Chapter 1522: Terrible pair

Jonathan could only seethe in anger while Penny secretly giggled at him. Surely, she was a witch — one who, instead of stopping her husband, acted like a damsel in distress.

She only had a few scratches!

Why did Zoren have to punch him?

Even so, with the help of the nurses, Jonathan was assisted back to another bed, far away from the couple. They barely intervened, knowing exactly who had incited the brief confrontation. And their best solution was to separate him from Zoren as if Jonathan was the one who instigated it.

That terrible pair... he mentally grumbled, watching as Zoren wheeled his wife out.

But before the two left, they paused and turned to him. Jonathan clenched his teeth and openly glared at them, resisting the urge to flip them off.

"Those two are a match made in hell," he hissed aloud, watching until they disappeared from view.

The punch had made his jaw swell a little — an indication of Zoren’s recovery. Otherwise, the man wouldn’t have been able to hit him that hard. Not anymore.

"I think a tooth is loose now," he winced, touching the side of his stinging cheek. "Damn them."

But at the end of the day, no matter how much he hated it, Zoren had a point.

No matter how people twisted the truth, one fact remained unchanged:

Penny saved him.

She might not deserve the credit, but in a way... she did. If she hadn’t been there, Jonathan would’ve died the moment the rider opened fire. It caught him off guard. And if not for Penny’s bodyguards, the job would’ve been finished.

"Did he think I wasn’t planning on fixing this?" he grumbled, thinking back to Zoren’s warning.

Ever since Jonathan claimed to be Enzo’s bastard, Zoren had accepted him. While there were moments when Zoren clearly meddled in his affairs, for the most part, he had allowed Jonathan to operate freely.

But Jonathan knew better than to assume Zoren wasn’t paying attention.

Some might think Zoren was neglecting him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, Jonathan was certain the man was simply waiting—watching—for the right moment to strike.

Having lived two lifetimes now, Jonathan had learned enough to know that much about Zoren.

They already know about my involvement with the orphanage, he thought. But I’m sure they don’t know about them. Not yet.

He nodded to himself, urgency gripping his heart.

I need to find out who did it first, because that guy won’t sit still until he gets the answer.

"Mr. Pierson?" A nurse approached his bed. "You’re ready to be discharged. Do you have anyone to help you with the paperwork?"

"I’ll handle it."

"Alright. I’ll bring the forms here."

---

Moments later...

Jonathan walked out of the emergency room alone. He had some stitches in his hand—an injury from a shard stuck in the steering wheel—and minor scratches and bruises scattered across his body.

No one was waiting for him, and he expected to hail a taxi home.

But just as he reached the hospital driveway, a sleek black car pulled up and stopped in front of him. A deep line formed between his brows as he studied it. No one stepped out—not even the driver. It was clear they were just waiting for someone to get in.

"..." Pressing his lips together, Jonathan opened the door and climbed inside.

Any doubts about getting into a stranger’s car vanished when he spotted the open laptop in the backseat. The moment he sat down, the car started moving—whoever it was, they knew exactly who to pick up.

Without a word, Jonathan picked up the laptop and placed it on his lap. He tapped the trackpad, and the screen lit up, revealing an ongoing video call. He could see his reflection, but no one on the other end.

"What?" he muttered irritably.

"I heard about what happened," a woman’s voice came through the speaker. "I was a little worried."

"Worried?" he snorted. "Were you actually worried—or just making sure I wasn’t carrying anything with me?"

"Nathan..."

"It’s a little too convenient that this news reached you so fast," he continued, voice sharp with suspicion. "Makes me wonder... are you the one behind it?"

Silence stretched from the other end. Jonathan may have been working with her, but that didn’t mean he had to bow and scrape. And if she had anything to do with this incident, their deal was off.

He wasn’t the least bit afraid.

"I understand this situation caught you off guard," she finally said. "So I’ll let it slide that you’re accusing me."

She paused, then continued, "It wasn’t me. It’s them. Looks like some people at death’s door are trying to make a comeback. I caught wind of their plan through a mole I placed in their current hive. I sent someone to check on you—"

"Unfortunately, it happened before they could get there," she added.

Jonathan’s brow furrowed. "Them?"

"Yes. Them," the woman confirmed. "They must’ve caught wind of the Senator’s granddaughter’s arrest and saw it as their last chance to get involved. A final act of desperation."

She gave a short chuckle but quickly stopped herself, realizing it wasn’t the time.

"Anyway, I’m glad you’re okay. But you should expect more attacks. After all, they used to be the most feared assassin group... until I wiped them out."

"..." Jonathan’s eyes glinted with renewed sharpness.

"I’ll send a few of my men to guard you," she offered. "You don’t need to worry. I’m this close to finding the rest of their hive — and finishing them off."

"You don’t have to," he said calmly, locking eyes with the camera. "Don’t send anyone to protect me."

"But they’ll kill you."

"I know." He raised his chin, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk. "But I have a plan. They won’t touch me... not as long as I’m under Zoren Pierson’s wing."

"...Hmm?"

Jonathan’s smirk deepened. "No need to waste your resources. Just lead Zoren Pierson to them. He’ll do the dirty work for both of us. I’m sure he’s not going to let this slide."