Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1779

Chapter 1779: Thousands of things

[Short Flashback: Penny’s First Life]

"Penny." Grace leaned closer to the bench, eyeing her warily. Penny had some serious bruises on her cheeks and under her eyes, but compared to how she looked before, she was already recovering.

"I heard your execution date is set," Grace said casually. "What do you feel?"

Penny smacked her lips and gave her a deadpan stare. Grace could be blunt—insensitive, even—but then again, everyone had already heard. Around the yard, inmates on nearby benches were all sneaking glances her way.

Even Heart—the inmate who never spoke and was covered in burns—was watching her with concern in her eyes.

Penny exhaled deeply, propping her elbow on the table.

"Nothing," she said flatly, almost sarcastically. "What do you expect me to do? Sulk? Cry a river?"

"My life’s been shitty from the start," she added with a shrug. "It’s a horrible life, and I fucking hate it."

Grace narrowed her eyes, trying to see if Penny was just putting on an act. But there wasn’t a shred of fear in her. Nothing. It was like Penny wasn’t talking about her own death, but someone else’s.

"I know you’re screwed up, but aren’t you even a little worried?" Grace asked.

"What’s there to worry about?" Penny shot back, glancing around at the other inmates. Then she laughed—a dry, hollow laugh—and shook her head. "They’re going to kill me, and that still won’t change anything."

Because long before her execution date was set, Penny had already felt dead inside. Even before she was incarcerated, she had merely existed. And behind these stinking prison walls, she had tried to survive, but found no reason to live.

This entire mess, this injustice she’d been caught in, had already killed her from within. Even the fights inside these walls didn’t make her feel alive anymore.

"Besides..." She trailed off, offering a faint, twisted smile as she exhaled. "Even if I did get out of here, I’d probably end up right back in. That time, it’d be for something I actually did."

She looked away, eyes drifting to the yard where the inmates were idling.

"But... even if I’m not afraid, I still regret a lot of things. Thousands of things."

---

[PRESENT TIME]

Atlas’s team—consisting of Angel and Prime Group’s elite forces—was already en route to the next island. The Phantom Circle had managed to secure a few boats, and once they reached the shore, everyone loaded up quickly.

Not long after, Mark and the Phantom Circle arrived with Zoren. No words were exchanged between the two groups. Everyone acted as if nothing had happened.

In one of the boats, Zoren climbed up and made his way to the deck. Atlas was already there, staring silently at the column of smoke in the distance—at the burning debris scattered across the ocean.

"She’s not in there." Atlas broke the silence, his voice calm but certain. "My sister lived twice. That’s not how she’s going to die."

Zoren swallowed hard and nodded, snapping his eyes to the side. "Dad’s going to search the area. Just in case."

"Of course he will." Atlas drew in a breath, exhaling as Hugo’s voice rang out behind them.

And so, the group traveled in tense silence, trust hanging by a thread. If this revised plan still led to an ambush, the truth would be undeniable—the mole was among them.

And even though Penny’s aircraft had blown to pieces—whether she was in it or not—it had already revealed too much. No one should have known they were landing. No one should have known Penny was making a brief stop.

Yet somehow, that information had leaked.

---

In the boat with Hugo, Atlas, and Zoren, the three men sat quietly, their expressions grim. None of them had the energy to admire the scenery or feel the ocean breeze.

After a moment, Hugo looked up.

"Let’s not think about Penny right now," he said. "I believe in my sister. She always thinks ten steps ahead. She survived an abduction. She would’ve seen this coming too."

He turned to Zoren. "Keep your head straight."

He pointed from Zoren to Atlas. "You make sure First Brother reaches his target. I’ll make sure you survive to the end. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Don’t overthink. Just do what you came here to do."

Even if what they came for... was Penny.

"Be it Jonathan or Nathalie..." Hugo muttered, his fists trembling. "...I’ll kill them both."

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