Chapter 1644: It’s not mine

Not long after, Mint, Penny, and the Bennet brothers found themselves standing around a bed where an old woman lay "sleeping."

"Wake her up," Mint muttered coldly, her eyes locked on the woman cuffed to the bed. "This woman needs to start talking faster than I can figure out how to make her talk."

"I can’t," Penny huffed, crossing her arms. "She’s sedated. My men needed to stitch her up."

Her remark earned her a variety of looks.

"What?" she snapped. "I have to keep her alive."

"Keep her alive just to use her as a hostage?" Atlas asked, his tone flat.

Penny rolled her eyes. "Got any better suggestions?" she shot back sarcastically. "We all know she wouldn’t stay put just because I asked her nicely."

"How’d you even find her?" Slater asked, more curious than anything. "Didn’t you say it’d take time since you were having trouble tracking her down?"

Penny tilted her head, but before she could answer, Hugo cut in.

"It’s not actually her we were after. She’s just reaping the benefits of someone else’s trauma."

"Huh?" came the chorus from Atlas, Mint, and Slater.

Penny clicked her tongue and shot Hugo a glare. "You didn’t have to put it like that," she muttered before turning back to the others. "But... he’s right. Apparently, this woman has been working for the Miller Family this entire time."

"The hell?" Slater blurted. "She’s been hiding in plain sight?"

"Patricia didn’t tell me right away—wanted to be extra sure for some stupid reason," Penny added with a sigh. "She waited until a deadly confrontation broke out before calling me. But hey, at least it makes things easier for us now."

Mint shook her head. "You should be ashamed for not handling this yourself like a proper main character," she muttered.

"Then I’m staying over tonight!" Slater declared. "We can’t force Dad and Uncle Haines to talk yet, but this woman?"

He paused, his eyes falling on the unconscious woman. "I’d like to hear her reason for why she swapped her child with someone else’s."

They already had a few working theories, but having confirmation was always better.

Did this woman swap her child randomly?

Or did she specifically target the Bennets?

And if so... did this have something to do with that woman who apparently shared the same face as Naylani Pierson?

Too many questions—and this woman might be able to answer at least a few.

A heavy silence settled over the room as they all stared at the woman lying unconscious on the bed.

---

Minutes later, the five of them walked out of the guest house, unsure whether to wait for morning or try to sleep it off.

But could they really sleep with all this hanging over their heads?

"By the way, Penny," Mint hummed as she walked slowly beside her. "Can I stay over tonight? I want to be here when you question that woman."

"Book a nearby hotel," Penny shot back without hesitation. "My husband doesn’t like you."

Mint frowned. "If I go back to Benjamin’s place, I don’t think I’ll make it back here tomorrow—or any other day."

"That sounds like a you problem, Mint," Slater muttered, clicking his tongue. "Stop bothering my sister."

"Says the guy who’s always bothering her whenever he’s free," Mint shot back.

"I’m staying over too," Hugo announced. "My friends are staying here anyway, and I need to drive them to Grace’s office tomorrow morning. I’ll pick up Uncle Haines after that."

Atlas nodded. "I’m going home."

"First Brother, just stay over," Penny said, skipping ahead and abruptly hooking her arm through his. "I’ll even let you use the second biggest room if you do. Let’s chat more!"

Atlas’s expression immediately deadpanned, his eyes turning icy cold.

Everyone knew Penny only pulled this act to annoy him. Her fake sweetness was her favorite way of getting under his skin—nobody actually believed she wanted him around.

"Let go," Atlas said flatly, his pace slowing.

"No..." she tugged at his arm. "Let’s chat until sunrise!"

"I’m not staying up all night waiting for your husband to come home. Get off me."

Penny let out a deep, dramatic sigh, giving him one last pitiful, award-winning look—but, as always, it didn’t work. She reluctantly let him go.

"Fine," she muttered with a click of her tongue.

"I have to go home anyway. I need to talk to Dad," Atlas explained as she released him. "Once Hugo picks up Uncle Haines, we’ll sit down and talk things out. Like men. While we’re doing that, you, Slater, and Mint squeeze every drop of information out of that woman."

He stopped walking, forcing the others to slow down and turn toward him.

"Whatever it takes to tie up all the loose ends," he said. "For us... and for Zoren."

A quiet breeze swept through as they stared at Atlas. Despite his usual detached demeanor, there was a sharp edge to his eyes that told them everything they needed to know.

They all wanted the truth—just like him.

"I’m good at that," Mint smirked, flashing a look at Penny. "I’m staying over, and you’re going to shield me from my cousin when he shows up here tomorrow yelling."

"Resolve that mess," Atlas said over his shoulder as he resumed walking. "I’m leaving."

He didn’t wait for anyone, striding off toward the main house. Hugo chuckled, shrugged, and quickly followed after him. Though Hugo mostly wanted to rest and change the dressing on his wound, it wouldn’t hurt to check in one last time.

But as Hugo stepped inside and headed for the living area, he stopped abruptly.

"Hm?" Hugo lifted his eyes—and froze.

Atlas was standing ahead of him, his back turned. But past him...

Zoren stood there.

Deep lines creased Hugo’s forehead when he noticed the specks of blood on Zoren’s cheek and clothes. His expression darkened.

Before he could say anything, Penny, Slater, and Mint caught up behind him—only to stop dead in their tracks at the same sight.

"Renren..." Penny breathed, her eyes scanning Zoren from head to toe. Without hesitation, she rushed to him and stood directly in front of him. "Are you hurt?"

Zoren let out a shallow breath. "It’s not mine."

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line, her eyes trembling with emotion. "Then... whose blood is it?"

For a long, heavy moment, their gazes locked.

And then, Zoren finally answered.

"Jonathan."