Chapter 1497: Why did they kill her?

"Yes, sir."

Clack.

Jonathan tossed his phone onto the table in front of him, his face a mix of emotions. He knew Penny or Zoren would make a move—but not this fast.

"Who?" he wondered aloud. "Is it Penelope, or Zoren?"

Did it matter?

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. It didn’t matter. Whoever had made the move didn’t change the fact that Jonathan was still in the clear.

"Good thing I was careful this time," he whispered, imagining what could’ve happened if he hadn’t been prepared.

In his first life, Jonathan had fallen because he’d been complacent. That would not happen again. He’d poked Penny once, and she had returned it ten times worse. He’d tested the waters, and Penny had shown him that testing them wouldn’t just cause ripples—it would cause a tsunami.

Slowly, Jonathan leaned back and rocked his head. "They’re not the only ones who came back wiser," he murmured. "I, too, have prepared for this all my life."

He wouldn’t fall that easily.

Just as he began to calm himself, Jonathan saw his phone light up again. Reaching for it, the corner of his mouth curled into a smirk.

He answered. "What is it?"

There was a moment of silence before a woman’s voice came through.

"So, you already heard?" she remarked. "That one of my bases is currently on fire."

"I was told, yes."

"Were you also told that my men are dead?"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow, then answered slowly. "No."

"Well, that’s surprising," the woman on the other end of the line said, leisurely checking her nails while holding the phone with the other hand. "I thought you’d know that too, since you knew one of my branches was attacked."

"My men come and go in your bases," Jonathan explained, his voice relaxed. "So, hearing that one is on fire would surely reach me. But from the sound of it, you seem to think... I’m involved with their deaths too."

The woman smirked. "Is there a reason for me to suspect you?"

"My answer won’t change anything," Jonathan replied coolly. "If you suspect me, what can I do? I’ve tried my best to please you."

"But so far, I’m not pleased. Your best seems lacking now, Nathan."

Jonathan kept his mouth pressed into a thin line, his eyes narrowing. "You have your men around. Why not check who did it?"

"Bold of you to think I’d be making this call without knowing who’s behind the fire," she said with a shallow, amused chuckle. "The person who did it didn’t even try to hide. He wants me to know it was him."

"Him?"

The woman smirked again. "Yes, him. Zoren Pierson."

Jonathan held his breath, his shoulder tensing slightly. He had guessed earlier, but hearing her confirm it was enough to make his body react.

His mind and heart might’ve moved on from the past life, but his body—and the depths of his soul—still remembered the Zoren Pierson of the past.

"He’s getting too cocky now, is he?" the woman chuckled. "Well, who can I blame but myself? It seems I’ve been very lenient lately. And now, people keep snooping around my business."

Jonathan shook his head, trying to maintain focus. "Don’t worry," he said. "I’m putting my plan in motion."

"Oh?" The woman raised her brows, clearly intrigued. "Is it starting now?"

"Yes," Jonathan said with confidence. "The small branch is just a casualty. Next time, the entire Anteca will be yours."

The woman nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. I’ll wait for good news, then."

With that, the call ended.

Jonathan slowly lowered his phone, his eyes glinting. It was a good thing his plans were perfectly timed.

"All of you..." he trailed off, running his tongue across his inner cheek. "...will fall."

This time, he wouldn’t fail.

Everyone on his list... would die. Because in this world, it was either him or them. There was no in-between.

---

[SHORT FLASHBACK]

"This way, sir."

Jonathan turned to the officer standing at the side. He nodded at him and followed the officer down the hall until they reached a room.

"Please, while inside, don’t touch anything," the officer explained the safety protocol to him. Jonathan simply nodded, and the officer politely opened the door for him.

Stepping into the room, Jonathan glanced at the window. It was the observation room, and on the other side was the empty chair—the chair where prisoners on death row would be electrocuted to death. Facing it squarely, his eyes remained fixed on the execution chair.

He showed no sign of emotion, keeping his gaze steady before briefly glancing at the few people in the room with him. Nothing was said; this wasn’t an occasion for casual talk. Everyone was silent, preparing for the execution.

After some time, the guards arrived, dragging a petite woman inside. At first glance, one might wonder if she was even capable of hurting a fly. She was too thin, her face gaunt, and her complexion pale. The irony was that, because of her busted lips, they were a vivid red.

Even so, it didn’t mask the lifelessness in her eyes.

She was being dragged around like a doll, letting the officers strap her into the chair. Even as they shaved her head and applied wet sponges to it, she said nothing. She didn’t even cry. Though her fingers trembled, her body’s reaction to her impending doom.

Yet Jonathan didn’t show the slightest emotion—no fear, no sympathy, nothing. It was as if he weren’t watching a pre-execution, not because he had no soul, but because he knew... this wouldn’t happen.

’You’ll live,’ he thought, staring at the woman in the chair, who was now being blindfolded. ’Penelope Bennet. You’ll be my last key.’

The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk just as he heard the signal. As soon as the person was given the go-ahead, someone pulled the lever that powered the machine attached to her head.

The moment the electrocution hit, Penny’s body convulsed, her teeth clenched.

Jonathan furrowed his brows. ’Is this supposed to happen?’ he wondered, but the next second, her skin began to smoke, and bruises appeared on her body. She didn’t scream, just gritted her teeth as the current flowed through her.

But before the thirty-second mark could hit, something strange happened—half of her blindfold slipped off. Jonathan could’ve sworn she met his eyes with her blood-clotted gaze.

And before she died, before the thirty seconds ended, she looked at him.

**

A sound of retching echoed through the men’s bathroom, causing those coming and going to glance at the cubicle where the noise was coming from.

Inside the cubicle, Jonathan wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his eyes wide. "What in the..." he trailed off. "She...was not supposed to die, right?"