Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1439

Chapter 1439: Something was wrong

Penny pursed her lips and instinctively cast a look at Mark and Angel. The latter two glanced back at her with slight sympathy. To them, it was either Zoren was displeased or just...horny. Either way, they wanted no part of it.

"I’ll just take these cakes to the dirty kitchen," Mark said politely.

Angel nodded. "Me too."

Without waiting for anyone’s approval, the two promptly walked toward the door leading to the separate dirty kitchen. Meanwhile, Penny forced a smile at her husband and nodded.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat, awkwardly placing the box of cake on the table. Seeing that everyone was still staring at her, she forced a grin. "First of all, I’m really sorry for making you all wait. But I guarantee you, this cake is worth it!"

Still, no reaction.

"Let’s eat!" She clapped her hands, now feeling the trickle of sweat forming under their unrelenting gazes. Another awkward laugh escaped her as she noticed that nothing had been served yet. "I’ll get us some food."

"No need." Hugo pointed at the cake in front of her. "I want to eat that."

"Me too! Me too! I’m already full from drinking so much water, so I’d rather eat cake first!" Slater added.

Atlas and Haines nodded in agreement before the latter rose from his seat. "I’ll help you set the table."

"It’s alright, Uncle Haines," Zoren raised a hand. "I’ll do it. Penny, stay put."

"But—"

"No buts," Zoren interjected, his tone unexpectedly firm. His sharp gaze locked onto her, expecting no argument. "Just stay with them."

"Oh...okay?" Penny furrowed her brows, taken aback by his authoritative tone. That was new. Was he angry that she had taken so long?

But knowing Zoren, he wouldn’t get upset over something like that.

Shaking her head, Penny sat down, deciding to focus on making sure her brothers and uncle weren’t upset either.

"So." She cleared her throat, her eyes darting between them. But instead of lightening the mood, she blurted, "Are you guys okay?!"

"The AC is broken!" Slater complained. "You should buy another one—no, I’ll buy you a new one. I’m an endorser for this appliance brand. They’ll give me one for free."

"Isn’t that convenient?" Hugo sighed, rubbing his throat. His mouth felt oddly numb and dry. "Now that I think about it, I should’ve just pursued stardom."

"Second Brother, if you had, what talent do you think you’d showcase?"

Hugo rubbed his chin before answering confidently, "I’d be an action star."

Everyone: "..."

Slater, Haines, and even Atlas tilted their heads slightly, as if trying to imagine it. Penny, on the other hand, looked at her second brother in sheer disbelief.

"Second Brother, how can you say that?" she mumbled. "Wasn’t becoming a soldier like Dad your dream?"

In both of Penny’s lifetimes, she had never heard Hugo regret becoming a soldier. If anything, despite his poor financial decisions, he was the proudest Bennet among them. Compared to Atlas, who had always set his sights on running the family business, and Slater, who had an artistic soul, Hugo carried their family’s legacy with the most pride.

And yet, here he was, saying he should have been an action star.

"It was my dream, yeah." Hugo nodded.