Chapter 456: Do you hate me?

As promised, Atlas didn’t say anything once they got home that day. However, the moment they arrived, he immediately asked Butler Jen to hide all the alcoholic beverages they had in store. Butler Jen was a little confused by the request, but he complied for everyone’s sake.

Butler Jen didn’t even have the chance to ask where Penny had gone the previous night, as things got busy. Moreover, Penny ran straight to her room after briefly greeting everyone.

Atlas watched as the staff hid all the wine that had been ready to serve, moving it to a safe place.

While this was happening, Hugo returned home after spending the morning playing basketball with his old teammates.

"What’s going on here?" he asked as he entered the dining room, noticing the maids bustling in and out. His eyes instantly landed on Atlas. "First Brother, what’s this?"

Butler Jen, standing beside Atlas, gave Hugo an awkward smile. "Sir Atlas wants all the wine and alcoholic beverages out of sight."

"Oh." Hugo nodded, then asked, "But why?"

Butler Jen just shrugged, while Atlas remained silent, not bothering to explain. Hugo glanced at Atlas’s side profile, already imagining the look on their father Charles’s face when he came home.

"Well, First Brother, good luck with that debate with Dad," Hugo said, squeezing Atlas’s shoulder before turning to leave.

Hugo didn’t linger and headed straight to the second floor. But just as he reached the mezzanine, he paused and turned toward the opposite direction from his room.

There, stepping out onto the mezzanine, was Penny.

"Penny!" Hugo called out, stopping her in her tracks. "Where are you going?"

Penny blinked and smiled at him. "Just going for a walk... or maybe a jog. Who knows?"

"In that outfit?" he asked, eyeing her up and down. Though she was wearing sneakers, her attire was too casual compared to her usual workout clothes.

"Well," Penny shrugged, "I felt a little lazy to change. I’ll probably just walk to clear my head."

"Ahh..." Hugo nodded, watching her take a step before stopping her with another question. "Where did you go last night?"

"Hmm?" Penny stopped and looked back at him. "What do you mean, Second Brother?"

"Last night, you left home, didn’t you?"

"Ahh." Penny nodded and laughed awkwardly. "You mean, I snuck out?"

Hugo chuckled. "Yes. Where did you go?"

"Just..." She hesitated to give him a random answer, knowing Hugo was aware of her relationship with Zoren. "I went to see Renren."

"Ah." Hugo nodded knowingly. Penny studied him for a moment, noticing his relaxed appearance — loose tee, comfortable shorts, and a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. It reminded her of Hugo’s usual look when they were kids. She didn’t need to ask where he’d been; she already knew.

"Anyway, I’ll head out now," she said. "You should wash up. First Brother and Third Brother have been worried about your developing body odor."

It was a joke meant to lighten the mood, and Penny thought it would make them both laugh. She waved and turned to leave.

But Hugo, who usually laughed at such jokes or responded sassily, didn’t laugh — not even a little. He kept his eyes on Penny, remembering why he had asked his former teammates to play basketball with him this morning.

"Penny," he called out just as she stepped onto the stairs, watching her look back at him. "Can we talk?"

Penny furrowed her brows, hesitating before stepping back up onto the mezzanine to face him. She was confused but also curious about what her second brother wanted to discuss.

This wasn’t about Hugo already knowing she was married, right?

For a moment, they stood in silence, staring at each other. Penny’s furrowed brows deepened at the intense look on Hugo’s face. What was wrong with him?

"Second Brother?" she called, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What do you want to talk about?"

Hugo blinked and studied her expression again. ’It didn’t seem like last night,’ he thought. Though Penny looked the same today, something about her last night had been different. His sister had never carried such intense hatred and sadness since she returned to the Bennet Mansion twelve years ago.

But last night was different—and shocking.

"Penny," Hugo called again, this time more softly, "can I ask you a question?"

Penny nearly laughed at the unusual request. "Of course, Second Brother," she chuckled. "Since when do you ask permission to ask me a question?"

"Do you hate me?"

"Huh?" The smile on her face faded as her brows rose in confusion. "Second Brother, what kind of question is that?"

"I just want to know if I did something to make you hate me," he explained. "If I did, I’d appreciate it if you told me so I can apologize and make it right."

Penny frowned, finding the question unnecessary. But seeing the serious look on his face, she cleared her throat and shook her head.

"Second Brother, if you ever said or did something that didn’t sit well with me, I would’ve told you," she replied knowingly. "It’s not in my nature to stay quiet when I’m offended or when I have a differing opinion."

"You’re right."

"Why are you asking me this, though?" she asked, now a little curious. "Did something happen?"

"Last night..." Hugo squinted slightly. "... Do you remember?"

"Remember what? Sneaking out?"

"Yes."

"I remember that," she lied.

"If you do, then do you remember what you told me before you sped off?"

Penny’s brows knitted together. Her silence told him she didn’t remember. Hugo decided to add more details, hoping it would jog her memory.

"Last night, in the garage, before you sped away, you told me... to stay dead," he recalled, locking his eyes on hers. "Do you remember that?"

"Huh?" Penny frowned, about to question Hugo’s hearing when a sudden sharp noise rang through her ears. She winced, touching her ear, before hearing her own voice echo in her head:

"Hugo, stay dead."