Chapter 792: That poison is for me?

"For your information, what I put in there isn’t poison, and it wasn’t meant for the head of the family! That serving was meant for you!"

For a moment, silence enveloped the dining hall, so quiet they could almost hear each other breathing. What they had just heard was something they struggled to process. How could anyone be so brazen, proudly correcting someone while essentially admitting that the toxic-tasting food was meant for someone else?

"Is she crazy?!" the depressed man gasped, covering his mouth nervously. "How could she say that?"

He wasn’t the only one who had turned ashen. Everyone who had come with Penny to help Mildred looked horrified, staring at Penny with wide eyes. Some even took a step back, distancing themselves from her.

"Just... what is wrong with her?"

Though Penny had planned to shift attention from Mildred to herself, this was going too far! Hadn’t she listened to their agreement? They had told Penny to apologize for the mistake, and then they would apologize together with her. They’d hoped that if they displayed unity, they might earn leniency and mercy. But at this rate, even if they all begged together, crying blood, there would be no saving her.

"Penny!" Mildred slapped her shoulder lightly. "What are you saying?! Apologize this instant!"

Mildred clutched her chest, feeling as though she might have a heart attack at this young lady’s antics. Couldn’t Penny read the room? Mildred had been trying to calm the situation. After all, while Mildred might be punished, it wouldn’t be nearly as harsh as the consequences Penny could face.

"Auntie..." Penny rubbed her shoulder, pouting. "What did I do wrong? I’m just telling the truth."

Mildred’s face twisted. "What truth—that’s not the truth! Take back what you said and apologize."

"Gee... Auntie." Penny sighed, her gaze snapping at the table. Her eyes fell on Dean, who was shadowed in darkness, his expression grim. Her face twitched as she looked away from the man whose twin was named grudge.

When her eyes landed on the head seat, her cheeks turned a little pink. "Re—" her smile cracked, and her voice trailed off when William spoke, his voice quiet but dangerous.

"That poison is for me?" William scoffed, looking at Penny in disbelief. "Is that what you’re saying, young lady?"

Penny met his gaze, sizing him up. "William, didn’t you hear what I said?" she called, causing many around them to gasp in horror.

She was insane—this was the first thought to cross their minds. She had to be losing it. Mildred held her head, her knees buckling as she staggered back. Fortunately, there were people nearby, including Ashley, who caught her from falling.

"Auntie!" Ashley called out in panic.

"This girl..." Mildred muttered weakly. "I’m fine, Ashley. I’m fine."

Despite feeling faint, Mildred forced herself to stand. With Ashley’s support, she got back on her feet and turned her gaze back to Penny.

William’s face twisted, his eyes glinting menacingly. "William?" he repeated. "Did you just call me William?"

"Isn’t that your name?" Penny blinked. "Or did you change it?"

"You—"

"Like I said, it’s not poison I put in there, but some very helpful vitamins, William," Penny explained matter-of-factly, wiggling her brows with exaggerated innocence. "If you check, it’s not poison, and you’re not going to die from eating it. If anything, you might feel a lot better!"

"I’m not trying to poison you!" Penny continued with a hum, pressing her lips into a playful line. "I was only thinking of your well-being. After all, I heard that William Pierson was getting old. Given all you’ve contributed to the company and family, isn’t it only right to keep you healthy?"

The fire in William’s eyes ignited, his mouth twisting in fury. But before he could speak, Karina suddenly rose from her seat.

"Who do you think you’re talking to?" Karina scoffed, recognizing Penny by the ribbon around her neck. "Now that I think of it, I remember seeing you earlier. Weren’t you... with Belle?"

She then turned to Belle. "Belle, what is going on?"

"What?" Belle asked, furrowing her brows in confusion. "Karina, what are you going on about?"

"Don’t play coy, Belle." Karina crossed her arms and pointed in Penny’s direction. "I know that girl—she said it’s her first family meeting tonight, and we left her with you. Don’t tell me you poisoned her mind in the short time she was with you."

"What? I didn’t do that!" Belle slammed her hands on the table, wincing at the sudden pang of pain from her abrupt movement. "Karina, I don’t know why you’re dragging me into this. But if anyone here would poison someone’s mind, we all know who graduated top of the class in that area."

"Sister Karina, don’t be like that!" Penny chimed in cheerfully. "Sister Belle didn’t say anything bad about you or William."

A sly smile crept onto her lips. "It was my husband who told me so many interesting things about you both!"

"Your husband?" Karina narrowed her eyes, but William was already too offended to even register Penny’s words.

William simply stared at Penny, his gaze unblinking, observing the cunning smirk that flickered across her face and the mischief in her eyes.

"Young lady, it seems your husband has a lot to say about me and my daughter," he muttered, his tone enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine. "How about you introduce him to us? I would love to have a word with him."

Penny pursed her lips and giggled. "No way." She turned away, her voice gleeful. "Finally, a feast! Aunt Mildred, can I eat now?"

"Huh?" Mildred’s mind was a jumble of question marks, but Penny was already beaming at her.

"Sweet!" Penny skipped happily toward Zoren, only to pause as she sensed a wave of wind behind her.

"What a rude young woman!" William huffed. "I’m still talking to you. Don’t you turn your back—ack!"

As William reached out for Penny, a hand suddenly clasped his fingers and bent them backward. Before he could register the pain, he heard clicking sounds, as if guns were being loaded.

"Ah, ah, ah!" William yelled, turning to see the man bending his fingers back. The moment he met Mark’s eyes, deep lines appeared between his brows. However, he barely had time to process this before he noticed several men standing around the table, some still dressed in servers’ uniforms, holding pistols at him.

William’s eyes slowly widened as his breath hitched, noticing red laser dots filtering through the windows, all pointed at him. All of this had happened in the instant he had reached for Penny.

What was happening?