Chapter 1440: Who wants to be alone

Everyone ate in silence, but surprisingly, the cake was gone in an instant. This shouldn’t have been surprising, especially with Penny and Hugo at the table. However, even Haines and Atlas, who weren’t really into sweets, ate heartily.

’I know the cake is good, but not that good for those two to want another’ slice, Penny thought, staring at the now-empty cake holder.

"Penny."

Penny’s thoughts halted as Haines called her, making her perk up. The second she met his eyes, she nodded.

"Right," she said as she rose from her seat.

At the same time, Haines stood and set his eyes on Zoren. "Zoren, thank you for the dinner."

"We didn’t even eat," Zoren replied as he got up from his seat as well.

"But I was full," Haines said with a subtle smile. "And thank you for your time. I’m going home now since it’s getting late."

Zoren nodded, casting his wife a brief look as she spoke.

"I’ll walk Uncle Haines out..." Penny trailed off as Zoren looked away, frowning. Pursing her lips, she forced a smile at Haines. "Uncle, I’ll walk you out."

Confronting Zoren—or rather, begging him for forgiveness—could come later. After all, she didn’t want to do it in front of her brothers and uncle. She could coax Zoren later, but for now, she had to accompany Haines.

Her uncle, after all, had come here because he wanted to discuss something important with her.

On their way out, Penny glanced at Haines’s side profile curiously. She waited for him to say something, but he remained silent until they reached the porch.

"Penny." The moment Haines stopped, he turned to face her. He loosened his tie a bit, feeling stifled as his entire body continued to heat up. Fortunately, the night breeze brought some relief.

Looking Penny in the eye, his mouth parted.

’Grace has cancer.’

’She might be dying.’

’I am seeing Grace, but for a reason you might not like.’

Countless thoughts swirled in Haines’s mind, tempting him to say all of them. After all, Grace wasn’t just Penny’s friend—she was also her primary legal advisor. Grace’s health was crucial, as Penny could be left in a difficult position if Grace suddenly died.

However, none of those words came out.

"Uncle Haines?" Penny called again, tilting her head to the side. "What is it that you want to discuss with me?"

Haines closed his slightly gaping mouth. His breath felt hot in his nostrils, and he wiped at his upper lip, feeling like he might start sweating.

Penny, on the other hand, blinked and waited patiently.

"It’s nothing," he said, shaking his head.

"Uncle Haines, you wouldn’t come here on your own if what you wanted to discuss was ’nothing,’" Penny pointed out. "What is it? It’s okay."

Haines shook his head again. "It’s not that important."

"Uncle."

"It’s about Grace."

Penny’s brows shot up, her eyes rounding. "What about her?"

"Well." Haines’s tongue pressed against the inside of his cheek as he thought of whatever excuse he could give. He irritably loosened his tie further and huffed. "She’s harassing me."

"Uncle Haines, there’s a difference between harassment and showing interest," Penny frowned. "Grace and I made a promise that we’d stay out of prison, so she wouldn’t harass you."

"But I feel harassed," Haines huffed, his cheeks growing rosier. "Tell her to stop."

"Grace is my legal advisor, not my kid."

"Penny." Another shallow breath escaped Haines, and before he knew it, the words had already left his mouth. "What would you think if your uncle and your friend started seeing each other?"

"..." Penny blinked. Then blinked again. "Practice calling my friend Auntie?"

"What?"

"Uncle, I tried matching you with every wonderful, most gorgeous woman your age while growing up," Penny explained with an innocent tone. "Yet you spoiled all of them. Worse, you even scared them away."

Just thinking about it, Penny couldn’t help but feel a little bitter.

"So, if you end up seeing someone at this age—as long as she’s not younger than me or a minor—who am I to not welcome her into the family with open arms?" Penny answered truthfully. "But if I’m being honest, it would be weird if you and Grace ended up together. However, you’re very important to me."

The corner of her mouth lifted as her eyes twinkled. "Just like how you always wished for my happiness, I also wish for yours, Uncle."

Because if there was one thing Penny hadn’t changed in this life, it was Haines’s relationship status.

Ever since she had come home to the Bennet Mansion, she had been trying to match Haines with someone. In her first life, Haines had grown old alone. He had never dated, nor had he ever shown interest in any woman. To him, he didn’t need it.

Haines might not need it, and he might have been happy alone, but...

Who wants to be alone?

Even Penny had to admit that while she might say she was fine being alone, deep in her heart, she knew that wasn’t true. At some point, everyone craved companionship. A person naturally longed for someone else’s warmth—to come home knowing someone was waiting for them, or to have late-night conversations with someone who cared. To have someone who knew you at your best, and stay at your worst.

Especially now that she had Zoren, she couldn’t imagine life without him. Until she met him, she hadn’t realized how much she had been missing.

"Uncle." Penny took a step forward, wrapping her arms around Haines. She carefully and gently patted his back, smiling as she recalled how Haines had always consoled her—especially in her past life. "If Grace makes your life happier, if she completes it... then I’ll call her Auntie without fail. I’ll always be with you, just like you’ve always been with me."

Haines raised his brows, flinching slightly at Penny’s embrace. But hearing her words and feeling her comforting pats on his back, his eyes softened, and a warmth spread through his chest. For a moment, he forgot the suffocating feeling inside him.

"And I’m sure the family will feel the same," she added reassuringly. "Because just like how you’ve supported our family all these years—these decades—even at the cost of your leg, we’ll understand and support you too."

"Penny," Haines whispered, smiling as he patted her back.

---

Haines didn’t linger. He simply thanked Penny for her kind words but said nothing further about Grace or the real situation between them. With that, he left, while Penny stayed on the porch.

Smiling, Penny waved at the vehicle as it drove away.

"Gosh..." she muttered, lowering her hand. "Grace hasn’t said anything about them, but I guess she’s succeeding in making an impact. A woman on a mission is truly scary."

Another faint huff escaped Penny before her brows knitted together.

"But why did Uncle Haines feel so hot? Is he running a fever?"