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

Chapter 1290: Slander them to shreds

"... not when I married her alive this time."

By the time Jonathan recovered, he tapped the open button, but the elevator had already started going down.

"What did he just say?" he breathed out, staring at the doors in horror. "Did... he remember?"

His mouth fell open and closed as he stumbled back a step. Instinctively, he gripped the railing, his entire body throbbing as Zoren's words replayed in his head over and over. He didn't even notice when the elevator reached his floor and the doors opened—if not for them starting to close again.

What Zoren said had truly turned his world upside down, because if there was one person Jonathan knew who could ruin his plans, it was Zoren. No one else. Not Penny. Not Finn.

Why?

Because of one thing Jonathan knew that no one else did. And Zoren had just warned him-for the first and last time. There would be no further warnings.

Sitting in his cubicle, Jonathan remained motionless. His eyes were unfocused, his mind drifting farther away.

'Was this the reason... that woman is not in the present?' he wondered, but somehow, that question felt like a missing piece that had been nagging at him all along.

After all, in this lifetime, Zoren was an orphan. He didn't have a controlling mother dictating his every move.

'But he wouldn't have killed her as a child...?' Jonathan's thoughts trailed off. '... or could he?'

******

Meanwhile, Zoren remained leaning against the wall, still waiting for Penny. However, unlike earlier, his mind drifted to his brief warning to Jonathan. He glanced over his shoulder, eyes lingering on the closed elevator doors.

After a second, he looked away and dismissed the thought. What he had told Jonathan was a calculated move. He had been thinking about it for quite some time now. Penny was being too careful. Atlas had his own plans, but Zoren didn't have the same patience. Hugo was investigating, and Slater had now openly begun helping them.

Finn, too, had grown paranoid about Nina's safety-and that was all because of Jonathan.

For a while, Zoren had stayed on the sidelines, trying to maintain harmony within this complicated family dynamic. But today, he was not in the mood to play along. He wasn't in the mood to be polite, especially to someone who should have been his responsibility.

Zoren's eyes darkened as he cast his gaze downward.

way into the parking lot. He had deliberately driven at a snail's pace near Pierson Corporation, not wanting to

in disbelief, shaking

Atlas. "First Brother, what do you think? Do

"However, based on what we've seen, he seems very familiar with the children.

okay! I'll

shook his head. "No need. I'll

"But-"

hissed, finally fed up with the back-and-forth. "Do you two ever shut up? Goodness! If I were your personal driver,

fell silent-only to immediately

Atlas reiterated firmly. "I'll let you know what I

send someone

you think is

They were already here, so he only had to endure them for a few more seconds. But just as he planned to drop them off near the elevator entrance and

off already," Penny remarked, noticing Dean's deliberately slow driving. "Don't tell me you're really going to abduct

toward his parking space. Penny frowned-only to feel Atlas's finger tapping her shoulder. She turned to him, only to

Penny instinctively looked out her window,

husband was

blessing-a daily miracle she

But not when a

The air around him

lethal gaze made one thing

He was mad.

brow, utterly calm despite the ominous presence outside. Even

"Why do you

desperate, "didn't you say you wanted me to

and grabbed Atlas's hand, tapping the back of it. "Please cover for me

"..."

"Don't let her use you. How will she ever learn if you keep

sighed. "Why are you scared? It's just Zoren." He

--" was