Chapter 1243: Take a break

[Prime Group]

"And you’re... stressed again!" Yugi noticed as soon as he walked into Penny’s office. "Say, Penny, have you tried yoga? Or just going to church for some inner peace? Because at this point, I think you need it."

Penny slowly looked up at her cousin across the desk. "What is that you’re holding?"

"Uh-oh." Yugi’s brows rose playfully as he moved the papers in his hand closer to him. "That’s not good. You just ignored my comments."

"At this point, I might need something stronger than yoga," she replied. "Like knocking someone’s teeth out because they talk too much."

"Oops." Yugi cleared his throat and placed the papers on the desk. "But Penny—"

Everything he wanted to say stopped when she glanced at him again. He zipped his mouth shut and straightened his back.

"The competition is next week, but we’re already filtering out the people who could compete. Would you like to check?" he proposed. "Maybe it’ll be good for you."

"Never mind that." Penny waved dismissively. "I’m tired, Yugi."

"Why are you even this tired? Didn’t you go home early last night?"

Her frown deepened, the corners of her eyes shimmering. "I know, right? Blame my brothers for not giving me a break."

Yugi placed a hand on his hip, studying the somber look on her face. After a second, he knocked on her desk to get her attention. "That’s it. Get up."

"Huh?"

"Get up and go home."

"Why would I go home?"

"Penny, you can’t be in this office acting like the world is ending. If you’re tired, just go and rest. Take a break!"

Penny thought about it in disbelief. "But I don’t want to rest. Whatever is on my mind won’t allow me."

"Then just call your husband and go on a date. If not, Nina. She’s preparing for the family dinner, and I’m sure she’s anxious about it." Yugi waved her off. "Just take a day off."

"But—"

"Go." Yugi cocked his head toward the door. "Get your stuff and leave. It’s not like you have any important meetings today. Just deal with the less important stuff later."

Her brows rose as she watched Yugi tip his head toward the door. Penny pursed her lips into a thin line before they stretched into a wide grin. Her cheeks turned pinkish as she reluctantly pushed herself up.

"If you say so," she said, gathering her things. "Are you sure I should leave?"

"This business won’t fall apart without you for a week. Before your trip, you worked yourself to the bone. You basically did a whole month’s worth of work just to make up for it. So, treat yourself to another day off. There’s nothing urgent here, anyway."

"Sweet!" Penny exclaimed. "Very well, then. See you tomorrow!"

A shallow breath escaped Yugi as he watched her sprint excitedly toward the door. He shook his head and laughed.

"Why did she work so much before the trip if she was just going to be like this after?" he wondered, smiling as he gazed at the empty seat across from him. "She didn’t even put this in the drawer."

With that, Yugi picked up the papers he had delivered to her and placed them in her drawer. But as soon as he did, his brows furrowed.

"Huh?" he whispered. "Since when did she start keeping a gun in her office?"

Yugi blinked, staring at the pistol in the drawer. He thought about it for a moment before deciding to check it. The second he confirmed it was loaded, he carefully took it out for safety.

"That girl..." he mumbled. "Why would she keep a gun here while it’s loaded?"

---

Meanwhile...

"What?" Nina was surprised. "You want to... help me with the family dinner?"

Penny, who was on the other end of the line, nodded. "Yep. I’m on my way to you... after a quick visit to my husband’s office."

"Penny, don’t you have work today?" Nina tilted her head to the side.

"Hehe. Thanks to my diligence and Yugi’s insistence, I can take a day off today!"

"Oh." Nina rocked her head, still a bit surprised at Penny’s abrupt call. But thinking about it, her lips curled up. "Penny, I don’t need help with the family dinner. We’re just eating at Mama’s. But I wouldn’t mind some coffee and a help to pick out a dress. Finn’s parents will be there, after all, and it’s our first official family dinner."

"Got it!" Penny nodded. "Tell me where, or should I pick you up?"

Nina shook her head. "You don’t have to. I still need to meet a client. I’m already headed there."

"Didn’t you say your hands were full not long ago?"

"Yes, but I dropped a client."

"Oh..." Penny’s mouth formed an O-shape. "Alright then! See you! Lily said she wants to come with us, so expect her there too."

"Okay."

With that, Nina listened to the disconnected line. Her lips pursed, trying to stop a smile from stretching even more. She was glad Penny and Lily would be spending time with her, knowing she had been stressing out about the family dinner.

Even though Nina had told Jessa and Charles to be kind to her fiancé and his family, she was still a little nervous. She knew those two—Jessa only needed one reason to run her mouth, and Charles would surely stay passive-aggressive. Not that she could blame them. Finn hadn’t exactly made an effort in the past.

As Nina was deep in thought, the cab driver spoke. "Miss, we’re here."

"Oh!" Nina perked up, snapping back to reality. She glanced at the mirror, offering the driver a smile and a polite nod. "Thank you. Have a good day."

She jumped out of the taxi and headed straight to the entrance of one of the city’s best restaurants. She was there to meet a client and, per their request, had agreed to meet at this place. It was quite fancy, but given all the work she had put into building her portfolio, she saw it as the fruit of her hard work.

But just as Nina was led to a private dining area, her smile faded.

She watched as her client slowly turned toward her and smiled.

Cassandra.