When the two organizers saw Penny, their eyes lit up instantly. No one had expected Robert Zaki’s close disciple to be so young and beautiful.“Ms. Penny, hello. Our gallery is always open for your artwork.”“Our gallery is open as well.”Both eagerly handed her their business cards, clearly excited.Penny had always thought that once she finished all her tasks, she would open her own art studio and organize exhibitions.Yet now with the ongoing matters related to the Sullivans, even though she was tempted by the proposal, she had to politely decline for the time being.“Thank you. I hope we can collaborate in the future.”Besides, her hand was not in a condition to paint for a while.Caleb’s gaze had been on her ever since he noticed the white bandage around her hand. A frown formed on his brows.“What happened to your hand?”Charlotte, too, had injured her hand. However, it was just a minor dislocation that required a few days of rest. Penny, on the other hand, had her hand
At that moment, Penny had already stepped outside. Lucas’ car was parked not far away. She had just messaged him to come over.After all, Lucas was still getting paid. She wanted to make use of him before he left for Union County.As Penny turned the corner, she planned to head toward Lucas’ car.However, Caleb quickly grabbed her uninjured wrist.They had not completely left the garden, and there were still a few scattered people around. As they saw Caleb, their gazes shifted toward them.Penny lowered her head, looking at his slender fingertips with furrowed brows.“Mr. Fergerson, what can I help you with?”Caleb released her wrist. “I’ve been messaging you these past few days, but you never replied.”“Since they weren't related to Kensington Gardens, I didn’t think I needed to respond.”“Why didn’t you appreciate me drinking on your behalf earlier?" “Mr. Fergerson, you’re my client. When do clients shield their service providers from drinking alcohol?”With the word 'cli
However, Caleb found himself seemingly helpless.End her life?He seemed somewhat reluctant to do so.He gazed at her defiant face, contemplating another kiss, when a male voice rang out from behind.“Penny?”It was Lucas.Caleb keenly felt Penny’s body stiffen at the sound of that voice, and she quickly pulled away.“Lucas?”Penny called out, hastily moving to his side.Lucas glanced at her, then at Caleb. “Is everything okay?”He was not sure what had transpired, but Penny’s complexion looked off. From his perspective, it seemed like she had been coerced.Lucas, not wanting to offend Caleb, merely greeted, “Mr. Fergerson.”Caleb’s tongue hurt, having just been bitten. It made speaking painful.He heard Penny say, “Lucas, let’s go.”She wanted to go home and rest. She had not been sleeping well these past few days, constantly worried about her hand.Lucas nodded and was about to leave when Caleb spoke up. “Aren’t you curious about what she and I were doing here?”As he
Penny did not notice him. She was engrossed in her meal.Her right hand was injured and immobilized for the time being. Apart from using her left hand to scoop up salad, the shrimp was peeled by Lucas and directly placed on a small plate in front of her. She ate it with a fork.After Caleb sat down, Charlotte followed. When she saw Penny, her pupils contracted, and her face instantly turned sour. It was clear to her that Caleb had chosen this restaurant only because he had seen Penny. Otherwise, considering his spending habits, he would never come to such a place!Even though Charlotte was frustrated, she could not say anything and took a seat opposite Caleb.A waiter came over at that moment, handing them menus.“Sir, what would you like to order?”Caleb turned his head to look at Penny’s table.They were only two meters apart.“The same as them.”Upon hearing this, Charlotte could no longer contain herself and spoke with a forced smile.“Caleb, I’d like something different.
Penny’s eyebrows knitted in annoyance.What on earth was going on with Caleb? She never noticed him to be so shameless before. Perhaps it was not that he was not audacious, but he had a strong psychological resilience.The utensils in this kind of restaurant required a disposable tip that was housed in a paper wrapper. The tips had to be attached. While most eateries used entirely disposable utensils, this was a slightly more eco-friendly version, where only the tips were single-use.Neither Caleb nor Charlotte knew how to use them.Charlotte, in her disdain, slammed the utensils on the table with a loud thud.Caleb, instead, glanced at the spoon next to Penny.Since she had been using a fork due to her injury, her spoon lay unused.He naturally took it and began to use it for himself.Penny’s expression darkened further, her chest heaving with suppressed anger.Lucas, sitting opposite Penny, felt an awkward tension. As Penny’s nominal husband, he was torn between confrontin
Although she knew that people around her would not notice this because of the tablecloth, Penny still felt ashamed.With one hand injured and the other holding a spoon, Penny was defenseless.This must be Caleb’s retaliation for the wine she had spilled on him earlier, causing him a public humiliation. How could he let her go so easily?Now, he was back for revenge.She gripped the spoon even tighter. She was unable to sip her stew, fearing someone might notice the secret interplay beneath the table.Lucas, noticing Penny’s flushed face, quickly asked, “Penny, are you feeling okay? Your face is all red.”Penny bit her lip and shook her head.Caleb, seated to her right, was using his right hand to drink the stew. Yet, his left hand was on her thigh.To the outside world, everything seemed normal, except for Penny’s overly reddened face.When Caleb took his first sip of stew, his eyebrows furrowed.His tongue hurt.The bite Penny had inflicted earlier was no joke, and the hot
Penny had two phones. Sometimes, each phone had a SIM card, and occasionally, both SIM cards were in one phone.She frowned, tiptoeing to reach for it.However, Caleb deliberately held the phone higher, gazing deeply at her.“So, it's really your work number?”“No.”As soon as she replied, her phone rang.Penny’s heart skipped a beat. The screen displayed an incoming call on SIM 1, labeled Jeremy.SIM 1 was her personal number. Since Jeremy already knew her identity, there was no need to hide it. He was aware of both numbers.Seeing Jeremy’s call, Caleb hung up immediately.Then, he dialed Penny’s number from his own phone.The screen now displayed an incoming call on SIM 2, labeled Mr. Fergerson.Between Jeremy and Mr. Fergerson, it was clear who was closer to her.Caleb almost laughed out of frustration. At this moment, he felt humiliated.He looked at Penny, his eyes sharp and lips tightly pressed. His expression was like a sharp knife.“What’s your personal number?”
Charlotte had never felt threatened before. Even Caleb’s wife did not make her uneasy. However, Caleb’s deliberate choice to come to this restaurant and sit next to Penny was a sign of unrest.She did not want to admit it, but it seemed like Caleb genuinely cared about this woman—or else he would not have gone through such efforts.Perhaps he had not even realized it himself.Her nails were nearly digging into her palms. When she dated Caleb in the past, he would gift her luxury items but never took the initiative to hold her hand—let alone kiss her. She assumed he believed in platonic love.Yet now, seeing him wanting to merge Penny into his very being, the idea of platonic love seemed like a joke.She could not wait any longer. Injuring that woman’s fingers was not enough. She needed to ensure Penny would never see another day!Penny’s response had thoroughly pleased Caleb, softening his attitude.“Get in my car.”“Mr. Fergerson, aren’t you taking Ms. Shaw home?”Instead of