Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 1566

Chapter 1566: Consoling the wife... or the husband (?)

Meanwhile...

Penny carefully held a small test tube up to the fluorescent light until it glinted. The corners of her lips twitched as they curled upward.

"This will probably work," she muttered to herself with a giggle. "Holy..."

Without wasting a second, she slid her stool over to the next counter to test it out. She’d been working on this for a while, tweaking one of Dean’s theories, which had led her to this promising new formula.

As Penny busied herself, Zoren quietly peeked inside. As usual, he moved silently, carefully avoiding anything he nearly broke the last time. He managed to slip in without disrupting her focus.

He quietly claimed the stool at the far end of the counter, resting his chin on his hand as he watched her.

"..."

His lips formed a subtle smile. Even when she’s busy, she looks so pretty.

Admiration lit his eyes as a gentle smile tugged at his mouth. _{freёwebnovel.com}

Once I wrap up some loose ends at the Pierson Corporation, I’ll quit.

Even if it meant being the fifth member of Penny’s team in the CEO’s office, and Atlas’s sacrificial lamb, he didn’t mind—as long as his office was inside hers.

How wonderful life would be if he could just go to work with her, spend the day at her side, and go home together—never a moment apart.

What a dream.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Penny’s panicked voice suddenly echoed through the quiet lab.

She frantically tried to stop the reaction forming in the antidote she was making—until she realized it was already too late.

"Shoot!" she cried, leaping over the other counter and diving for cover.

Seeing her panic, Zoren sprang from his seat, ready to shield her from whatever chemical catastrophe was about to unfold—but before he could reach her, Penny had already taken cover. He quickly dove under the counter himself.

BOOM!

A light explosion erupted in the lab, accompanied by the shattering of glass. A harsh chemical scent—something like super-concentrated bleach—wafted through the air, forcing both Penny and Zoren to cover their noses.

"Goodness..." Penny hissed, crouched behind the counter. "I was so close."

She peeked over the counter, only to spot Zoren doing the same on the other side.

"Renren?!" she gasped, seeing his hand raise in a sheepish wave. "Since when were you here?"

"Just now," Zoren replied, still covering his mouth as he waved the air in front of him.

Penny sprang up and darted across the lab toward the window.

"Renren, open the one on that side," she called while throwing open the windows on hers.

Following her instructions, Zoren held his breath as he opened the nearest window, stuck his head out for a lungful of fresh air, and then hurried to open more.

The smell intensified the longer it lingered without ventilation. Even with all the windows open, it clung to the room—sharp and suffocating, like bleach but twice as pungent.

They both remained by their respective windows until the thick stench finally began to fade.

"Penny," Zoren called across the room. "What happened?"

She frowned, shifting her disappointed gaze toward the counter. Even from a distance, she could see the bubbling, acid-like substance on the surface.

I guess it’ll take a while for the smell to fade, he thought, glancing back at the lab. So this is...