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

Chapter 1647: Filling him in

[Present Time]

Penny crouched beside the tub, resting her arms over the rim.

"I'm fine," Zoren said from within the tub, offering her a wry smile. "You don't have to worry about me."

She frowned. "You don't look fine to me."

"Just... tired," he breathed out, reaching toward her fingers resting on the rim. "But really... I'm fine."

"Is he alive?" she asked quietly. "Jonathan, I mean."

Zoren didn't answer right away. His thoughts wandered back to the chaos.

After everything went down, he'd rushed Jonathan to the nearest hospital. With multiple stab wounds-some in critical areas—Jonathan had lost a dangerous amount of blood.

"He survived," Zoren nodded. "But he's in critical condition."

"I see..." Penny pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes heavy with worry. "It's not your fault. And even if it was..."

She trailed off, catching herself before she said something too harsh... or too cruel.

"That's not why I feel this way," Zoren said, his wry smile returning faintly. "It's just..."

His thoughts drifted again—this time to his people.

The guards he'd taken tonight weren't the ones usually assigned to him during the day. Ever since Prime Group took over his security, things had changed. But tonight, knowing he'd be stepping into dangerous waters to confront whoever was pulling Jonathan's strings, he'd brought his old team.

Except for Mark, they weren't part of Penny's regular security detail. They were from the Phantom Circle.

"Mark and I... we stopped paying attention to the Phantom Circle because we got complacent," he admitted with a sigh. "I should've seen this coming."

Penny swallowed hard, her eyes fixed on her husband.

"It's not your fault," she whispered. "It's mine. I'm the one who asked you to lie low, to disband it even. So... I'm just as much at fault."

Silence settled between them.

both knew the truth. Penny's influence had shifted his focus, and even Mark had followed her lead. No one had kept a close watch

surprising that they'd managed to lure—or corrupt-members of the Phantom Circle with

confirmed, rumors of the group's disbandment had already begun circulating. All it would've taken was

your suggestion," Zoren finally broke the silence. "But the decision

a little deeper into the

rest. I'll clean up and join

later."

want to stay here," Penny

parted but closed

the floor, her back against the

as he scrubbed the

rinsed his hands, he

"Delro."

"Hm?" Penny looked up.

passed out, Jonathan said something... 'Delro."" Zoren turned his head toward her. "Have you

tilted her head, thinking.

about the enemy's location,

shook his head. "I

her brows knitting. "It

it."

Zoren muttered. "It must have something to do with the answers

a place, maybe it's a person... or

"Mhm."

them before Zoren spoke

scrubbing his hands.

"And Cassandra. And Mint.

smirking slightly. "Just

her throat

of her head. "Renren, don't know if this is the best time to hit you with all the details especially after you just witnessed

with a small smile. "I've seen

we've got

shot

set

know, right? Shocking." Penny shrugged. "Long story short-she's been working for the Miller Family. And Because Patricia is a busybody, she ended up leading me right

processing the information. "...That's good news,