Chapter 677: Overthink

[SKYLINE PLAZA]

Mark stood quietly on the side of the study room, glancing at Penny, who was seated on the couch. Penny had been holding on to a picture that he hadn’t had the chance to take a closer look at. All Mark saw was that the photo was a stolen image of someone.

Someone he had never seen before.

’She’s been staring at it since she came home,’he thought, studying the look on Penny’s face. ’What made her so interested in it?’

Mark kept his lips drawn into a thin line. Today, Penny was acting strangely. After she had left her office in the middle of the day while some workers cleaned it to get rid of the smell, Penny kept him close. She brought up all sorts of unrelated and random topics to discuss.

Initially, Mark thought Penny was simply trying to strengthen their rapport or perhaps trying to get used to his presence to lessen her discomfort. After all, he was well aware that Penny was more accustomed to working with Angel than with anyone else.

But even now that they had gone home, Penny had asked him to stay with her. Thus, the reason Mark was still in the study room, just standing in the corner in complete silence. Penny also hadn’t spoken a word since coming in.

"Renren is running late." After another minute of total silence, Penny finally spoke.

Mark watched her eyes slide in his direction before he said, "From what I heard, he dropped by the Old Residence."

"I see." Penny nodded. "I haven’t checked my phone, so I don’t know."

That was right, and Mark didn’t question that. The entire day, while he followed her around, Penny hadn’t used her phone. If only she checked, he was certain Zoren had already informed her about it.

’She hasn’t checked her phone, showing her lack of interest in the master,’Mark told himself, glancing at the phone on the table in front of her, and retracing Penny’s actions throughout the day. ’Is he... in trouble for something?’

Mark’s face soured a bit, assuming Zoren had done something to upset his wife again. ’I think the pudding is already gone, and Chef Skylar is out of the country. Would a different dessert suffice?’

At this point, everyone already had a mental note of how to appease Penny — thanks to Hugo. However, Zoren had sent all the pudding to the Bennet Mansion during their stay there, so none of that particular sweet was in the residence now.

’I hope everything will be fine,’ was the only thing Mark could tell himself. ’I’m sure Miss Penny wouldn’t divorce him. She might ask him to bury himself, but at least it wouldn’t be a divorce she’d request.’

Everyone knew that Zoren would do anything his wife asked him to, except divorce. And everyone had already lost hope in their master. They had seen and heard enough to know the swift shift of power in this household. There wasn’t even a power struggle because Zoren didn’t struggle at all. He just handed all authority to his wife on a golden platter, his knee on the floor, with a satisfied smile, ready to be conquered.

While thinking about this, Mark couldn’t help but shake his head. ’Until now, I’m not so sure whether I’m disappointed or amazed.’

Meanwhile, Penny would sneak a look at Mark every now and then.

’Is he also a part of the Circle?’ she wondered to herself. ’Does he already know that I know? He keeps sighing.’

Penny narrowed her eyes suspiciously, only to look away when Mark glanced back at her. Yet, despite not having her eyes on him, she kept her focus on her peripheral vision.

’He’s looking at me again,’

She had heard enough about the Phantom Circle to know that each member was exceptional. Thus, she wouldn’t be surprised if Mark had been studying and observing her. Little did she know, Mark had completely different thoughts and worries at the moment.

He wasn’t looking at her to analyze every change in her expression or to try to read her thoughts. He was simply looking at her with worry about his lost cause of a boss.

Penny and Mark drowned in their own thoughts. While Mark assumed Penny was thinking of hundreds of ways to punish her husband for whatever "wrongdoing" Zoren had done, Penny was wondering if Mark had already found out about her discovery. In the midst of their thoughts, they heard a knock on the door.

Knock, knock.

Penny snapped her eyes open, the thoughts about Mark quickly vanishing as she turned to the door. The door creaked faintly before revealing Zoren. As usual, Zoren was still in the same suit he had worn when he left that morning. And, like usual, he went straight to where his wife was.

"I’m home," he announced with a smile, earning a smile from Penny.

"Welcome home." Penny pushed herself up, meeting him halfway. "I heard about the board meeting."

Penny automatically wrapped her arms around Zoren’s shoulders while he hugged her around the waist. The two of them smiled at each other lovingly. As for Mark, he squinted his eyes at Penny, but seeing that the two were growing affectionate, he lowered his head.

"I’ll excuse myself first," he muttered, and without waiting for a reply, he walked to the side as quietly as possible. But just as he took several steps, he stopped when Penny spoke.

"No, Mark," she said, her attention on him while her arms were still settled on her husband’s shoulders. "You should stay."

Zoren’s brow rose in confusion. "Did he do something for you to punish him?"

"Huh?"

"Mark has been single all his life," Zoren clarified. "Watching us together will fill him with bitterness."

Mark: "..."

Penny: "Are you... bragging?" Her face contorted as Zoren smiled.

"I don’t mind bragging," he expressed, casting Mark a look. "I won’t do anything... that will shatter your heart. I promise."

Again, Mark was rendered speechless while Penny couldn’t help but look at her husband in disbelief.

Mark: ’Boss, I don’t think I’m the one you should be worried about. Miss Penny isn’t in the mood today!’

Meanwhile, Penny thought, ’Husband, I think you’re jumping to conclusions very quickly. Was he expecting a reward for a successful board meeting?’