"So... this is where you live, huh?" Slater’s mouth parted as he drove slowly into the driveway of Zoren’s place. Looking around, his face twitched. "Why do they have big lots and small houses? Just like the old residence?"
Penny smirked. "You’d know."
"Huh?" Slater cast his sister a look, only to catch something large running in their direction. "Oh, shit, oh shit!"
Slater instinctively stepped on the gas as he panicked, making Penny turn her head to the window. The moment she saw Renny running at them while Slater picked up speed, she laughed.
"It’s okay," she said calmly. "Slow down. He’s not going to harm us."
"That thing won’t?" he gasped, still accelerating to make a turn around the fountain near the front door. "I doubt it."
Penny cocked her head back, eyes on him. "Seriously? I live here, and that’s your nephew."
"The last time I know is that my sister is a human and doesn’t give birth to animals."
"Slow down, damn it." She clicked her tongue, watching him give her quick glances. "Slow down."
Slater’s nose wrinkled before he eventually slowed down. When they stopped in front of the residence, he faced her squarely, his finger pointing at her.
"Penny, I’m telling you one thing: if that thing gnaws at me, it’s on you! And I will haunt you even if I become a ghost. Do you understand?"
"That’s a lot of things, not just one thing," she quipped sarcastically before stepping out. As soon as she did, she grinned and opened her arms. "Renny~!"
Penny’s grin, however, cracked when she saw that Renny wasn’t stopping or slowing down. "Uh oh," she muttered, jogging a few steps toward the lawn, and in a few seconds, Renny jumped on her.
With how heavy and big Renny was, Penny and Renny rolled onto the grass. Luckily, she quickly picked up on Renny’s excitement and moved closer to the grass; otherwise, she would’ve rolled onto the concrete. Zoren would have punished Renny if that happened.
"Ah—hehe—it’s ticklish~!" her giggles echoed as Renny kept licking her face and nudging it.
Meanwhile, Slater stayed in the car for safety. Moments ago, he had watched his sister open her arms to welcome the black panther, only for her to disappear from his sight when Renny jumped on her.
"Yep." He nodded. "She’s dead. I’ve always known her pets would kill her someday."
As soon as those words rolled off his tongue, he heard her laughing. Slater leaned over to the passenger seat, checking on his sister. All he saw was a panther standing over her body, and her feet kicking the air as she laughed.
"Oh... she’s alive, huh?" he nodded again, heaving a sigh of relief. "Good for her."
Even so, Slater didn’t get out of the car. For some reason, this felt like déjà vu. Considering Penny used to take home any animal she picked up somewhere, Slater had always felt like a prisoner in their home, unable to go anywhere without feeling nervous. Perhaps that was how he developed his anxiety.
Slater flinched when someone knocked on the window. Lowering his head, he checked who it was.
"Holy..." he trailed off, rolling down the window to see the person standing outside the driver’s seat. "Mark?!"
Mark smiled helplessly. "Slater."
"What in the world are you doing here?"
"Heh." Mark just shrugged, recalling how he had been avoiding Slater whenever the latter visited Penny’s office. Even earlier, he had asked someone else to replace him while he stayed in the distance.
But with Slater now here at the manor, Mark knew there was no point in avoiding his former classmate.
"It’s safe to go out," Mark reassured. "Renny doesn’t bite... unless he’s asked to."
"What the hell does that mean?" Slater gasped in horror, only to receive another shrug from Mark.
"All I’m saying is you’re safe."
Slater narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Mark before reluctantly opening the door. As soon as Slater stepped out, he heard a cat’s purr, which made him jump in surprise.
"Ah, that surprised me!" Slater huffed, gazing down and realizing it was just Chunchun. "Oh, my God... it’s just... her."
"..." Mark was rendered speechless as he watched Slater suddenly jump into his arms. "Uh... can you please...?"
Slater blinked and looked up at Mark, blinking a few times before he smiled. "Hehe. Don’t blush. I don’t swing that way."
"..." Without a second thought, Mark dropped Slater from his arms, and the latter landed safely on his feet.
Slater just laughed at him while patting the hood of his vehicle. "You’re so funny~!" he laughed until he could feel an intense death glare coming from Mark.
This was the reason Mark was avoiding this guy at all costs. Unlike when they were children and Slater was being bullied, Slater had become even more cocky and insufferably annoying. They ended up becoming friends, though, until they graduated.
"Ahem! I’m just kidding." Slater cleared his throat, straightening his back. "It’s nice to see you again, though. Let’s go out sometime with James."
"I’m working for her." Mark jerked his chin over to the car, referring to Penny.
At this point, Penny slowly got up after being showered with love from Renny. Slater furrowed his brows, darting his eyes between the two before he blurted out, "Since when?"
"Oh?" Catching Mark and Slater standing in front of each other, Penny’s face brightened. "Mark, you stopped avoiding him now?"
"There’s no point if you’re taking him here."
"What? You’re avoiding me? Why?" Slater frowned, earning a look from both Penny and Mark.
How could he not know the reason when he had just displayed it moments ago?
"Never mind that." Penny shook her head. "You both catch up later—Mark, is my husband home?"
"I heard from Benjamin they’re already on the way home."
"Ahh..." Penny nodded and grinned. "Okay! Third Brother, let’s go inside and help me prepare some dinner."
"I can’t!" Slater pouted, pointing at the black panther. "I might become its dinner before you finish yours."
"Renny?" Penny blinked, rubbing the top of Renny’s forehead. "But he’s harmless. Don’t worry, Third Brother. He doesn’t bite... unless he’s told to."
"..." Slater’s face contorted as he glanced at Mark, who said the same thing, only to see Mark shrug indifferently.
’Am I really safe here?!’