Chapter 449: Now you got an entire team

Half an hour later...

"Wait, Renren!" Penny clasped Zoren’s arm to stop him from getting into the car.

He paused, glancing at her hand, then back to her eyes. "Yes?"

"Hehe." Penny chuckled, raising her brows. "Are you sure you’re going to meet my eldest brother?"

Zoren nodded. "Are you sure you don’t want to come?"

Penny pressed her lips together, forcing a smile. She hesitated, tempted to tell him that while Atlas wasn’t a fighter like Hugo, his words could be sharper than a dagger. But seeing the determination in Zoren’s eyes, she didn’t have the heart to stop him. Moreover, she believed in him!

"Never mind," she said, releasing his arm and stepping back. "Take care on your way. Let me know if you guys discuss anything important."

"Mhm." Zoren gave a subtle smile and nodded before stepping into the backseat of the car.

Penny took another step back, giving the vehicle room to move. She raised a hand, waving like a diligent wife seeing her husband off to work.

"Bye~" she whispered, watching the car pull away.

Penny’s men, along with a few of Zoren’s men, had escorted him for protection. Many were still recovering from the previous night’s showdown, so they assumed they just had to stay with Penny and watch for their own safety while hiding all alcohol beverages from her sight.

Shifting their gaze to where Penny stood, some of the men who had been employed by her exchanged glances. A spark flickered in their eyes as if they were waiting for the right moment to act.

"Bye..." Penny sighed as the car disappeared past the mansion’s wide gates. Suddenly, her men flanked her on either side, sandwiching her.

Deep lines formed between her brows as she looked from one man to the other. "What are you doing?"

"Miss Penny, aren’t you and Mr. Pierson in a serious relationship now?" one of the men on her right asked, causing her to furrow her brows. "You are serious about him, right?"

"What nonsense are you on about now..." she trailed off as another bodyguard chimed in.

"Miss Penny, if you’re really serious about this relationship, you should protect your image!" another urged, prompting Penny to turn her head towards the speaker. "We all know you’re strong and independent, but you also have to think about your partner’s dignity and pride."

Her face soured at their continuous lecturing. "Are you saying I’m not taking care of my image?"

"No, of course not!" they all answered in unison, nearly causing her to cover her ears. "But Miss Penny, you need to act more... modest!"

"Are you saying I’m not modest enough?"

"You need to look natural!"

"That’s right! Miss Penny, we only say this because it’s the first time you’ve ever fancied a man. It would be a shame if he broke up with you because you didn’t give him a chance to shine."

"Do you remember that time you carried him like a sack of rice when he fainted? What do you think Mr. Pierson would feel if he finds out about it?"

Penny raised an eyebrow, initially thinking they were spewing nonsense. But the longer she listened, the more she felt like their words were poisoning her. She couldn’t help but give them the benefit of the doubt.

How could she not?

This was, after all, her first relationship — serious or not. It was the first time she had dated a man in both of her lifetimes, so she had to consider people’s feedback. These men might be

cheeky — thanks to Wild — but they often had her best interests at heart.

She might as well hear them out.

"Oh..." Penny crossed her arms, nodding in understanding. "So, earlier, I didn’t look natural at all?"

Not even a little bit.

"Miss Penny, you’ve been improving!" one of them said. "But we’re saying, don’t drink again."

"Huh?"

"It’s not ladylike!"

Penny raised an eyebrow, assessing their serious expressions. Before she could respond, one of them elaborated.

"Last night, when you came here, you reeked of alcohol!" he blurted out, knowing Zoren hadn’t told her about the trouble she had caused. They figured it was better for Zoren to explain everything to her himself. So they didn’t act, but there was something that must be done still.

"That’s right!" another chimed in. "I almost fainted from the smell."

"Good thing Renny licked your face, masking the scent somewhat. But we’re worried that next time, no one will be able to save you from such an embarrassment!"

Penny frowned at their remarks. "Really?" she asked, and they all nodded in unison. Even those standing on the sidelines couldn’t help but nod along.

Seeing this, Penny sighed and nodded. "Okay, I got it," she said, offering a small smile. "I appreciate your honesty. You guys always look out for me, even though I assigned you to protect him. Thanks!"

They forced a smile, feeling a bit guilty for misleading her. But they knew it was for the greater good, and their initial guilt quickly faded.

"Anyway, let’s go!" Penny clapped her hands, snapping them out of their thoughts.

They stared at her, baffled. "Miss Penny? What do you mean, ’let’s go’? Go... where?"

The corners of her lips stretched into a wide grin, her teeth gleaming as the air around her seemed to shimmer. The men tasked with her "safety" squinted, now feeling uneasy.

They had a bad feeling about this.

"My Renren is meeting my eldest brother out of the blue," she explained. "It might be about the golden invitation Zoren sent him, but I need to be sure. After all, it seems I snuck out last night, and knowing my brother, who’s very keen on banning me from drinking any alcohol, I’m worried."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood Atlas’s dilemma. Atlas surely called Zoren not to fight him, but to make sure he was alive.

’So, her first brother Atlas was also a victim of her drunken antics, huh?’

They could all relate.

’Don’t worry, First Brother! Now, you got an entire team working on banning her from drinking!’