Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Dad, this is a weird-looking cat.

Haines and Allison stared at Charles, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Charles had the habit of overthinking when he didn’t want to mess things up, only to end up messing up. This happened a lot when he was courting Allison, and even after they got married.

Allison sighed and smiled, thinking this trait of her husband was one of his charms. "Charles, I think it’s really cute."

"The size is unusual, but I think Penny will like it," Haines agreed. "Though... she might — just might — be a little, just a little surprise."

"You think so?" Charles sighed and darted his eyes between the two.

Haines and Allison nodded, feeling bad for the guy. They could only hope Penny would see her father’s efforts. Charles had been researching mice ever since she told him about it.

Getting such reassurance from the people he trusted the most, Charles felt slightly better. But not long after, his phone rang.

Charles habitually reached for his phone, and his worried expression stiffened. His reaction didn’t get past Allison and Haines.

"Charles, is everything okay?" Allison quickly asked, watching her husband look up at her.

"It’s Jessa Cortez."

As soon as the two heard that name, their shoulders stiffened. They were both aware Jessa was harassing them about taking Nina away or Penny. However, as much as Haines hated it, he voiced out that Jessa had a point.

"What does she want, Charles?" the anxiety and fear in Allison’s voice was evident.

Charles read the message quietly, making his wife even more anxious. Haines also kept a stern face and waited patiently.

When Charles let out a sigh, he looked up at them and summarized the message. "She said the only agreement she’ll agree with is that she’ll have Nina on weekdays and visitation rights to Penny."

Jessa’s message was long, but it was very direct without sugarcoating. Charles could even hear Jessa’s arrogant voice while reading it.

"Weekdays..." Allison muttered. "Does that mean?"

"She said it is only right to build a bond with her real niece," Charles explained, but he knew this was simply a bluff. Jessa hated Nina’s mother, and her hatred branched out to the child.

Haines pressed his lips and observed the couple. "You should agree," he uttered when he mustered enough courage to voice out his thoughts.

The couple quickly shifted their eyes on him.

"I told you about it, Charles. Jessa Cortez might be arrogant, but she was speaking the truth." Haines sighed. "I hate to tell you this, but Penny was away from your care for more than a decade. She only came back here because her cousin needed treatment that their family couldn’t afford. Thinking about it, it’s a sacrifice she made for them, not for the Bennet. Regardless of the blood relation, Penny believed the Cortez Family was her only family for the first thirteen crucial years of a child’s life."

"Jessa might’ve exploited her, but in Penny’s eyes, she did it to help her family out," he continued with a serious face. "We barely managed to get her home, but we, especially the two of you, should make her feel she is not only an extra brought into the family to clear our guilty conscience, but it is the home she truly belonged."

The couple was lost for words upon listening to Haines’s calm yet brutally honest remarks.

Haines, on the other hand, felt a bit sorry for them. He stayed quiet all this time because he knew the couple would settle this matter. However, both Charles and Allison were stubborn. Not that Haines blamed them because even though Nina wasn’t their real daughter, they loved and raised her like their own.