Chapter 1625: I think I just killed someone.

Penny let out a shallow breath as she slowly pushed herself to sit up. Glancing back at the door, she clicked her tongue faintly and reached for her phone on the bedside table, speed-dialing Angel.

Ring... ring...

The call went through after two rings, but Angel’s voice didn’t come through.

"Angel," Penny called out. "Did he leave with Mark?"

"He took Mark with him."

"I see..." Penny rocked her head slightly. It wasn’t news to her.

Whenever Zoren had personal matters to attend to, he often took Mark along. Still, Penny called Angel just to confirm.

After another moment of complete silence, Angel spoke again.

"Did he see it?"

Penny let out a deep sigh and nodded. "Yes, he did."

"Should I follow him, just in case?" Angel asked.

"There’s no need for that." Penny’s shoulders sagged a little. "I think I know what he’s going to do."

"And you’re going to let him?"

"What else can I do to stop him?" Penny raised an eyebrow. "Even if I asked you to follow him, you couldn’t, could you?"

Angel fell silent almost instantly.

In his room at the mansion, Angel looked up at the guards stationed outside his room. They seemed to have gathered here even if he fell asleep.

"I thought Renren would have known I’d ask you to follow him," Penny continued, pushing herself up and leaning against the window. Glancing outside, she noted an unusual number of armed individuals in the residence, all on high alert.

Casually holding the phone to her ear, Penny spoke again. "He’s about to make a big move, and I don’t think anyone here is safe."

"Is that a good thing?"

Penny didn’t have an answer. She had been preoccupied with dealing with Zoren and the Phantom Circle. Though she hadn’t witnessed it herself, she had an idea of how the Phantom Circle operated and how ruthless they could be.

Penny had done her best to dissuade her husband from getting deeper into the organization’s affairs. But...

"I don’t know..." Penny paused as her phone suddenly beeped with another incoming call. "Wait."

Checking the caller ID, she had a few guesses as to who it might be. There were only a few people who would dare disturb her at this hour — her brothers. But when she saw the caller’s name, deep lines appeared between her brows.

Patricia Miller.

Penny frowned deeply and rejected the call. Placing the phone back to her ear, she grumbled, "Angel, weren’t you friends with Patricia? Can you tell her not to disturb me?"

Angel deadpanned. "I’m not friends with that woman. I thought you two were."

Beep... beep...

"Damn it," Penny hissed. "I’m in a sentimental mood here, and she’s bothering me."

"Does she always do that?"

"No."

"Maybe it’s important? Or... not?" Angel shrugged, though he doubted it. "She’s your assistant after all. I’d like to think she knows not to disturb you at this hour unless it’s absolutely necessary. If not, then maybe she needs a refresher from preschool!"

Ignoring the comment, Penny’s frown deepened. At least Patricia had read — or been taught — the manual. Recently, Patricia had been showing some character development.

"Maybe it’s an emergency related to her project," Penny shrugged. "Bye."

Without waiting for Angel’s response, she ended the call. He didn’t mind; he was used to her abruptness.

As soon as Penny ended the call, her phone stopped ringing. She stared at it, waiting.

"If she calls again, it might be urgent," Penny muttered.

Sure enough, the phone rang again.

This time, she was convinced it was important.

What Penny didn’t expect was that the reason for the call was not a simple problem, but a real emergency.

"Patricia, it’s the middle of the night. Make it quick," Penny’s voice was sharp and direct.

There was silence on the other end, interrupted only by Patricia’s deep, irregular breaths.

Penny furrowed her brow, then raised the phone back to her ear.

"Patricia?" This time, her tone was gentler. "Are you okay?"

Still, there was no response.

For some reason, Penny’s heart began to pound in her chest. If Patricia had been robbed and was breathing heavily, she didn’t care. But if that wasn’t the case, something was wrong.

And she was right.

Turning away from the window, Penny walked to the bedside table. Opening the drawer, she picked up a spare phone to locate Patricia’s phone. Before she could do so, she finally heard a voice on the other end of the line.

"Pe... Penny..."

Penny stopped, her brow arching higher. Patricia’s voice was weak and shaky, but she recognized it.

"Patricia, where are you?" Her first question was concerned, thinking Patricia had gotten herself into trouble again. "I’ll send someone to you."

Hadn’t she learned from the incident in the bar?

"Pen... ny..." Patricia hiccupped, her voice even shakier now. "...what am I going to do?"

"Patricia." Penny’s voice sharpened, more authoritative. "Speak clearly. Where are you? What’s happening? Are you in danger?"

Patricia sniffed and shook her head, though Penny couldn’t see her. "No... it’s not like that."

"Then what is happening?"

Silence.

Several seconds passed before Patricia’s weak, trembling voice spoke again.

"I think... I think I just killed someone."

"What?!" Penny gasped.

"I didn’t mean to!" Patricia panicked. "Things just happened so fast, and before I knew it, there was so much blood!"

Penny’s heart clenched, her breath catching. Her eyes burned with anger.

"Patricia, let me make one thing clear. I helped you once, but I will never help you cover up a crime."

"Penny..." Patricia sobbed.

"No. Call the police and turn yourself in. Goodbye, Patricia—"

"But she looked just like her!" Patricia yelled before Penny could end the call. She sniffed hard, her voice shaking even more. "I didn’t attack her. I just wanted to follow her, but then she attacked me then my brother. She was going to kill him, so I... I..."

Penny was bewildered. "Patricia, what are you talking about?"

"You know that portrait, right?" Patricia shouted in frustration. "Our new maid looks like her, so I’ve been keeping an eye on her. But things escalated quickly! Penny... what do I do? Are we going to prison?"

Penny didn’t respond immediately, recalling Patricia’s obsession with the portrait.

"Stay right where you are, and make sure no one else is around. Wait for me."