"Don’t hurt yourself trying to protect others. Even if that person is your brother... or your husband."
Penny’s face quickly turned ashen. Slater, on the other hand, frowned deeply, while Jas simply tilted his head.
"Uh... who are you?" Jas blurted out, assuming they were in the wrong room or that this guy was in the wrong ward.
"I am..."
"No one!" Slater chid in before Zoren could even brag about who he was. "He is no one but an unwanted person trying to squeeze into soone else’s ho. Like a pest... of so sort."
"Uh... Slater," Jas leaned closer and whispered, "I don’t think that’s what you’re supposed to say to soone. It’s rude."
Slater smirked and cast Zoren a dismissive look. "Even cockroaches are hard to control, so let him be," he shrugged and wheeled Penny inside the ward. He then cast Jas a look. "Manager Jas, you should go and make sure this place is heavily guarded. I don’t want any more people coming here and claiming they are family."
"Huh?"
"Just go." Slater puckered his lips, pointing at the door. "Leave."
For a mont, Jas was a little speechless, darting his eyes between Slater, Penny, and the unknown man inside. Since Slater was obviously giving the man so attitude, he quickly guessed this man was probably Penny’s boyfriend—or maybe a suitor on the way to claiming the title.
"Then I’ll be outside," said Jas with slightly raised hands. ’I don’t want to get involved.’
The last ti Jas rembered soone pursuing Penny was Ray. The fans that went after Penny were the least of his concerns, but rather how her brother threatened everyone who laid their eyes on their sister afterward. Penny might not know this, but Jas had seen plenty, especially from Hugo and the basketball team.
When the door shut behind Jas, Penny looked up at Slater. "Really?"
"Hah!" Slater snorted, wheeling her close to the bed. But instead of helping her up, he faced Zoren and pointed a finger at him. "You! Why are you here!? Who told you that you can co in here without permission?"
"Slater, shut up." Penny clicked her tongue, thanking the heavens this was her brother. Otherwise, she would’ve knocked all his teeth out. "That’s my husband you’re talking to. Be nice."
Slater puffed his cheeks and glared at Zoren, only to get even more riled up when Zoren briefly smirked. "Penny! Look at him! He’s mocking !"
"Huh?" Penny shifted her eyes to Zoren, only to see the sa plain look he usually carried.
Seeing how fast Zoren changed his reaction, Slater gasped in disbelief. "You! You’re a villain."
"Third Brother—"
"Don’t call the third brother! You’re not my brother!" Slater harrumphed to the point he was almost panting. "Geez! I said this before and I’ll say it again: I only have two brothers, and their nas are Atlas and Hugo Bennet. You’re neither of them."
"Oh, my god." Penny pinched the bridge of her nose. If earlier she was fine, now she wasn’t. She snapped her eyes at Zoren and smiled wryly. "I’m sorry about him. My father dropped him when he was a baby. He never recovered from that."
"It’s okay." Zoren smiled. "I understand, and no offense is taken. After all, my First Brother said I’d get used to it, eventually."
"First Brother?!" Slater grumbled at Zoren’s lack of reaction while the latter slowly rose from his seat.
"Penny, are you okay?" asked Zoren, only to stop in his tracks when Penny suddenly jumped out of the wheelchair.
"Yes, a hundred percent! No need to worry. It’s just a cut!"
Zoren frowned and walked closer. "Can I see?"
"Why do you want to see when you can’t even see?" Slater chid in, earning looks from both Zoren and Penny. "But I’m telling the truth!"
"You’re being very rude now, Third Brother," Penny hissed, sensing her patience wearing thin. "I’m not gonna ask you to be nice to him. Just don’t be rude. After all, everything you tell him is also directed at —"
"Penny." Zoren stopped her, clasping her index finger and squeezing it. When he sensed her looking, he smiled in understanding. "It’s okay. Don’t scold him for ."
"But—" she stopped, realizing why he was requesting such. She pressed her lips and cleared her throat, nodding. "Fine."
Zoren smiled in satisfaction and gazed down at her hand. He squinted, noticing the large stitches across her palm. His vision was still blurry, but he could discern their size.
"It’s deep." His voice was quiet, snapping his eyes up at her. "Third Brother is right. You should stay here in case you get sick."
"It’s alright." She sighed in surrender. "But well, I’m tired of arguing. Whatever. Let’s do it your way."
Penny then snapped her eyes to Slater, raising a brow when he marched toward the two of them. Now Slater was standing a step away between them.
"See? I’m taking care of my sister, so you don’t need to stay here," said Slater, pulling her arm from Zoren, dragging her to the bed, and sitting her down. "Penny, you should rest now. Don’t mind anyone else—not or this guy."
Slater offered her a warm smile, though his actions felt rushed as if he feared Zoren would steal the spotlight.
"Goodness..." Penny clicked her tongue, settling herself on the bed. "Because you keep treating like a patient, I’m starting to believe I am one."
She leaned back, watching Slater sit on the chair beside the bed. As for Zoren, he simply glanced at her third brother before walking away to fetch another chair. He placed it just an arm’s length away from Slater.
"What are you doing?" Slater gasped. "There’s plenty of space—go over there, on the other side."
"But if I do that, her neck would hurt from looking from one side to the other."
"She wouldn’t hurt her neck if she only looked my way."
This ti, Zoren just smiled. "If," he stressed, causing the veins in Slater’s forehead to protrude.
’He’s enjoying teasing him,’Penny thought, watching Zoren and Slater argue. ’I hope they keep arguing, so he won’t have to ask about what happened.’
Deep down, she knew Zoren already had an idea of what had happened. After all, this guy wouldn’t be in this part of Anteca if not. The question was, how did he get here so fast?
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