Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 628

Chapter 628: Saving me from me
If there was one thing Hugo would always tell Penny in their previous life, it was for her to take care of herself. He wouldn’t say it in a gentle tone; he would say it indifferently as if it were something he would say in passing.

But hearing him say those exact words out of frustration brought guilt into her heart.

‘I guess I deserve the scolding,’ she thought, sighing. ‘Fine, I’ll just take it quietly and obediently.’

That was what Penny told herself upon sensing the concern in Hugo’s eyes. However, Hugo didn’t stop and continued on and on, as if he were rapping. It took her a lot of patience to say, ‘Now this scolding is too much!’

“I understand,” she murmured, trying her best to sound polite. “I get it now. I was wrong. There are so many things I could’ve done. This will not happen next time, I promise!”

Hugo narrowed his eyes, assessing the look on her face.

Meanwhile, Penny sneaked a glance at Zoren under the scrutinizing gaze of her second brother. Zoren had been quiet throughout; he hadn’t said a word since they arrived at the hospital. Even when he was getting his hand stitched, he kept his mouth sealed.

All he did was stare at her, and it wasn’t a look of love or admiration. It was a look as if he were there, but at the same time, he wasn’t there at all.

When she realized that she wouldn’t be able to read her husband’s thoughts, she slowly faced Hugo. “Second Brother, I understand what I did now, but can you please give me and my husband some time to talk?”

Hugo arched a brow at her. “Fine,” he agreed, standing up. But before leaving, he turned to Zoren and pointed. “You better give her a piece of your mind and don’t let her coax you! Scold her, or First Brother will.”

After saying that, Hugo shot a look at his troublemaker sister again. “I’ll drop by the station just to check the situation, but I’ll be back.”

Penny’s nose crinkled a bit as she watched her second brother walk away, fuming. She pouted, thinking Hugo’s warning sounded so scary. But when the door closed and there was only silence in the room, she slowly set her eyes on Zoren.

“Hubby?” she called sweetly, smiling subtly. “Is… everything okay?”

But again, Zoren didn’t answer.

“Does your hand hurt?” she asked again, throwing out any question she could think of just to see which one would make him respond. “Are you mad?”

“Yes, Penelope.” This time, Zoren answered quietly but sternly. “I am angry.”

‘He didn’t call me by my shortened name,’ was the first thing she noticed, pressing her lips into a thin line. ‘He’s angry. That I’m sure of.’

Zoren slowly pushed himself up and advanced in her direction. His steps were slow and graceful, but somehow, it made her heart thud nervously.

“Wait…” Penny leaned back a little, raising her hands in defense. “Please don’t hurt me.”

Zoren paused at her reckless remark. “I will never hurt you,” he uttered under his breath, taking another step. “But just what do I have to say? What else do I have to do? What do I have to sacrifice so you won’t get hurt?”

As soon as those words rolled off his tongue, he clasped her shoulders. This time, Penny felt just how cold his hands were and how they trembled uncontrollably. His expression remained stoic and calm, but darker. Yet, his hands told her a different story.

Fear. Uncertainty. Confusion.

If there was something Zoren was thankful for at that moment, it was that he couldn’t see her well. He couldn’t see what Hugo and her friends could see, because if he could, he would’ve lost his mind. Zoren had only seen the red hue on Hugo’s hand earlier, but his mind was already blank.

What would he have felt if he could see her state clearly?

His grip on her shoulders tightened a little, making the stitches in his palm bleed. His lips parted, breathing out as his heart thudded uncontrollably.

“What happened in the past… happened,” he breathed out, his voice hanging in the air. “I know it hurt. I know it wasn’t fair, but I also know it’s not going to happen again. I’m angry that you have to get hurt because you want to protect a friend, but I understand, but it’s frustrating.”

That part of her was something he wouldn’t want to change about her. Even so, if he could wish for her to be just a tiny bit selfish, he would wish she would be a little selfish. If only she was, he knew that she wouldn’t just step in and put herself at risk for someone else. Not for Nina, not for Lily, not for her brothers, not for him.

“But I’m even angrier that I couldn’t protect you when I promised I would,” he added, touching the side of her face and barely brushing his thumb against her cheek. “You… and the sober you.”

“You know that I’m not the sober Penny?” Penny blinked, thinking she was doing a pretty good job pretending. Moreover, she didn’t smell like alcohol. It was the first thing Hugo had done to her, after all — lean in and smell her.

“These are my words to you,” Zoren clarified. “Everything I said is meant for you.” — even though basically, drunk Penny and sober Penny were one person.

Penny stared at him, realizing that up close, she could see the frustration in his eyes. These were the same eyes he wore from beginning to end — the eyes that carried an indistinguishable flame that wouldn’t die down.

Now that she could see his eyes up close, she could feel the familiarity. They were the same eyes that had looked back at her for a long time.

Penny slowly reached out for his hand, pulling him gently to sit down. Facing him, the corner of her lips hooked up.

“The sober me wants me gone,” she spoke. “I want me gone.”

Flipping his hand to look at his bleeding palm, her smile grew subtly bitter. “You said you didn’t protect me; you’re wrong.” She slowly lifted her eyes to his, nodding. “Your very existence protected me, and even right now, you’re protecting me… saving me from me.”