After Penny spoke, she heard the sound of rain from outside.Cornelius had just come out of the kitchen at that moment. Seeing the rain, he said with a smile, “After this, many fresh mushrooms will pop up tonight.”It seemed that Cornelius really loved the woods. He walked to the sofa, sat down, and started talking about the things one could find in the mountains, instantly dispelling the previous odd atmosphere.However, as time passed, the rain outside became heavier, almost turning into a torrential downpour. Visibility quickly decreased, and the sky seemed very dark.Such weather in the woods was indeed terrifying.Cornelius then spoke up.“I’ll have the maids prepare some rooms for you. Stay the night. Nobody should leave in this weather. It’s dangerous to drive down, and we don’t know if there are any landslides.”After saying this, he specifically looked at Penny.“Penny, since you came with Caleb, you should also stay. I won’t feel comfortable knowing you two are drivin
Penny felt a bit embarrassed at that moment because there was not a thread under her towel, and she was completely bare beneath. When Caleb saw her like this, she felt like her whole body was on fire.Caleb held a tube of ointment in his hand and was wearing only a shirt. A few buttons of the shirt were undone, revealing his collarbone.Below that, bandages could faintly be seen.Penny realized that he probably came for her to help him apply the ointment.Their rooms were close, and she had bandaged him up before.She did not know where Sebastian’s room was, so it made no sense for Caleb to go far.Caleb’s gaze fell on her for a moment, and he turned to go back to his room.However, Penny was worried that if the ointment was not applied, his wounds might worsen.After all, he was whipped because of her.“Are you here to apply the ointment? Come in,” she said, stepping to the side.Caleb hesitated, his brows furrowing.If it was another woman dressed like this inviting him in
The places her fingers touched warmed up.His breathing faltered for a moment.Penny, however, was earnestly applying the ointment, ensuring she had not missed a spot before she took the bandages. She wanted to re-wrap them.However, the action of wrapping the bandages, just like before, required her to lean in. Thus, the distance between the two of them shortened to the point where their breaths intertwined.Caleb had turned his head away, a frown forming on his face.Penny knew he did not like being too close to the opposite sex, so she sped up her actions.When she was about done, she sighed in relief, but as her breath touched Caleb’s skin, he could not help but lean back a little.“Mr. Fergerson, it’s done.”Penny felt awkward and hastily tried to step back.However, because Caleb had leaned back, he inadvertently pinned a corner of the towel. When she stepped back, the towel was held in place and proceeded to unravel.Caleb turned around, only to have a towel thrown rig
When Penny came to her senses, Caleb was no longer in the room.Only then did Penny get so frightened that she almost fell off the couch, her complexion changing.What was Caleb up to?Was it because she was wearing so little or because the ambiance was good that he got briefly lost in his feelings?She frowned belatedly, thinking about those kisses that fell like feathers on her earlobe and neck, making her whole body burn.When Penny stood up, her legs still felt weak. She made her way to the bathroom, noticing her neck had turned red.What on earth happened?She washed her face with cold water, trying to snap herself out of it.However, the cold water seemed to evaporate immediately upon contact with the heat of her face.Penny felt a kind of restlessness, as if someone had deliberately teased her and then left without explaining why.Could it be?Did Caleb also harbor such worldly desires?Recalling the night they shared, she realized she would not be able to sleep toni
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene became subtly tense.Caleb held his cup and calmly took a sip of tea.Penny, on the other hand, was momentarily flustered by the statement.However, she quickly regained her composure, lowered her gaze, and spoke with a nonchalant tone.“Yeah, but he’s not some wild man. I was out all night and didn’t go back, so my husband called me.”As she said this, she turned to look at Lily and gave a smile.This was the first time Lily had heard that she was married. She quickly felt a bit embarrassed, thinking her previous antagonism was somewhat silly.She cleared her throat softly, just as Cornelius decided to speak up.“Lily, you should apologize. Why are you so casually saying such things? It’s only because Penny is good-tempered that she doesn’t hold it against you.”Realizing she had no grounds to target Penny, Lily quickly apologized sincerely.“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were married.”If she had known that Pen
Penny was somewhat baffled, wondering when she might have provoked him.As she got into the car, she saw that Caleb was already reviewing documents. The suit he wore was different from yesterday’s. This time, it was gray, which still suited him perfectly. It was as though he was made for these clothes. A ray of sunlight grazed his brow, giving him an aura of distant nobility.After Penny sat down, she closed the car door.From outside, Lily’s voice could be heard. Soon enough, Lily, with a bag slung over her shoulder, squeezed into the car.“Caleb, I’m heading to school, and it’s on your way back. Could you give me a lift?”Caleb looked up from his documents. He slightly raised his jaw and replied coldly, “I’ll be held up in Union County for a few days. I’m not returning to Imperial City today.”By this time, Lily had already gotten into the car and was trying to squeeze closer to him.“That’s fine. I can visit Union County too.”Her intentions were clearly elsewhere.Penny,
Sensing the mood, Penny nodded with a light smile. “Alright, goodbye then.”After saying that, she immediately turned and left.Caleb stood still, watching her receding figure. After a few seconds, Lily tugged at him.“Caleb, what are you looking at?”He did not answer but instead turned and briskly walked toward the inner courtyard.Penny took a cab to Leo’s house. She saw a crowd had gathered, including neighbors, all pointing and whispering about the Eastons.The Eastons’ front door was closed shut. Leo and Sue stayed inside and did not come out.Outside were several burly men, holding rods, looking like the men her aunt mentioned who were there to confront Nathan.Penny approached one of the men who was holding a rod. He was tall and muscular, his biceps bulging. They looked like they could burst at any moment.“Hello, what exactly did Nathan Easton do? Why are you blocking their house?”The man was surprised that such a beautiful woman would suddenly approach and ask, so
Leo and Sue had looked at Penny with anticipation, as if she could truly find a solution.Nathan had hidden tightly behind her, making the scene rather comical.The surrounding neighbors pointed and whispered toward them, making Leo’s face turn red with embarrassment.Due to the issue with the house last time, the neighbors held strong opinions against him. He knew he was in the wrong and did not dare confront them.After all, even if the house was to be demolished, they had to wait for the government’s action. In the meantime, they still had to live there.Seeing how cowardly Nathan was acting, the few men could not help but laugh.“With that little courage, I really wonder how you ever dared to throw punches.”Nathan stiffened and remained silent but then heard Penny coldly ask, “If you’re not going to explain, I need to leave. It’s clear they're here for you. They probably won’t harm Uncle Leo and Aunt Sue. I’ve long hoped you’d learn a lesson or two.”Nathan held onto her a