After Zach left, Penny focused intently on the files on her computerHowever, the lingering sensations in her body distracted her until she had to force herself to concentrate on an upcoming meeting with the executives.The meeting lasted three hours, taking up most of the afternoon.She received news from Liam that Sam had been hospitalized and would need several months to recover."Everyone is saying that Caleb fought with him. The Fergersons and the Baileys don't usually cross paths in business. It was because of you, wasn't it?""Yes," Penny replied."Things have already escalated this far, but the two of you are still not together?! What the hell! Why are you two so stubborn?!"Penny opened her mouth to ask something, but she quickly stopped herself.Liam continued, "If he doesn't like you, why go to the trouble of offending Sam Bailey, that rabid dog? You don't know how many people in the circle are scared of Sam. "Those from the Baileys who looked down on him in the pa
Khloe threw a cup from the table, smashing it to pieces on the floor.Realizing she was genuinely angry, a smirk curled on Florence's lips."Ms. Strauss, you might not know this, but Penny has ensnared many men. Her beauty and boldness make most men willing to fall for her. Even if Caleb marries you, he'll definitely take the bait if Penny were to lower her dignity to seduce him."Khloe closed her eyes, and her tone was indifferent when she spoke."I'll use the Strausses' influence to keep you and your cronies out of jail. But Astral Motion’s share prices can't be saved. Penny has already made a public statement, and the authorities will surely investigate. "You have two choices—jail or pay a substantial amount to secure your freedom. Choose.""Ms. Strauss, I choose freedom, the second option!"Khloe sneered, watching as Wind quietly swept up the broken pieces. A smile was playing on her lips."Ms. Turner, you may leave. But remember, I'm not saving you for nothing. You must c
After leaving Khloe's residence, Florence got into her own car.As she held onto the steering wheel, she was well aware that she had to cause significant trouble for Penny next!Only then would Khloe let her go. Otherwise, Khloe's retaliation would be far more terrifying than prison.Her thoughts immediately turned to Jeanie.With Sam lying in the hospital, the guards at Jeanie's place were likely less strict. Florence decided she needed to get Jeanie out.Jeanie had been disfigured and confined for so long. One could only imagine the resentment in her heart.A smirk formed on Florence's lips as she headed to the Baileys' residence.Her excuse to the guards at the door was simple."I had a word with Mr. Bailey beforehand. I’m just here to visit Ms. Bailey and bring her a gift. It was personally selected by Mr. Bailey."Ever since Jeanie had been confined, Sam had not sent any gifts.The guards recognized Florence, who had previously sought out Sam by the river.Without suspi
Then Liam looked at Penny with a sly smile and spoke in a casual tone."You know, when I used to drink with these guys, my cousin never liked answering my calls. He'd just hang up. Recently, because of the issues with the Fergersons, he's been answering my calls. But he definitely wouldn't show up here. I bet in less than a minute, he'll call again."As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang. It was indeed Caleb calling.Liam did not answer but playfully nudged Penny's shoulder with his own."See, he never calls me first. He's really anxious this time."Liam declined the call in front of Penny.Just a few seconds later, Caleb called once more.Just as Liam had said, Caleb was indeed very anxious.Liam kept hanging up, and this time, Caleb tried to video call him.Liam's glass nearly dropped to the floor. He knew his cousin was anxious, but he did not expect him to be this desperate.He could not believe there would come a time when Caleb would video call him in his life
Penny hugged Caleb's waist from behind, her forehead resting against his back as she stood a head shorter than him.She just held him like that without saying a word.Caleb looked down at the hands wrapped around his waist and placed his hand over hers. Feeling the softness of her fingertips, he realized this was not a dream."Are you drunk?" The powerful after-effects of the drink must have affected her. She must be drunk.Penny hugged him even tighter.For a moment, Caleb felt as if the surrounding chaos had vanished, leaving only the sound of their heartbeats.He lowered his eyelashes, turned around, and pressed her firmly against the wall.Before Penny could react, he kissed her.His palm grasped her fingers, placing them on the buttons of his suit as he kissed her while walking toward the elevator.The elevator was empty. Caleb had a room on the top floor of Sky Lounge, where they had been before.If he were not worried about the elevator camera capturing Penny, he wou
After getting dressed, he leaned over and gently patted Penny's face."Penpen, there's a lead on Grandpa, and I need to go abroad. You keep sleeping. I'll have the waiter bring in breakfast later."Penny did not wake up, so Caleb resolutely shook her awake.Bleary-eyed, Penny saw him leaning down to kiss her firmly on the lips."I'm going abroad for a while. Make sure you eat well, okay?""Okay."She responded drowsily, too exhausted to stay awake. She turned over to go back to sleep.He pulled her into his arms, his voice growing tender."We're together now. I've already announced it publicly. You can't back out.""Mm, okay."Penny agreed in a haze, too drained from being tormented all night twice in a row to muster any energy.Even though Caleb did not want to leave her, he had to go. He looked back three times with each step. He had to leave because it concerned Sir Fergerson.…Penny woke up at noon, still feeling weak and drained.Moreover, after drinking the potent
