Chapter 561: Have we met before

"Miss Penelope!"

Just as Penny opened the door, she stopped when someone called her from behind. Looking back, her eyes landed on Mark.

Mark marched toward her and stopped at her side. "Is there a problem?" he asked. "Why are you here, Miss Penelope?"

"Uh, I think there’s someone inside," she said. "I’m checking to see who it is."

Mark glanced at the door before looking back at her with the same expression. "There’s no one in there."

"No one?" Penny furrowed her brows. "I just saw it open and close."

"Did you?"

"Uh, yes?" Penny straightened her back and faced him squarely. "I’m checking."

This time, Penny repeated herself in a stern voice. Since Mark was one of Zoren’s bodyguards, she was less friendly and more distant. After saying that, Penny pushed the door wide open and stepped into the guesthouse.

Looking around, she knitted her brows.

"There’s... no one?" she blurted, scanning the area to make sure. The guesthouse looked normal, and there was no sign anyone had been there—everything was tidy.

"Miss Penelope, if you saw the door open, perhaps it was one of the cleaners checking the locks," Mark said after seeing no one inside. "This place isn’t used often, so sometimes the guards come in here for drinks or a bit of peace."

Penny arched a brow but didn’t respond. Instead, she marched in and checked the rooms. She checked them all—they were unoccupied.

"That’s weird," she mumbled, holding the bedroom knob while staring into the room. "Was it really just a worker?"

Mark, who had followed closely, glanced at the room before his eyes landed back on her. "Were you expecting to find an unwelcome guest, Miss Penelope?"

"Well..." Slowly, Penny faced him and shrugged. "The residence isn’t huge, but this lot is. It wouldn’t hurt anyone if I checked, right?"

"Don’t worry. Even with such a vast expanse, rest assured, everything is monitored."

’But I was able to sneak in here, wasn’t I?’ was what she wanted to say, but since Mark didn’t seem like the type to dwell on the past, Penny kept it to herself.

It was best for everyone to move on. It was a good thing they didn’t hold a grudge against her. Bringing it up might just remind them of that night.

"Besides, Renny is always around. If anyone with bad intentions stepped into the residence, he’d chase them off," Mark added reassuringly. "So, there’s no need to worry about that."

"Ah..." Penny nodded in understanding, glancing at the room once more before decisively closing the door. She then faced Mark and smiled. "Just making sure! Renren’s safety is always my priority."

"And I understand, as your peace is also his."

Her brow arched, watching him lower his head as he said that. She pressed her lips together, the corners curling up.

’My husband really is the best!’

With that, Penny turned and took a few steps away from him. Mark glanced at the door quietly before he heard Penny’s voice again.

"Huh?"

Mark slowly turned his attention back to her when she suddenly stopped and let out a small sound. "Miss Penelope?" he called, watching Penny slowly look back at him. She squinted, tilted her head, and opened and closed her mouth.

Seeing that expression — as if she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure what — made him furrow his brows.

"You." She pointed a finger at him. "Have we met before?"

"..." Mark blinked, his jaw tightening as memories of being dragged into a fan club and who they were "worshipping" came flooding back into his mind.

"No," he breathed out. "I don’t think so. Or perhaps, we’ve met since I’ve been here for quite some time now."

Her expression told him that wasn’t what she was talking about. So, he forced himself to speak again.

"Miss Penelope, I think we should leave this area for now," he suggested. "My boss told me he would call around this time. He might get worried if you don’t answer."

"I have my phone with me," she said with a shrug. "Never mind. I’ll remember where I’ve met you if I really did."

With that, Penny resumed her steps, and Mark followed closely behind. But as soon as they reached outside and Mark closed the door behind them, she suddenly spun around to face him. Mark flinched at her sudden movement, casting her a nervous look.

"Miss Penelope?" he asked, unsure of what the look on her face meant. But deep down, he had a feeling this wasn’t good.

"You..." Penny’s index finger trembled as she pointed at him. "... what’s your name?"

"..." Mark clenched his teeth, forcing out an answer. "None."

"Huh?" She furrowed her brows. "None?"

He nodded.

"That’s your name?"

’No,’he wanted to say as he averted his eyes. ’It’s none of your business.’

"That’s a weird name!" Penny exclaimed, sizing him up from head to toe. She arched a brow as she studied him. Now that she thought about it, Zoren’s men had a strange, intimidating aura.

Surely, the drunken Penny had been brave, because, in a sober state, she would think twice before picking a fight with these guys. Unless, of course, they were enemies. After all, in her sober state, she’d rather recruit them.

"Well, None, it’s nice meeting you," she said, though she was certain this wasn’t the first time they’d met. "Anyway, I’m heading back."

"Yes." Mark lowered his head, watching her shadow as she walked away.

Just as he heaved a sigh of relief, feeling as if he’d narrowly avoided calamity, he froze when Penny spoke again.

"No way!" Penny gasped, stopping in her tracks. She slowly turned to look back at him and pointed. "You’re that Mark?! The one with the —?!"

Just like him, a flashback of a delinquent wearing a headband with the chubby Penny’s face on it while shouting her name repeatedly flashed in her mind.

His face reddened as he blurted out in horror, "Please don’t tell anyone!"