Chapter 273: That sadistic sociopath.

Days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Penny’s first week home was quite eventful with random things. There were days when Hugo or Slater would ambush her — especially Slater — for some attention. Other than that, there wasn’t anything significant, as Penny found herself preoccupied with setting up her office and also, helping the main branch so they could deploy the men she needed for their new clients.

For this reason, she didn’t think much when she didn’t hear from Zoren again.

"Right, Penny, will you go?"

Seated on the green landscape of the mansion after a morning jog with Hugo, the latter’s voice snapped her back to the present moment. Penny looked up with Chunchun in her arms.

"Huh?" she hummed. "Go where, Second Brother?"

"I told you the other day, didn’t I?" Hugo tilted his head, thinking he had mentioned it as she was leaving home for her office. "There’s a reunion at the Summit School of Excellence and then a bachelor party for one of my teammates from the school basketball team. I told them you were back, and they’re excited to meet you."

Her lips formed a circle as she rocked her head. "Oh, that’s what you were talking about. I’ve been quite busy these days. Sorry. I didn’t catch that."

"It’s okay." He chuckled. "No big deal."

"But why am I invited to the reunion?" she asked. "My graduating batch wasn’t even my classmates."

Moreover, Penny hadn’t even attended her graduation because she had left the country.

"Because you were a legend in school?" Hugo quipped, laughing when her face quickly turned sour. "I’m kidding, I’m kidding. The reunion is more like a casual meet-up of their alumni. They call it a reunion, but it’s really just a party for the new headmaster."

"Oh," Penny nodded. "Well, I guess it’s about time for a new headmaster."

"It’s Ray."

"Ah?"

Hugo shrugged. "Ray is the new headmaster."

"Oh..." Penny’s mouth formed into a round shape once more as she studied her brother’s kind smile.

When Penny left for her apprenticeship, she hadn’t heard any news about Ray. To be fair, she had forgotten he even existed. Her brothers hadn’t mentioned him either, but the last she remembered, they were ready to confront (kill) him.

’But we were young back then,’ Penny chuckled inwardly. ’Of course, my brothers have moved on from that.’

Or so, she thought.

"That’s why I’m suggesting you come to the bachelor party instead," Hugo’s smile brightened, though he emitted a hint of tension. "Why bother with the new headmaster’s ceremony if it’s not important, right?"

Penny’s smile stiffened. ’Guess I was wrong. He hasn’t moved on.’

"Heh." A dry laugh escaped her. "The basketball team, huh? Well, I suppose that’s much better than seeing a bunch of people I don’t know from school. Also, I heard a lot of news about them on the sports page. It’s a little bad that some of them ended up playing for different teams. Are they still friends?"

"Of course!" Hugo laughed. "That’s basketball. Anyway, are you coming?"

"Well..." Penny pondered for a moment, thinking if she could free up some time in her schedule. "Sure!"

"Good!" Hugo nodded in satisfaction. "I’ll let them know then!"

At this point, Penny wouldn’t be surprised if Hugo had orchestrated the bachelor party to coincide with Ray’s inauguration, just to give her an excuse. But then again, that would be a stretch. Her brother wouldn’t go to such lengths.

If only she knew the lengths Hugo had gone to just to keep Penny from encountering Ray.

"Anyway, do you have other plans today?" Hugo inquired. "You’ve been busy these past few days with Nina. Do you need any help with your office?"

Penny smiled and shook her head. "Nina has already got it covered, so I don’t need to do any extra work."

"Isn’t she reliable?" Hugo’s smile softened. "She makes me proud."

"She’s made all of us proud, but I think she’s proudest of herself," Penny replied, releasing Chunchun to wander over to her brother’s lap. "I never would have imagined she’d turn out like this."

Looking back, Nina’s career in her previous life as a model and owner of a skincare brand flourished with Atlas’s and Slater’s help. Despite the company’s troubles, it persevered, thanks to Penny.

But compared to Nina’s past self, Penny could see how much Nina loved her current career. Having spent time with Nina at the office, Penny could tell that Nina’s career was more than just a job for appearances; she genuinely enjoyed its ups and downs.

"Penny."

Penny snapped her attention back to her brother. "Yes?"

"You were zoning out," he pointed out. "You had that smile when you talked about Nina. Are you that happy for her?"

Penny nodded. "Of course. I just hope her fiancé takes good care of her."

"..." Hugo stared at Penny, tilting his head slightly.

Seeing his expression, her brows furrowed. "What?"

"Penny, do you know who her fiancé is?"

"No?" Penny scratched her cheek. "I think she mentioned it to me, but I had a lot on my mind and it slipped."

If there was a bad habit Penny had to admit, it was that she wouldn’t retain information she deemed unnecessary. While others were in college, Penny had earned her Ph.D. and built wealth through stock trading to start her business.

In other words, if something wasn’t essential to her, it would go in one ear and out the other.

"It’s Finn," Hugo informed her, watching as Penny focused on him once more. "Do you know him?"

Finn?

"He’s from the star section — rank 10 — before Theo Miller and First Brother joined," Hugo reminded her, worry evident in his eyes, a look she had only seen now. "I don’t trust him, Penny. Finn... he’s not as noble and kind as he seems. Do you remember him now?"

It took a moment for Penny to recall him, but when she did, her expression turned solemn.

"I remember him," she whispered. "That sadistic sociopath."