[PRI GROUP: CEO’s Departnt]
Shawn furrowed his brows, looking at the empty spot where Hayley would usually spend her day working.
"Teddy, what do you think is going on?" he asked, shifting his focus to Teddy. "Not just Hayley, but Patricia was also absent. Then Miss Penny is running late today."
"Miss Penny has an ergency to attend to." Teddy kept his focus on his work while responding indifferently. "Didn’t you get the mo? I had to move her schedule. You should be up to date with that as well."
Shawn sighed. "I know that Miss Penny has an ergency, but isn’t it strange that she suddenly approved Patricia and Hayley’s leaves when the two of them were in the middle of a task?"
This ti, Teddy’s hands paused on the computer. He thought about it for a second before casting Shawn a look.
"Don’t overthink it," he said. "There’s probably a good reason for that."
After saying that, Teddy resud his work. However, unlike his detached deanor, he couldn’t help but wonder the sa thing.
Shawn sighed once more, nodding as he reluctantly picked up where he left off. With that, the two of them quietly worked in the departnt. It didn’t take long for them to notice the difference in Hayley’s and Patricia’s absence.
Even though Hayley wasn’t particularly loud, there were a lot of quiet monts in the office. Her presence had a distinct addition to the atmosphere. It was the sa for Patricia, even though she would stay outside Penny’s office instead of their departnt.
---
[Back to the hotel’s penthouse.]
Penny sat on the one-seater couch while the other three were on the couch. After she had reassured them that Priscilla was alive, their faces brightened. They still carried exhaustion, probably from the lack of sleep, but they were much better now than monts ago.
"I didn’t realize I hadn’t eaten anything this whole morning," Patricia muttered mid-chew.
Hayley also stuffed her mouth, making one wonder if she was stress-eating or just hungry. Maybe both.
As for Theo, he ate the food Penny had ordered for them carefully.
Penny observed the three, still torn between sighing in relief and giving them longer breaks. Even if they looked fine now, she was still worried.
"Anyway..." she trailed off when the three suddenly paused, turning to look at her with food stuffed in their mouths. Her face contorted, jerking her chin mildly. "Why don’t you eat first? Let’s discuss so things about last night."
They shook their heads, chewing fast and swallowing almost instantly.
"Miss Penny, I want to talk about it now!" Hayley intoned as soon as she finished swallowing. "If there is sothing else we need to watch out for or keep in mind, I want to know now."
" too!" Patricia nodded. "If she’s not pressing charges, what does she want?"
Theo rocked his head. "We can always settle privately. I can handle the negotiations since we’ve bothered you enough."
"No, no — it’s nothing like that," Penny waved dismissively. "There was a very big misunderstanding about last night."
"Huh?" the three of them furrowed their brows.
"When she woke up this morning, she confessed that she didn’t an to attack you if she knew it was you," Penny explained. "It’s just that she thought you were part of the debt collection that she’s been running away from. So, there’s that."
Deep lines appeared on their brows as they looked at her with confusion.
"That didn’t seem right," Patricia blurted out. "She knew it was ."
After all, Patricia had confronted the maid, which led to that horrible ending.
"I know," Penny nodded. "However, that woman has been suffering ntally. She’s ntally ill."
"Huh?" Theo was even more confused now. "Penny, are you sure? Because if she’s ntally ill, she wouldn’t get past the agency that sent her to work for us."
"Miss Penny, are you sure about this? Or was she confused?" Hayley asked. "Don’t tell she got amnesia?"
"No, but maybe a little still confused," Penny said. "But she’s certain that there was a misunderstanding. Besides, she is aware that she attacked first."
Penny paused, swinging her foot to and fro while her leg was resting over the other. "However, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about."
Her last remarks caused the three to look at each other before setting their attention back to Penny. Curiosity glead in their eyes, wondering what this was all about.
"Before I dive into it, I want you to know that what I’m about to say is governnt confidential," she expressed, her tone shifting. "So, what I say in this room will stay in this room. Otherwise, you might end up in more situations you do not wish to be in. A situation that I can’t even do anything about. Do you understand?"
The trio gulped loudly, feeling a little nervous about it. So, when Penny opened her mouth, Patricia suddenly raised a hand and yelled,
"Wait!!" Patricia panted, shaking her head. "Penny, whatever that is, I don’t want to hear it!"
" too," Theo quickly added, his voice filled with dread. "I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to know it either."
Hayley gulped, nodding with them. "If shutting our mouths about last night is what the bottom line is, then I’ll sew my mouth shut. However, Miss Penny, I don’t wish to hear whatever this information is. I swear — I can’t. I don’t want it because I know I can never unhear it. Please."
"..." Penny pressed her lips into a thin line, studying their faces. "Are you sure?"
"Yes!" they answered without a second hesitation. "Hundred percent."
"Alright." She nodded in understanding. "If that is what you wish, then so be it. But for what it’s worth, that woman is safe now. And she’s going to be fine as long as her location is not disclosed to anyone. After all, she’s an important person — a star witness kind."
Grasping Penny’s hints, the three nodded in understanding. All they wanted was to know if Priscilla was fine and that they hadn’t killed anyone last night. That was all. No more, no less.
Another mont of silence fell on them as they lowered their heads and gathered their thoughts. As soon as they looked away from her, Penny cast Angel a side eye. The latter raised his brows, not in surprise but in sothing else.
After all, Angel knew Penny had no intention of disclosing anything about Priscilla. And this? This was just Penny’s effective way of making the trio dread the very thought of asking questions.
Angel rocked his head. ’Impressive, as always.’
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