Since Nina started her career, she has met people of all ages. Some were kind and understanding, while others were sensitive and strict. Because of her line of work, Nina had learned to gauge someone’s personality and preference just by looking at them. Although she hadn’t fully mastered this skill yet, she could tell this man was important.
And this man didn’t seem like the type who would be involved with someone like Patricia. He looked too smart for her.
Zoren jumped out of the helicopter even before it had fully landed. As soon as he looked in their direction, he took long strides toward them. Nina wasn’t aware of Zoren’s eye problems, but despite the two women standing side by side, he immediately reached out and pulled Penny into his embrace.
"I’m sorry it took me a while," he said in a cool, low voice. His words were faint against the noise of the chopper, but clear enough to be heard.
Penny giggled in his arms, wrapping her own around his waist. They held each other as if they hadn’t just seen each other that morning.
As for Nina, she stood on the sidelines, watching all this unfold in front of her.
’Uh... what’s going on?’she wondered in disbelief. ’I came here to talk about her relationship with her husband... but I didn’t ask to be served dog food!’
Nina almost crinkled her nose at how loving and affectionate the two were, embracing each other like they had been apart for years.
What was going on?! Just moments ago, she was telling Penny that her husband was cheating on her, but now, the cheating husband was here minutes after she called him and told him she missed him!
"I didn’t think being unreasonable sometimes could be this fun," Penny giggled, looking up at Zoren as he smiled down at her. "Oh! Right! Nina!"
Penny tapped Zoren’s arm, signaling him to let her go. He released her slowly, then turned to face Nina. At the same time, the helicopter’s rotor blades wound down, the noise finally fading.
"Nina, this is my husband, Zoren Pierson!" Penny introduced him happily. "Zoren, this is my sister, Nina! I’ve told you about her before, right?"
Zoren smiled and extended his hand to Nina. "Nice to finally meet you, Miss Reed."
"Uh..." Nina awkwardly shook his hand. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Pierson."
"Zoren," he corrected gently as he withdrew his hand. "You’re my wife’s sister, and she’s told me many good things about you. So just call me Zoren."
Nina pressed her lips together and smiled, glancing at Penny, who nodded approvingly. "Then just call me Nina."
Penny laughed out loud in a private dining area while Zoren chuckled beside her. Nina, however, was red with embarrassment.
"Penny..." Nina tugged at the hem of Penny’s blouse. "Please stop."
Penny wiped the tears from her eyes, still laughing. "Alright, alright. I’m sorry. It’s just that you were so cute. I couldn’t help it! Goodness, I haven’t laughed this hard in ages."
"Here." Zoren offered his wife a white handkerchief, which Penny took without hesitation. "I thought you called me here because you missed me. I’m a little disappointed."
"I did miss you," Penny huffed playfully. "I just never told you before, but I always miss you during the day."
Zoren smiled, satisfied. "The feeling’s mutual."
"Goodness, you two... I’m still here, you know?" Nina muttered, surprised by how affectionate Penny was. It wasn’t like Penny was never affectionate, but she usually reserved it for her family—especially Charles and Atlas.
Anyone who knew Penny well knew how distant she was from others. She wouldn’t let anyone get too close, and if they tried, she’d raise her hand to stop them.
But here she was, telling a man — an actual, living man — that she missed him, even though they were together every day.
’What kind of magic did he work on her?’Nina wondered, glancing at Zoren. After only a few seconds, she nodded to herself, understanding why. ’He’s handsome, a gentleman, and it’s like she’s the only person in the world for him.’
Though Zoren had been polite and humble during their introduction, his eyes barely left Penny. It was clear she was his focus. Nina could feel that her presence didn’t really matter to him, though she wasn’t upset. She’d rather have his focus on Penny than on her. After all, there was something intimidating about his gaze.
"So that’s the story!" Penny exclaimed after explaining the situation to Zoren. "Nina thought you were cheating on me, so I called you here to show her that you’re not the kind of man who would do that."
Zoren smiled and turned to Nina. "Thank you."
"Huh?" Nina looked confused. "Mr. Pierson—I mean, Zoren, why are you thanking me? If anything, I should apologize for accusing you. It could have been really bad for both of you if I was wrong."
"I’m thanking you for trying to protect her," Zoren explained softly. "But hurting her is not even the last thing I’d ever do because I’d never do it. She’s my everything. She’s all I have."
Zoren squeezed Penny’s hand. "I would never hurt you."
"Goodness, now I’m feeling shy," Penny murmured, clearing her throat to hide her blush. She turned to Nina, trying to distract herself. "See, Nina? He won’t cheat on me. He even rode his chopper just to reach me as fast as he could."
"Hehe..." Nina laughed awkwardly, glancing between the two. "But if my assumption was wrong... why would Patricia and Mrs. Miller brag about it? I mean, you’re Zoren Pierson. Everyone knows your name, and they should know that spreading fake rumors could backfire on them. I don’t think they’d do something for no reason."
Penny and Zoren exchanged a knowing glance. It was clear they had an idea of the reason, but they hesitated to share it. Zoren took the lead, offering her an explanation without involving Nina in the Pierson family’s internal issues.
"My family is large, and with that comes inevitable greed from some members," he said calmly. "But in the end, that greed only hurts them. So, I usually let it be."
"Oh." Nina nodded slowly. "I think I understand."
"Well, since that’s settled, why don’t we eat together?" Penny suggested, beaming happily. Both Zoren and Nina nodded in agreement.