Chapter 287: Behind the scenes II

Renren?

Thump... thump... thump...

Penny’s heart thudded slowly but loudly against her chest, her eyes fixed on the man seated in the camping chair.

’What day is today?’ she wondered, recalling the date she had briefly glanced at while doing some art on the menu board at Mama’s.

It was Thursday.

Penny felt a lump in her throat, and even after she swallowed, it remained. Her eyes trembled slightly as a thin layer of tears coated them.

Now that she thought about it, what day was it when she saw this man out here while she was driving? Although at that time, he was a little farther from the meeting spot, it was still in the same lane.

Penny stood frozen on the spot, trying to manage which emotion dominated her at that moment. At the same time, her mind quickly reminded her of the similarities between Renren and Zoren.

They both looked as though they were one cough away from crossing into the afterlife.

They had been sick all their lives.

Both of them were strange — their way of thinking was odd, but they were also honest.

Zoren had left the country for treatment, only to return several years later.

Her lips quivered as they opened and closed. "Don’t tell me he’s been here every Thursday since he returned?"

As those words rolled off her tongue, Penny felt as if she was transported back to twelve years ago — those Thursdays when she would rush herself, knowing that sickly boy would be waiting for her gloomily, like a fool.

It brought back memories of how his face would light up as soon as he heard her voice or saw her, and how his lips would stretch into a smile as she approached, bringing life to his dark eyes.

Thinking of those times, a defeated smile turned up on her face.

"So, that’s him?" she whispered, feeling a mix of emotions about the situation.

Zoren Pierson was the man in her marriage certificate, and they had been in contact. Yet, despite being reminded of that boy from her past, she didn’t dare compare the two. After all, Penny just wanted to believe he was doing fine.

Twelve years was a long time.

He could’ve recovered, lived a normal life, met a girl, married, and who knows — maybe even had children.

She wanted to think positively for her dearest friend. But it seemed none of those hopes had materialized. He didn’t live a normal life, he didn’t meet a girl and marry — so he didn’t have children, either. The most unfortunate part was that he didn’t recover.

His condition when he returned was better than it had ever been, but now his health was deteriorating again. Penny had only skimmed through his medical files, but she already knew how much this guy had tried.

"He’s in for a scolding," she murmured but then smiled excitedly as she took a step toward him. But just as Penny took three steps, she noticed a woman at the end of the street.

The smile on her face stiffened. Deep lines appeared between her brows as she studied the woman from head to toe. The woman was holding a cat; her hair color almost matched Penny’s, and even her haircut was the same as Penny’s current one.

’Who is...’ Her thoughts trailed off as she noticed the cat in the woman’s arms. ’Same breed as Chunchun? And the same color as well?’

Penny stopped completely, darting her eyes between the two figures.

At that moment, Haines’s warning to be careful echoed in her mind. They didn’t know what sort of enemy they were dealing with, nor did they know the face of the enemy targeting them. Therefore, the situation was much trickier and required more caution.

’Zoren already has a lot on his plate with his family,’

*********

"Thursday Girl?!" Benjamin gasped in surprise as he craned his neck to get a better look at the woman. "If this is Thursday Girl, then... my boss is probably saved. Please... let her be her, and not just a passerby."

Benjamin always had his boss’s interests and safety at the top of his priorities. And if the wait for Thursday Girl were to end tonight, Benjamin was hopeful that his boss would finally be happy. Even though Zoren had clearly stated that Thursday Girl was just a precious friend, Benjamin still hoped she could help Zoren find some inner peace.

"I hope..."

Click... slam.

Benjamin’s breath hitched when he heard the car door click open and then slam shut. For a moment, he froze in horror at the presence in the backseat.

Slowly, he lifted his dilated eyes to the rearview mirror. He jolted when he saw a pair of sharp eyes looking back at him.

"What?!" he gasped in surprise as soon as he recognized Penny. "Miss Penelope?!"

Benjamin turned around in disbelief, only to hear a ’meow’ in response. "Huh?" His eyes fell on the cat on her lap, which she then placed beside her.

"You have a cat...?" he blurted out, his brows furrowed. His confusion about the situation, however, stopped when Penny called her cat.

"Chunchun, you behave, alright? This car is not ours, nor Slaters’."

"Chunchun...?" Benjamin repeated quietly, studying the cat’s color and then its owner. Wasn’t that the name of the cat his boss would occasionally mention to Renny?

Benjamin might have been overprotective and unreasonable when it came to his boss’s security. However, he wasn’t dumb — he could put two and two together.

’Penelope Bennet... Penelope...’ His mouth fell open as he gasped. "Penny?"

Penny arched a brow and looked at him in disgust. "What? Why are you yelling my name?"

"Oh, my God?!!" Benjamin’s heart leaped out of his chest, his eyes now even wider. "You are... you are Thursday Girl?!"

When Benjamin asked that, his heart stopped completely for a second.

What kind of twisted coincidence was this?