"But what I do know is... I told you tonight was going to be fun."
Yugi’s face twitched as he watched Penny laugh and walk away.
"What does that an?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he turned and leaned against the railing. "Whatever."
Yugi slowly gazed up and let out a short laugh. "That woman... she never stops surprising . Does she really not know she’s X?"
---
"Miss Penny, you’re leaving?" Teddy perked up and stood when he caught Penny walking in from the balcony.
Penny raised a hand, seeing that he and her assistants were already rising to their feet. "You guys enjoy the rest of the night. Your rooms are ready, so you don’t have to walk out."
"But—"
"I’m not going ho," she laughed. "I’ll be staying here tonight too."
Her brows wiggled. "Just relax, you four. You did a good job tonight. Enjoy your day off tomorrow."
With that, Penny resud walking and left. Everyone’s eyes followed her as she exited.
Hayley gave a shallow smile. "I guess I’ll head to my room too," she said, standing. "It was fun."
"You’re going?" Patricia perked up. "I should go too!"
"Why are you going? It’s not like you’re sharing a room with her," soone from Yugi’s team comnted with disdain. "Just stay here so I can beat you so more."
"What do you an beat more? This ga is rigged! Cheater!" Patricia hissed. "I know I’m fun to be around, but I take care of my beauty. So, you guys party all night—while I take care of my skin."
Hayley chuckled. "Then let’s go, Pat."
With that, Patricia and Hayley gathered their things to return to their rooms. anwhile, Shawn and Teddy watched them leave before Teddy stood.
"It was great eting you all," he said. "But it’s been a long day. I’m heading to my room too."
"Eh? You too?" So frowned, but when Shawn tried to excuse himself as well, soone hooked an arm around his neck.
"Nope, buddy, you’re staying with us."
Shawn frowned. "Why won’t you let go?"
"Because we still haven’t beaten you, that’s why!"
Hearing that, Shawn felt like crying. He’d been trying to lose, but sohow always got the good cards. At this point, he might as well add "lucky" to his resu!
---
As Patricia and Hayley walked down the hallway, Hayley glanced over.
"Are you going to sleep right away?" Hayley asked, causing Patricia’s brows rise.
"No? How could I?" Patricia shrugged. "I need to do my skincare first... and think about what happened tonight."
Hayley smiled and nodded. "She’s amazing, right?"
"You an Penny?" Patricia humd, her gaze lowering as she recalled how Penny shone on stage—even without a spotlight. Not just because of her beauty, but her brilliance.
Patricia might be a little slow, but she wasn’t so slow as to miss that tonight. Everyone saw Penny for who she truly was—Penelope Bennet, the brains behind Pri Group.
"She’s really amazing," she murmured. "I... I want to be like her too."
"You are like her," Hayley replied, making Patricia look up. "You’re amazing too, in your own way."
Then she smacked her lips and looked ahead. "I might actually last in this job. Good pay, great benefits... and our boss would fight tooth and nail for us. Best of all, there’s a lot of room to grow. Plus, my friends are here."
"Friends?" Patricia furrowed her brows, glancing at her. "You have friends here?"
"Huh?" Hayley slowed down, mirroring her confusion. "I thought we were friends."
"We are?"
"Are we not?"
"..." Patricia pressed her lips into a thin line, her brows rising. "I’ve never had real friends before. The people I called friends never saw as one. So... I don’t really know."
Hayley blinked, then smiled brightly and looped her arm through Patricia’s.
"Let’s be friends," Hayley said. "I’ve never had real ones either. They all kept betraying . You saw those girls lock in the bathroom, right?"
"..." Hesitation flickered in Patricia’s eyes. That word—friend—was still too hard to believe. So instead, she just smiled and didn’t answer.
"Say, Pat... where do you think Miss Penny went?" Hayley asked. "We should know where she’s staying."
"Why would we need to know that?"
Hayley gave her a knowing look. "We won’t be in the office tomorrow—Miss Penny and Sir Yugi are taking the day off. But wouldn’t it be great to earn so brownie points?"
"Oh!"
"Teddy and Shawn are tough competition. They’ve been racking up all the extra points lately."
"You’re right." Patricia’s face twisted, rembering how Teddy already landed his first official project. "Let’s make a plan in my room."
"Yes!"
With that, the ladies headed to Patricia’s room—well, their rooms were just next to each other. They spent the night plotting ways to pamper Penny with queen treatnt first thing in the morning.
---
In the penthouse of the hotel...
Penny tapped her key card and walked in without hesitation. As the door clicked shut behind her, she caught movent from the corner of her eye. When she turned, Zoren was already approaching.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close with a warm smile. "Congratulations," he whispered, kissing her lips. "You were amazing."
"Hehe." Penny dropped her bag and looped her arms around his neck. "Renren, I thought you wouldn’t co. I was starting to feel sad, you know?"
"I was there," he chuckled. "But First Brother told not to hurt your feelings by showing up."
Her smile dropped. "What?"
"He said his sister is so unpopular he was afraid you’d be left unnoticed at your own event," he explained with a faint sigh. "So, I had no choice but to watch from the sidelines."
"..." Penny’s face twisted in horror as she imagined Atlas’s smug expression. "Love of my life, why are you even listening to my First Brother? You know he was born out of rage and resentnt. Plus, he accidentally drank rotten milk as a kid—that’s why his brain’s all ssed up!"
Zoren opened his mouth but said nothing.
anwhile, Penny kept ranting.
"Right?! I’m not poor! I’m richer than him!" She paused. "What? Why are you looking at like that?"
"Uhh..." Zoren cleared his throat. "He’s... there."
"Huh?"
"First Brother."
Slowly, Penny turned her head toward the living room. There, sitting on the couch with sharp eyes locked on her, was Atlas.
"So..." Atlas stood. "... I accidentally drank rotten milk that’s why I’m all ssed up, huh?"
Penny burst into laughter and quickly pushed Zoren aside. She looked at her husband apologetically, but still pointed at him and shalessly declared—
"He made say all those things!"
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