Chapter 46

Theodore's face darkened. "Take this with you."

"Dr. Olson said they're to help you regain your strength. I don't need them."

Her implication that he was weak made his expression even stormier.

"Anyway," she added cheerfully, "you should drink the broth. Whether it works or not, it's worth a shot, right? Can't hurt, might help!"

With that, Penelope made a swift exit before he could truly lose his temper.

Once she was out of the Zenith tower and back in the elevator, she finally allowed herself to burst out laughing. But she quickly composed herself and began organizing the points Linda had made, ready to build a new, targeted proposal.

Back in the office, Linda watched as her boss glared at the two bags on his desk, his mood souring with each glance.

"Should I still take this proposal to the project department for their review?" Linda asked.

"Open it," Theodore instructed.

Confused, Linda opened the folder. Inside were only blank sheets of paper.

"This..."

Theodore sighed. "She used the proposal as a decoy to get you to talk."

"She was trying to get information from me?"

It was clear now that Penelope had achieved her goal. To successfully pitch a project, you first had to understand the other party's needs and objections. Since Zenith had refused all contact, KINY knew next to nothing. So, Penelope had cleverly tricked his own secretary into laying out all their concerns right in front of him.

The realization hit Linda, and a wave of panic washed over her. "Mr. Stapleton, I... I had no idea..."

Theodore let out a soft huff. No wonder the old man had insisted on making her the successor at KINY Group. She was undeniably clever.

Penelope quickly typed up a

summary on her phone and sent it to Nathan. Just as she was about to drive off, she received a call from her primary care physician. The ca accident had damaged her uterus, making pregnano, nearly

impossible, but she hadn't given up on treatment and had been undergoing regular rehabilitation. With all the recent chaos, however, she had missed her last few check-ups.

"I'm free now. I'll head over," she told Dr. Anderson, then started the car and drove toward the hospital.

As she parked, she grabbed the bag

of herbs Dr. Olson had given her. She had brewed them mostly because she didn't trust them, she figured she'd have Dr. Anderson take a look first.

Walking into the clinic building, she unexpectedly ran into Zebulon and Rebecca.

They didn't see her; they were too busy sharing a moment of pure joy.

"This tiny little speck... that's my son?" Zebulon whispered in awe.

"He's only three months along, but he already has a heartbeat," Rebecca said, her voice filled with wonder.

"It's incredible."

"I know. Our baby is growing stronger every day."

Overcome with emotion, Zebulon dropped to one knee right there in the hallway. He gently cupped Rebecca's still-flat stomach and pressed soft kisses against it.

"Hey, little guy, it's your dad," he murmured. "Grow big and strong in there for me. I can't wait to meet you. I love you so much."

Penelope had always known how much Zebulon wanted children. It was the only reason she had never given up on her treatment. But while she had held onto hope, Zebulon had long since given up on her.

The scene was a dagger to her heart. Regret, sharp and bitter, consumed her.

Why had she sacrificed so much to save him?

Zebulon, that bastard, was never worth it.

...