Penny quietly sighed in relief. But in reality, neither of them ate much, considering how late it was. Eating too much at this time could upset their stomachs.After only about ten bites each, Penny diligently got up to start cleaning up the dishes.She stored the leftovers in the fridge and put their used dishes in the sink. Just as she was squeezing dish soap into her palm, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist.It was typical of Caleb Fergerson. Since she entered the house, he had only grunted once during dinner. Now, while she was still washing the dishes, he initiated intimacy without saying another word.She had not even had time to react before he started kissing her."I have dish soap on my hands. Wait, wait."Nonetheless, he did not listen.In response, Penny accidentally smeared the dish soap directly onto his suit jacket. It was not her fault; it was him who was too impatient.She helped him take off his jacket, feeling dazed by his kisses.In the next mo
If Laura were here, Penny could have chatted with her about it. Then again, she remembered that she had discussed it with Laura before, which only sparked envy and jealousy.Penny rubbed her head as she felt a headache coming.Winona, observing her discomfort, thought Penny truly had a headache."Ms. Sullivan, why don't you take a break? You’ve been looking at files all day, and you're... probably tired from last night."Penny felt a bit awkward upon hearing this and instinctively looked down at her neck.Though somewhat concealed, the faint marks were still slightly visible. In the summer heat, it was impossible to wear a very high collar.She quickly pulled her collar up a bit.Winona sighed. "Mr. Fergerson really does have a lot of energy."It seemed that Caleb, who had called the previous night in apparent anger, was successfully appeased—and thoroughly so too.The marks were not severe, just a light pink, indicating the man had not been forceful.Penny lowered her hand s
"No." Penny quickly sat down in the car.Caleb instantly embraced her, his suit rubbing against her clothes.His long fingers trailed down her back, eventually settling at her waist, gently pressing on it.Penny was exhausted and sore from enduring an afternoon's worth of work. She merely closed her eyes in comfort as he massaged her.She fell asleep in Caleb's arms after finding a comfortable position.After the car stopped at Dawn Haven Villa, Caleb carried her out.Sebastian tactfully drove away, planning to return the next morning.Caleb walked to the master bedroom on the second floor, first placing her on the sofa. Then, he ran a bath, undressed her, and gently placed her in the water.Penny remained asleep throughout.Only when he gently massaged her sore spots did she murmur softly.Caleb glanced at her, took a towel to dry her off, and then carried her to the bed.Afterward, he took a shower himself.Penny was still deep asleep, half her face buried in the pillows.
Winona had been working overtime at the company until 3:00 am. She felt lightheaded as she descended the stairs.Just as she was about to get into her car, several men suddenly rushed out from the side. One of them struck her head with a stick, and she immediately passed out.The men, all wearing caps that were pulled down tightly, quickly dragged Winona into another car.Winona regained consciousness only after being doused with a bucket of cold water. As she lifted her head, she saw several masked men in front of her. The leader threw her phone toward her."Call Penny. Tell her to come and save you."It was clear they were targeting Ms. Sullivan.Initially, she refused to comply and turned her head away.The leader then squatted down, grabbed her hair, and forced her face upward before slapping her harshly."I advise you not to provoke us, or you'll have to entertain all five of us," he threatened.Winona's face turned aside from the impact, with blood trickling from the cor
After hanging up the phone, Penny saw Caleb standing at the scene, lost in thought.She approached him, asking with curiosity, "What's wrong?"Caleb shook his head. "Is your assistant okay?""Yeah."…Winona looked at the rapidly retreating street lights outside the window, awkwardly trying to cover herself with her torn clothes.The car stopped where she was currently living, a complex Penny had previously allocated to the artists.The complex was already well furnished, and several artists had moved in.The security was excellent; the guards at the gate knew each resident's name. Every time someone entered, they were thoroughly interrogated, and visitors had to leave their ID cards. The guards would also call the residents to confirm before allowing visitors in.Winona rolled down the car window and smiled at the guard who was still on duty late at night."Could you open the gate, please?"Recognizing her, the guard opened the large iron gate.Once at Winona's place, she
When she arrived at the office, she was already late. She had cleaned herself up and adjusted her mindset.Upon entering the office, Penny was already there and noticed Winona's pale complexion."Winona, you look very pale. Do you have a fever?"Winona quickly touched her face, which felt a bit warm."I might have caught a cold last night, Ms. Sullivan. I'll just take some medicine. I'll be fine.""I'm sorry for involving you yesterday. I had Caleb investigate those kidnappers, and we now know who sent them. This won't happen again.""Ms. Sullivan, you don't need to apologize. I don’t think it’s a big deal."Her vision blurred as they talked. After a few more words, she returned to her desk and hastily took an Advil.She was very tired, but the pain in her body kept her awake. It was a torturous cycle.She managed to get through the day at her desk until the evening. She barely finished her work. She then asked Penny for leave and took a cab home.The Advil did not help. Whil
Winona lay on the sofa, feeling dazed. Then, she sensed someone entering her room, and it was followed by Penny's voice."I sent you several messages, but you didn't reply. I got the spare key from the housekeeper. You're still feverish, so I've called a private doctor to check on you."Although Winona was delirious from the fever, she appreciated Penny's kindness.She tried to thank her but found she could not speak due to her sore throat.The doctor administered an IV, inserting the needle into the back of her hand.Penny observed the weak woman and the mottled marks visible through her nightgown. They were clearly not self-inflicted.When Winona mentioned her friend the previous night, she sounded hesitant.Now, it appeared that this man was no ordinary person.However, since Winona chose not to disclose details, Penny did not pry further out of respect for her privacy.She ordered some takeaway and then received a call from Caleb."It's Jeanie. Sam is still hospitalized,
Penny touched Winona's forehead and found that her fever had indeed subsided."Winona, are you sure you don't want to rest at home? As a businesswoman, I really do need you to come back to the company with me, but work should always come after your health.""I'm fine now, Ms. Sullivan."With that, Penny did not insist further, and the two hurried off to the company.For the next week, Penny hardly returned home, except for a few visits to Dawn Haven Villa. Each time, she would find Caleb waiting for her.However, she was so busy that each visit was brief. There was only enough time for her to grab some clothes and plant a kiss on Caleb's cheek before quickly leaving. Caleb was always left to sleep alone. He was initially understanding of the situation, but Caleb grew silent after a week of repeated neglect.The last time Penny returned to Dawn Haven Villa, Caleb was not there.Busy as she was, she called him, but he did not answer.Penny thought about driving to Fergerson Cor
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