Chapter 973: Penelope Bennet, what do you think?
Zoren’s wife, Penelope Bennet, was someone he had never met while she was alive. How could his grandmother have met her? Even so, given Old Mrs. Pierson’s condition, his fabricated marriage was the only thing that brought her happiness, no matter how many times he repeated the story.
"Tell me more about her!" Old Mrs. Pierson urged. "Or are you tired of repeating yourself?"
"No." Zoren moved his chair closer to the bed, holding her wrinkled hand between his own. "Penelope... she’s brilliant. She has several Ph.D.s and was part of a research team working on miracle drugs."
"Oh!" Old Mrs. Pierson’s eyes lit up. "Renren, she’s a genius! I knew it! My granddaughter-in-law is amazing! What else?"
"She’s from a good family, and despite her tight schedule, she always made time for her loved ones."
"What a filial daughter," she said with pride.
"She is."
"Not only is she beautiful and smart, but she’s also kind."
"How I wish she weren’t... perhaps she’d be a lot happier," he murmured, though his grandmother’s weak hearing didn’t catch it. "She’s also fierce."
He had learned this while keeping tabs on her in prison. She often started fights, landing herself in isolation. Yet, her spirit never seemed to break, not surprising as her soul had long been shattered outside those prison walls. Her defiance had always clashed with his efforts to shield her from such harsh treatment. As a death row inmate, she was deemed a threat and denied the freedoms other prisoners had. Through his connections and at great expense, Zoren ensured she wasn’t entirely isolated. It was his way of showing her there was still hope—that even within those walls, she could imagine freedom.
"Hehehe." Old Mrs. Pierson giggled, picturing such a remarkable woman with her grandson. "You’ve hit the jackpot, Renren!" But as her gaze returned to him, she caught the look on his face. Concerned, she held his hand tightly.
"Renren, what’s wrong, my child?" she asked gently. "You can always tell Grandma your troubles. I’ll always listen, like always."