Chapter 692: I am.

When Penny told Zoren what happened to Finn last night, Zoren insisted on going with her. However, she reminded him they needed to be cautious. The family meeting was just a few days away, and there were surely many eyes and ears following Zoren’s every move.

It was already late, and Penny didn’t want her team to do extra work just to make sure no one was surveilling their home. After a lengthy discussion, Penny won the argument. Wearing a helmet as she stepped outside, she drove off to see Nina.

Meanwhile, Zoren, who was left at home, had to mobilize a team to investigate what had happened to Finn. Even with Penny and Zoren’s combined information, it still wasn’t enough to pin down a culprit. As they worked tirelessly through the night, they received word about what had happened to Allen.

Since they were already investigating, they gathered as much information as they could about Allen’s situation. It was strange that this occurred on the same day as Finn’s accident. Unfortunately, they couldn’t uncover who had targeted Allen.

But they did have one lead: Penny’s security system.

Thankfully, Atlas had been able to install the software — the one Penny had provided to him — without wasting any time. Through the system, they detected a suspicious log in Atlas’s office when he should have been at home.

Initially, they might have suspected Allen, as the police had found a flash drive. But when Penny examined its contents, she knew immediately it had been planted. The security system Penny designed—part of the lessons she had learned from her past life—was far too sophisticated for a simple breach.

If Allen had tried to copy the data, all he would have gotten was a virus and incorrect information. Penny explained the complexity of the system to Atlas, walking him through the proper method of retrieving data. A simple copy-and-paste or transfer wouldn’t work.

With Zoren in the mix, he had an idea: Nathaniel.

Nathaniel, along with some of Zoren’s team, attempted to track the person who had tried to steal data from Global Prime Logistics by using a prototype copy of the system. This was the "meeting" Zoren had attended, monitoring the situation virtually and giving orders while maintaining the alibi that he was just doing work.

After all, Zoren was being watched everywhere. Giving even the slightest hint that he was getting himself involved in Atlas’s affairs would only provoke more curiosity.

"Lovelife, you’re the best!" Penny grinned, planting a kiss on his cheek and hugging him from the side. "God, how did I end up with such an amazing husband who’s good at everything?"

Zoren chuckled, tilting his head a little more to offer his cheek. "I think I deserve more kisses."

"Hihi~" Penny gave him another kiss on the cheek. When he didn’t move, she cleared her throat and leaned in, showering him with kisses until he burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay," he laughed, giving her a look. "Happy now?"

"Mhm," Penny hummed. "I was so stressed out earlier. Good thing I came here. I always feel less stressed when I see you."

His smile widened, his eyes crinkling. "I’m glad you did, or I would. I was worried about you."

"Well..." Penny pursed her lips, releasing him but scooting closer to his side. She clasped his hand and faced him. "I was worried about myself too. Good thing Uncle Wild was there. I felt a little overwhelmed... scared, even."

"I know Jonathan Pierson is involved in this somehow. But all the evidence we have from Finn and Allen’s cases can’t be traced back to him," she sighed. "I’m scared more people will get hurt before I can do something about it."

Zoren nodded, understanding her thought process. It was why he had already thought of a solution while playing games with those trying to attack them.

"You’ve got me," he reminded her, though he knew Wild had probably already reassured her. "You’ve got your family and friends. This fight they started... you’ve been preparing for it your whole life. Being scared and overwhelmed just means you care and that you’re aware."

"Renren..." Penny smiled softly, her eyes filling with affection. She leaned her head on his shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief. "Hearing you say that... it really is encouraging."

Even though she trusted and believed in herself, it felt different knowing that others believed in her too—not just Zoren’s unconditional love and trust, but the support of everyone around her.

"This won’t cost me everything I have," she whispered, holding his hand tightly. "It won’t."

Zoren hummed, letting his wife take a breath while keeping his hand in hers. "It won’t."

******

[PRIME GROUP HEADQUARTERS]

Yugi strolled into Penny’s office, casually whistling, but froze when he saw Wild still inside.

"Uncle Wild?" Yugi furrowed his brows, eyeing the man lazily sprawled on the couch, watching a drama on his laptop. Closing the door, Yugi glanced around the office, looking for Penny. He knew she had stepped out, but he hadn’t expected Wild to stay behind.

"Uncle Wild, why are you still here?" Yugi asked, taking small steps toward Penny’s desk to drop off the papers he was delivering.

Wild glanced up at him and shrugged indifferently. "I missed a few episodes of my favorite drama. I’m catching up."

"But weren’t you supposed to meet Uncle Haines?"

"Heh," Wild smirked, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth. "I am."

******

Meanwhile, at a restaurant on the outskirts of the city, Haines sat at one of the outdoor tables. The trip had been long, so he’d made sure to arrive early to avoid keeping Wild waiting. Checking the time, Haines smiled with satisfaction—he was ten minutes early.

"I’ll tell him I’ve been here for an hour so he can’t complain about how I made him wait at the airport," he muttered to himself, grinning at his clever plan, ready to gaslight Wild.

Little did Haines know, his plan wouldn’t be necessary—he would be waiting at the restaurant for hours while Wild enjoyed his favorite show in the comfort of Penny’s office.