Chapter 555: You wanted honesty

In the middle of the event, Penny excused herself to the restroom. But just as she reached it, where the sounds from the event were faint, her steps halted. Her eyes shifted to the person leaning against the wall, swirling a glass of wine in his hand.

’Why can’t I ever get a break from this guy? It’s like he knows where I’ll be before I do,’she thought, irritation spreading across her face. However, nature’s call took priority, so Penny resumed her steps, planning to ignore this nuisance.

She kept her head high, eyes forward, walking past Dean, who was leaning against the wall. When she was five steps beyond him, she stopped and looked back.

’Wow! He didn’t stop me for anything! That’s new,’she thought in awe, watching Dean lift his gaze toward her. Penny flashed him a smile and gave him a thumbs-up before sprinting into the restroom before he could say a word.

Dean: "..."

Penny didn’t waste a second and entered the cubicle, relieving herself with a sigh of relief. She smiled, glad she didn’t have to hold it longer to deal with him. But as she finished, the smile on her face faded.

’He’s waiting for me outside, isn’t he?’ Her nose scrunched up as she walked out of the cubicle, glaring at the restroom entrance. ’Seriously, what’s he going to say this time?’

Penny could already guess what Dean wanted to say. She thought about it while washing her hands, taking her precious time. To spite him further, she retouched her makeup. If Dean was going to raise her blood pressure, she might as well look pretty while enduring it.

No matter how long Penny delayed her exit, she eventually ran out of things to do. With a heavy heart, she walked out of the restroom, her face somber.

’I was right!’

"I’m going to ignore you," she said, crossing her arms and locking eyes with the man leaning against the wall. "So, don’t even bother with whatever you had in mind. I’ll ignore it. If I were you, I’d have some dignity. Got it?"

Penny arched a brow as he glanced at her. Dean said nothing, keeping his eyes on her. After a moment, she dropped her hands and marched toward him, true to her word, saying nothing and ignoring him.

"You know that I’d be here tonight," he said, but her steps continued. "You knew I was making donations in all of these charity groups... and that you came rushing here because you knew if you didn’t, you’d owe me again."

Penny didn’t care, although she had to admit there were some truths in what he said.

"Penny, are you really interested in Zoren Pierson?"

Five steps away, Dean spoke again. Penny slowed, glancing back at him.

"I said I would ignore you," she said.

"But you didn’t." Dean peeled his back from the wall, facing her. "Whenever I bring him up, you stop—when you normally wouldn’t."

"So?" He tilted his head slightly. "Do you like him, Penny?"

"What’s it to you if I do or don’t?"

He shrugged. "I don’t know, honestly." A shallow laugh escaped him at the thought. "Maybe I’ll know once you answer."

Silence fell between them as they stared at each other. Though five steps apart, it felt shorter, the emotions in their eyes clear.

"I am," Penny finally answered, not looking away. "I am interested in Zoren Pierson, more than I expected to be."

Dean’s expression twisted as bitterness swelled in his chest. "Why?" he breathed out. "What did you see in him that you didn’t see in others?"

"I don’t know," she shrugged. "Maybe his honesty?"

"Honesty?" Dean snorted, unable to contain his laughter. "What honesty are you talking about? How much do you really know about him, hmm?"

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line, keeping her gaze steady. "That’s none of your business."

"Your business has always been mine, Penny."

"Haha, since when?"

Dean lowered his head slightly, his eyes drooping. Penny glanced at the empty glass in his hand, wondering how many drinks he’d had tonight. Then, noticing the bottle on the floor where he had stood previously, she was certain he had been drinking.

"Penny, if it’s honesty that made you interested in him, then let me tell you some things about him." He took a step forward. "First, Zoren Pierson isn’t as pitiful as he seems. He may be sickly, but that has never stopped him from hurting others."

He took another step. "Second, before he was declared the head of the family, he slowly eliminated his strongest opponents, crippling them. Do you know how he did that? I’m pretty sure you don’t since it’s not something he wouldn’t admit."

"And one more thing—he’s a selfish man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. He knows no real emotion. Even as a child, he mimicked people to seem normal."

On the fourth step, Dean was already standing in front of Penny. "Did you know that about him?" Dean furrowed his brows and lowered his head. "When he lost his father, he ordered Miranda — his current panther’s mother — to bite one of our uncle’s legs. That uncle still limps and Miranda is dead because of it. Zoren is violent and aggressive, but he always acts like the victim. The truth is, Zoren Pierson has never been a victim."

"There’s a lot more I could tell you that he probably won’t," he continued quietly, looking straight into her eyes. "Penelope Bennet, do you think my uncle is in this position in the family because he didn’t want to be?"

The corner of her mouth curled into a smirk. "You’re wrong. Zoren Pierson is in this position because he wants to be."

"Everything you’ve said sounds like compliments to me," Penny remarked. "If you really knew me, you’d know that such things wouldn’t make me turn my back on someone. I think you’ve forgotten about my Uncle Wild, Dean."

"I haven’t." Dean leaned closer, whispering, "I didn’t tell you this to make you turn your back on him, but because... you wanted honesty. There’s your honesty."

"Or rather, I’m planting doubt in your heart." He slowly drew back. "Ask him anything, and he’ll answer. But ask him about what else he’s done, and you’ll see just how dishonest he can be."

"Zoren Pierson will never be one hundred percent honest with you," he added.

Penny responded, "Then that makes the two of us."

She pressed her lips, displeased. "Don’t mistake honesty for abruptness, Dean. People need time. Just like you needed time to mend your broken heart, he needs time to tell me everything. I don’t like spoilers. Keep those things to yourself."

"Hah..." Dean ran his tongue across his inner cheek, only to hear Slater’s voice behind her.

"Penny."

Both Dean and Penny shifted their attention to Slater, who was approaching. He stopped a few steps from her, glaring at Dean.

Penny let out a shallow breath, casting Dean a nonchalant glance, and said, "By the way, I just realized it’s not his honesty that I liked. It’s his face," before walking away with her brother.