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.

truth. Penny's influence had shifted his focus, and

wasn't surprising that they'd managed to lure—or corrupt-members of the Phantom Circle with promises of

though it hadn't been confirmed, rumors of the group's disbandment had already begun circulating. All it would've taken was one silver-tongued devil whispering the right things into the ears of restless members...

broke the silence. "But the decision

a little deeper into the water, scrubbing

I'll clean up and join

later."

to stay here,"

lips parted but closed again.

sighed, sliding down to sit on the floor, her back against the wall. She

of his hand, quietly watching as he scrubbed the dried blood

rinsed his hands, he

"Delro."

"Hm?" Penny looked up.

said something... 'Delro."" Zoren turned his head toward her. "Have you ever heard

thinking. "Is it... a

Jonathan about the enemy's location, that would

there's no such place," Zoren shook his head. "I already

Penny hummed, her brows knitting. "It

it."

Zoren muttered. "It must have something to do

a place,

"Mhm."

fell over them before Zoren spoke

way..." he continued scrubbing his

a brief side glance. "And

slightly. "Just so

her

know if this is the best time to hit you with all the details especially after you just witnessed someone

reassured her with a small smile. "I've

is, we've got Nina's mom in the

shot

set

Shocking." Penny shrugged. "Long story short-she's been working for the Miller Family. And

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