Chapter 1117: Let it be like that

"Mr. Pierson, are you... just like us? And by that, I mean... did you also go back in time with your memories?"

Zoren’s brows immediately crinkled at Finn’s question. "What makes you ask that?"

"Like I said, I don’t trust you," Finn repeated, his voice clearer this time. "We don’t trust each other, but my life is on the line. Nina’s and mine, and I’m not letting Penelope fail."

A moment of silence fell between them as both men stared at each other. Zoren and Finn might’ve been on the same side for a long time, but that didn’t mean they trusted each other. Their relationship was based purely on mutual benefits — nothing more.

But things had changed, and Finn was no longer fighting whatever fate had in store for him alone. He had an ally, and her name was Penelope Bennet. His only goal now was to ensure she succeeded, because if she did, his chances of avoiding or surviving the catastrophe that had befallen him in his first life were high.

"Would my answer change anything?" Zoren replied instead of answering, because the truth was already too obvious.

Zoren had no memory of the past Penny and Finn were talking about. Although he believed them, he couldn’t bring himself to remember a life he couldn’t recall.

"Yes," Finn nodded. "It changes a lot of things, Mr. Pierson."

"And why is that?"

"I’m certain Penelope already mentioned our last conversation to you."

"She has." Zoren nodded. "She fell sick because of that."

Finn’s jaw tightened. "I’m sorry about that."

"You don’t have to. Penny needed the truth, and you gave her what she needed at the moment. Although she and I didn’t expect the truth to be that painful, we needed it." Zoren drew a deep breath as his eyes grew sharper. "Mr. Davis, your question... you already know the answer. No, I don’t remember anything. Would that still change anything?"

"Yes."

"And why is that?"

"Because in that first life..." Finn trailed off, drawing another deep breath, holding Zoren’s sharp gaze. "That woman is alive."

Zoren furrowed his brows again. "That woman?" he repeated.

"Yes," Finn breathed out and nodded at him. "That woman, Mr. Pierson. And the reason I asked if you could remember your first life is because I want to know if you did something to change it."

Another wave of silence fell on their shoulders, letting Finn’s words sink in.

"I assumed you knew that I died quite early in the story, so I have no idea what happened after that." After a moment, Finn spoke again. "But what I am certain of is that your story now doesn’t match your story back then."

"So, you’re saying that if I’m not the one who remembers the past, then... she did?"

Finn didn’t answer immediately, feeling bitterness in his heart with the answer in his mind. "That’s the only possible answer," he said. "I wanted to confront you after this trip since I’ve been being careful, knowing Jonathan already set his sights on destroying me."

"I heard." Zoren nodded, his expression calm, his hand on the table slowly balling into a tight fist. His eyes fell on the food, deep in thought. "Are you saying she faked her death, and she’s still alive?"

"It’s a possibility, but I hope it’s not the case. I sincerely do," Finn returned, noticing Zoren’s fist tremble. "I’m hoping she planned to fake it, but her plans backfired. After all, from what I heard, your father truly treasured her."

"..." Zoren remained quiet, feeling his chest heave heavily.

"I’m sorry I had to tell you this way. However, since that’s clear, I’m planning to tell everything to Penny. I don’t want to keep this from her for long, especially knowing she launched an attack on that man. He’s not going to stay down for long. Knowing him, he’ll get back on his feet before we know it."

Still, Zoren didn’t answer. But when he spoke, his voice was quiet. "Was he also alive in there?"

"..." Finn pressed his lips together, eyes on Zoren. "No, Mr. Pierson. Your father had the same fate as he did in this lifetime. Though he might’ve had a different accident this time than the one I heard about in the past."

Then, silence came again to fill the air.

Finn couldn’t help but let out a shallow breath, knowing this subject was particularly sensitive to talk about. Zoren might not be his friend, but Finn had been doing business with the Piersons long enough to be aware of the taboos around Zoren. They wouldn’t even mention Enzo Pierson when he was around, afraid that Zoren would take it personally.

"I see." Zoren nodded after a minute, breathing in and out heavily. When he snapped his eyes up at Finn, his expression had returned to its usual calmness. Even his trembling fist had stopped. "If she’s alive, she’d better know how to hide, because I’ll pluck her out of her hiding if I find her. She’d better stay dead where she belongs." — because living meant... whatever life Naylani had lived all these years would come to an end.

And Zoren would make sure of that.

Finn, on the other hand, just gazed at the man across from him. For some reason, his heart pounded against his chest, his breathing growing heavier as the tension in the dining room rose.

’He still is... the Zoren Pierson I remember,’ he thought, gulping as he could feel the ominous air weighing on his shoulders. ’I really hope Naylani Pierson is dead. Let it be like that, because, to be honest... I’m not sure which is worse: Naylani possibly remembering the past, or Zoren hiding the truth.’

Either way, both ideas were terrible. Looking at Zoren, Finn couldn’t help but think the former might be better, because if Zoren remembered, then that meant... he was the same monster Finn remembered.

"Hello, we’re back..." Just then, Penny and Nina walked into the dining room to join their significant others for breakfast. But the second they did, Nina and Penny were met with the harsh atmosphere reigning in the room.

The two of them furrowed their brows and looked at each other, both clearly confused as they turned their eyes back to the dining table where Finn and Zoren sat, without saying a word.