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

Chapter 1001: Prettier than the morning

"Hmm?" A soft groan escaped Slater as his eyes slowly opened. He winced as he felt the stiffness in his neck, pushing himself to sit up. Still wincing a little, he glanced at the person next to him. It was Haines.

'Right...' he thought. 'I fell asleep while talking to Uncle Haines last night.'

As Haines adjusted his position, getting more comfortable in the other corner of the couch, Slater looked around. Allison and Charles had already left the room, so Hugo was now occupying the spare bed in the bedroom. Slater didn't care much for his second brother, as he was just glad Hugo wasn't snoring.

When his eyes landed on the bed, his lips pressed into a thin line. Slater carefully pushed himself away from the couch, tiptoeing to the bed while making sure he wasn't waking anyone up. It was still too early, after all, and they had all slept a little later than usual because they were watching Zoren's progress. They didn't want Penny to stay up alone.

Standing at the end of the bed, his eyes landed on his sister. Penny was sleeping on the floor, her arms and head resting on the edge of the bed. Looking at her reminded him of the expression she had carried yesterday.

"You... foolish girl..." he muttered, bitterness swelling in his heart. His hands slowly balled into tight fists, tempted to scold his sister for being so foolish.

How could she crumble so easily just because Zoren had a nosebleed?

Penny had changed her life in this lifetime, and Slater could attest to how different her life was now compared to the one she used to have. Even Penny herself had changed, as if she were a completely different person. She had learned a lot and became stronger, fiercer, and wiser.

But yesterday, it was like the old Penny all over again.

It was scary to see her like that, but at the same time, it was upsetting.

How could she be like this again?

Again.

'Back then, it was us... it was the family,' he thought, clenching his teeth tighter at Penny's destructive habit of loving someone. 'And now... it's him.'

Slater glanced at the patient, who seemed to be peacefully sleeping without a care in the world.

even feel at peace the second I wake up?!' he dramatically wailed in his heart. 'Would they both die if one of

it, the more upset he became. When his eyes

lesson. If not that, then he had to

heavily for the

*****

lips before his eyes cracked open. The light from the window was akin to a flashlight beaming right at him, so

His brows rose as he felt movement on the other

to the light. Although the natural light stung his eyes a little, he still tried to keep them partially open. The first thing he saw before turning was Hugo sleeping on the spare bed. His parent-in-law was

Haines was already awake,

massaging his neck while

awake.

staring

of Zoren's bed. He and Zoren's eyes met for a moment, but Atlas said nothing as he shifted his weary gaze back to where he

asleep last night. Penny had been very tired the previous night, to the point that even when he

where his wife was,

arms and head resting on the edge of the bed, was Penny. But she wasn't the one Atlas

watching Slater paint his sister's

Slater quickly retrieved the pen and watched as Penny settled a little. When she stopped moving and continued sleeping, he moved the marker to her face again. This time, Slater added a

"Uh-"

his teeth and hushed him, his finger pressed to his

and rolled his eyes, only to continue treating his

met Haines's eyes, the latter just paused before leaving the room. Haines glanced at Zoren as if making sure he was alright before turning his attention to

say anything,

his head.

why Atlas and Haines weren't saying anything. First, it was likely that they had given up on stopping Slater, or second, they knew it