“I can be your plus one!” She cried out excitedly. Caleb averted his gaze as he put his cup down. “I’m not attending the auction, Charlotte.” In other words, he meant he did not need her to be his plus one.Charlotte paled. Since he was already putting things that way, it would not be a good idea for her to insist. She tried giving herself an out. “Oh, got it. Are you flying there to deal with problems that have made themselves apparent in one of your overseas projects?” Caleb nodded and turned to his computer. He sent Penny a text. [Accompany me on an overseas trip tomorrow.]Penny was visiting Lucas at the hospital when she received that text. Lucas insisted he wanted to be discharged, so she was going through the discharge procedures and dropping him off at home. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend more time resting in the hospital?”She was why all this had happened to Lucas in the first place. “It’s alright, Penny. These are all just surface-level injuries.
Relationships were the one thing Penny was not well-versed in. She did not sense anything amiss in Caleb’s tone and answered him obediently. “It’s what I should be doing.” Caleb did not answer. He unbuttoned his shirt to prevent himself from losing his breath. Then, he hung up the phone. Penny was surprised by the dial tone. Had she said something wrong? Caleb’s temper was so erratic. In the evening, Caleb returned to his hotel room. The floors had been cleaned, but he had left instructions that no one was to change his bedsheets. In the past, he usually requested cleaned sheets as well. He tossed his suit jacket aside. When he walked into the bedroom and saw the messy sheets, memories of the previous night immediately appeared in his mind. Her black hair had fanned across the pillows, forming a stark contrast against her fair skin. Despite doing it twice, he still was not satisfied and ended up pressing her up against the windows. The windows offered a view of th
There was something in his way. Penny wanted to get up, but he forced her down again. The tips of her fingers brushed against his hair, which was still damp. He had probably taken a shower and left without drying his hair properly. Penny had also just taken a shower, but her hair was dry and draped over her shoulders. Her tiny face peeked out from between her hair.She finally understood why Caleb had instructed the concierge the way he had. To Caleb, she was married to Lucas Sanchez. He thought Lucas would be here at her home. By meeting her in the parking garage, he was right when he said they were having an affair.It was not particularly late either. It was only nine o’clock, which meant her neighbors could appear at any moment. That made Penny feel somewhat uncomfortable, and she was just about to bring that up when he put a hand on the back of her head and kissed her passionately. The kiss was so passionate she could not catch her breath and struggled against him.
She put on the clothes placed next to her and then picked up her phone. Her phone had been turned on again. It showed several missed calls from Lucas and a message from Caleb. He had gone overseas. Penny immediately felt a clarity come over her when she saw that message. If Caleb had gone overseas, didn’t that mean no one would torment her for the next two days? She washed her face. Her initial plan was to return to The Rosarium, but she realized she was too exhausted for that. Her body was exhausted, sore, and aching. An employee quietly entered with a room service trolley and left without asking any further questions. They had also brought a medicine kit with them.Penny recognized the medicines in it.She had bought the same stuff from a hospital before. It looked like Caleb himself knew he had gone overboard last night. Penny took a shower before applying the medication. After taking a fever reducer, she lay down on the couch and fell asleep. Her initial plan wa
Charlotte knew how he felt about his wife, and a disdainful look appeared in her eyes.That woman did not even deserve to have a name. She pretended she was giving him some kind-hearted advice. “But if she gets banished from the Fergerson family, she'll find it difficult to remarry.”An impatient look appeared on Caleb’s face as he boarded the car waiting for him outside the airport. “That’s none of my business.” Charlotte got into the car with him, hoping to showcase her magnanimity.“Will she get any shares of your assets when the divorce happens?” Caleb sneered. Had the Sullivan family not already gotten enough benefits from the Fergerson family?The woman had even gotten Dawn Haven Villa, and she should consider herself lucky that his grandfather had taken such a liking to her. If not, how else would she be worth this much?An ugly look appeared on Caleb’s face whenever that woman was mentioned. Sir Fergerson had called him thrice during his two-day trip to ask why
That upset Laura. “Why are you avoiding them? Those jerks should be the one running away from us!” Penny dragged her in and made sure Caleb had not seen her before she whispered to Laura. “Well, I’m having an affair as well, so we don’t owe each other anything.”Laura immediately smiled and put an arm around her shoulders.“Yes, yes, you’re right. I’d forgotten you’re a bad girl as well, Penny. I booked us a private room tonight. Tonight, you’ll learn what it’s like to indulge in a life of luxury.” The last time Laura said that, she had rented an entire amusement park to throw Penny a birthday celebration. Penny had gone through plenty of hardships growing up, and by the time Zane’s business took off, her mother, Maeve Easton, had passed away. Zane became extremely busy and usually took her with him to meet his clients. Either that, or he would take her to his new office. There, a bunch of middle-aged men congregated and talked about their dreams. She, a little kid, d
Finn showed little interest in the scene. He simply walked past Penny and entered the adjacent private room.Penny was impressed at herself for holding it together as she picked up the items strewn on the ground.Winston wanted to crouch down to help Penny gather her belongings, but he hesitated upon hearing Caleb's cold voice say, "Winston, head in."Winston raised an eyebrow and commented cheekily, "Oh dear, looks like someone's about to have a rough time."Penny's scalp tingled as she contemplated how Laura had managed to ensnare her in such a predicament. After Winston departed, Caleb and Penny were the only ones left.Coincidentally, one of the sex toys landed next to Caleb. As she reached to retrieve it, Caleb's polished shoe gently pinned it down.He crouched down and examined her face carefully. Penny managed to maintain composure under the circumstances as she had not expected Laura to gift her sex toys. She tugged at it, but Caleb did not let go.She took a deep br
Penny took a deep breath, put her arms around Caleb's neck, leaned in, and kissed him.In the few intimate encounters she had, Penny had always been in a passive position. She was uncertain of how to take charge.Caleb responded by pressing her against the door with a newfound assertiveness.The kiss deepened and lasted for ten minutes. Finally, Caleb released Penny and left her somewhat breathless. However, she had not forgotten about her request."Mr. Fergerson, what do you think?"All traces of his anger had dissipated entirely.Caleb looked at her and said, "I have germophobia.""I know.""Have you been with anyone besides your husband and me?""No."Her answer satisfied him, so he looked away. He opened the door, his tone easing as he said, "You can take a week off.""Thank you, Mr. Fergerson."Caleb ignored her and entered the elevator.Penny did not follow suit.As the elevator doors closed, Caleb felt the urge to smoke. The moment she kissed him, Caleb felt his
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