Heiress's Return: Pampered by Brothers

Chapter 0697

Enzo

| stirred sluggishly to the sound of iron groaning deafeningly in my ears. Blearily lifting my head up from the icy

stone where | lay, | made out a petite silhouette entering my cell cautiously.

"Wake up, my lord," the girl, the sone from before, said softly. She kneeled down beside me, cautiously

brushing a strand of hair out of my eyes. "It's time."

Growling, | reached for her wrist again-but she had learned her lesson the first time. She deftly leapt backwards

like a cat. | let my hand fall back to the floor, weakened and searing in pain where the silver ropes still met my

flesh.

"Just get it over with," | snarled.

Every bruised fiber of my being screamed atto defy, and if | had any strength left, | certainly would fight

tooth and nail. But hours upon hours of silver continuously leeching the life out of my body had reducedto

little more than a husk.

| didn't have the strength to resist as the small girl helpedslowly to my feet. We took a few shambling steps

together before she pulled out a ring of intricate keys and unlocked the cell door with one of them. | blinked

stupidly, swaying a bit where | stood. Freedom?

Was this a hallucination? One last cruel trick to break the last shred of my spirit before whatever Mila, the

bloodied queen, had in store for me?

But no guards appeared from the shadows as she guided my faltering steps out into the corridor.

Still supporting most of my weight with a strength | didn't expect such a small girl to possess, the servant led us

gradually up countless spiraling black stairs. | clung to consciousness, the last feeble spark inside ofraging

relentlessly against whatever was going to happen to me.

"Almost there," the girl said.

| huffed. "Where are you taking me?"

"To the ceremony, of course," she purred. "You'll be so beautiful, you and our queen."

For a moment, | considered struggling. But all | could muster was a stagger in my footsteps, a momentary

fraction of a second during which | was barely able to halt, and then the girl proddedforward.

Something sharp pricked into my lower spine then; a knife. | was so out of it I hadn't even realized that she was

holding it behindthis entire time.

Then, a set of enormous obsidian doors swung open.

Unexpectedly, blinding radiance assaulted my eyes after what had felt like an eternity spent below ground. |

recoiled weakly, my arm flung up against the sudden sunlight streaming down.

Except... No, it wasn't sunlight. Not really. It was just torches and braziers, blindingly bright like the sun after my

tspent in my cell.

| was still below ground, and for all | knew, maybe | would never see the sun again.

Then, | saw her sitting on top of a dais at the end of the hall, up high above on a platform well outside of my

reach a mass of emerald green silk and crimson eyes with black slits for pupils.

Revulsion rocked throughas | saw her. No more tfor disbelief or false hopes. My horrific fate was here,

whatever it was. | just wanted Nina. God, | hoped she would never find out what really happened here. | wasn't

sure if she could bear it.

"Release him," Mila purred to the wide-eyed servant who was supporting my slumped frame. | braced to collapse

as the girl suddenly released her grip onand withdrew quickly into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

The last | saw of her was a slender black tail; a cat after all.

But miraculously, my shaky legs didn't give in beneath my weight. | swayed gently, staring down at my freed

wrists in shock.

The silver ropes were gone. | had been freed.

Like ice thawing, sensation began seeping back into my numb limbs. | curled and flexed my stiff fingers, a

revelation slowly dawning as a presence flooded into my mind. She had cutoff from my wolf with the silver...

but now our reunion crashed throughwith the suddenness of a tidal wave.

"Let's fucking kill her," my wolf growled.

He didn't need to telltwice. | threw my head back and allowed my wolf's ancient strength to flood into me,

filling every cell. Flesh turned to fur, hands to sharp claws, bones twisted and muscled grew.

| had been severed from this half of myself for too long, but now | was whole again.

Once | had shifted, | let out a wild howl and charged at the mass of green and red towering above me, images of

her blood -soaked body tearing through my mind...

