Chapter 243: I’ve been warned twice now

[Bennet Mansion]

Charles and Haines sat in the study room, just as they always did, sharing a glass of whiskey while talking about anything and everything.

Charles sighed. "It’s almost nighttime, and Penny hasn’t come home."

"Haha." Haines couldn’t help but laugh. "She’s old enough to marry..."

"Never!" Charles harrumphed, glaring daggers at Haines. "Haines, I entrusted my daughter to you. In my eyes, she’s still my little princess, and she just returned. How can I let her marry into another man’s family?"

"All I’m saying is, get used to it. Your daughter has been grinding her whole life. That’s why she became the woman she is now," Haines clarified. "She’s an adult, so get used to it."

"How can I get used to it?" Charles felt sour at the thought. "My princess has been working hard all these years — even before she turned legal age. Although I’m proud of her, you can’t take away my worries. She sacrificed her youth by building her future. All I want for her is to relax."

Haines smiled subtly, understanding Charles’s inner dilemma as a father.

Penny had left the household when she was only thirteen. Even though Charles and the boys would visit her, or Penny would come home for a short vacation over the years, it wasn’t the same if she had grown up in the household.

But then again, Haines understood Penny better than anyone.

"Not to mention, all these years while we were just celebrating being together, we were unaware of what she went through... what you went through," Charles added, sighing heavily once more. "You and Penny went through something so horrific, and I... I had no idea."

Bitterness filled Charles’s heart at the mere thought of it. If not for Haines finally telling him, he would not have known about it, and it wouldn’t explain what happened to Haines’s leg.

Charles glanced at Haines’s knee.

"I’m fine," Haines reassured him with a slight nod, offering Charles a small smile when the latter looked up. "I’ve been in therapy, and even now, I still am. My leg is much better than it was before."

After all, Haines had to be in a wheelchair for the first several months after the incident.

"I know you’re fine," said Charles quietly. "You’ve always been fine no matter what circumstances, and that always worries me."

"It happened a long time ago."

"Did you find out the culprit?"

"Wild caught the people who abducted me and Penny, but none of them are willing to talk, even now," Haines shrugged. "Though we had some leads at first, they all ended in a dead end. Even so, the investigation continues — thanks to Penny’s connections."

Charles let out a shallow breath. "And the motive was because... you found out that Nina’s biological mom was involved with a dangerous person?"

"Yes."

"Haines." Charles’s expression turned solemn. "About Nina... is there a possibility she’s not..."

Haines pressed his lips into a thin line. "It’s not important, is it? Nina turned out to be a woman with morals and a clear conscience. The first time she was told she wasn’t your biological daughter, it pushed her to the edge. Although now that we’re older, we realize we could’ve handled that situation better. I don’t think it’s necessary to know who her real father was."

"Nina is out of this," Haines added. "That was also Penny’s thought."

"I see." Charles nodded. "So Penny knew about this too, huh? No wonder she had to mature much earlier."

"Penny was already mature even before everything that happened. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I know as a father, this is hard to process. But at the end of the day, Penny made her choices for herself. Even though she knew you and Allison wouldn’t mind if she chose a normal life, this decision made her happy."

Charles didn’t speak for a moment as he held Haines’s gaze. "At this point, I can’t help but think you’ve become more of a father to her than I have."

"That’s impossible."

"Haines."

"Penny loves me and cares for me, but you’ll always be her father." Haines smiled and nodded at him. "Like I said, don’t be too hard on yourself."

Charles smiled helplessly at his cousin. "You never change, Haines. You’re always like this."

"Haha." Haines laughed while Charles shook his head. When the laughter subsided, Haines’s expression slowly turned solemn. "But Charles, I need you to answer a question with complete honesty."

"Hmm?" Charles’s brows rose. "What is it?"

"Do you know anyone who holds a grudge against you or the Bennet Family? Someone who would want to mess this family up?"

Charles pondered as if he hadn’t been thinking about it. "To be honest, I’ve been thinking about that ever since I found out Penny was swapped. It never left my mind, and when you told me about the incident, it’s always been on my mind."

"Is there anyone?"

"I can’t think of anyone, Haines." Charles shook his head. "I had enemies in business, but I don’t think they’d do something like this. Not just because I think they were incapable of pulling off such a meticulous scheme, but because they’d get nothing from it."

"I see." Haines nodded. "So I was right."

"Right about what?"

"That it’s not someone from the industry." Haines let out a shallow breath while his eyes sharpened. He held Charles’s gaze sternly before speaking again. "Then, will you tell me with complete honesty why you left the Marines?"

As soon as those words left Haines’s mouth, Charles held his breath.

The air in the study room quickly grew tense. Both men held each other’s gaze, and the change in Charles’s mood told Haines there was more that Charles hadn’t shared about his time in the military.

"Haines, do you think the culprit might be someone from my time in the Marines?" Charles asked, and Haines nodded. "Then stop the investigation."

"Why?"

Charles’s expression turned dark as he exhaled. "Because if it is, then I’ve been warned twice now — the baby swap, and the incident that involved you and Penny. The third time will kill all of us."