Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 237

Chapter 237: Can she even recognize me?
[Anteca International Airport]

The Bennet brothers stood in the waiting area, their eyes fixed on the exit of the arrivals area.

“What time is she supposed to land?” Hugo asked, casting a glance at Atlas, who, unlike him, was seated on the bench.

“Should be now,” Atlas replied, reading a newspaper to kill time.

“This waiting feels like forever,” Slater slumped beside Atlas with a sigh. “Is she really coming? Or did her flight get delayed?”

“Don’t worry. Uncle Haines sent me a message when they were boarding.”

“Then why aren’t they here yet?” Slater’s frown deepened before panic abruptly swelled in his heart. “Oh, no! Don’t tell me their plane crashed?”

Slater flinched when his brothers hissed and cast him deadly glares. “Wha—what?! I’m just worried!”

“Did you leave your mind on set?” Atlas clicked his tongue. “Stop saying nonsense.”

“Slater, that is not a nice assumption. It’ll only worry us unnecessarily,” Hugo added, making Slater press his lips into a thin line.

Slater pouted and sighed. It wasn’t like he wanted Penny to be in danger. He was just purely and sincerely worried, and waiting for her felt like forever. Not that he would leave even if he had to wait for an entire day—he had been waiting for her for years.

Silence fell over the three as they waited patiently for their sister and Uncle Haines’s arrival.

“Do you think Penny will recognize me?” Slater asked out of the blue, earning looks from his brothers. “I mean, I look much better now than when I was a kid. I’m also taller than First Brother and almost as tall as you, Second Brother. I’m worried Penny won’t recognize me at all!”

His worry was genuine, but something in his statement made Atlas clutch the newspaper.

Atlas’s jaw tightened as he looked away, hiding the resentment in his eyes. This brat…

When Slater turned sixteen, he just magically grew tall. He used to be the smallest until Penny arrived in the household. But now, he was almost the tallest among the siblings. Although Hugo was tall, Slater was nearly the same height.

It was unfair, especially for Atlas.

Hugo, on the other hand, studied Slater’s face. “Slater, you only grew taller, but your face is still the same as when you were fifteen.”

“Impossible!” Slater jumped from his seat in dismay, taking this as an insult. “Second Brother, how could you say something so hurtful?! Do you know how many clinics want to sponsor and take me as their endorser for their brand? But I still chose to go to the best clinic to take care of my skin!”

“Oh.” Hugo blinked, not the least bit interested. “Okay.”

“Second, what is that reaction?!”

Hugo slowly slid his eyes to the corner. “Amusement.”

“You really think I still look the same now as when I was fifteen?”

“Yes.” Atlas nodded; one would wonder if his answer was simply petty revenge or the truth. “Penny will recognize you for sure.”

“Hah!” Slater clicked his tongue before shrugging. His change of demeanor piqued his brothers’ interest. “What else can I say? Even if she doesn’t recognize me, it’s alright. It wouldn’t change the fact that her brother is me.”

The two brothers blinked, staring at their arrogant little brother. At this point, they realized it was no use giving this guy any more attention. Slater’s hormones seemed to be all over the place today.

“Oh, someone’s coming out,” Hugo noticed as he saw the doors of the arrivals area slide open. His eyes quickly scanned the people coming out before his lips curled up. “There she is.”

Atlas snapped his eyes up, his lips curling into a smile. Without a word, he rose from his seat and folded the newspaper.

As for Slater, he darted his eyes until his gaze landed on a particular figure emerging from the entrance. His face brightened instantly, his lips broadening into a grin.

“Penny!!!” Slater called happily and rushed to his beloved little sister.

Standing by the arrivals exit was a stunning lady wearing a casual black fitted tank top beneath her jacket, paired with black jeans. Her curly hair was tied up in a bun. Despite her simple airport attire, her aura stood out among the passengers.

Penny stopped when she heard someone call her name so excitedly. She lowered her head and looked over her sunglasses, her red lips curling up as soon as she saw a dashing young man running in her direction.

“He just grew taller, but look at that idiot,” she chuckled and marched towards her brothers. “Third—”

Penny’s face and entire body froze when Slater ran past her.

“Penny! I missed you so much!”

Her face twitched as she looked back at Slater, only to see him standing in front of a plump young lady behind her.

‘What the hell?’ Penny was flabbergasted. ‘Did my brother just not recognize me? Do I look that malnourished?!’

Even Atlas and Hugo paused, staring at Slater in disbelief. Moments ago, Slater had wondered if Penny would even recognize him. He had even bragged about his beauty and how he had blossomed over the years.

“Look at him.” Hugo shook his head in disbelief. “He must have lost his mind.”

“Forget him.” Atlas ignored Slater for his own sanity and resumed his steps toward Penny. “Penny.”

Penny glared at Slater before turning to face her other brothers. She smiled as soon as she locked eyes with Atlas.

“First Brother~” she giggled. “Did you like the message I left you?”

“My assistant thought I had an affair.”

Penny giggled and spread her arms. “Hug?”

“No, thanks.”

“I’ll take it,” Hugo volunteered happily, reaching out to hug his sister as tightly as he could. “I missed you, Penny.”

Penny looked up at him and pouted. “How can you miss me when we just met not long ago?”

“You met?” Atlas frowned while staring at the two. ‘I should’ve let her hug me.’

“Yes.” Hugo slowly released her. “I’ll tell you about it later. Penny, where’s Uncle Haines?”

“He just went to do something… oh, there he is!” Penny and the other two turned to the elderly man approaching them. Haines was walking with a cane and was limping very slightly.

“Uncle Haines,” Atlas called, nodding. Hugo did the same with a smile.

“I see you’ve been waiting,” Haines chuckled weakly. “It’s nice to see you guys again.”

“It was a long journey. How about we go first? We can catch up on the way,” Atlas proposed, and they all agreed with a nod.

Having said that, Hugo offered to take Penny’s and Haines’s luggage. Penny grinned mischievously and jumped to Atlas’s side, hooking her arm around his.

“First Brother, we haven’t met for years, but you’re still as cold as ever,” she mused, earning a sidelong glance from him.

“And you’re still as mischievous as ever.”

“Hehe. That’s what makes me cute,” she winked. “Let me guess. Did you try to sue me?”

“No.”

Atlas might have been the same unaffectionate brother, but he let her cling to him like a leech.

*****

Meanwhile…

“First Brother, Second Brother…” Slater trailed off as he turned his head to his brothers, only to see them walking away with their Uncle Haines and the lady clinging to Atlas. “Huh?”

“Slater… Bennet?”

Slater slowly cast the plump lady a look, finally noticing the twinkle in her eyes. His heart quickly began to race nervously.

“I’ve been a fan… for a long time…” the young lady slowly smiled in a daze.

“You… you’re not Penny?” Slater gasped in horror, looking at the person before him and then at his brothers’ retreating figures. “Eh?!?! Then who the heck are you!?”