But she was too high. | snapped at her, and she just grinned down at me, swirling a glass of red wine in her

hand. Above me, all around, cheers erupted; the horrible audience from before. They had returned to witness

something.

Witness what?"

"Very good, my champion," Mila purred, her scarlet red nails tapping rhythmically against the armrest. "I see

you've cback to your senses now. Feels good doesn't it?"

I let out a low growl and paced away, my eyes scanning the blackened room. The door that | had entered

through before was smooth and seamless, but there was a metal gate across the room.

| hoped that it wasn't silver; maybe | could smash my way through it and escape.

"See how he paces like a caged beast," Mila coned, her voice carrying easily through the impossibly high room.

"He's fierce, isn't he?" Her words were met with more cheers, twittering, pounding. Beasts and animals. | felt like

one of them in this moment, with so much rage coursing throughthat it was almost blinding

"Look at me, Enzo."

lignored her. Like hell I'd look in those eyes, | thought to myself. But then there was a snap, and | felt my head

twist, my body prostrating. I looked up, and | saw her standing now at the edge of her platform, her hand raised.

"I said, look at me."

| was frozen. What sort of ancient magic did she possess? It was unlike anything | had seen before. When she

finally released me, | shuddered, but obeyed this time-for now."

"I would be a fool to mate with a warrior who cannot hold his own in battle," she called out. "And so, we'll begin

our trial." More howling, cheering, yelping and pounding.

Her smile turned savage as she beamed down at me, her features flickering menacingly in the light of the

torches. "The rules are simple. Fail, and you will die-nameless and pathetic. Succeed, and earn glory. Succeed,

and you will becmy mate."

I nearly laughed aloud and began pacing again, searching for ssort of escape. Mila was insane; surely there

was scrack in her facade.

After all, this was exactly why dragons had faced extinction-nonsensical deadly rituals, culling numbers from

each generation. Mila would be no different, and | wasn't about to let her draginto this mess.381 What's on

his mind? Penny.

[Skyline Plaza: Zoren’s]

Penny and Old Mrs. Pierson chatted happily, with Penny having to fake her laughter every tZoren would

throw in an unnecessary comment. Only one hour into this relationship, and he was bold enough to hold a red

flag on a stick!

“Then | will visit you every once in a while!” Old Mrs. Pierson intoned, tapping Penny’s hand. “Although next time,

I'll do it in the evening since your mornings are busy.”

“No, Grandma. You need exercise as well,” Zoren encouraged calmly. “Having a morning walk here is fine.”

Penny glared daggers at him, but his slight blindness was protecting him. ‘Renren! Do you wantto get

killed?!”

“Hahaha!” Old Mrs. Pierson laughed, as it seemed she now had more on her schedule other than just her

medications. “Very well, then. I'll arrange it.”

Zoren smiled in satisfaction, casting Penny a proud look. Penny, on the other hand, was rendered speechless.

‘Goodness!’ she scoffed. Why did he look so proud, as if | have to praise him? Did he genuinely believe he had

donea huge favor?”

As Old Mrs. Pierson’s giddy laughter subsided, she cast Penny and Zoren a solemn look. “Anyway, as | was

talking about with Butler Hubert, I think it’s about tthe families meet,” she proposed. “Although | understand

your reasons for keeping your marriage hidden, it is not good if | don’t know my in-laws.”

After all, Old Mrs. Pierson believed that if Zoren needed a strong ally, that would be Penny’s family. In case there

was a misunderstanding between the couple, her family would root for him and persuade her.

This marriage needed to be strong, and what else could glue this marriage better than family

ties?

“About that...” Zoren trailed off while Penny held her breath, about to speak ahead of him before he could say

something troublesagain. But before she could, he continued, “... there are still smatters that need to

be done. However, I'll let you know once we are able to arrange a meeting with the family.”

