muffled instantly. He thrashed, heart pounding, adrenaline flooding his system.

‘Help! No! Let me go!’ his mind screamed, but it was no use.

Despite all his struggling, his consciousness began to fade. And in mere seconds, darkness embraced him like an old friend.

Shit.

—

“Ugh…” Nathaniel groaned, his face contorting in pain as he slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he felt was a sharp ache in his shoulders and back. “… ouch.”

Just as he reached up to rub his shoulder, the memory of being abducted in the middle of the night slammed back into him. He shot upright in alarm — only to realize, much to his confusion, that he wasn’t tied up.

“Huh?” He blinked down at himself. “I’m… not restrained?”

Heaven only knew the awful scenarios that had run through his mind when those men grabbed him. Yet here he was — not bound to a chair in a grimy warehouse but sitting on a lush carpet.

“What the…” His brow twitched as he caught sight of a pair of polished shoes from the corner of his eye. Without even looking up, he could tell the man had one leg casually crossed over the other. Slowly turning his head, Nathaniel’s breath caught.

Atlas Bennet.

“For someone abducted in the middle of the night, you sure slept like a baby,” came a familiar voice.

Nathaniel whipped his head to the other side.

Seated at the end of a long couch was Penny, looking far too relaxed for someone involved in a kidnapping. Beside her, on a nearby armchair, sat Zoren.

Nathaniel’s mouth fell open as he looked from Atlas to Penny and Zoren, completely dumbfounded.

“What?” Penny smirked. “I told you I’d reach out, didn’t I?”

Her brows wiggled teasingly. “It’s been a while, Nathaniel.”