Chapter 649: Want to know who it was?

No one would’ve expected Finn to be so forthcoming about returning in time. However, that didn’t mean Penny was willing to fall for it; this could be a trap. Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to listen to what else this man had to say.

Sitting down in the chair across from Finn, Penny tilted her head to the side. "I still don’t understand what you’re saying, Mr. Davis."

"You understand exactly what I’m talking about." He argued. "Don’t worry. I’ve always thought it would be nice to talk to someone about this phenomenon. Knowing something is quite fun, but in the long run, it’s a lonely road because you know you’re walking that path alone."

Penny maintained her poise, but for many reasons, she could relate. Until she confessed everything to Zoren, there was always a sense of loneliness in her heart, knowing she might open up but not fully. It was probably one of the things that put the drunk Penny at peace: knowing that even if she forgot about her past, someone else would remember that "that" Penny existed.

"Don’t you think?" he mused, glancing at her. "Haha. I see that you’re not fully prepared to talk about this. Fret not. It’s alright; I expected it."

"Why are you saying all of this to me?"

Finn shrugged. "I was lonely."

"And you think I’d comfort you?"

"Comfort is a stretch, but it makes me happy." His eyes squinted. "Now, can you answer my question? Have you known about me all along? If not, when?"

"I’m not answering that."

"So it’s recent?" Finn rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "I wonder what I did wrong that revealed this?"

Penny assessed him quietly. ’Does that mean he wasn’t a student at the Summit School of Excellence?’ She wanted to ask him and put him on the hot seat, but she couldn’t trust everything she saw and heard.

He could be acting and simply deceiving her.

"I don’t trust you," she whispered, her eyes falling on the now-cold tea in front of her. "I can’t trust you, and I will never trust you."

Penny slowly lifted her eyes to him. "If what you want is to get information from me, it’s bold of you to think you’d succeed."

"I’m not trying to get information. You’re making me sad." Finn cupped his face, sighing helplessly. "Fine. I’ll answer one question that would make you believe this conversation is purely out of... familiarity because of the same fate we share."

"Haha. The same fate we share?" she laughed. "I don’t think—"

"I died."

"Huh?"

Finn grinned. "I died," he repeated. "And I’m avoiding that at all costs. I’m certain that you understood that dread more than anyone in this world."

This time, Penny fell silent, observing the smile on his face. It looked genuine, and even though doubts lingered in her heart, a part of her believed what he had just said.

"My deepest condolences, then."

"You too." He chuckled, dismissing the sarcasm in her voice. "I’m sorry that you died. Being electrocuted is much more painful than getting a hole in your head."

"..."

His eyes squinted at the plain look on her face. "I know what happened to you. Sadly, you died before the case was reopened."

"What?"

"Oh... you don’t know that part, do you?" Again, a shallow laugh escaped her. "Although I’m not so sure about the outcome of the retrial, I’d like to think everything went well. That your name was cleared, and that you got the justice you deserved."

Deep lines appeared between her brows as she lowered her gaze and pondered his remarks. Penny only had memories until the day she died. What happened afterward was something she was unaware of because, well, she died.

’All this time, I thought the world spun back the moment I died,’

What a strange discovery.

But above all, her case was reopened?

"Since you’re honest about the fact that you will never trust me, I guess I have to win that trust?" Finn mused, snapping her back from her thoughts. "What do you want to know?"

Again, Penny didn’t raise a question, even when tempted. She didn’t want this exchange to bite her back in the future. After all, she could always claim she didn’t know what this guy was talking about if she kept her mouth sealed.

"Right." Finn smacked his lips while rocking his head. "You don’t want this to backfire on you, huh?"

He pushed himself away and thought about how he could make things work regardless of her lack of cooperation.

"How about I start from the beginning?" he suggested, grinning. "It’s not like I want you to trust me now, but it would be nice to have you as an ally."

"And why do you want me to be your ally?"

"To keep me alive?"

"Haha." Penny let out a dry, mocking laugh, but her eyes shone with interest. She wanted to know what this guy was up to.

"Let’s start with... hmmm...." Finn hummed a long tune before clicking his tongue. "I didn’t go to the Summit School of Excellence in my first life. I attended an international school and only returned to Anteca when I was an adult."

Penny arched a brow. "What nonsense are you talking about now?"

"Do you know why I changed it?" He continued, ignoring her obvious attempt to avoid this conversation. However, he knew Penny was interested. If she weren’t, she would’ve gotten up and left, but here she was, staying despite calling his remarks nonsense.

Finn carefully placed his arms on the edge of the table, smiling from ear to ear. "I changed my life from a young age and chose my school for one reason — I did it all because of one person."

’One person?’Penny raised a brow, curious. However, instead of telling her, Finn playfully asked, "Want to know who it was?"