PAMPERED BY MY THREE BROTHERS: THE RETURN OF THE NEGLECTED HEIRESS Chapter 5: Life has its funny way of putting things in order

During her previous life, Jessa had been thrilled to hand Penny over the moment those people arrived at their doorstep. She hadn't felt a single shred of hesitation. Her only concern back then was the size of the payout she would receive for "raising" Penny for thirteen years.

"Have you lost your minds?!" Jessa barked. "How dare you barge into my home and claim my child belongs to you?! Leave my property this instant!"

As her aunt erupted into a sudden rage, Penny couldn't help but flinch. Jessa was relentless as she forced the intruders away.

The gates let out a loud metallic clang when Jessa threw them shut. She was breathing heavily with irritation as she turned back toward the house.

"Auntie?" Penny asked, her wide eyes filled with curiosity. "Who were those people?"

Jessa forced a brief, tight smile. "Nobody important. Just a pack of lunatics!" She gave Penny’s head a reassuring pat and nodded. "Let's head inside. We don't want the soup getting cold. Come along."

Taking Penny’s hand with newfound warmth, Jessa led her back indoors.

Penny stared at her aunt’s retreating figure. She was well aware that Jessa was only acting this way because she viewed Penny as the family's golden goose. Nevertheless, it brought her a sense of peace knowing those men wouldn't be able to achieve their goals so easily this time.

The following day, the same group returned. Jessa, however, treated them like a spreading plague and chased them off before they could even utter an offer.

This pattern repeated the next day.

And the day after that as well.

For the duration of the next week, Jessa practically lived in the front yard. She would sip her morning coffee while keeping a broomstick tucked firmly under her arm like a weapon. Since the representatives from Penny's biological family arrived like clockwork, Jessa was always caffeinated and ready to drive them away.

"Penny, do you have any idea who those people are?" Yuri asked as she walked alongside her bicycle. "Mom seems to get angrier every single day because of them."

Yugi spat on the ground in disgust. "Pah! They’re just pestering us because they're envious of our wealth!"

Penny’s expression shifted slightly.

"It doesn't matter. Auntie is taking care of it, so we shouldn't let it bother us," Penny remarked calmly.

"Penny's right! Mom is going to keep chasing them until they finally give up!" Yuri added enthusiastically. "I wonder what's for dinner tonight?"

"All you do is think about food, yet Penny is the only one putting on weight," Yugi teased, mocking his twin sister out of habit. In doing so, he was unintentionally taking a jab at Penny as well.

Penny looked at her cousin and felt a wave of satisfaction. In the past, these two had been her tormentors, but now that she had essentially raised them herself, they were as obedient as well-trained pets.

Penny felt quite glad that she hadn't decided to just poison the whole family.

As the three children made their way home, they found a car obstructing the path at the end of the street. They exchanged glances just as a man dressed in an expensive suit stepped out to face them.

"Miss Penny, we represent the Bennet Family. Could we trouble you for a moment of your time?"

The man standing before Penny was tall and appeared to be in his late thirties. She recognized him instantly; he was the one who had promised to protect her in her first life. While he had been kind back then, he was rarely around when she actually needed him.

"Aren't you the creeps who've been bothering our family for weeks?!" Yugi shouted, jumping in front of Penny to shield her. "What are you doing, trying to ambush kids in the street?"

Meanwhile, Yuri let her bike fall to the ground and gripped Penny’s arm tightly.

The man’s gaze shifted from the twins to Penny. "Young Miss."

"Penny isn't going anywhere with you!" Yuri screamed. For a second, the viciousness of her personality from the previous life flickered through. Penny nearly shuddered, hearing that harsh tone come from the now-timid Yuri.

"We aren't kidnapping anyone..."

"Stay back or we'll scream for help!" Yugi yelled, arms outstretched to protect the girls. He had clearly inherited his mother’s defensive streak. "I'm counting to three—one, two—"

"Yugi, stop." Penny interrupted before he could finish. "I will speak with them."

"Penny, you can't! Mom warned us never to trust strangers!" Yuri’s voice was thick with anxiety as she held onto Penny even tighter. "These people are dangerous."

While they certainly weren't trustworthy, Penny knew they wouldn't hurt her. Even if they were her real family, snatching her without Jessa’s consent was still a serious crime.

Penny gave them a comforting smile. "It’s alright," she assured them. "I don't believe they mean any harm. I won't be long."

"Then we're coming too!" Yugi insisted firmly. "We aren't leaving you alone with them."

If they came along, they would discover that Penny wasn't actually their cousin.

"No. Go home," Penny said, giving Yugi a pointed, meaningful look. "Please."

Yugi misinterpreted the look in her eyes as a silent plea to go get help. He nodded quickly and ushered Yuri away. Though she was hesitant, her brother dragged her off toward the house.

Once the twins were gone, Penny accompanied the Bennet representatives to a nearby park at her own request. Sitting on a swing, the man looked at the young, chubby girl beside him.

"I'm sorry we had to approach you this way, Young Miss. Your auntie refuses to let us near you or even listen to what we have to say." The man let out a weary sigh. "I am Haines Bennet. I'm guessing your aunt hasn't explained why we've been visiting every day."

Haines laid out the situation with great care. Their research indicated that Penny was a prodigy, so he spoke to her with the respect one would show an adult rather than a child.

"I apologize that it has taken us such a long time—"

"Even if what you say is the truth, why are you the one here?" Penny interrupted, looking him directly in the eye for the first time. "Shouldn't my parents or my grandfather be the ones here instead of an uncle? If they truly wanted me back, shouldn't they show their sincerity by coming themselves?"

Haines was taken aback. The little girl's round eyes were adorable, yet they held a fierce intensity.

"Uncle, I appreciate that you've been coming to the house every day. I know you aren't a bad person, but I am content with my life as it is," she went on. "My family takes excellent care of me. Please understand that I want to keep things this way."

Haines wanted to protest, but he was cut short.

"You people again!" Jessa’s furious voice suddenly rang out. "I warned you to stay away, but you're even more pathetic than I imagined!"

Jessa grabbed Penny’s arm roughly, pulling her back while glaring at Haines with pure hatred. "If you don't stop stalking my family, I'll make sure you regret it! Penny, we're leaving. Don't you ever speak to these people again!"

"Auntie—"

"Silence, Penny!" Jessa snapped, giving Haines one last look of disdain. "This is your final warning, mister. I suggest you take it seriously, because you won't like what happens if you don't."

With that, Jessa marched Penny back home.

Penny glanced back at Haines one last time, but a smile touched her lips when she looked at Jessa. At that moment, she genuinely believed it might be possible to avoid the Bennet mansion forever. Jessa was not the type to back down, and the one thing Penny desired in this life was to never see her biological family again—especially her brothers.

Over the next month, Haines stopped appearing, and Penny heard nothing more from them.

However, fate has a cruel way of forcing things back onto their original path.

Just two days before the date she was originally supposed to return to the Bennet Mansion, Yuri was suddenly struck down by a life-threatening illness.