Chapter 1582: There should be another way

"Brother Theo, what are you doing in my room?"

Theo frowned, his complexion still a little pale. He didn’t know why, but when he realized Patricia wasn’t in her room as expected, a strange wave of panic had surged through him.

Studying her from head to toe, he noticed that she was still in smart-casual clothes. She didn’t look like she’d showered yet.

"I was calling you for dinner, but you didn’t answer. So I came in to check, but you weren’t there," he explained with a deep sigh. "Where have you been?"

Her lips formed an O-shape as she answered awkwardly. "Well, I got a bit distracted on my way to my room and ended up idling out on the back patio."

"No wonder you don’t look like you’ve showered."

"Heh. I’ll eat dinner first!" she said with an innocent smile, and Theo could only sigh in defeat.

As the two headed downstairs, Patricia couldn’t help but notice her brother’s pale expression.

"Brother Theo, why do you look a little pale?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

Theo clicked his tongue, casting a side glance at the reason for his unease. "I’m fine. I just thought something happened to you."

"What would happen to me?" She tilted her head. "I’m home, and even if an intruder came in, it’s not like they could just abduct me while everyone’s still awake."

She had a point.

Theo didn’t respond. He just shook his head slightly, still puzzled by his own reaction. Maybe he was simply too worried about her—so much so that even a small oddity could set his heart racing.

"Let’s just go," he muttered.

When they reached the dining room, Mrs. Miller quickly noticed Patricia’s outfit.

"You haven’t changed yet?" she asked, only to receive a casual reply from her daughter:

"I’ll change after dinner."

Mrs. Miller didn’t press the matter, and their little family of four began to eat. A few maids stood nearby, ready to assist if needed.

Patricia glanced at the newly hired maid next to her, who was pouring her a glass of water. She blinked slowly, studying the older woman’s side profile.

This was the distraction she’d mentioned to Theo earlier.

When Patricia had stepped out of the kitchen to shower before dinner, she saw this maid heading toward the back patio. Curious, she followed—only to see the woman collecting a bucket of trimmed weeds from the yard.

There was nothing particularly suspicious in the maid’s behavior, yet something about her drew Patricia in. It was as if she needed to confirm that she was wrong—that this maid only resembled the woman in the wallet-sized photo from Penny’s office.

"Do you need anything, Miss Patricia?" the maid asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"No," Patricia replied, forcing a smile. "Thanks."

The maid returned the smile and moved over to fill Theo’s glass. Patricia continued to watch her as she took a sip of water.

Am I wrong?

A big part of her believed they weren’t the same person. After all, how could a maid like this know Penny? But a small, persistent voice in the back of her mind whispered that it was possible.

More than anything, what fueled her curiosity was what Penny had said:

"It’s supposed to be my mother, apparently."

It was a strange claim, considering Penny had a mother—Allison Bennet.

This is giving me a headache. Whatever. It’s not like it’s important enough to dwell on.

Pushing the thought aside, Patricia focused on her meal. But a minute later, her gaze drifted back to the middle-aged maid again.

At that moment, she knew she wouldn’t find peace until she understood what Penny had meant earlier.

---

Meanwhile, at Finn’s place in Skyline Plaza:

A tense silence settled in the living area. Penny sat across from Finn and Nina. Her expression was sharper than usual; Nina’s filled with surprise. Finn’s face was grim.

"So..." Nina’s quiet voice broke the silence. "It’s true? That woman... she’s my mother?"

"Yes." Penny’s reply came instantly. "And based on the theory I told you, we need her to get answers."

Another heavy pause followed before Finn finally spoke.

"What are you proposing, Penny?" he asked bluntly. A part of him already anticipated a plan he wouldn’t like—but he still hoped he was wrong.

"I want to temporarily withdraw her security," Penny said, her tone steady. "Since I placed my men near Nina, the woman hasn’t shown herself. Likely because she sensed the bodyguards—"

"No." Finn cut her off, just as she’d expected. He didn’t hesitate. "You’re using Nina as bait. I said I didn’t want to keep her in the dark, but that doesn’t mean I’ll agree to put her at risk."

Penny looked between Finn and Nina. "That’s not your call to make, Finn."

"Penelope."

"Finn." Nina reached for his hand, trying to calm him.

His jaw was clenched as he turned to her. "Nina, you don’t have to go along with this. Maybe it’s not that dangerous, but it’s still twisted." He shot Penny a scathing glare. "I don’t like this one bit."

Nina took a shallow breath and looked back across the table. "Is this the only way?"

"So far, it’s the fastest," Penny replied.

"So there is another way," Finn interjected. "Penny, I understand what you’re saying, but I hope you understand where I’m coming from, too."

Nina bit her lip, eyes flicking between them. Another breath escaped her lips before she looked to Penny again. But Finn spoke up first.

"Let’s try the other option first. Removing her security isn’t ideal. What if that woman actually does something? There has to be a safer alternative."

Penny studied their hesitation. She’d expected this—Finn would never gamble with Nina’s safety, and Nina wasn’t exactly fearless.

Without another word, Penny reached for a folder beside her and slid it across the table. When she opened it, it revealed a close-up photo of a younger Penny, badly beaten. The facing page showed a picture of Haines.

"This is me and Uncle Haines," she said, her voice growing colder. "There is another way, true. But that doesn’t mean it’s a safer alternative."