Just as promised, Hugo told Penny why Zoren had been there that night and that he was concerned for her safety. He shared everything he knew, while Penny listened intently.
"You told me I wasn’t being suspected of anything at the base," was the first thing that slipped from her mouth, her eyes fixed on Hugo. He was still on the couch while she reclined in the hospital bed.
Hugo shrugged. "If I had told you that, I wouldn’t be qualified for this mission. They only allow me to stay involved because they trust me."
"Second Brother, what would you do if I ended up becoming a shady person?" she asked, frowning when he shrugged again. "Don’t tell me you’d try to cover it up?"
"You’re my sister," he replied without hesitation. "I’ve told you before: your people are my people. That applies to you as well."
As shameful as it was, if the investigation had gone differently, Hugo had already planned to cover it up. Afterward, he would have requested a dismissal and likely tried to save Penny. Fortunately, his sister wasn’t shady, sparing both of them from that scenario.
"Partners in crime," he said with a proud smirk. "Isn’t that what we are?"
Penny exhaled deeply, shaking her head, but a shallow smile soon spread across her face.
"What am I going to do with you?" she murmured, making him chuckle.
"That’s why it hurts that you didn’t tell me this sooner."
"I didn’t want to bother you."
"Well, not telling me bothers me even more."
"I’m sorry," she repeated. "I hope you understand."
Hugo gave her a short but reassuring smile. "Like I said earlier, I do understand. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t feelings I can’t control."
"Thank you. I’ll make it up to you."
"You already have—by telling me what you know," he replied, leaning back comfortably. "Though I’m curious, Penny. Do you know how your husband found out about this?"
"I don’t know. I’m not even sure what he’s referring to."
Hugo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You two got married, and you don’t know?"
"Huh?" Penny furrowed her brows, confused.
This was exactly the question she had wanted to ask next, but Hugo had already brought it up. After all, Hugo had mentioned that Zoren discovered the order regarding Penny while investigating their marriage. It was said that several nights before their marriage certification, some men had lured her into a bet.
"I don’t remember any of that happening," she said. "Second Brother, are you sure you got all the details? You said you were late for that discussion."
"I was..." Hugo rubbed his chin, questioning himself.
That night when Zoren came to the Bennet Mansion, they didn’t delve deeply into their previous topics. Hugo had only arrived when they were discussing the order from an anonymous source. He hadn’t asked much at the time, as his top priority had been his sister’s safety. Moreover, they had quickly moved on due to a revelation Charles made that night.
"Never mind," Penny said as she watched him look up at her. "I’ll ask Renren when things settle down. Or when I move in with him."
"You’re moving in with him? So soon?" Hugo arched a brow. "You haven’t even gone on a date with me yet."
"You can always take me out on a date — on my day off, of course. It’s not like you don’t barge into my office."
He chuckled. "I’ve been busy. But what’s the rush? Don’t tell me you’re that excited to move in with your husband. Penny, aren’t you being a little rash?"
"It’s not that," she sighed. "I’m trying to help him recover. As you know, the guy almost went blind. He might not be completely blind, but this information is critical. The Pierson family always has their eyes on him, and I have to admit, they’re sharp."
"I spent years working with his toughest rival." She rolled her eyes. "Dean Pierson is sharp. I want to protect Renren, but I also can’t ignore my own life. I’m saying I won’t be with him all the time, so I want him to get better so I won’t have to worry as much — he can fend for himself."
For a moment, Hugo stayed quiet, studying his sister’s sincere expression.
’This is strange,’he thought. ’Zoren Pierson wasn’t even concerned about himself, but more about her well-being. Yet Penny seems more worried about him, on top of her own concerns.’
If Hugo were being honest, he hadn’t even felt that Zoren was blind. The night Zoren came over, he hadn’t shown the slightest weakness. Not that Hugo thought Zoren was hiding anything — in fact, Zoren had seemed very open.
Zoren’s only weakness was Penny. Hence, he wanted to protect her, because if something ever happened to her, there was no telling what Zoren might do, or what kind of demon it could unleash.
This was Hugo’s assessment of Zoren. Despite their personal reservations, they couldn’t deny that Zoren appeared reliable. Sickly or not, pale or not, Zoren had proven himself to the Bennet brothers.
Yet here she was, speaking as if Zoren were a damsel in distress.
"Penny," Hugo called after a long silence, catching her attention. "I’ve told you this before, but don’t underestimate Zoren Pierson."
"I’m not underestimating him!" she pouted. "I know Renren is capable, but like I said, I want him to be even better."
"That’s not what I meant, but never mind." He shook his head. "Anyway, is there anything else you want to know?"
"Yeah." Penny nodded, pushing away unnecessary thoughts. "What did the culprit say during his confession? Why did he try to attack Third Brother?"
"That guy’s a total nut job. Don’t waste your time," Hugo said, pushing himself up from the couch and walking toward her. He rested his hands on the small raised bar at the end of the bed, leaning in, his eyes locking onto hers. "You won’t believe what he said."
Penny furrowed her brows, waiting for him to continue. What came next wasn’t what she expected.
"He said Slater killed him once. He claims this is his second life, and he was reborn. Crazy, isn’t it?"