Chapter 800: Since when did she start being so gullible?

Meanwhile...

"Ugh... this is so frustrating!" Penny complained, her fingers curling as she recalled her plans for the night and how they turned out. "Mark, how could you do this to me?! It’s all your fault!"

She pointed at the front passenger seat, where Mark was seated. The latter looked back at her, blinking innocently.

"But Miss Penny, didn’t you say you wanted to learn more about the family before joining them at the family gathering? The kitchen is a good place for honest people. Frustrated people are honest."

"I did, but I didn’t say I wanted to be trapped in the kitchen!"

"But I thought you were having fun," he blurted out because he and his team had been watching Penny right after she shooed them and scolded them, yapping about how she didn’t want them to ruin her grand entrance.

"Oh, my god!" she gasped, only to see Mark blink innocently as she pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Apologies."

Penny scoffed, hearing that simple apology leave Mark’s mouth. She turned to Zoren, spreading her hands to her sides.

"Hubby, a little help here?"

Zoren just smiled at her and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You still smell nice. I never thought onions could smell nice."

"Renren..." Penny chewed her lips, her face turning red. She glared at the front row seats, but Angel had already pulled up the partition to save Mark—or his ears. "Hah!"

For a while, this left her speechless. She had only been with Mark for some time, but that guy was growing too comfortable with her. Then again, if that were Angel with her, he would do the same thing.

After all, it was Mark who had given her the vitamins only to flash her a smile without saying a word.

"It’s not like he asked you to poison William," Zoren commented, zipping his mouth when he realized that not talking would lower the chances of making mistakes.

"My love life," Penny cleared her throat, "he didn’t tell me to do anything, but giving me those vitamins right after dropping me off in the kitchen is like handing a grenade to a terrorist." She argued, "Of course, I’d bomb that William Pierson."

"You’re right." Zoren nodded in agreement. "Mark is being too... cocky."

Penny narrowed her eyes at Zoren. "Are you saying that because you think that’s what I want to hear?"

"Yes."

"..." Penny buried her face in her palms before letting out a short squeal of frustration. "He’s a lost cause. My husband’s too in love with me he cannot think anymore. He’s just happy to be here."

Zoren, on the other hand, just watched his wife quietly. After heaving a deep sigh, he reached for her and pulled her gently to him.

"What’s wrong?" he asked in a gentle tone. "What made you genuinely upset about tonight?"

There were too many things Zoren had in mind, but he knew his wife had one reason. He knew her too well to consider that William was one of them.

Penny snapped her eyes up at him, frowning deeply. "I was trying to make a grand entrance..."

"A grand... what?"

"A grand, compelling, and jaw-dropping entrance!" she stressed, almost yelling with conviction. "An introduction that would render everyone speechless and something that would stun you!"

Obviously, that didn’t happen.

How could she stun him when she entered the family dinner being dragged by two guys?! Not only that, but they even pushed her down so enthusiastically. Even though that entire thing was staged and that they even practiced it in the kitchen, it wasn’t supposed to go down that way!

Compared to the entrance Zoren made during the charity event, her grand entrance was... pathetic. Ridiculous, even!

If only she had seen Zoren’s entrance during the family gathering, she would have cried a river. Surely, pulling off such a thing required talent. Penny might have a ton of talent in life, but this wasn’t one of them.

"I was stunned," Zoren remarked, only to make her lips curve down even more.

"Stunned to silence because of how ridiculous it was?"

"No, I was mesmerized."

"You’re just saying that to cheer me up," she punched his chest weakly. "It’s okay. I’m starting to accept that making an entrance like that is not for me."

Zoren smiled. "I’m not saying that to make you feel better, but I was really stunned."

"..." Penny blinked, looking at him quietly. "You... mean that?"

"Mhm. Your aura was so strong, I was speechless. If you were not my wife, I’d make you one for sure."

She pursed her lips, puffing her cheeks a little. "Really?"

"I already felt my heart skip a beat, and I could barely see your figure," he continued. "What more for others who had 20/20 vision? Didn’t you see how shocked everyone was?"

"Well..." Penny rocked her head, ignoring the fact that Mark had stepped in when William tried to reach out for her. Not just that, but Zoren’s sniper team had made their presence known, earning the family’s utter shock.

Penny tucked a portion of her hair behind her ears, trying to stop the smile creeping up on her face. "Now that you mention it... I guess I somehow salvaged it."

"You did." Zoren smiled in satisfaction, pulling her closer to him. "And although I’m shocked that you attended tonight’s event... I’m glad you did."

"How could I miss it?" she cooed. "I understand that you want to keep me away from the complicated Pierson Family affairs. However, I’m already a Pierson. Whether or not you want it, letting you into my life already meant I’m choosing you over my solitude."

Her lips curved upward, her eyes squinting as Zoren’s smile widened. The two of them held each other’s gaze lovingly, understanding each other’s hearts and intentions—even if it wasn’t what they had planned.

---

Meanwhile, in the front row of the same car...

Angel’s face twisted as he listened to Zoren’s words coaxing his wife. But what made his face twist into an ugly expression was how Penny was buying all of that nonsense. Not that they wanted to listen, but they had no choice.

’Since when did she start being so gullible?’

Angel shook his head, arching a brow as he cast Mark a side-eye. "I can’t believe you’ve just let her be in the kitchen," he murmured, his voice loud enough to reach Mark, but not those two in the backseat.

"Have you gotten scolded by her?" Mark returned just as quietly. "I’m just following her orders."

Penny’s exact words were: ’Don’t you ever poke your nose where it doesn’t belong!’

So they did.

Moreover, in their eyes, Penny seemed like she was just playing. Who would have thought the damsel in distress act was actually true?

"Would you catch it if it was you?" Mark asked out of pure curiosity, making Angel glance up a bit to think.

"Nope." Angel shook his head. If Penny scolded him like how she did to them, he would just leave her alone completely. "Sometimes, it’s best if she learns from her own decisions. Otherwise, she’d never see the essence of having guards."

Mark kept his eyes on Angel before he smiled, nodding. "So, I did a good job?"

"You did."

"You too. Good work, Angel."