Chapter 861: Let’s have fun together

[Pierson Corporation]

Zoren placed down the presentation paper in his hand, causing the presenter to stop mid-sentence. The presenter’s brows furrowed, and his shoulders tensed, holding his breath, wondering what had displeased Zoren about the meeting.

Was it how he delivered the report? Did he say something wrong? Or was the entire process flawed?

The rest of the people in the meeting room also turned to look at Zoren. He usually interrupted a meeting before it even started if something was wrong with the presenter. After all, everyone knew that before a presentation would land in Zoren’s office, it would first need to be approved by Benjamin, who personally reviewed everything. Although this meeting was about the progress of one of their main projects, the CEO’s office would have already received a copy beforehand.

It had always been this way since Zoren took over, to save everyone time. In other words, if Zoren was in the room, it meant the problem didn’t lie with the documents in his hands. It must be with the person presenting the report!

As the presenter overthought what might have gone wrong, Zoren spoke.

"Let’s take a ten-minute break." Zoren placed his hands on either side of his armrest, pushing himself up. "I have a short emergency."

Zoren didn’t linger, quickly turning to leave the room. Behind him was Benjamin, who looked back at the puzzled and curious faces of the others. Outside the meeting room, Benjamin hurried to match his boss’s pace until he was jogging beside Zoren.

"Sir, is something wrong?" asked Benjamin. "Should I call your doctor?"

Benjamin only had one thing in mind for why Zoren suddenly interrupted the meeting and left the room. It had happened a few times before — Zoren had felt unwell or was on the brink of fainting.

"Sir—" Benjamin stopped when Zoren suddenly halted. "Sir?"

Zoren fluttered his eyelashes briefly, pulling his phone from his pocket. He stared at it for a moment before speed-dialing Penny’s number. Deep lines appeared between Benjamin’s brows when he saw who Zoren was calling.

’Did something happen to Miss Penny?’Benjamin wondered, pouting slightly. ’Don’t tell me he suddenly missed her so much that he interrupted the meeting just to call her?’

Thinking about the latter, Benjamin sighed heavily. Back then, Zoren constantly mentioned Penny so much that Benjamin was tempted to wear earplugs when entering his boss’s office. But now, Zoren would even take a ten-minute break in the middle of an important meeting just to call his wife!

’Well, I miss Miss Penny too,’Benjamin frowned, looking at his phone suspiciously. ’I feel like he’s purposely making me busy so I don’t get to spend time with Miss Penny.’

But why would Zoren do that? He couldn’t possibly be jealous of Benjamin, right? There was no way — his boss wouldn’t be that petty!

While Benjamin was thinking all of this, Zoren’s mouth opened as the line connected. But before he could say anything, Atlas’s voice came through.

"Yes?"

"..." Zoren didn’t speak for a few seconds. "Where’s my wife?"

"As far as I recall, my phone number is not a lost-and-found for a wife hotline."

Zoren was rendered speechless for a moment. "This is my wife’s number."

"..." Atlas didn’t answer immediately. He glanced at the phone in his hand, then slowly placed it back to his ear. "You’re dreaming."

"No, I’m not."

"Zoren, you should get your eyes checked again." After saying that, Atlas ended the call, not caring whether Zoren believed him or not. But he was sure Zoren would start questioning himself.

Meanwhile, Zoren slowly pulled his phone from his ear and stared at it. "Ben."

"Yes, sir?" Benjamin flinched, straightening his back at his boss’s call.

"You’re a busybody, so you probably saw who I just called, right?"

"Huh?" Benjamin tilted his head to the side. "It’s Miss Penny."

"Then why is Atlas Bennet answering it?"

Benjamin blinked, looking at his boss innocently. "They’re probably together...? I mean, today is Miss Penny’s fan club reunion. So, her brothers should be there too."

"You think?"

"Of course!" Benjamin nodded, watching Zoren set his eyes on him. "Why else would Sir Atlas answer the call? She probably went to the restroom to hide or breathe and forgot her phone!"

"..." Zoren tilted his head; the explanation made sense for about three seconds. "If Penny is going to the restroom to take a breath, she would’ve called me."

"Huh?"

"I’m her oxygen," Zoren remarked flatly, catching Benjamin off guard. Benjamin nearly spat out blood but managed to hold it in. Unaware of the attack he had just launched at his assistant, Zoren shook his head as he gazed at his phone. "I don’t like this feeling either."

He paused, pressing his mouth into a thin line. "I feel like my wife needs my help."

******

Zoren wasn’t wrong. Right now, Zoren was all Penny needed — Mark needed him too.

"Hmm!! Mhpp!!" Penny screamed, but her voice was muffled as Hugo covered her mouth with his hand. "Mhhhp!!!"

’Renren, save me from these hoodlums!’ she screamed in her mind. ’My brothers have gone mad — don’t believe my brother! That’s my phone!’

"Zoren, you should get your eyes checked again."

With that, Atlas quickly ended the call and turned off her phone. He then looked back into the back of the van, smirking. At the same time, Hugo removed his hands from Penny’s mouth, leaving her gasping in disbelief.

"I can’t — HOW COULD YOU ALL DO THIS TO ME?!" she screamed, assaulting their eardrums as she couldn’t hurt them with her hands. "First Brother, how could you — aren’t you supposed to be the one disciplining Slater and Second Brother?!"

She clenched her teeth, glaring at the last row where Mark was seated with Slater. She also wanted to scold Mark, but when she saw the lifeless, helpless expression on his face, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

"Penny, stop fighting, okay?" Slater mused. "We’re taking you there because some of our old friends made time for you."

Hugo nodded. "It’s not that bad. Moreover, it’s going to be a good experience for all of us to reminisce together."

"Let’s have fun together," Atlas added, and his two brothers nodded in approval. However, Penny and Mark exchanged glances, instantly recognizing the cunning smirk on Atlas’s face. They knew Atlas wasn’t doing this for nostalgia.

Atlas was doing this because he was vengeful, and it was payback time for all the pranks Penny had pulled on him over the years.