Chapter 1598: Penny, if you’re looking for loyalty, she’s right here!

"In some cases, that approach works. Not everyone with a badge does their job properly. But the detectives involved in this case did a thorough job. Check the report—you’ll see Miss Cassandra Smith had been under surveillance for months before her arrest."

Kiara and Hugo raised their brows before the former reached for the report. They skimmed through it; both were experienced enough to understand what they were reading.

Meanwhile, Grace observed them silently. Seeing that both—Kiara especially—seemed to comprehend the report, she nodded with satisfaction. It saved her the time to explain everything further.

"That’s right," Grace continued. "That’s exactly why the appeal was rejected. Our only option now is to take it to the higher court."

Slowly, Kiara looked up at her. Her eyes shimmered with confusion and concern.

"What do we do?" she asked. "It feels like we’ve run out of grounds for appeal with everything in these files. I don’t want to sound rude, but does this mean we’ll have to wait until her trial is over to get her out of there?"

Grace pressed her lips into a thin line and shrugged. "That’s an option, but there’s another way."

As soon as she said that, the corner of her mouth curled into a knowing smirk. Her brows wiggled with slight mischief. Kiara and Hugo furrowed their brows, puzzled. Even Hugo knew it was probably too late to get Cassandra bailed.

They exchanged confused looks before turning back to Grace. However, the smile on Grace’s face was still there.

---

[PRIME GROUP]

Knock knock...

Penny looked up to see Patricia peeking her head through the door. The latter smiled, while Penny let out a deep sigh.

"What is it now, Patricia?" Penny asked wearily. "If this is about food, just serve it and leave it on the table. I’m busy."

Patricia bit her lip, her hands clasped behind her back. "Penny."

"What?"

"That picture from yesterday... can I see it again?"

Penny’s brows furrowed. "What picture?"

"The wallet-sized one!" she clarified. "I just want another look."

"No." Penny’s tone was dry.

"Please?"

"No," she repeated, this time even colder.

"But why not?"

"Because knowing more can sometimes lead to destructive consequences. You, of all people, should understand that," Penny said sharply. "That photo isn’t something you should’ve even seen. You shouldn’t talk about it either. If anything, you should forget it entirely."

She paused. "You’ll thank me later."

Patricia’s smile faded. "But—"

"Patricia, please." Penny lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes sharp. "Don’t bring this up again. I let a lot of things slide, but I’m busy. As my assistant, you should know better than to treat my work lightly."

"Fine..." Patricia sighed, shoulders slumping. As she turned to leave, she glanced back. "Even just a glimpse, Penny. I swear I won’t mention it again."

"No."

"Please?"

Penny leaned back in her swivel chair. More than annoyed, she felt helpless.

Patricia marched back to her and stood beside the desk.

"I swear I didn’t tell a single soul about it!" she raised a hand in earnest. "I just need to see it again, so I’ll stop poking around where I shouldn’t!"

Penny deadpanned. "Why do you even want to see it?"

"Because—" Patricia bit her tongue mid-sentence and puffed her cheeks, hesitating.

’I can’t tell Penny that the woman in the photo slightly resembles our new maid... not when I’m still not sure of it. And not when I don’t know why Penny has that photo.’

"Because?" Penny arched a brow, waiting.

"Well, because you said she’s apparently your mother!" Patricia blurted—not a complete lie, but not the full truth, either. "I just want another look. You already showed me yesterday! I promise, I won’t bother you again after this."

Penny stared at her, wondering again why she’d hired her.

She must’ve had reasons beyond just babysitting.

"Fine," Penny relented, reasoning there was no harm in showing it once more. She opened a drawer and tossed the photo on the desk. "Look all you want. Maybe even take a picture while you’re at it."

CLICK!

Patricia was already snapping a photo before Penny finished speaking. She pulled the portrait closer, narrowing her eyes like she was memorizing every detail.

Penny just shook her head. "That’s enough. Hand it back."

Patricia sighed and returned the photo without resistance. "This doesn’t look like your mom. She looks good, but your mother’s prettier. Still, something about this woman seems familiar."

Penny opened her mouth but decided not to respond. This was private. And while assistants were meant to be trusted, she didn’t think Patricia was ready for that truth yet.

"It’s not my mother—I just said, apparently, she’s supposed to be," Penny replied, retrieving the portrait. "Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, go."

"Okay!"

"Oh, and Patricia. If you do see that face somewhere else, let me know. Otherwise, don’t say a word about it to anyone." She paused. "Can I trust you with that?"

"Penny, if you’re looking for loyalty, she’s right here!" Patricia pointed at herself. "I’ve never betrayed anyone—it’s always the other way around, duh?"

With that, she turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, she turned back with a grin. "By the way, I brought food today. It’s in the pantry. I’ll serve it to you in a bit."

And just like that, she left — wearing the triumphant smile of someone who’d gotten her way again.

Outside, she paused and turned toward Mark. He arched a brow at her smug expression as she returned to her post.

’What’s that smug look about?’ he wondered, before brushing it off.

---

Back in Penny’s Office...

Penny stared at the door and nodded slightly. With a shrug, she muttered:

"She has a point. I’ve never heard of Patricia betraying anyone on her side. It’s always the other way around."

Take that time when they were kids, for example—Patricia had believed in Nina until Nina threw her under the bus.

"Oh well," Penny muttered again, brushing it off as she returned to her tasks before heading to the laboratory.