Chapter 1491: I actually found one.

"By the way, my wife will definitely come check on you. If you’re still awake and she asks where I went, tell her... I went to pee."

With that, Zoren stepped outside the ward. The moment he did, Mark and Angel were already standing outside.

"Angel, stay here with Penny," Zoren ordered, his voice as calm as a still lake. "Mark, let’s go."

Angel lowered his head slightly, turning to watch Mark follow Zoren. As the distance between them grew, he straightened his back.

"I wonder... what he’s going to do now?" he whispered, snapping his eyes back to the ward before glancing down the hallway where Zoren and Mark had disappeared.

There were a few questions swirling in Angel’s head, but he chose to ignore them. Sometimes, it was better not to ask too much.

*

As Zoren and Mark approached the sedan waiting outside, Zoren paused. His brows rose slightly as he looked down, spotting Atlas already seated inside.

"I have a few suggestions on how to hurt someone," Atlas remarked flatly, looking at Zoren from the window. "And I’m curious what you’re going to do. As the President of your company, I need to make sure you stay out of jail after tonight."

A short smile tugged at Zoren’s lips. He shook his head before getting in. The moment he did, Mark shut the door and hopped into the front passenger seat.

"You didn’t have to come," said Zoren to his first brother. "And I’m not planning on doing anything illegal... just toeing the line."

After all, Zoren had to make it clear to anyone coming after the Bennets that doing so meant coming after the Pierson family — or rather, directly challenging him, Zoren Pierson.

"I’ll watch," Atlas said, casting him a sidelong glance. "Let’s go."

Mark, surprised that Atlas had managed to get into the car, glanced back at the back seat. Upon hearing Atlas’s remark, Zoren gave a small nod.

"Let’s go."

’Sir, are you sure you’re going to take your brother-in-law?’ was what Mark wanted to ask, but he decided against it. Giving the driver a signal, they left the hospital to settle some unfinished business.

******

Mint stared out the window, still lying flat on the bed. Even if she wanted to get up, she couldn’t. She was badly wounded. Perhaps this was the first time in a long while she had been beaten like this.

Knock knock.

Amid her thoughts, she carefully turned her head toward the door. As soon as she did, her eyes landed on Penny. Penny peeked in, checking to see if Mint was awake.

"Can I come in?" asked Penny, making Mint smile.

"My future wife wants to see me, of course," Mint mumbled. "Come in."

The corners of Penny’s mouth lifted slightly as she walked in carefully and closed the door behind her. When she stood beside the bed, she couldn’t help but gulp.

"I thought my brother was already in a terrible state," Penny said with a bitter smile. "But seeing you... that gunshot wound was definitely just a graze."

Mint chuckled as Penny sat down. "Thank your brother. I’m still alive."

"Get well and thank him yourself." Penny gave a short smile, her eyes scanning Mint. When she first met her, she never thought she’d ever see her in such a state. "What happened, Mint?"

"I was careless." Mint shrugged indifferently. "They shot me — a tranquilizer. Did it when I was being attacked in a convenience store. Speaking of, I need to make a call and check on the cashier in that store."

"Don’t worry about that. My brother already looked into it."

"Slater?"

"Who else? My second brother’s here, and my first brother would rather drown in a flood than care for anyone else," Penny quipped, making Mint laugh. "Don’t laugh so hard. It might hurt your side."

"Then stop making me laugh."

"I tried, but seeing what a train wreck you are, I can’t help but feel the need to cheer you up."

"I appreciate it," Mint said, nodding. "But there’s no need to cheer me on. I’m good."

"Are you, really?"

They held each other’s gaze before Mint gave a short smile.

"Ben is going to be fine. Once this is all over, even if I have to crawl, I will — until he forgives me."

"Taking advantage of his soft spots... that’s not fair, you know?"

"I know. But — I never said I wasn’t a shitty person." Mint let out a shallow breath, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I’ll explain everything to him and maybe... retire after this. Selling fish in my hometown isn’t all that bad."

Penny’s eyes softened as she studied Mint’s profile. "I’m sorry, Mint."

"Don’t be."

"It’s because of me your life has always been in danger. It’s because I asked you to investigate that baby swap..."

Mint snapped her gaze to Penny and shook her head. "Penny, I love you and I still want to marry you, but enough with that bullshit. You’re not sorry."

"I am."

"Maybe you are. But you and I both know it’s not your fault. My life was in danger even before I met you."

"..." Penny pressed her lips together, then shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Haha." They both chuckled before a brief silence settled between them.

"Penny," Mint said. "I looked into the orphanage and asked someone I know if they could make an arrest. There’s not enough evidence. Everything we found is circumstantial."

Penny nodded in understanding. "I figured as much. Still, we can’t just leave those kids there."

"I know." Mint nodded. "That’s why I’ve been looking for witnesses or any of the missing children. Unless someone from the orphanage comes forward, there’s no case. But don’t worry — my friend is trying his best to build one. I trust him. We used to fight side by side."

"I’ll try to help, too," Penny offered. "Until I can find someone—"

"I actually found one."

"What?"

"One of the kids who disappeared a long time ago," Mint said, making Penny furrow her brows. "But he’s dead. He was one of the casualties during that bar raid a while back. Remember that raid on the Information Center?"