Chapter 1155: He did it for free

[Earlier: Prior to Penny and Zoren’s arrival at the Base.]

"Oh, my god..." Penny was still in disbelief at what she had just learned from Zoren. "Butler—Butler Lee is part of the Phantom Circle? How?"

"Long story short, Butler Lee was separated from his family as a child. He led a troubled life growing up. Years later, he and Butler Hubert reunited," Zoren answered with a shrug. "It was Grandma who offered him a chance to live a quiet life."

"Grandma offered him a quiet life on the island?" Penny repeated, and he nodded. "And you offered him the opposite of that. Renren, I didn’t know you had a rebellious phase!"

"I gave him something that made him feel alive."

Penny scrunched up her nose, momentarily wondering who she had married. But then again, she was grateful that her husband was being upfront about it.

Still... wasn’t that a red flag?

"Don’t worry. Butler Lee didn’t work in the field during our group’s active years," Zoren reassured her. "He simply held a position that allowed him to use his vast strategic insight. Like I said, he lived a troubled life."

Penny pursed her lips, raising a hand to stop him. "I don’t want to know the details of what he used to do for a living."

Zoren smiled at her. "Don’t worry. He didn’t kill for a living."

"Oh, Thank God!"

"He did it for free," he added, nearly making her choke on her own sigh of relief. "Pfft—"

"Renren!" Penny yelled. "Don’t joke about something so disturbing with a straight face!" She mentally wept, feeling as though Atlas’s spirit had somehow seeped into her husband. How could her brothers have tainted this precious man like this?

Meanwhile, Zoren maintained his smile. "Did that make you feel less worried?"

"No?" Penny snapped her eyes at him and huffed. "It took my mind off Third Brother and Benjamin’s situation for sure, but now I’m worried about you."

"I’m fine."

"Not that kind of fine," she breathed out, shaking her head.

After a moment, she straightened her back. Both of them were still sitting on their bikes, knowing they might need to ride at any moment.

"What do you think of my plan?" Zoren asked, making Penny raise a brow at him. "It’s lacking a little, don’t you think?"

"Yeah, we can’t just negotiate. People like them might think they’re businessmen, but they’re really just the most corrupt, rotten human sewage to ever crawl out from wherever they came from." Her tone hardened as their conversation shifted back to the more pressing matter. "We can’t just walk in there. Even if they let us in, there’s no way in hell we’re getting out."

"I agree with you." Zoren nodded, though his lips pressed into a thin line.

Seeing his reaction, Penny knew he had come to the same conclusion. However, she also knew he wouldn’t like it.

"Renren." Penny slowly got off her bike and walked toward him. Placing a hand over his, she smiled. "The best-case scenario is that we buy their freedom and they let us go. I want to believe it’ll be that easy. But we both know that’s not going to happen."

She squeezed his hand. "Those guys will want more, and for sure, they’ll use Third Brother and Benjamin to bleed us dry. We need to find them first."

And for one of them to find the hostages, that meant they had to... split up.

"I’m worried about you," he murmured.

"And I’m worried about you too." She reached up, resting her hand on his shoulder. Her eyes shimmered with raw emotion, letting him see exactly what her heart was telling him. "If I could, I’d want you to stay behind and wait for me. But I know you won’t... because I wouldn’t either if the situation were reversed."

"I’ll be fine, Renren," she reassured him. "I’m not wasting this second life—possibly the best life I could have. Going in there isn’t throwing it away. It’s saving it."

For a moment, silence stretched between them as they held each other’s gaze. Then, his thumb brushed over the back of her hand as he nodded slightly.

"Then I’ll trust you not to get hurt," he murmured. "And I promise I won’t either."

Their smiles were small but genuine.

They could have just stayed behind and done nothing, but that wasn’t who they were. The people the syndicate had taken were close to their hearts. And with the authorities unwilling to help, they had no choice but to act.

"So..." Penny cleared her throat, lowering her voice. "The question is, how are we going to split up if we’re going in together?"

"As you said, people like them are the worst kind of human sewage. We’re going to use that."

Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"There are only two possible outcomes, Penny. Either they negotiate and let us leave with Benjamin and Third Brother, or... they hold us captive and demand more." Zoren’s expression darkened. "According to Butler Lee, some people have been eyeing the island. I’m sure they’ll ask for it."

The softness in his features vanished entirely as he studied her face. "I need you..." He paused, his voice tight with frustration. "...to act cuter."

"Huh?"

"I mean naive. We need them to see you as not a threat," Zoren clarified. "I’m sure he’ll have you taken to another room because of your face. We’ll use that to figure out where they’ve taken Benjamin and Third Brother."

"What about you?"

"The leader will want to keep me close," he replied knowingly, wiggling his brows. "I own the castle, and if they plan to use me as a hostage, they won’t let me out of their sight. But are you okay with that?"

"I should be asking you that," she shot back. "The leader’s location is where security will be the tightest. Will you be okay?"

"That’s exactly why I need to stay there." Zoren nodded, squeezing her hand. "Don’t worry. I’ll come to you if you need me."

Penny let out a small laugh. "I will if you need me."

They locked eyes, nodding in understanding. Both of them were worried about each other, but in the end, they chose to trust.

As individuals, they were strong.

But together?

There was nothing they couldn’t overcome.

---

[PRESENT TIME]

"Renren... please... help us... don’t hurt him..." Penny hiccuped, her voice hoarse, barely above a whisper.

"My husband..." she murmured in defeat, hanging her head low as she was dragged away. Strands of her hair fell over her face, but they weren’t enough to conceal the slow, eerie smile stretching across her lips.