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

Chapter 1462: Work-life balance

"You get free stuff and there's nothing in the world as good as free."

The four (Patricia, Shawn, Hayley, and Teddy) looked at Penny with equal parts of disbelief and surprise. If this was what Penny called good networking, what would she call the kind of other connections she have? The kind that let her walk away after smacking an officer in the head at the station?

Penny blushed happily as she sipped her juice, motioning for them to keep eating.

"..." Without a word, they resumed their meals.

"I don't like beer," Patricia mumbled, but opened the can anyway. She took a small sip before digging into her food.

Seeing her do that, the other three glanced at each other before casting Penny a curious look.

"Uh... boss?" Hayley cleared her throat. "Aren't you drinking too?"

"Did you see her give me a beer?" Penny raised a brow.

"I can buy you one!" Shawn blurted out, thinking Penny hadn't gotten a beer because the auntie had only given her juice.

Penny laughed out loud, cupping her face with both hands as she looked at them fondly. "One thing you three need to remember: never let me drink more than three sips of wine. I'm a lightweight and when I'm drunk... let's just say, you won't like me drunk."

Mark, seated at the table behind them, nodded in agreement. 'I'm glad this happened early... better than them learning the hard way.'

"Oh... I see." Shawn lowered his head in embarrassment.

"Don't slouch," Penny pointed out. "If I could, I'd gladly accept your offer. Just... assume I'm allergic to alcohol. Keep that in mind."

Teddy nodded stiffly, making a mental note. 'As long as I'm around her, she'll never drink more than three sips of wine.

stuff is the best." The three exchanged looks before smiling back at her. This time, they didn't hesitate to crack open their beers and enjoy them with their food. The dishes were best paired with a

Penny asked casual questions to keep the conversation flowing. She was sure that without her prompting, none of them would say a word. They

attention. "I know working overtime is sometimes necessary, especially when there's a deadline. But if the only reason you're staying late is because

them furrowed their brows as Penny

freëwebnovel.com

when needed. What I'm saying is -do your best during office hours. After that, go home. Go on

tone gentle but firm. "Health is wealth. It's not worth working yourself to exhaustion and

Shawn stared at their boss in stunned silence. Something in her words tugged at their hearts. The kindness in her tone chipped

smile crept onto his face. '...But I'd still gladly

his alone-the others felt the

Patricia frowned, glancing off to the side. 'It makes me

their second time dining with her, but the more they talked, the more they liked her. Penny was

in moments like this-they couldn't

working herself to the bone She had poured

she was rewarded with an

in thisè lifetime, Penny vowed never to put work above herself again. It didn't mean she

Moments later...

home," Penny said from the backseat of the car, looking out at the four standing outside. "The

smiled back at

said, followed by Shawn: "Thanks for the treat,

Penny hummed,

as the car pulled

watching her car disappear

a