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

Chapter 973: Penelope Bennet, what do you think?

Zoren's wife, Penelope Bennet, was someone he had never met while she was alive. How could his grandmother have met her? Even so, given Old Mrs. Pierson's condition, his fabricated marriage was the only thing that brought her happiness, no matter how many times he repeated the story.

"Tell me more about her!" Old Mrs. Pierson urged. "Or are you tired of repeating yourself?"

"No." Zoren moved his chair closer to the bed, holding her wrinkled hand between his own. "Penelope... she's brilliant. She has several Ph.D.s and was part of a research team working on miracle drugs."

"Oh!" Old Mrs. Pierson's eyes lit up. "Renren, she's a genius! I knew it! My granddaughter-in-law is amazing! What else?"

"She's from a good family, and despite her tight schedule, she always made time for her loved ones."

"What a filial daughter," she said with pride.

"She is."

"Not only is she beautiful and smart, but she's also kind."

"How I wish she weren't... perhaps she'd be a lot happier," he murmured, though his grandmother's weak hearing didn't catch it. "She's also fierce."

He had learned this while keeping tabs on her in prison. She often started fights, landing herself in isolation. Yet, her spirit never seemed to break, not surprising as her soul had long been shattered outside those prison walls. Her defiance had always clashed with his efforts to shield her from such harsh treatment. As a death row inmate, she was deemed a threat and denied the freedoms other prisoners had. Through his connections and at great expense, Zoren ensured she wasn't entirely isolated. It was his way of showing her there was still hope that even within those walls, she could imagine freedom.

"Hehehe." Old Mrs. Pierson giggled, picturing such a remarkable woman with her grandson. "You've hit the jackpot, Renren!" But as her gaze returned to him, she caught the look on his face. Concerned, she held his hand tightly.

"Renren, what's wrong, my child?" she asked gently. "You can always tell

Grandma your troubles. I'll always listen, like always."

A faint smile crossed his lips. "I know you would."

"And the best part is," she added with a chuckle, "I'll forget whatever it is afterward!"

Her joke lightened the moment, but Zoren's heart remained heavy. He hesitated before finally speaking, his voice low. "Is there anything I'm truly good at, Grandma? Because everything I really want to do—everyone I want to save— always seems to slip through my fingers."

reflected his failures: his inability to save Penelope Bennet and his grandmother. Despite his wealth and influence, nothing seemed to change. Nothing seemed

he whispered, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "... and I'll fail

say that?" Old Mrs. Pierson sighed, patting his hand to draw his gaze to hers. "You didn't fail me, and you certainly

dead," he wanted to say, but

me and protecting me doesn't mean you've failed. Even if my health continues

joy. This is the cycle of life. We live, and then we reach the end. If you're lucky, you get to

you to leave me," he confessed, his voice

chuckled, squeezing his hand. "I'll never leave you, my dear.

touch his chest. "I'll always be here, even if my physical body isn't. I'm not saying it will happen today, but you must accept the inevitable." She smiled,

beautiful, smart, and kind wife, Renren. She's not a replacement but someone to walk beside you and

"Everything's going to be fine, Renren. One day, you'll understand. But for now, know this: I'm grateful. You've made this difficult life bearable, and I'm proud to have raised such a loving grandson. You've always been a blessed child. If you wish for it, I'm sure it'll

forced a smile, his chest tightening with emotion. "Grandma..."

you have any

"I do.

"What are they?"

gaze drifting to the family portrait on

the two

silence. "Renren... your

why did

guard. He hesitated, prompting her to

love

for a moment.

He had been involved in her case and, after failing to save her, he wanted to at least grant

It wasn't love.

think..." he began hesitantly, meeting her eyes. "... I could have loved her.

wouldn't have been so sad. Maybe I could save

Mrs. Pierson tilted her head. "Renren, you're

"I am, Grandma."

only visit me when it's convenient

the cycle repeated. Zoren smiled

about his wife, and about the life she