Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress novel Chapter 435

435 /1726

Chapter 435: Do you want to die?

The fight between Penny and Mark was intense and deadly. Every blow was meant to hurt and incapacitate, but with each failed attempt, they ended up hurting themselves. After minutes of relentless combat, Penny kicked Mark in the gut, while Mark landed a kick from the side, sending them both flying across the room.

CRASH!

"Ugh!" Mark gritted his teeth, clutching his stomach as he felt his intestines twist from the force of the kick. "Damn..."

That hurt — a lot.

His sharp gaze darted across the chaotic kitchen, landing on Penny, who was dragging herself up against the cabinets. She, too, was gritting her teeth, her breathing controlled as she fought through the pain of the kick she’d taken to her side.

"Damn you..." she hissed, admitting to herself that the blow had been painful. But she knew her own attack had hurt him just as much.

Both of them were panting, exhausted, and in pain. They had been fighting nonstop for what felt like an eternity, and this was the first moment they had to catch their breath. Yet, despite the pain radiating through their bodies, the determination in their eyes remained.

"I’m not done with you yet," Mark said, forcing himself to stand. As he planted his foot on the floor, he winced at the ache in his ankle. ’Did I break my foot just from kicking her?’

A deadly glint flickered in his eyes as he wondered if she had some kind of metal bar hidden in her clothes. His gaze met hers, and he saw a mischievous grin curl across her lips.

"Hehe," Penny chuckled, lifting the hem of her shirt to reveal a butcher knife strapped to her side. "I grabbed it when I threw the other knife at you. You didn’t see that, did you?"

Mark’s expression darkened, caught between being impressed and annoyed. When she had thrown the knife earlier, his eyes had instinctively followed its trajectory. Who would have thought she had taken another?

Penny smirked, pulling the knife from her side. "I slid it under the table earlier when I kicked the stool," she explained as if he might care to know. "You learn these tricks in prison — or rather, I learned them from my cellmates, who were good at hiding stuff. It’s pretty handy in the right situations, I must say."

Slowly, she rose to her feet as the pain in her side eased. Mark’s kick had hurt, and the knife pressed against her side had only added to it. Still, it had saved her from worse injury.

"You’re careless," she remarked, standing tall and looking down at him. "But I’ve got to respect that you’re strong — very strong."

Mark forced himself up, enduring the pain in his ankle. Despite his injury, he showed no sign of weakness and was ready to fight again.

"You’re strong too," he admitted. "And that’s why I can’t let you leave."

Penny smiled. "I know you won’t," she nodded. "But I don’t plan on dying here."

In truth, Penny knew that if she kept fighting him head-on, even if she won, she’d be left with permanent damage. It was the same feeling she had with Angel. But unlike Angel, who had no interest in fighting her, this man was the complete opposite.