Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1003

Chapter 1003: Banned words

"Why are you all so mean to me?!" Hugo complained, unable to take it any longer. "Where’s Slater?! He usually has this role, not me!"

Allison shook her head, giving up on her boys as her attention shifted to Penny and Zoren, who seemed to be enjoying this. "Zoren, how are you feeling, my dear?"

"I’m feeling..." Zoren trailed off, casting a glance at his wife and smiling. "... a lot better than I thought. Better than I’ve ever felt."

"The doctor said you’re recovering, and that yesterday was just your body getting rid of toxins." Penny squeezed his hand, now seated beside him, with her back against the headboard. "The medicine is working, Renren! I’m so happy."

Zoren smiled with satisfaction, watching his wife’s eyes squint into mere slits as she expressed her happiness. Yet, there was a restraint in her voice, as though she was holding herself back from jumping for joy.

It amazed him. It amused him. It filled him.

"By the way, what happened yesterday?" Atlas asked, shifting his attention from Hugo to Zoren. His question caused everyone to pause and look at Zoren. "Before Mom found you. What happened? The doctor said it’s likely something triggered it, or did it just happen naturally?"

Zoren leaned back slightly, scanning the curious faces directed at him. "What happened before Mom found me..." he trailed off, recalling the sequence of events that led to his body feeling like it was burning from the inside out.

[Renren, I love you.]

[I love you.]

[Love you.]

His heart pounded loudly, almost painfully. Zoren’s expression hardened as his body froze in place. Slowly, his dilated eyes shifted to look at Penny.

"Renren?" Penny called worriedly, cupping his face. "What’s wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Worry quickly filled her eyes as she saw the sudden shift in his expression. Her fingers turned cold with nervousness as they traced his face.

"Zoren?" Allison called, followed by Charles’s inquiry. "Do you feel like throwing up again?"

After a moment, a subtle smile appeared on Zoren’s face. He looked at Penny and quietly said, "I was happy... very happy. I felt so happy I thought I was going to jump off the second floor."

Everyone: "..."

Was he depressed — suicidal?!

Except for Penny, everyone furrowed their brows in confusion. What Zoren had said was contradictory, but what he truly meant was that he had so much energy from happiness that his head was throbbing. Penny, on the other hand, tilted her head to the side.

"Happy?" she repeated under her breath. "What made you happy?"

"You said..." His eyes dropped briefly as his smile stretched wide, revealing all of his teeth. When he locked eyes with her again, the corners of his eyes crinkled. "... you said you love me."

Penny was so confused she let out a short, "Eh?"