Chapter 794: Do you want me to say something?

"Penelope Bennet, what in the world do you think you’re doing here?"

Dean’s comment about Penny being in the same apprenticeship under Professor Singh didn’t provide any answers. However, the moment they heard what Dean called her, it was like a switch had been flipped in everyone’s minds.

Penelope Bennet—how could anyone in this family not recognize that name?

The majority at the table, and even those in the kitchen, had heard that name at least once... or maybe even several times. Apart from their connections to the business world and awareness of the recent business developments, they knew of Penelope Bennet for a very specific reason.

The Prime Group, which had made waves in the security field, handled Zoren Pierson’s security. What made this even more notable was that the Prime Group typically managed the security of the most powerful people in the world—politicians, national leaders, and even royal families.

There were only a handful of known individuals on the Prime Group’s client list who weren’t part of these circles. Even so, those individuals were influential and impactful in their own right. Therefore, no one at the dinner was surprised that Zoren hadn’t encountered any accidents since the Prime Group took over his security.

"Penny... Penelope..." The young woman in Penny’s kitchen group covered her gaping mouth, her eyes wide with realization. "How did I not piece that together?"

It wasn’t just her—everyone from the kitchen, who had been there for moral support and to "beg" with Penny, felt like they had been doused with a bucket of ice water. They couldn’t take their dilated eyes off Penny’s figure, wondering if they had offended her in the kitchen.

After a beat, their eyes shone with fear.

If calling her out and saying harsh things, like how naive she was, hadn’t been insulting, then she must be a goddess of kindness. But Penny didn’t fit that description. The business world, no matter the field, had always been fierce and unforgiving. If someone were merely "good," they were bound to fail.

"I’m dead... am I?" one of the kitchen workers murmured, her knees wobbling. "Five years working in this kitchen, and I just called the person responsible for the head of the family’s safety a naive young woman."

A few people glanced at her, conflicted, but their faces were filled with bitterness. All of them had said something unflattering to Penny to her face. If they were in Penny’s shoes, they would be deeply insulted.

Closing their eyes, they took a deep breath, silently agreeing to a prayer session. All they needed right now was a miracle.

"I’m doomed, but..." the young woman whimpered, turning her head to Mildred, Ashley, and the two men who had dragged Penny in. "... Aunt Mildred had it worse, right?"

Slowly, everyone’s attention shifted toward Mildred, and they all nodded in agreement. Compared to them, who had only expressed dismay and argued with Penny, Mildred had bullied her for hours. Mildred had made Penny do everything from throwing out trash to enduring harsh "traditions."

Even if Penny appeared genuine when talking about saving Mildred, they couldn’t fully trust her now. The look on Penny’s face at this moment made it clear she wasn’t as harmless as she had seemed.

Meanwhile, Mildred clung to Ashley as her knees buckled. Her complexion turned pale as she stared at Penny in shock.

"Penelope... Bennet?" Mildred breathed, earning a glance from Penny. But before Penny could speak, William scoffed.

"Penelope Bennet? The CEO of Prime Group?" William sneered, darting his eyes between Penny and Dean. His gaze finally settled on Penny. "So what if you’re the head of the Prime Group, Miss Bennet? You can’t just barge in here—this is family business!"

"A family matter that involves the security of the head of the family," Dean retorted, silencing William with a sharp look before his attention shifted back to Penny. "Penny, are you here because you think your men aren’t enough to guard my uncle? If so, then you should stay in your lane and stop causing more troubles."

Penny frowned, narrowing her eyes at Dean. "Dean, I don’t want to talk to you. I thought you already knew that."

"I know, but not when you owe me quite a lot now."

"Damn!" Penny hissed, scratching her temple with her index finger.

"Dean Pierson, giving you a way to talk and do things your way is something I do from the bottom of my heart. However, if you jump into my business again, you and I are going to have a bigger problem." Not backing down despite the tension and the red laser lights on him, William hissed at Dean. "I’m questioning Miss Bennet. If you have other inquiries for her, then do it on your own time."

"Right now, she and I need to settle something." He returned his murderous gaze to Penny, unbothered by her status as the CEO of Prime Group.

Why would he care? The Prime Group had only recently entered the market and was still young in the business world. Compared to Pierson Corporation, they were nothing.

"You might be the one responsible for Zoren’s security. But you’re crashing a very intimate family dinner!" William declared fiercely, huffing in displeasure. "Even if you were invited by the head of the family, it’s basic courtesy to treat the people here with respect!"

"And what did you do?" he added angrily, glaring at Zoren in disappointment. "You tried to poison me. Do you think you’re above the law and can get away with trying to kill someone?"

He turned to Zoren again. "Zoren, even if you’re trying to cover for her, she tried to kill me! She admitted it! Inviting an outsider is one thing, but this outsider tried to poison me, and we cannot take that lightly!"

Zoren arched a brow at William and glanced at Penny. "Do you want me to say something?"

"No need." Penny shook her head, smiling widely. "William Pierson, didn’t you hear what I said? I didn’t try to poison you. If poisoning you was my plan, you wouldn’t even know it, even if you were already dead!"