Chapter 470: definitely not time for this.

Clack.

Zoren knitted his brows as his smile stiffened, hearing the call drop. "Did she hang up on me?" he wondered, reaching for his phone.

For a moment, he was mystified. He had only been teasing her, but it seemed his words had flustered her so much that she chose to end the call. A faint breath escaped him as he shrugged. The drunken Penny was wilder than the sober one, but both amused him equally.

"She’s going to live with me soon," he mused, smiling at the thought.

With that in mind, Zoren turned to wash up. Just as he did, he caught sight of his black panther and the cat sitting on top of it, both looking in his direction. He squinted, trying to make sense of their expressions, but couldn’t quite read them.

What he didn’t know was that Chunchun and Renny were already on high alert, watching him closely to protect their "mother." Renny, in particular, wasn’t eager for a new "cub" in the house, and Chunchun was just there to support her brother.

"Penny will live with us soon," Zoren said to them with a smile. "Things will get better."

That wasn’t their concern.

After saying his piece, Zoren walked toward the bathroom. Before he could reach it, there was a knock on the door. He paused and turned. "What is it?"

Slowly, the door opened, and Angel stepped inside, maintaining his upright posture.

"Sir, that guy is awake now," Angel reported. "What are your plans for him?"

Zoren pressed his lips together in thought. It wasn’t as if he had forgotten about Nathaniel’s presence. His men had gone to great lengths to bring that man here. Yet, despite Nathaniel’s proposal, Zoren remained reluctant to trust him.

A man like Nathaniel was a dangerous ally. He couldn’t be trusted. Zoren had long learned that trust, when misplaced, could be fatal. They were still investigating how much Nathaniel knew about Penny, especially given that they had known about her long before; it was how Patricia had attempted to copy her.

Zoren smiled subtly and faced Angel. "Give him a phone."

"Sir?"

"Yes, a phone."

"Sir, isn’t that risky?" Angel frowned. "If you give him a phone, he could contact anyone. Even the authorities. He might twist the story and put you in a tight spot."

Zoren’s smirk widened. "He wouldn’t do that," he reassured, almost laughing. "He wants to gain my trust, so he wouldn’t dare. If anything, he’ll call William Pierson and tell him everything’s going smoothly."

"Isn’t it better to use him while I can?" he continued casually. "That way, William Pierson won’t think of other ways to change his plans. It makes things easier for me."

Angel’s forehead creased as he watched Zoren wave him off before heading to the bathroom. Once the door closed, Angel shook his head and sighed.

"He’s just like his wife—always taking risks," he muttered, turning to leave. But as he turned, he flinched. Renny and Chunchun were staring at him. "Heh... please, I’ve barely recovered. I’ll leave right away. Sorry for disturbing you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Angel quickly jumped out and slammed the door behind him. He flinched when he heard a thud, as if Renny had hit the door with its paw.

"Oh, goodness." Angel huffed, gripping the doorknob tightly. "Is Renny still hunting us?"

Was this why Zoren kept Renny locked in this room?

"I thought it was the panther’s punishment," he muttered as he cautiously released the knob. "Looks like the hunt lingers in Renny’s heart, and it still wants to continue."

Shaking his head, Angel straightened his posture and recomposed himself. But just as he turned away, he heard scratching from the other side. Glancing over his shoulder, his face twisted in horror.

"This is all Miss Penny’s fault for waking the beast."

What Angel didn’t realize was that Renny wasn’t the only beast Penny had awoken. There was another one named Zoren Pierson.

---

The next day...

Penny stretched, arms spread wide as she pulled herself up on the bed. Her eyes were still closed, but her lips were curved into a smile. The good mood from last night lingered, and she was ready to start the day on a positive note.

Her pleasant mood, however, was quickly interrupted by a voice beside her.

"Good morning."

Penny jolted awake, snapping her eyes open. She turned to the speaker, her brows furrowing as her gaze landed on the ever-charming Slater.

Slater grinned from ear to ear, his eyes squinting with amusement. "Get up, Penny! Time to work!"

"Third Brother, what are you doing in my room?!" she gasped in dismay. "I don’t remember buying an alarm clock like you!"

Was he testing a new merchandise on her? If so, it could probably make him a lot of money.

"Hah! Penny, what nonsense are you talking about so early in the morning?" Slater crossed his arms, glaring at her playfully. "Do you know what time it is?"

"No," she shook her head. "But what I do know is it’s definitely not time for this."

It was far too early for him to be pestering her like this! Penny could practically see the spirit of her good mood floating away from her, waving her goodbye.

’Bye~!’ the spirit of good mood called as it ascended to heaven.

Penny mentally pleaded, ’No, please!’ but it was too late.

"Penny, get up! I’m late for work!" Slater’s voice snapped her back to reality, and she looked at him blankly. "Let’s go! Don’t shower—you can shower on the way."

"Huh?" Penny blinked, confused.

Slater clicked his tongue, clearly impatient.

"Third Brother," she called, squinting at him. "I have work. What do you mean, you’re late because of me?"

"Yes, you have work today." He nodded. "As my assistant. Remember?"

"Remember what?" she gasped in horror. "No, I don’t remember that."

Slater’s face darkened. "Last night, when I said I needed help, you agreed to help me with whatever I needed. You even promised to help me today!"

"Eh?" Penny blinked, her mind going blank. As she replayed last night’s events, her face twisted in shock. "Eh?!"

Slater ruffled his hair and reached for her, dragging her out of bed like a rag doll. "Forget it. Let’s go!"