Penny furrowed her brows, looking at Zoren with slight surprise. After stirring trouble for her, she was expecting

him to go all out. However, it seemed she judged too quickly. Meanwhile, Old Mrs. Pierson frowned.

“How is this not the priority right now, Zoren Pierson?” Old Mrs. Pierson expressed her dismay. “Your in-laws are

the most important. Don’t stay idle and make sure they're pleased with you. They might think our family is being

rude for delaying this.”

“I'm on it.” Zoren nodded, casting Penny a knowing look. “I'll make sure they'll be pleased.

<

381 What's on his mind? Penny

Penny narrowed her eyes suspiciously, unsure of what was going on in his mind right now. However, if this was

enough to stop the family meeting, then she was okay with it. After all, she didn’t think the Befamily was

ready to know that she was married.

Old Mrs. Pierson idled with them for another thirty minutes, chatting with Penny once again about anything.

Penny, who got rid of any unnecessary thoughts, indulged the old madam. When Old Mrs. Pierson noticed the

time, she finally bid them farewell.

Standing at the entrance door, the couple followed Old Mrs. Pierson with a smile.

“You don’t have to sendoff,” Old Mrs. Pierson waved dismissively. “Just start your day, and I'm strong enough

to live for the next twenty years.”

Penny smiled subtly. “It's okay, Grandma.”

“Young Madam, please, you don’t have to,” Butler Hubert stepped in humbly, smiling at her while assisting the

old madam. “We've already used up all your morning. Therefore, you do not have to send us.

He then winked at her. “Just use the rest of your morning however you like.”

Penny's face twitched, and she opened her mouth to correct him. They'd already kissed earlier, so she didn’t

think there would be another one for today. However, Zoren swiftly spread his arm across her shoulders and

pulled her to his side.

“Thank you, Butler Hubert,” Zoren expressed with a smile. “Please take care of Grandma on the way.”

“Of course, Young Master.” Butler Hubert then cast Old Mrs. Pierson a knowing look. “Old Madam?”

Old Mrs. Pierson chuckled, holding Butler Hubert’s arm as they went out of the residence. Penny and Zoren sent

them off with smiles on their faces, his arm still sprawled across her shoulders.

“Take care, Grandma,” Penny waved with a smile before she noticed Zoren reach for the doorknob. He leaned

over a little until his face was right next to her, closing the door in front of them without letting her shoulders go.

The second the door clicked, her heart suddenly drummed against her chest once more. Now that they were

alone again and the silence of the house quickly reigned, she felt... in danger.

And she was correct.

Because the second Zoren closed the door, his eyes glinted dangerously. Turning his head to her, his hand on the

knob carefully reached for her jaw, gulding her head to look at him. Without a word, he leaned his face in and

claimed her lips.

“111” Penny's eyes dilated, a little shocked that this was what he would do the moment his grandmother left. Was

this the reason he had been hinting at his grandmother to go on her way?” “Mhm!” she let out a protesting

moan, carefully turning around with her lips locked with his. “Wait-!"

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Penny gasped, standing on her toes in surprised when he squeezed her hips. She had her eyes forcibly closed,

feeling his hand roam around her body excitedly until his palm settled on her lower spine.

Hypnotized, Penny felt her entire body succumbing to the excited heat wrapping around her, her soul kneeling to

his unspoken demands and slowly giving in to the screams of her own heart.

“Renren,” she whispered into his mouth, breathless. “I-”

The rest of her words rolled back into her throat as his lips met hers again. Penny felt like melting into him; his

touch on her back, on her hips, and then on her thigh felt so enthralling that she wanted to be touched more...

without all the fabrics on her.

Comment 10

But then, suddenly, a pounding seemed to vibrate the stones beneath my feet. Across the expansive room the

Iron gate rattled upward, redirecting my attention instantly. Mila's voice echoed from above, and her words

strucklike a knife to my gut.

"Face your opponent, my hunter! And embrace destiny!"

My steps halted abruptly. Was that... a bear?

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