When Florence received Khloe's urgent reminder, sweat began dripping down her forehead.Public opinion on the internet was still raging. She had already released Jeanie, but Jeanie had not taken any action last night.Her hands were tightly gripping the steering wheel, and after making several inquiries, she learned that Caleb had gone abroad.Taking a deep breath, she immediately informed Jeanie of this news. With Caleb away, it was the best time to deal with Penny.Jeanie got excited at this, but Florence still reminded her, "You only have one chance. Don't go and get yourself killed without achieving anything. Penny is not that easy to deal with.""That bitch just relies on Caleb anyway!"Hatred seethed in Jeanie's eyes. She wished she could drive over and run Penny over right now."Jeanie, what you need to do is make her suffer so much that she wishes for death, which is much more painful than physical harm."Florence did not want to say much to this simple-minded fool. She
In the dimly lit room, it was almost impossible to see each other's faces clearly."Penpen, just come with me."His voice remained gentle, but Penny sensed an intentional undertone in his warmth.Was it just her imagination?"Casby, I want to leave. I made it clear last time that our agreement has expired."Last time, she had felt dizzy and disoriented for several days. She woke up without seeing him or receiving any explanation. This made her wary of him even though he was once the beautiful dream of her youth."Penpen, I'm sorry I made you unconscious the last time."Even though he was apologizing, his tone did not seem sincere at all.Penny's unease deepened, and she quietly took a step back.However, the effects of the drugged drink coursed through her, making her feel unbearably hot and on the verge of breaking down.She turned to leave through the same small door she entered. She intended to head back to Dawn Haven Villa for a cold bath to clear her mind.However, a pa
Penny was displeased but was too shy to voice it out. Her body felt empty.“Are you happy that he’s back?” “No.” “Then, do you want me?” Penny bit her lip. He had caused sweat to break out across her body. Caleb’s phone rang. Finn was on the other end of the line. He answered the phone, and Finn’s voice rang out. “Imperial City is going to be in chaos tonight. The higher-ups are hunting for the results of Caspian's experiments, and even Uncle Shawn is getting involved in this. "He just called and told me that the higher-ups contacted him and basically forced him to agree to convince Caspian to give them the results. "Cas has also contacted the higher-ups himself and told them that unless Penny is by his side, the mental torture he was subjected to will stop him from recalling where he’s put the chip.” It was a matter of national security, and this was what Caspian was using as his bartering chip the minute he returned. There was no doubt the higher-ups would put a
Penny had made it out of the room by then. Her face was deathly pale. “Penny!” Caleb ran after her and pulled her into his arms. He pulled her behind a pillar where no one could see them. Caleb knew what was going through her mind, and he held her face in his hands. She did not look at him. Her chest heaved as she struggled to process the truth. Caleb did not know what to say and merely brushed the tip of his nose against hers. When she did not resist, he slowly moved down and kissed her. He knew why Caspian had chosen this sort of appearance. Not only would he manage to devastate Penny, but he could also announce to everyone that he was Penny’s first love. That way, he could also cause Caleb to find himself in a sticky situation. However, Caleb could not care less. As he kissed Penny, he tightened his arms around her waist. Their breaths turned ragged as they continued kissing for another ten minutes. Finally, he rested his forehead on her shoulder. His back was slig
Despite everyone staring at him, Caleb only had eyes for Penny. Penny did not know the reason behind that, and her brows were knitted together tightly as she watched Caspian make his way down from the second floor. He took the ring from the host and placed it before her solemnly. “I’m here to fulfill my promise, Penpen.” Penny wanted to smack his hand away, but he slowly bent over and smiled as he took her hand. He tried to put the ring on her finger, but his actions were stopped by someone else. He looked in the direction where the hand had come from, and his gaze met Caleb. “Long time no see, Caleb.” Caleb pulled Penny from her seat into his arms. She was left with no choice but to sit on his lap. Caleb could not care less about whatever sort of tricks Caspian would pull. If he allowed Caspian to put that finger on Penny’s finger, he would change his last name! Penny wanted to struggle out of his grasp, but the warmth of his body caused her to stop. He was still
