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

Chapter 1567: Her second prison

[SHORT FLASHBACK]

The bags under Penny's eyes were dark, and exhaustion was written all over her face.

She opened the lab door and lingered at the entrance, looking around the empty laboratory. A deep sigh escaped her as she dragged her feet inside and dropped her duffel bag to the floor. She stopped at the first row of counters, her gaze landing on the stack of documents in front of her.

Penny casually picked up the first one. The bandage wrapped around her hand looked worn, like it needed changing - but she clearly hadn't had the time.

"I..." she mumbled, her body suddenly tipping forward as dizziness washed over her.

Clutching the edge of the counter, she closed her eyes. She wasn't sure if she'd just fallen asleep standing up for a few seconds, but when she opened her eyes again, she snapped back to full consciousness.

"Goodness," she whispered. "When was the last time I slept?"

To be honest, she was not that sure. And what she meant was proper sleep, not just short naps like what she had been having.

Her body screamed for rest.

Penny had just spent two full days and nights working on a project for Global Prime Logistics, which, ironically, got her scolded. She couldn't survive another sleepless day.

But then, her eyes fell on the stack of documents.

"I can't sleep," she told herself, dragging herself onto a stool. "I need to finish this."

She shook her head, hoping it would jolt her awake. She could've been sleeping right now, if not for the fact that she kept putting other things first-like helping out at Global Prime. But Penny's life choices weren't always the best, and now, after wasting all her energy on something that had nothing to do with her, she had to catch up on the research papers that were her responsibility.

The lab was quiet eerily so. On days like this, Penny welcomed the silence. Silence meant fewer distractions.

a test tube, a sudden buzzing sound startled her. Distracted, she accidentally swirled too hard, and hot

the test tube. Out of habit, she tried to

wouldn't have even tried. That would've been dangerous. But two days without sleep made her react without thinking. The contents spilled onto her hand as she jerked away, the tube shattering on the

across her palm was already red and swollen. She winced as the dried blood

soiled bandage aside and stared at her scarred, battered

the back of her hand was blistering. The pain

the bathroom, where she ran it under cold water. The brief

She examined the burn under the stream. "This

It was horrible.

might as well just

she muttered, snapping

nearly startled her.

whispered, "and

or two since the last time she looked in the mirror. No wonder Atlas stared

like the

her lips as she turned away from her reflection. She grabbed a towel she had

duffel bag she'd dropped earlier. She fished

Nina.

to see the name, but she

"Hello?"

you'd come over today to help me?" Nina began, skipping any greeting. "I canceled

her head. "Right. I'm sorry. It slipped

you do this to me?! Do you really hate me that much? I already apologized for

know, but I

Slater's voice suddenly cut in from the background. "Why would you even believe her? She's just making up excuses again to sabotage

tried to defend