"She’s dating Jonathan Pierson."
For a moment, there was nothing but silence between Penny and Finn at the mention of that cursed name. Penny even held her breath momentarily, looking at him and then at his shoulder.
"He shot you?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"While I was heading home. To be exact, while I was walking from my car to my front door," he clarified, just to let her know how fearless the man was. "He could’ve killed me, but that isn’t the point."
Finn raised his brows, giving her a meaningful look. He didn’t need to spell out the explanation because he was certain that Penny was smart enough to put the pieces together.
It was a warning—or rather, a part of Jonathan’s wicked game.
He wanted Finn to cower in fear, to never sleep with one eye closed, and to always be alert. However, Penny was certain that wasn’t happening since Finn didn’t look worried at all. If he hadn’t shown her his bandage, she wouldn’t have even known he was hiding a wound beneath his lavish suit.
"I see..." Penny nodded in understanding, breathing out heavily. "That sucks."
"He goes by the name Jonathan Russel," said Finn. "He approached Cassandra. Poor Cassandra doesn’t know just how sick that guy’s mind is."
Penny still hesitated; hence, she kept quiet while she contemplated.
"You still don’t trust me, right..." Finn shook his head but wasn’t surprised. "Well, even if you don’t believe my words, I believe you’d look after her."
It wasn’t like Finn had come here to beg her to protect him. He already knew she wouldn’t, even if he cried a river. The only purpose of coming here was for Penny to look after Nina. Even if she wouldn’t completely believe him, he knew she would still keep an eye on Nina just to make sure.
That was all that mattered.
"Very well." Finn cleared his throat and smiled at her. "Thank you for seeing me."
With that said, Finn pushed himself up. He had been using only one hand all this time, which she had noticed since the beginning. But now that she knew the reason behind it, it was no longer something she wanted to dwell on.
"Finn Davis," Penny called, staring at his back as he stopped. "It’s not that I don’t believe your claims. It’s just that... I don’t trust you."
Slowly, Finn looked back at her and nodded. "I know that."
"Give me a reason why I should trust someone like you?" she asked.
"Well... I can’t think of anything." He shook his head. "I’m a man who would betray a friend for my own benefit. Even I don’t trust myself."
The corner of his mouth hooked into a cunning smile. "However, if I’m going to try to convince you, having me as your ally wouldn’t be that bad, right? My enemy’s enemy is my friend."
"Was he the one who killed you?" she inquired without hesitation. "Jonathan. Is he the one who killed you in your past life?"
"I can’t say, because I don’t think he would kill me in this lifetime," he laughed, turning on his heel to go on his way. But after taking a few steps, he glanced over his shoulder. "But what I am sure of is that Jonathan Pierson will kill me in this lifetime. Not just me, but I’m certain he has a long list... Atlas Bennet included."
"Mentioning my brother... is this your way to make me reconsider your alliance offer?"
"No." He slowly looked back at her with a smile. "I’m just stating that Atlas Bennet is in the same position he was in the past. I’m sure you know what I’m saying. Anyway, call me, but don’t take too long. I might not be able to answer if you do."
After saying his last piece, Finn walked away without stopping this time. Meanwhile, Penny stared at his back as he closed the door behind him.
A shallow breath slipped past her nostrils as she whispered, "Atlas is in the same position he was before."
Meaning, Atlas was still the head of the Bennet family and also the man running Global Prime Logistics. What happened in the past all started with the controversy surrounding Global Prime Logistics, with Atlas as the prime suspect of allowing smuggled goods and illegal items to pass through, which also included the transfer of an organized group.
In the past, that was the biggest detail of how Penny ended up in prison. Reports claimed Atlas was part of a crime organization and had been using Global Prime Logistics to transport criminals in and out of the country. But because it was Penny who approved these shipments and took the fall, Atlas was saved.
It was why the entire nation hated Penny; these criminals had committed countless significant crimes in Anteca.
"My enemy’s enemy is my friend," she whispered to herself, snapping her eyes at the door. "Finn was alive even after my execution, and I’m sure he knew a lot more than I did."
Compared to her, who was locked in prison, Finn was outside those walls and had been dealing with all of this.
"How are these things related, though?" she wondered to herself. "If Jonathan Pierson had something to do with the downfall of the Bennets, then what about those people who were after Dad?"
There were still so many questions that could be answered or at least lessened if she teamed up with Finn. At the same time, she couldn’t be so foolish anymore. She had trusted one man before, and she ended up getting betrayed.
"For now..." Penny trailed off as she pushed herself up, sauntering to her desk. She then pressed the intercom button. "Send someone to follow Finn Davis. Someone wants him dead, keep him alive, then come to my office."
After saying that, Penny withdrew her hand from the button and picked up her phone. She speed-dialed Atlas, who picked up almost immediately.