Zoren stood outside the residence, watching the rear lights of her car fade into the distance. He raised a hand to wave but only held it up slightly. Another deep exhale escaped him as he watched her car move further away.
"I should’ve asked her to stay over," he whispered. "I had no qualms having a housemate."
With how big the house was, another person wouldn’t make it feel cramped. However, despite his selfish thoughts and desires, he knew Penny had a close relationship with her family.
"I guess... she managed to nd things with her family," he muttered, rembering that Penny had always had reservations about them. But now, it seed her family was taking good care of her, and she was taking care of them.
"I’m happy for her," he whispered, watching as the car disappeared from his blurry line of sight.
Minutes had passed since she left, but Zoren stayed in the sa spot. When he finally decided to rest, Angel, the bodyguard, approached him.
"Sir," Angel called, watching Zoren turn toward him. "About that woman in the guest house?"
Zoren cocked his head back. "Take her to the garden. I’d like to have a word with her."
"Yes, sir." Angel lowered his head. "I’ll take her right away."
---
Casually seated on the garden’s outdoor patio with Renny at his side and Chunchun on his lap, Zoren noticed a few figures approaching. It was the bodyguard and Patricia, who looked like a hostage.
Zoren waved a hand dismissively, prompting Angel and the other two bodyguards to step aside. Patricia glanced at them with shaky eyes, but when she felt Zoren’s sharp gaze on her, her breath hitched.
Slowly, she faced him, her stomach twisting. Before she knew it, Patricia collapsed to her knees, her body hitting the grass.
"Mr. Pierson," she said, her lips pale and quivering as she rubbed her palms together. His black panther lay beside him, which he casually petted. She feared he might order the animal to attack. "Please, don’t hurt . I didn’t an to deceive you! I was just tricked!"
"You were tricked?" Zoren tilted his head. "Tricked into tricking ?"
"Mr. Pierson, I swear to God, I didn’t want to do it!" She shook her head frantically. "I was blinded! Please, please, please. I won’t say a word about this. I promise! No one will know. Please, let off this ti."
"Miss Miller, what do you think I’m going to do to you?" he asked with plain curiosity, and shock spread across Patricia’s face.
She pressed her quivering lips together, her heart sinking. "You’re going to kill ."
"Yes, Miss Miller." Unlike his tone with Penny, Zoren’s voice was cold, like a quiet, harsh breeze on the coldest winter night. "I will kill you. If not , Renny will. And if not Renny, my people will."
"Mr. Pierson..." Patricia’s voice trembled as she rubbed her palms together even more intensely. "Please, I’ll do anything you want! Please don’t hurt . I’ve learned my lesson. Please, please, I didn’t an to do this."
Patricia kowtowed, tears streaming down her face. Her forehead touched the ground as she begged for her life, forgetting any sense of dignity. This was survival. She could sense Zoren’s unwavering resolve to end her life. She couldn’t even think about her hunger.
Zoren gazed down at her, his eyes devoid of sympathy. ’She’s lucky I saw through her,’ he thought.
After all, had Zoren brought her closer to et Renny, the black panther might have attacked her before Zoren could stop it. Although the panther behaved like an obedient dog around Penny, it was a different story with outsiders.
Patricia had no idea that Zoren finding out about her sche had saved her rather than hard her. Whoever sent her knew what fate awaited her, yet they still sent soone so naive. Even so...
"When you ca here all dolled up, eating my food, enjoying my things, all while lying through your teeth... you didn’t feel even a shred of guilt, did you, Miss Miller?" he drawled dangerously, causing Patricia to look up at him.
The mont her eyes t his dark expression, her heart plumted. Her shoulders trembled, her breath hitched.
"Mr. Pierson..." Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, terror gripping her entire existence. Despite the sha she felt, she couldn’t deny the truth in his words.
"Just because I’m sickly and desperate, you thought you could take advantage of ," he continued. "Why should I show you rcy?"
Her face contorted, her vision blurring with tears. "Mr. Pierson... please... have rcy on ."
"Kill her," Zoren ordered, causing the guards to raise their brows in surprise. "Drown her in acid. Or perhaps, feed her to the pigs. But make sure you shave her head first."
The bodyguards exchanged glances, but Angel didn’t hesitate. He nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Mr. Pierson!" Patricia panicked, seeing Angel approach. She shook her head vigorously. "Mr. Pierson, no! Please don’t do this to !"
But no amount of pleading moved Zoren, and Angel didn’t stop. When Angel grabbed her shoulder, Patricia squealed.
"Jonathan Pierson!" she exclaid, almost sighing in relief when Angel paused. Patricia’s eyes snapped to Zoren, her face drained of color. "Mr. Pierson, I didn’t want to do this. Jonathan Pierson made do it! I received an email while pulling an all-nighter, telling that if I wanted to be the matriarch of the Pierson Family..."
Patricia wrenched her arm free from Angel’s grip, crawling closer to Zoren. "Mr. Pierson, I didn’t know about you and Penny! I was just told to act like her, to make sure you believed ! I can show you proof—they sent money! A lot of money, and these notes I had to morize!"
"Please, Mr. Pierson, believe !" Patricia wept, her whole body trembling. "I can show you proof... please. Jonathan Pierson is behind all of this!"
"Miss Miller." Zoren waved a hand at Angel, his gaze still fixed on the woman kneeling before him. "There is no Jonathan Pierson in the Pierson Family registry."
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