Some people were speculating if they had gotten back together again, and some were even wondering if Caleb was blind. Why did he pass on Khloe Strauss and choose a designer who did not come from a prestigious family? No matter how well Penny ran her company, these people would still view her as a lowly designer fighting to make a name for herself in the market. She ignored everyone else’s stares and merely took a piece of tissue. She turned slightly to wipe the sweat from Caleb’s forehead. Caleb opened his eyes slightly and looked at her. The two did not say anything. Plenty of people were standing around them, but the light above their heads seemed to have enveloped them in a world of their own. Penny felt her heart rate increase as she clutched the tissue and returned her gaze to the stage. “This is a piece of emerald that Mr. Winston Hill has donated. Bidding starts at three million dollars.” Everyone’s gaze turned toward Winston. Winston smiled at everyone as he int
Ethan patted her head and then noticed Sean's gaze shifting toward them."Sean?"Sean leaned back and remained silent, merely twirling his phone between his thumb and forefinger. His lowered lashes cast a shadow.He stood up and heard Ethan say again, "Leave your phone."Sean chuckled. "Ethan, you're being too serious right now."He left his phone behind and went upstairs.Khloe continued to sway Ethan's shoulders."Ethan, I had Wind take action against Penny tonight. This time, success is mandatory. Failure is not an option."Ethan's expression turned grave instantly. "Didn't I tell you not to act on your own?""But I nearly lost my life because of her, twice."After saying this, she touched the area over her heart, her complexion turning pale in a moment."Khlo?"This time, Khloe genuinely felt discomfort in her heart, and the next second, she fainted."Khlo!"Ethan was no longer concerned about reprimanding her and immediately took her to the hospital.…Tonight, the
After returning to Dawn Haven Villa, Penny pulled up her laptop to check public opinion. There were those who vilified Zach, those who vilified her, and even more who vilified S.M. The autistic child's mother, who had published that post online, was even planning to hold a press conference today to accuse S.M. of not having contacted her yet.Penny obtained the mother's contact number and made a call, but the woman did not answer.After just testing the waters, Penny hung up. She then had people from Dawn Haven Villa follow the autistic child's parents and also had someone investigate the whereabouts of Linda and her group.After leaving Sky Lounge last night, that group of wealthy youths checked into a villa Khloe had purchased in Imperial City.The villa had helpers to attend to them, and the group of wealthy youths lived it up.Penny had a rough idea of the culture in Americana, which was much more open than here, with many policies far more lenient.Her fingertips tapped on
A lot of people had gathered around the police station. Zach had just won a grand prize and was currently a top male star with many fans.Hence, being embroiled in a scandal like this shocked the entire internet.The post written by the autistic child's parents placed Zach directly in the spotlight.The combination of the words 'child', 'abuse', and 'autism' had a huge impact.Fans were voicing their disbelief, but bystanders had already boiled over with rage online, hurling insults and curses.S.M. instantly became the target of public condemnation!When Penny arrived at the entrance of the police station, Zach's agent, Otis, was already waiting there. The grown man was crying so hard his eyes were red."Ms. Sullivan!"He immediately stood up from the ground when he saw Penny."I'm sorry, Ms. Sullivan."Penny did not look at him and headed straight into the police station.Zach was sitting on a bench with a police officer still questioning him.Penny had a strong presence.
Penny stood still for a while, feeling unsettled as she got back into the car.Firstly, it was due to her situation with Caleb. Secondly, it was because of Ethan's words. Was something about to happen?She looked up, intending to speak with Winona. However, she suddenly heard Winona's soft sobs. She was lying on the steering wheel, so engrossed in her emotions that she did not notice Penny getting into the car."Winona?" Penny called out.Awakened from her daze, Winona quickly sat up straight. "Ms. Sullivan.""Did your ex-boyfriend come looking for you again? Haven't you already paid him back? Won't his family let you be?""That’s not it.""Is it because he and that woman are getting married? Did they send you a wedding invitation, which made you feel upset?""No."Then what was it?Penny knew that the family situations of the people close to her were quite simple. Winona came from a single-parent family, and her mother did not care much for her.Raven's parents had passed a
Ethan's gaze fell on Penny, and his brows furrowed. His good upbringing prevented him from making any sarcastic remarks at this moment.After all, Penny was alone on her side. On the contrary, they had strength in numbers. Khloe was just discharged from the hospital today and was planning to welcome friends who had come all the way from Americana to see her.Seeing Penny alone, she felt a surge of satisfaction.Given her status as Ms. Strauss, she had many friends in Americana and would never be as isolated as Penny.She had specifically called Linda over, knowing Linda's temper was explosive. Just a little sob story from her and Linda could spew out some really nasty words.Linda spoke up again at this moment."Slut, we'll get you killed sooner or later!"She touched her face as she glared fiercely at Penny as if she wanted to devour her alive.Khloe quickly intervened, saying, "Linda, let's go. We should head inside."Ethan, Sean, let's go."Sean stood by, sighing slightl