In the end, Mint joined Penny and Lily as they waited for Nina to co out.
"Uh... I didn’t think waiting to see a wedding dress would take forever," Mint mumbled, checking her wristwatch. "Are you sure she’s still alive?"
"That’s because the dresses are delicate," Lily explained knowingly. "So they’re being careful not to damage the dress or the bride-to-be."
"Oh..." Mint then leaned forward, her head still turned toward Lily, but her eyes were on Penny. "Penny, don’t you want to try anything here? I’ll pay for it, just promise you’ll wear it at our wedding."
"Mint, didn’t you say you were sorry about last ti?" Penny shot back. "And that you’d behave yourself?"
"I did, but you just keep making fall for you! It’s not my fault that I have such high standards, and you et all of them effortlessly!"
"Oh, wow..." Lily was in awe, looking back and forth between them. "Wow. I am... Penny, are you sure you don’t want both a husband and a wife?"
Penny deadpanned. "My husband will hate you if you say that."
"Tch!" Lily clicked her tongue, thinking of Zoren. "Why isn’t he a simpleton? I’m sorry, Mint. I’m team Zoren-Penny."
"It’s okay, Lily. I’m team Mint-Penny."
"Oh, god..." Penny shook her head with a sigh. Mint, on the other hand, grinned ear to ear while Lily zipped her mouth.
"Oops." Lily suddenly felt her handbag vibrating and took out her phone. "You two... it’s okay if I leave you for a bit, right? I need to take this call—it’s Mother Superior from the orphanage."
With that, Lily hurried to the corner of the boutique to answer the call. As she did, Penny and Mint kept their eyes on her.
"I wonder what she’s like when she visits the orphanage," Penny mused, knowing Lily wasn’t exactly the most pious person, despite spending so much ti with the sisters. "I’m a little worried she’s influencing them instead of the other way around."
"Don’t worry. She wears very conservative clothes when she’s there," Mint assured her.
Penny arched a brow. "And how do you know that?"
"I had her followed the other day. I was curious."
"That is illegal."
"It’s only illegal if she finds out and presses charges. Please don’t tell her." Mint laughed while Penny shook her head. "Anyway, since it’s just the two of us now, should we talk about our budding romance?"
"There is no romance. And why are you even here, Mint?" Penny arched a brow. "Since Lily isn’t here, you don’t have to keep up this act."
"Well." Mint shrugged, leaning back with a grin. "I heard from Slater that you found out about it."
Penny’s brow arched higher. "I didn’t think he’d tell you so soon."
"Trust , I didn’t think he would either. But he thought it was best for all of us, considering you and I entered this agreent," Mint explained. "Although the only agreent I truly want is our marriage contract."
"I see." Penny nodded. "This won’t implicate him, will it?"
"No, unless you start talking about it and the wrong people hear."
"Don’t worry. This is about my family—I won’t say a word."
"I know you won’t. That’s why I wasn’t worried," Mint said. "And honestly, this is better. Now I don’t have to hide anything from you, and I don’t feel guilty about keeping secrets anymore. Haha! It’s like a weight off my chest!"
Penny observed her quietly, resisting the urge to point out that Mint didn’t seem burdened by secrecy in the first place. Still, she had to admit—this was better.
According to Slater, Mint had once been a target of this organization. Whatever she had done must have been significant enough to pose a threat to them. That ant Mint could be a valuable ally, despite the risks.
"Is that the only reason you’re here?" Penny asked. "I don’t think so."
Mint smirked. "You told you’d call once you got back to the city. But I waited all day and night yesterday, and I didn’t see your na on my call log."
"I had a lot to do."
"I know. That’s why I reached out to Lily and surprised you!" Mint chuckled. "Anyway, I wanted to send you a file. But sending it digitally might be too risky. I’m not comfortable with how easily people can access private information these days."
"My company’s system is protected."
"I’m sure it is, but I don’t want to take any chances and I want to see you. So I ca to deliver it in person," Mint said. "My n already handed it off to your bodyguard over there."
She pointed over her shoulder, and Penny followed her gaze, spotting Mark standing outside the boutique.
"I see." Penny nodded, flashing Mint a smile. "Thank you."
"It’s information you might need for our current investigation."
Penny tilted her head before her brows rose. "Mint, are you sure you want to look at that file?"
"Yep."
"Why? You barely know ."
"Can I say it’s because I’m in love with you?" Mint teased, only to see Penny’s expression go blank. "Hehe. Just kidding. Well... hmm... maybe because I might die."
"What?" Penny’s brows furrowed.
Mint smirked. "My investigation is reaching critical points. And to be honest, even before this, I was dealing with so crazy stuff. But this case? It’s crazier than I expected. I underestimated it. It’s... exciting."
She leaned back casually, wiggling her brows. "Soone put a bounty on my head in the underground."
The air imdiately grew heavy. Penny’s expression turned serious.
"So, I’m making sure this case is in soone’s hands in case sothing happens to ."
"Nothing will happen to you."
"I know." Confident as ever, Mint grinned. "That’s why I’m here with you."
"Huh?"
"Penny, can you do a favor?" Mint leaned forward, still smiling. "Can you look after my adorable Benjamin? I need to focus on hunting down those bastards, and I don’t want them using him against . It’s hard to concentrate when I have a cousin to worry about."
"Mint, if Benjamin is in danger, shouldn’t you go to my husband?"
"I could, but I don’t want Zoren Pierson committing more cris than he already has in the shadows," Mint said knowingly. "I need soone who won’t cross the line. And besides, we’re the ones who had an agreent."
"Plus, if anyone sees with Zoren Pierson, it’ll raise suspicions," she added. "Politics. I don’t want to implicate him. No offense, but people already whisper about the Piersons having governnt officials in their pockets. You, on the other hand, work only with trusted politicians worldwide. So even if we’re seen together, no one can spin it into sothing scandalous."
"In other words... you want to relay this ssage to my husband?" Penny surmised, now smiling back. "It’ll reach him. I’ll make sure of it, Mint."
They exchanged a knowing look just as the sliding door across the boutique began to open.
From the corner of their eyes, they turned — and their jaws dropped.
"Oh, my god..." Lily, who was just returning, gasped. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at Nina, standing there in a breathtaking wedding gown. "You look like an angel."
"So pretty..." Penny whispered. "Finn is one lucky man."
Mint, equally awestruck, blurted under her breath, "Penny, would you mind if I took two wives?"
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