Chapter 423: Seems like everyone went to the same school

Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Zoren sat in a wing chair as his men tossed Nathaniel in front of him. He squinted, trying to make a proper assessment of the man before him. His blurry vision was making it hard for him to do so, though.

’He looks more ragged than I imagined,’ Zoren thought as a pungent scent assaulted his nostrils. He knew it was coming from Nathaniel. Just the scent was enough for Zoren to want to stay in his room just to cleanse himself with Penny’s scent.

"Sir," a well-groomed man approached Zoren from the side, bowing his head respectfully. "It’s nice to see you again, sir."

Zoren glanced up at the man. "Mark."

When Mark raised his head again, a deep scar on his cheek became visible. His expression remained stern, his eyes sharp. At a glance, anyone could tell he was a capable man, smart, and not to be messed with.

"Sir, can you see me?" Mark asked bluntly, wasting no time in getting answers from him. "I heard from Benjamin that you’ve been having eye problems. Was it true?"

"It is," Zoren answered, shifting his gaze away from Mark.

Mark’s jaw tightened at the confirmation. Initially, he didn’t want to believe what Benjamin had told him, thinking it was just an excuse to urge him to return. Benjamin was quite the liar and manipulative, after all.

Who would have thought it was true?

"Have you had them checked, sir?" Mark asked again, maintaining his stern tone with a tinge of worry. "Or should I arrange for you to see a specialist?"

"No need," Zoren waved dismissively. "I’m alright."

"Sir, people will soon find out about your condition. It’s not going to be to your advantage if they find out about it."

"I’ll get better," Zoren smiled reassuringly. "I have to... for my wife. Don’t worry."

Mark’s expression darkened, knowing about the surprised and mysterious marriage his boss had been tangled with. From what he’d heard, Zoren’s name had ended up on a stranger’s marriage certificate.

And that stranger... was apparently someone Mark knew.

Zoren’s wife also owned a security firm. This alone set off alarm bells in Mark’s head. Despite pulling back from the mission they had been working on — the reason they had left Zoren’s side — he was grateful to be back now.

"What is it?" Zoren asked, sensing the unspoken tension in the air. "Mark, you don’t need to worry about my marriage. The only reason I want to know the story behind it is pure curiosity."

Mark’s eyes narrowed. "Sir, it’s not that I doubt Miss Bennet, nor do I believe she’s involved in this mysterious marriage. But she’s sharp. I can’t shake the feeling that all of this is too much of a coincidence."

"It’s fate," Zoren quipped. "Mark, do you know Penny? You sound like you know her."

"Yes." Mark blinked slowly, still keeping his head slightly lowered. "She was a schoolmate."

Mark could have added that he used to be in her fan club — albeit unwillingly — but that was a memory he preferred to keep buried. It would be too humiliating for the captain of the Phantom Circle to reveal he was once in a fan club.

"Right," Zoren nodded. "You went to that same school."

It had nearly slipped Zoren’s mind because he had been so preoccupied lately. Or rather, Penny had been occupying most of his thoughts, and he needed to unload some of that information.

Mark came from a humble family, one that Old Mrs. Pierson was indebted to. After all, Mark’s father had once saved Zoren’s life when he was in a dire predicament. If it hadn’t been for him, Zoren would have been long gone.

Since then, Old Mrs. Pierson has supported Mark’s family and funded his education. They had sent him to the Summit School of Excellence, though at the time, they disguised it as a scholarship. This was also the reason the Pierson family had been donating to the school.

"How nice," Zoren whispered. "I should’ve accepted Ray’s offer back then. It would’ve been fun to go to school with everyone."

He sighed lightly, thinking he might have missed out on a lot of fun. It seemed like everyone had gone to that school, and therefore, everyone knew each other, or at least had heard of each other.

Mark remained silent, studying Zoren’s profile. "Have you made a deal with Miss Bennet?"

"A deal?" Zoren tilted his head. "You could say that."

"I don’t think we should trust her yet," Mark suggested. "I say this not out of personal grudges, but because the board meeting and family meeting are approaching. Everything is unfolding as that date gets closer."

Zoren smiled, appreciating Mark’s more logical approach compared to Benjamin’s. "I trust her."

"Sir."

"But I won’t force you to trust her as well." Zoren’s smile widened. "You’ll have to judge that for yourself."

Deep lines formed between Mark’s brows, puzzled. "What do you mean by that, sir?"

"Penny sent her best men to look after me while you were away, leaving herself vulnerable. She would’ve pulled her men back now that you’re here, but she and her men are bound by a contract. She’s the type who upholds her word." Zoren slowly turned his eyes to the unconscious man on the floor. "Besides, I’d feel more at ease if you looked after her. She’s my wife, and people will surely target her to get to me. Don’t give them that opening."

Hearing this, Mark didn’t need further clarification. However, the thought didn’t sit well with him. He frowned, thinking he was better suited to protect Zoren than to babysit a "damsel in distress."

Still, Mark didn’t complain. Orders were orders, and Zoren’s orders were absolute.

"I’ll do my best," Mark said with a heavy heart, then shifted his gaze to Nathaniel. "What are we going to do with him?"

"Did you drug him?"

"I knocked him out."

"Very well." Zoren nodded at the man standing in the corner. A dangerous glint flashed in his dark eyes as he exhaled. "Wake him up."