Novels by Penny's

Chapter 67 Three days had passed since Kai's visit to the nursing home. Three days since Syrian had painted the portrait. Three days since she had looked straight through him and whispered words that refused to leave his mind. "You owe him." Kai jerked awake with a violent headache.A sharp groan escaped his lips as he sat upright, pressing both palms against his temples. The room spun for several seconds before finally settling. His dry throat burned with every breath. As he swung his legs off the bed, his foot accidentally struck an empty bottle of The Macallan 18-Year-Old Double Cask Scotch Whisky. The bottle rolled across the hardwood floor, knocking against another empty bottle before crashing into the leg of a table with a loud clink that echoed through the silent house. Kai shut his eyes. "...Damn." His apartment smelled of expensive alcohol.Three empty bottles rested beside the couch while another still sat on the coffee table with barely a finger of whisky left inside.

Birds chirped around the blooming flowers and plants. Men and women in service uniforms were scattered around the gardens, some with watering cans, while others carefully trimmed the leaves and shaped the hedges into beautiful structures. Armed guards were stationed around every corner of the manor, keeping watch for anything suspicious that might require intervention. Inside the old-money mansion, the Walterson men were gathered together for breakfast. Dressed in expensive black suits, cufflinks, and watches worth far more than an ordinary person's annual salary, they sat around the dining table in peaceful silence. That peace was interrupted by the arrival of a man. "Good morning, Mercer. What must have cost you to bless me with your presence this early?" Grandfather spoke without lifting his gaze from the magazine in his hands. Everyone turned their attention toward the well-dressed man standing at the entrance. He wore an expensive black suit, but the distress on his face was

Kai stepped into the nursing home and was immediately greeted by the bright smile of one of the nurses at the reception desk. After signing in as one of Syrian's visitors, he made his way toward her room with familiarity born from several visits. However, when he reached the room and pushed the door open, he stopped. The room was empty. Her belongings were still neatly arranged around the room, but Syrian herself was nowhere in sight. A strange uneasiness settled in his chest. Without thinking too much about it, he quickly turned and headed back into the corridor to look for her. His hurried pace caused him to collide with someone. "Hey, slow down." The familiar gentle voice instantly eased the anxiety that had built inside him. Ashley laughed softly as she steadied herself. "You almost ran me over." Kai exhaled in relief. "Sorry. Syrian isn't here anymore." Ashley blinked before chuckling."Yeah, I know. Her room was changed earlier today." For some reason, simply looking at

The metallic door groaned as it opened. Mario stepped into the visitation room, escorted by an officer. The fluorescent lights above cast a dull glow over the gray walls, making the entire place feel lifeless and suffocating. A thick pane of reinforced glass separated some visitors from inmates in other booths, but Mario had arranged for a private attorney room instead. The officer unlocked the inner door and gestured him inside. A few moments later, Lewis was brought in. The moment the officer left and the door shut behind him, Lewis dropped into the chair opposite Mario and leaned back with a scoff. "Look who finally decided to show up." Mario remained composed as he took his seat. "I didn't abandon you, Lewis." Lewis laughed bitterly and shook his head. "Oh, but you did. You forgot about me the moment those prison gates closed behind me. Then again, you're not the one being interrogated every day." "That's enough," Mario said sharply. "No, it isn't." Lewis leaned for

Since the last time I left the nursing home, the words on that painting had refused to leave my mind. Even now, standing in the middle of the exhibition hall, my eyes remained fixed on the portrait hanging before me. Life's Unexpected Moments. A simple title. A simple painting. Yet there was nothing simple about the way it made me feel. Warmth. Joy. Pain. Sorrow. All woven together inside a single canvas. Every brushstroke felt like a fragment of a story. A story that had been haunting me ever since I realized the image from that painting existed in reality. What disturbed me most wasn't the painting itself. It was the fact that I had painted it unconsciously—somewhere between sleep and awareness, somewhere deep inside my mind. A place I couldn't explain. A place that kept revealing things I wasn't supposed to know. The portrait hanging before me was only one of many. The rest remained hidden inside my private studio, locked away from the world. That was the real reason I n

The metallic clang of the prison gate echoed through the visitation area as Lewis was escorted into the room. The orange prison uniform hung loosely on his frame, a sharp contrast to the expensive tailored suits he had once worn with pride. Dark shadows rested beneath his eyes, and for the first time in years, there was no arrogance in his posture. Only exhaustion.A man in a charcoal suit sat waiting on the opposite side of the table. The moment Lewis entered, the attorney rose to his feet. "Mr. Carter." Lewis took his seat without acknowledging him. The lawyer cleared his throat. "My name is Richard Hayes. Your father sent me." That earned a brief glance. "He wants me to represent you." Lewis looked away again. "The evidence against you isn't impossible to challenge," Richard continued. "Your father has assembled a legal team. We can begin working on your release immediately." A hollow laugh escaped Lewis. "Release?" he muttered. "You people still think prison is my bigges