Caleb stepped on the gas and throttled ahead at full speed. He moved so quickly that he did not even have enough time to ponder why he was so worried and scared. The one-hour journey only took him 40 minutes. He heard a loud thump behind him after he drove past a stretch of road. It turned out a boulder had rolled down from the mountains and landed square in the middle of the road. The path to return was blocked. He did not stop but continued ahead to The Sandfish. His visibility of the road became even lower, and he practically barged his way to the cottage blindly. When he arrived at the cottage, he immediately spotted the car parked in front of it. He quickly opened the door and hurried over to knock on the window. Penny was leaning against the steering wheel. She was actually feeling quite scared. She was stranded here during a sandstorm, and the knocking sounds on her windows were becoming louder and louder. “Penny!” Caleb knocked on her window again. Penny vag
At that moment, Caleb stood behind Penny with his chest pressed against her back. He was also looking out of the window.Penny could almost hear the sound of his heartbeat.When she had blow-dried Caleb’s hair the previous night and he held her in his arms without saying a word, she got a vague feeling that Caleb was upset.Perhaps it was because women were naturally inclined to feel maternal, so she empathized with him.It was as if she was the one who had been discarded.She thought to herself, ‘But could that be true for Caleb? He’s a prodigy. Just a beckon from him could make countless people do anything for him.’As such, she dismissed that fleeting feeling in her mind.That was because Caleb had regained his strong stance after that brief moment.It was as though that brief moment of vulnerability had been an illusion.Caleb increased the distance between them. He made a call to the person in charge to tell them that he was safe at the cottage. He asked them not to worry
Meanwhile, on Penny's side, the sandstorm showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.She sat in the chair for a bit before she started feeling tired.Caleb checked the injury on her knee and found that it was healing well. "We'll have to make do here for the night. The only way out is blocked due to a landslide. We can't go back until the sandstorm stops and the county’s road inspectors clear the path."A large boulder was blocking the road, and it would require more than one person to move it.Penny wondered how Caleb knew about the landslide.Nonetheless, she kept her questions to herself.Things felt a little awkward once they stopped talking, especially in such weather where they had no choice but to stay together in a makeshift shelter-like house.Caleb was a germaphobe and did not feel comfortable in his dusty clothes.In just a minute, Penny saw him furrowing his brows multiple times.She hurried to the bathroom. She was relieved to find that although it was narrow, ther
Penny grabbed Caleb's shirt and made her way to the bathroom for a shower. Her hair was damp when she came out, so she used a hairdryer to dry it. She put her hair in a casual twist before she hesitantly sat on the bed.Glancing at the clock, she realized it was already ten in the evening. The outside had plunged into darkness.The sandstorm continued to bang on the windows, but aside from that, the interior of the house felt surprisingly cozy.Although there was an absence of air conditioning, the sandstorm made the room slightly chilly.Penny sneezed, which prompted Caleb to wrap his arms around her with his chest against her back."Feeling cold?" There were no other blankets, but at least the bed was soft."A little." His chin rested on the top of her head, and he pulled her close. The sound of Penny's heart beating wildly resonated in her ears, adding an edge of unease to the moment.However, his embrace made her feel much warmer. It was not cold to begin with in the s
Penny's concern for Zane was paramount, given that he only had three months to live. She was determined to find Maeve's child within that time frame even though the task seemed more daunting than scaling a mountain.A sleepless night passed, and the sandstorm had ceased the following morning. Union County's officials arrived to check in on them."Mr. Fergerson, we're relieved to see you safe.""Yesterday, we were worried sick. You..."The official intended to ask him why he left the villa by car, but a warning look from Caleb prompted him to hold his tongue.The group returned to the county town, and Penny found herself seated next to Caleb once again. She could distinctly feel Leo's gaze upon her. It was filled with resentment and disappointment.When they arrived at Union Square, Penny had barely stepped out of the car when she heard Jenni's voice in the distance. She was berating her loudly.Jenni approached with determined strides, her hand raised as if to slap Penny."
Penny remained oblivious to the Eastons' turmoil as she was preoccupied with her urgent return to Imperial City. Caleb needed to stay back to discuss the development of the beach, so she embarked on the journey alone.Concern lingered in her mind as she wondered if The Rosarium, too, had fallen victim to the thieves. After hours of driving, she arrived at The Rosarium.Nani was sound asleep inside the house. While Penny was away, she got people to feed and take care of her.She looked around and was relieved to find no signs of intrusion. She promptly ordered surveillance cameras—one for the entrance and three others for the living room and various areas. They would allow her to monitor the premises remotely.The house did not hold many valuable items, the most noteworthy being the blank notebook she had received as a birthday gift. It was unclear what was tucked inside that blank notebook.She furrowed her brows, picked up the box, and headed to Dawn Haven Villa.The out
Penny sued Yvette without any hesitation!She submitted the evidence of the painting her master had given her as proof. Yvette had never experienced such humiliation in her life. However, if she refused to comply, it would be seen as contempt of court.She trembled with anger as she looked at the lawyer who delivered the summons."What else did she say?"Yvette had hired the lawyer. She was caught off guard as she did not expect Penny to take this route. It was also a surprise for the lawyer that someone was suing their husband's grandmother, especially in a prestigious family like the Fergersons.In such elite families, the wives who married into the family usually treated the husband's side of the family with utmost respect. Someone so daring was unprecedented.Word had already spread in Imperial City. Some even went to the Fergersons to inquire about the situation.Liam was among the first to hear about it. He was dumbfounded and nearly choked on his drink. "Say that
"Grandpa, I have something to attend to in Union County."Sir Fergerson's gaze immediately turned sharp."Why do you keep returning there? Are you seeing some woman over there?"Caleb's heart skipped a beat as he feared that Sir Fergerson might dig into it and discover something. That might lead to Penny being sent away.Sir Fergerson's methods were just as ruthless as his."I'll be back this afternoon."His tone was casual, but a familiar sense of annoyance settled in after he hung up the call.Caleb sent a message to Penny.[What exactly are you trying to achieve?]Penny pursed her lips when she saw the message he sent to her private number.[I'm protecting my legal rights.]Caleb found it amusing and thought to himself, ‘Legal rights? What rights does she have to speak of?’[Withdraw the lawsuit.][Why?]Caleb's anger flared up immediately when he saw her one-word reply.However, for some reason, the tone did not quite match the image he had of her. Caleb wondered,
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