Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress

Chapter 648: We’re both just trying to survive

Chapter 648: We're both just trying to survive

Seated in an exclusive restaurant, Penny crossed her arms as she studied the man across from her. After seeing Finn standing right outside Nina's work building while looking at her, she understood the message. Hence, here they were.

However, five minutes in, no one spoke a word. They just stared at each other in silence, the tea between them slowly turning cold.

"I'm not stalking her, if that's what you think." After another full minute, Finn's clear voice pierced through the thick silence between them. "And I'm not following you." Penny smirked as she reached for her cup of tea. "You don't have to be so defensive."

"I don't want to deal with any unnecessary misunderstandings." He returned her smirk with a smile, watching her take a sip from her tea. "I was there because... I wanted to check on her. It's been two days since she broke off the engagement."

"Nina is fine." Penny elegantly placed her cup down, fluttering her eyelashes ever so tenderly. "You've been together for quite some time now, so I'm sure you know that she's brave and resilient."

Finn nodded. "Smart as well."

Penny shrugged as she leaned back, resuming her scrutiny of him. "Is that all you want to tell me?"

"No. I have a lot of things to say, but I don't know where to start."

"The feeling is mutual."

But then silence followed Penny's remark.

Although they attended the same school, they had little to no interaction. All they knew was the general knowledge they had of each other and the opinions formed from those brief encounters. As adults, they had never really spoken to each other. They hadn't even exchanged greetings, even when Finn was Nina's fiancé and Penny was Nina's sister.

This was the first time they sat down together to talk. Yet, the irony of their limited interactions left many questions hanging in the air.

side of his mouth as he chuckled to himself. "You're

and Finn might be bound by a deal with mutual benefit. But that didn't mean Zoren fully trusted him; Zoren wouldn't have disclosed this piece

"I didn't know about

a brow, finding an opening he had

"Where?"

you want to play

simply messing with you to make the

in the same room with you is already insufferable. Talking makes it

pick up his tea before leaning back, his eyes on her. "You know I can deny anything

deny it by saying he was talking about a different night. After

expected of someone

lips as he placed his cup down. "I was there on the last night at the Crimson Bar. Until now, I'm saddened that such

a fight like that

that the business closed down because of friendship. Friendship can be so destructive sometimes, don't you

is," Penny returned. "It's not the friendship, but the trust and the lack of judgment. Although, I still agree that

like you want to add something else in that remark," he pointed out,

a cunning guy, indeed,' she thought. 'He hasn't changed.' Considering how Finn was in the past, she couldn't help but feel disconcerted about it all. Finn had always been close to the spotlight, but not close enough to stand under it.

Penny slowly tilted her head while keeping her eyes on

"Nothing, in this regard."

head and picked up her purse. "Then I

I'll excuse myself first. Though I'll leave you with one friendly piece of advice: Stay away from

purse and stand. But before she could even