[Pierson Corporation]
Zoren was leaning in his chair, eyes closed. He had spent his morning and lunch working, so now, using this time to rest, he planned to take at least a short nap. His health often came first, so his wife wouldn’t worry too much.
Even though there was a lingering reluctance in his heart regarding a full recovery, he wanted to please Penny. His desire not to constantly worry her overcame any other reluctance. However, even with his eyes closed, his mind couldn’t seem to find rest.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Another sharp breath escaped his nostrils, pulling his back from the chair. Just as he was planning to get back to work, his ringtone suddenly reached his ears.
[You’re my honey bunch, sugar plum, pumpy-umpy-umpkin…]
He moved slowly, listening to Penny’s singing voice as he reached for his phone. A smile quickly tugged at his lips as he listened to the song more.
“She would be angry if she found out I secretly recorded her singing,” he muttered, wanting to listen to it before answering. However, Zoren had been doing this since they came back from the five-day trip, that he would forget this was the ringtone for his wife’s calls.
“Hello?” he answered, his voice cool and calm.
“Renren, have you been busy?” Penny asked. “You’ve been answering my calls last minute. Should I call Benjamin next time to check if you’re free? I don’t want to bother you if you’re working.”
Zoren bit his tongue, unsure whether to tell her the truth. “There’s no need,” he said, in the same unfazed tone. “What is it?”
“I’m ing by!” Penny remarked.
“You would?” He arched a brow, checking the time. “Isn’t it too early for you to clock out?”
“I’m the boss! I can do whatever the hell I want!”
“…” Zoren shook his head, agreeing with her, even though he was also the boss in his own pany. But somehow, he couldn’t do everything he wanted. For instance, he couldn’t retire.
“Also, I need to shop for gifts! Do you want to e with me?”
“Are you buying them all alone?”
“Yugi’s ing with me!”
“Then, I’m ing.”
“Huh?”
“What time?” Zoren asked, not dwelling on the brief confusion in her voice.
“In about… an hour.”
“Alright. I’ll pick you up, then.”
Penny shook her head and hummed. “I’m going to pick you up.”
“But—”
“Just let me do it, okay? I know you’ve got tons and tons of work, and I don’t want you passing it all to Benjamin.”
“I don’t have tons and tons of work,” he argued calmly. “Your brother stole everything from me.”
“Love life, why do you sound resentful?”
“I am bored.”
“Then, you won’t be in an hour~” Penny giggled. “I’m hanging up now. See ya~”
“Mhm.” Zoren waited for Penny to end the call. He had never ended a call between them. Unless she did, he would stay connected.
As he put down his phone, a smile spread across his face.
“She shouldn’t have mentioned the time,” he whispered, glancing at the clock. “Now, time will surely run slow.”
It was always like that. Whenever he wished for time to slow down or stop, even for a second, it just passed. But when he wanted time to move faster, for some reason, it ran slower. Even so, he resumed his work, knowing his wife would soon arrive, no matter how slow or fast time passed.
*****
Whenever there was new information about the past, Penny told herself to go to Zoren. Every piece of information carried a certain heaviness in her heart — no matter what it was. Therefore, she learned to go to him for fort.
After working tirelessly following her brief phone call with him, Penny quickly asked Mark to drive her to Pierson Corporation.
Much to her surprise, just as she stepped out of the car on the executive parking floor, Atlas was already there.
“Uh… First Brother!” Penny called, glancing at her car and signaling Mark to park the vehicle. When she faced him, she smiled. “Hello!”
’Please, let’s not talk about your murder. I’ve had enough for today, and I don’t really want to ruin Nina’s big day for the lack of enthusiasm.’
Atlas only nodded at her. “I heard you’re ing today.”
“Renren told you?”
“He mentioned. I also want to buy Nina and Finn a present, but I’m afraid whatever I’d get them, they won’t like.”
“What are you planning to buy them, anyway?”
“Their marital home.”
“…” Penny’s face twitched. “First Brother, I’m sure Nina and Finn will appreciate that. But if anyone’s going to get angry about it, it would be Dad, Finn’s dad — possibly — or Aunt Jessa.”
“Why would Aunt Jessa get angry? She’d be happy if that’s what I got them.”
“That’s because she can be a little greedy,” Penny muttered, clearing her throat before stepping ahead of him. “Anyway, let’s go in?”
Atlas nodded. “I’ll just get something from my car. Wait for me.”
“Okay…” Penny nodded and watched Atlas walk away, furrowing her brows when she noticed Atlas’s car was parked at the far end of the parking lot. “Isn’t that a little too far?”
Penny darted her eyes between Atlas’s car and the elevator. It was quite a walk, especially with available parking spaces near the elevator. Shaking her head, Penny decided to follow Atlas.
“First Brother, isn’t there an available parking space near the elevator?” she asked, her voice echoing slightly. “Why are you parking so far away?”
This was very unlike Atlas!
Atlas just glanced at her but didn’t stop until he reached his vehicle. “Just because,” he said. “I don’t like people walking past my car whenever they go to the elevator or e out of it. Their negativity affects my engine.”
“Huh? Is there such a thing?” she blurted out, standing near Atlas’s bumper. Her eyes then shifted to the car parked next to his and flinched when she saw Dean inside.
Dean was looking at her with plete dismay. He didn’t have to say anything for anyone to know he was judging her for some reason.
“What the hell is this guy doing here during office hours?” she muttered under her breath, making Atlas glance at her, then at the car.
“Stalking,” Atlas said in his usual dead tone. “That’s why I’ve been parking here since he seems to aspire to be the next parking security guard. I feel safe, knowing someone’s watching my car.”
“…” Penny’s face twisted as she looked back at Atlas. “This Pierson Corporation… is making you more twisted, isn’t it?”
What the hell was Atlas blabbering about?
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