Chapter 1364: Karma has its way

"Finn, do you want to be my assistant?"

"I know who the culprit was."

After a second, Penny and Finn looked at each other in surprise.

"Huh?" They hummed in unison.

"You want me to work for you?" Finn pointed at himself, while Penny, doing the same, asked, "Who?"

She scrunched up her nose. "Wait, you first. That sounds more important—who?"

"Why would you want to hire me as an assistant when I have my own company?" he countered because, to him, that seemed like the more pressing question at the moment.

"Can we decide who answers first?" she proposed.

Finn thought for a second, then nodded.

"You already found out the person responsible for that incident."

"Yes."

"That’s fast."

"Thanks to years of working with your husband," he returned in slight sarcasm. "I knew where to go to for it."

"So, who is the culprit behind the dead bird incident?"

Finn didn’t answer immediately. He leaned back, shrugged, and looked away as he gathered the courage to tell Penny. After all, he knew her well enough to be certain of one thing—she would kill Cassandra. That was why he came to Zoren first. Not because Zoren was less cruel, but because it would be more understandable and acceptable. He was the head of the Pierson family, while Penny, as Zoren’s wife, might just be seen as a bully abusing her position.

"It’s someone you know, isn’t it?" Penny guessed, watching his brows rise. The corner of her mouth curled up when he looked back at her in surprise. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t look this conflicted."

Finn smiled wryly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t think I needed to hide it."

"So? Who is it? Your family?" she asked.

"You could say that." Finn rocked his head from back and forth before exhaling sharply. "It’s... Cassandra."

The moment her name left his lips, Penny’s right brow shot up. "Cassandra? Your ex?"

"Mhm." He hummed. "The one I was arranged to marry as a kid... and also, the woman I married in my first life."

"That’s... surprising," Penny murmured, intrigue flickering in her eyes. "It seems that name keeps coming up more often lately."

Before she could go full analysis mode—she cast him another glance and furrowed her brows. "Didn’t you say the engagement was arranged by both families?"

"It was."

"Then why do you look like someone just shattered your heart into a million pieces?"

Finn met her eyes and said, "Penny, how do you think it would feel if what you’ve been trying to protect in this second life is something you already failed to protect? For instance... your heart. You’ve guarded it in this life, but what if it got broken again?"

Penny opened her mouth, then closed it. "...I hadn’t thought of that."

"It’s upsetting, humiliating, and... ridiculous, all rolled into one," he said slowly and clearly. "I don’t know what happened, but all this time, I thought breaking off the engagement and freeing her from a loveless marriage would protect her. That it would allow her to live a happier life. But... it seems she’s not happy."

He let out a short, bitter laugh. "I considered a lot of people who might’ve sent that bird. I didn’t even think of her. Yet she did it—and, by the looks of it, without shame. No hesitation. Just pure selfishness."

"It’s karma," Penny remarked with a smirk as he glanced at her. "One thing I’ve learned in this life is that karma always comes back. You betrayed people in the past, and no matter what, karma finds a way."

"..."

"I’m not saying you should try to understand her. In fact, I’ll kill you myself if you let that conniving woman near my sister," she added flatly. "It’s just that... I know betrayal. What it looks like, what it smells like, what it sounds like, and what it feels like. It’s worse than shit." She shrugged. "But like I said, karma is real. Sometimes, it teaches us a lesson. Other times, it’s just the world settling scores."

She paused, smacked her lips, then added, "Or maybe, it’s just the universe’s way of removing the bad people from your life. I like to think it’s the latter."

They stared at each other for a moment before nodding in silent agreement.

Finn slowly looked away, a faint smile forming on his lips.

"I’d like to think it’s the latter... and maybe the second one, too," he admitted. Then, lifting his gaze again, he added, "Now that you mention it, if this is the world settling scores, then I guess I’m entitled to embrace this new life without shame."

"You should." Penny smiled, looking across the room with a small shrug. Even she was surprised by the words coming out of her own mouth. "Because we deserve it."

A comfortable silence fell over them as they sat on the couch, neither speaking nor moving. They simply stared across the room, quiet but smiling faintly.

After a long pause, Finn finally spoke again.

"I’m glad my feet brought me here," he whispered, giving Penny an appreciative smile. "It really does feel like I have a sister."

Penny arched a brow and smirked. "So don’t be surprised that my brothers are obsessed with me."

Finn chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing. "So... why do you want to hire me as your assistant?"

"Would you accept the job if I told you?"

"No, but I’m intrigued."

"Tch." Penny clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. She thought for a second before shrugging. "Because everyone just seems too... formal, too smart, too serious, too soft-spoken, too respectful, too understanding, too innovative—just too much."

"Aren’t those the qualities an assistant should have?" Finn asked, watching Penny frown deeply. "What kind of assistant are you looking for?"

Penny sighed, looking back at him. "I don’t know?" she admitted, sounding genuinely frustrated. "I just don’t want someone like Allen, who’s too afraid of his boss, or like Benjamin, who’s too dramatic."

She rested her elbow on the armrest and tapped her fingers. "I think... someone who is honest, headstrong, determined. Someone who won’t be afraid to tap me on the shoulder and remind me to pause and think. Also, someone who’ll give me lots of snacks to keep me motivated at work."

As she finished speaking, she suddenly bit her tongue.

Finn pointed at her. "You just thought of someone, didn’t you?"

"No."

"I think you did. The moment you listed all that."

"No." Penny jumped from her seat in horror, looking at him defensively. "I didn’t! And if you keep saying that, I’m kicking you out."

"..."

She winced, quickly marching back to her desk. Shaking her head, she muttered under her breath.

’Why did I just think of Patricia? Goodness. That gave me goosebumps.’