CHAPTER 116: LAB RAT 2

This Chapter is dedicated to Sunshine_Allheart. Hey sunshine, I love you girl. Thanks for the golden ticket. (⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠³⁠˘⁠)⁠♥

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Penny stared at Barnaby calmly. She knew Osvaldo had forced his butler to do this, the older man’s body language screamed everything she needed to know.

"Are you sure Barnaby? Did Mr Osvaldo bully you into this?" Barnaby’s eyes turned wide.

No! His master had warned him that if his Penguin suspected anything, he was going to kill him.

"No!" He said quickly. "Master Osvaldo didn’t make me do anything, Miss Penny. It’s all me. You see I love you too..."

"That’s enough." Osvaldo interrupted as he walked over to the counter to pick the liquid in a little glass and passed it over to Barnaby.

He hoped this foolish man die for confessing to loving his Penguin. How dare he?

But what angered him was that his cute innocent Penguin felt pity for him.

For him?

How dare she?

She’s not allowed to feel pity for another man!

They all watched Barnaby pick the substance with shaky hands. He looked like a man about to die, yet could not do anything about it. This was better than Osvaldo ripping his heart out right in front of him.

"Drink Barnaby," Osvaldo ordered and the butler quickly drank everything in one go. Then he swallowed.

Barnaby stood there, waiting for his death.

How does it work?

... Okay, maybe a chest pain that would lead to a potential heart attack and then death?

Or maybe his intestines will suddenly shrink and then he’ll die from twisted intestines.

At least his life has been better since he started working for the Adkins, unlike his past life. At least his young master will give him a befitting burial after his death as he had promised.

...One second, two seconds, five seconds, thirty seconds, and then five minutes passed, but Barnaby didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary.

There was nothing strange in his body, except the aftertaste of bitterness that coated his tongue from the drug.

"Are you alright Barnaby?" Penny asked and he opened his eyes. He was alive and fine. Barnaby cried for joy.

He wasn’t dead...

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words left it.

What the fuck?

He tried to speak again, but no words came out. Barnaby was confused. Where did his voice go? How did he lose his voice?

Osvaldo who has been so pissed just moments ago, suddenly smiled. At least the universe was on his side this time. They have taken the voice of the man who dared declare love for his Penguin.

"Are you okay Barnaby?" Penny asked. Barnaby tried to talk, but he couldn’t say a word.

"I think we found the side effect, Grandpa." Penny turned to Darlington who stared at the man before him.

"I think so too. But we still don’t know how it would affect a madman." Osvaldo narrowed his eyes at his grandfather. He knew this old man was up to no good the very day he stepped foot in here.

"Then we’ll have to find another madman for it." He said calmly.

"Do not worry Barnaby, we’ll find a solution in no time," Penny assured the butler who looked like he would die if he didn’t speak even for a minute.

"I promise, we’ll find a solution for you." She placed her hands on his shoulder, and a certain man frowned at this. Did he not satisfy her enough that she was touching someone else?

"Grandpa can handle that." Osvaldo suddenly, jealousy written all over his face as he glared at his butler, who moved aside.

"That’s true, though it would take a day or two," Darlington assured.

"Then I and my Penguin shall take our leave. You should rest too Grandpa, I’m sure Barnaby can cope till morning." Osvaldo took Penny’s hands, a mischievous smile hanging on his lips as he stared at her.

Penny could feel her heart beating again. She had no idea why she felt this way about every little thing he did. She wasn’t feeling this way before, so why now?

She should limit the time she spends with him. Yes. She needs to give her heart a break.

"I... I don’t think that’s a good idea, Mr Osvaldo. I still have to help Grandpa with a few things in here." Penny took her hands away from his.

"It’s alright Penny dear. You should rest. We’ve been working for hours now."_"

Penny had forgotten so soon both men were the same. She bit her inner cheek, staring at Darlington.

"But..."

"No buts Penguin. I have something to show you." Osvaldo didn’t want to hear her protest as he led her out of the lab.

Penny struggled against his grip calmly, fighting to free her wrist from his hold, but she couldn’t. Her strength was nothing compared to his. Osvaldo didn’t stop dragging her down the halls till they reached a black door.

"Where are we?" Penny asked with ragged breath.

"Where else Penguin? Our second room." He pushed the door open and stepped in, his penguin directly behind him.

"What do you think?" Penny looked around the vast and beautiful room. It was vast and beautiful.

"It’s beautiful," Penny muttered calmly and then turned to look at him.

"Is this what you wanted to show me, Mr Osvaldo?" She asked.

"Do you not like it?" His voice was calm.

"It’s beautiful Mr Osvaldo don’t get me wrong. But this is not more important than Barnaby who has lost his voice." She said. "I should be helping Grandpa out with treating him, not staring at a newly decorated room. I can see this at any time." Osvaldo clenched his teeth.

That stupid Butler. His penguin hated him now because of that stupid man!

"Since you have nothing else to show me, I’ll leave now," Penny said, her voice firm as she turned to go.

But she didn’t get far.

Her back hit the door instead, hard enough to jolt her, and when she looked up, there he was.

Osvaldo placed both hands by the side of her ear. He smirked, trapping her in that dangerous, maddening way he always did.

"Who said you could leave?" he asked, voice low and lazy, like a purr from a predator. His arms caged her in, his body a breath away from hers.

"M... Mr. Osvaldo..." she whispered, eyes wide.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes dark with something wild and unspoken. "You think I’ll stand here and let you talk about another man in front of me?" His tone was velvet over steel. "Penguin... that makes me lose my mind." his voice was almost a whisper.

"But..."

"Shh..." he hushed, pressing his finger gently against her soft lips. "You don’t speak about other men when I’m around. Not their names. Not their smiles. Not even their shadows."

His breath ghosted over her skin. His touch was soft, but the way he looked at her... It sent shivers all the way down her spine.

"You’re not allowed to talk to them. Not allowed to look at them. Definitely not allowed to touch them." His voice dropped lower. "While you’re with me, you belong to me. Fully. Utterly. Mine."

Penny frowned, struggling against the heat rising in her chest. "That’s ridiculous. I’m not some possession you can just claim, Mr. Osvaldo."

He smirked, wicked and slow. "Oh, but you are. Didn’t you read the agreement? It’s in the contract. And if you disobey me..." He leaned in closer, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "...You know the consequences." Osvaldo chuckled at her reaction.

"Come Penguin. I missed spending time with you today." Osvaldo pushed himself off the door ascending into the room.