Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 1569

Chapter 1569: First love
At the same time…

Dean walked through the hallway, heading to the laboratory. A soft chuckle escaped him, shaking his head.

On his way here, he spotted Penny’s car with Mark inside. In other words, he knew Penny was once again in the laboratory. It was the perfect time for him to boast in front of her and remind her that he needed her. However, when Dean finally reached the laboratory and opened the door quietly, he froze.

His breath hitched as his eyes widened.

Inside were Penny and Zoren, their lips locked in a visible embrace.

His mind instantly went blank as Zoren’s sharp eyes slid in his direction. For a moment, Zoren met his gaze, and almost as if to mock him, pulled Penny closer, his hand on the back of her head. In one swift move, he lifted Penny by the waist and seated her on the counter.

Unaware of the additional pair of eyes, she willingly wrapped her arms around Zoren’s neck.

Dean gulped, and before he knew it, he walked out in a slight panic. His fingertips trembled, his mouth opening and closing. Surprisingly, instead of a torrent of thoughts, his mind was blank.

His eyes darted, loosening his tie as he hurried away from there.

Dean didn’t stop for anyone. He just kept walking, trying to erase the scene of Zoren and Penny replaying in his mind. As soon as he jumped into his car, the silence seemed more deafening. His chest heaved, his complexion pale.

“What…” he trailed off, his brows furrowing deeply. “… the hell?”

What had he just witnessed?

All this time, Dean clung to the idea that Penny and Zoren were likely in a contractual marriage—an agreement made for their own personal interests. Nothing serious. No feelings involved. Just a piece of paper binding them in what people called marriage.

But what was that?

That didn’t seem like something two adults in a contractual marriage would do. And even though Dean was only there briefly, he saw in that moment just how passionately she appeared. For a brief moment, it reminded him of how she used to be passionate about so many things.

“No,” he whispered, shaking his head. “No, no.”

Dean gripped the steering wheel tightly, his face crumpling as the only thing he had been holding onto since Zoren introduced his wife shattered. And he felt like he was falling along with it, free-falling into an endless abyss. An abyss where he knew that no matter how long he stayed in the air, his landing was already expected.

*****

[The Summit School of Excellence]

“Achoo!” Ray blew his nose with a tissue, then rubbed his nose. “God.”

Why was he always sick whenever he was here?

Ray shook his head, reaching for his cup of tea to soothe himself. As he did, he refocused on the papers he had been working on.

“If I had known this would be my fate, I wouldn’t have agreed to take charge of this damn school,” he grumbled, bitterness swelling in his heart.

There were times when the workload in his office was light, but most of the time, he was swamped. As one of the most competitive schools in Anteca, Ray had to work hard to maintain its reputation. Keeping their reputation intact wasn’t easy.

His grandfather, the previous headmaster of the school, made it look easy. It was why Ray thought that if he became the headmaster, he would have all the time in the world to play. But alas, he realized it was a trap his grandfather had set just to ensnare his grandson into taking charge of the school.

Damn it!

His frown deepened as he worked on some papers quietly. After some time, Ray leaned back and stretched his arms.

“I should call it a day,” he muttered, glancing at the mountain of papers he still had to check himself. His face twisted, looking away from it.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Avoiding the stack of papers he needed to work on, Ray decided to call it a day. He packed his briefcase, taking just a few papers to grade later. And with that, he walked out of the office.

His hum echoed in the empty, quiet hallway as he swung his briefcase to and fro. But just as he walked out of the campus, he noticed a figure seated on one of the benches. Turning his head, Ray furrowed his brows and cocked his head, narrowing his eyes.

“Dean?” he whispered. “What’s he doing here?”

Curious, Ray quietly approached Dean. He stopped just a few steps away, eyeing Dean, who seemed surprisingly out of place.

Instead of announcing his presence, Ray observed his cousin. Despite the dim lighting casting a shadow on half of Dean’s face, Ray could see the other half clearly.

Dean’s expression was somber, his eyes distant as if lost in thought. Even to someone who didn’t know Dean well, it was evident he was mentally elsewhere. For those who knew him, it was clear Dean didn’t seem to know where he was.

“Should I feel honored about this?” Ray quipped, breaking Dean out of his reverie.

Slowly, Dean looked up at Ray, only to see the playful smile on his face.

Ray huffed faintly as he sat down beside him.

“I wonder what’s going on this time,” he mused, tilting his head back as he looked at Dean. “What brought you here, when I distinctly recall telling you not to show your face to me again?”

Dean scoffed weakly, shrugging as he looked away. Leaning forward, he rested his arms on his knees.

“I didn’t come here for you,” he admitted. “I just thought everywhere else was… too noisy.”

Or too quiet, which was equally deafening.

Another shallow breath escaped his nostrils as Ray nodded in understanding. Silence settled between them for a moment as neither spoke. Just as Ray was about to leave Dean to his thoughts, Dean spoke.

“Penny…” Dean began, his voice softening as he looked down. “You said you liked her, didn’t you?”

Ray’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “I did.”

“Do…” Dean lifted his eyes to meet Ray’s. “Do you still like her?”

“Of course. She’s my first love, and she’ll always have a special place in my heart.”

“Then did you know she’s married? Like, actually married?”

Ray blinked, his reaction enough to show Dean that he did indeed know.

“…” Dean assessed Ray’s expression before asking again, “If you knew she’s with him, how can you be okay with it?”