Chapter 1365: Feels like shopping

Tap... tap... tap...

Penny’s finger tapped the armrest in a steady rhythm as she narrowed her eyes in thought. Finn had lingered in her office for a while, treating it like a personal lounge. Not that she minded—he was quiet and never disturbed her.

Even when he left, he didn’t announce his departure. Penny only noticed his absence when she finished a task for the day.

Now, on her short break, she was lost in thought.

"Cassandra..." she whispered, her mind swirling around that single name. "Finn said he went to Zoren first before coming here, so that would give Renren an opening if he’s finally in the mood to take care of Jonathan."

Cassandra’s involvement with Jonathan had always been a concern for Penny and Zoren. Not because of Cassandra herself or her family, but because of Finn. Penny was especially wary because she knew how hard Finn had worked to give Cassandra a different life this time around.

But alas... changing someone’s fate was a double-edged sword.

Penny had learned that at a young age. When she was still doing fortune readings in the Cortez neighborhood, she had "read" a neighbor’s future. Her accuracy relied on knowledge of the past, and in the first life, that neighbor’s house had caught fire—a blaze large enough to spread to surrounding homes.

The neighbor had listened to Penny’s warning and avoided the disaster. But even though they escaped the fire, they couldn’t escape fate entirely. The fire had originally been a pivotal moment in the couple’s marriage, strengthening their bond through hardship. Without it, their relationship crumbled, and they divorced two years later.

That was when Penny realized that stopping certain events—ones that should happen—could have unpredictable consequences. Good or bad. It was also why she was careful about interfering in her own life and the lives of others.

So, Finn’s news today didn’t entirely surprise her.

"If Cassandra Smith isn’t as innocent as she was in the first life, then..." She trailed off, weighing the situation—the future situation.

"...Hang on. What if it’s not Finn’s influence, but... Jonathan’s?"

What if changing Cassandra’s fate wasn’t the problem? What if Jonathan’s involvement in her life had altered her in ways Finn never intended?

"Hah." Penny huffed faintly, pushing herself up from the desk, grabbing her things, and heading out.

---

When Penny, Atlas, and Dean had followed Jonathan that day, Penny had asked someone to run a background check on the orphanage. Much to her dismay, nothing seemed out of the ordinary—it was just another home for children without families.

She had gone through every file, especially the one managing the place and their usual clients. But there was nothing. No red flags, no hidden secrets.

Even so, Penny found herself driving to the orphanage to see it for herself. Now that she was waiting for the contest preliminaries to end, it was the perfect time for a visit.

"Sister, thank you for accepting my request on such short notice," Penny said with a warm smile to the nun standing before her.

The nun returned the smile. "No need to thank me, Mrs. Granger. We’re thrilled to have you here today. Finally."

"Finally." Penny echoed the word, watching as the nun gestured for her to walk with her.

As they strolled through the facility, the nun kept the conversation flowing, alternating between speaking to Penny and discussing the children.

"Since many of these children were abandoned at birth, we use sponsorship donations to provide for their education, as well as clothing and food," the nun explained, stopping in front of a small classroom where a young teacher was leading a reading lesson. "This way, when they grow older, they’ll have fewer difficulties with their studies. Hopefully, their abandonment won’t hinder them from becoming valuable members of society."

Penny smiled as she observed the children eagerly participating in class. "I’m glad someone mentioned this place to me," she said, slowly shifting her gaze back to the nun. "At least my husband and I won’t have trouble finding tutors when we adopt."

The nun’s smile widened. "These children aren’t just educated academically, Mrs. Granger. They’re also taught many other valuable lessons. Many of our clients are just like you, and we prepare the children for their future homes in advance."

Penny’s smile remained, but her eyes never left the nun. She had made that comment deliberately, testing the waters to see what kind of place this really was.

And from what the nun had just said, Penny could already tell.

This wasn’t just an orphanage.

This was a farm.

A farm for the wealthy. Perhaps for rich couples who couldn’t conceive. That was the story Penny had sold them when she offered donations, after all. But there was something more—her instincts told her there was something more.

"Sister, you said you prepared a selection of children that match what I’m looking for," Penny said, her lips curving mildly as she smiled. "Can you take me to them?"

"Of course, Mrs. Granger." The nun nodded. "Please, follow me."

Penny did.

---

They entered a dimly lit observation room, separated by a one-way mirror from the adjoining playroom.

"Since you haven’t made a selection yet, we can’t allow you to meet them in person," the nun explained. "After all, the children might quickly get attached and we do not want to break their hearts."

"I understand," Penny said, her gaze snapping to the window. She watched a small group of little girls playing, crossing her arms as she studied them carefully.

’This feels wrong,’she thought. ’Like I’m shopping for a child.’

But something else was off.

’That’s strange. I specifically described the little girl who clung to Jonathan that day. By all logic, she should be in this room... so why isn’t she?’She frowned slightly but kept her expression neutral.

"Are these all the girls that match my description, Sister?" she asked, casting the nun a sidelong glance.

The woman smiled and nodded. "We did our best to find children who closely fit your request. These are the closest matches."

"Really?" Penny tilted her head but gave nothing away as she took one last look at the children before facing the nun again. "Unfortunately, I don’t feel a connection with any of them."

"That is unfortunate." The nun sighed. "But don’t worry, Mrs. Granger. If you’re open to it, you can look at some of the other children. Though, younger ones. However, for that, I would need the principal’s permission."

"I’d love that," Penny said smoothly. "Thank you, Sister."