Penny detested the arrogance in Minnie's tone. All of the rich and famous seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Chuck was sly, but Minnie was impatient."Mrs. Sanders, or else what?" Minnie's mood darkened. She might have assumed Penny came from a prestigious background if Finn had not already informed her that she was just an interior designer. Minnie could not believe that Penny could stay so composed in her presence, considering she was a prominent figure among the Sanders."Penny, if you continue to be uncooperative, I'll make sure you understand the consequences."With that warning, Minnie hung up the phone without hesitation.Minnie stared coldly at her phone, and Selina inquired, "Mom, is the matter resolved?"Selina's face still bore traces of lingering shock. She had not fully recovered from the overwhelming intensity of when she thought she was about to be blinded."Selina, don't worry. I'll find an opportunity to deal with her." Selina clenched her fists tightl
Selina stayed nearby but could not summon the courage to approach Penny. Someone gently patted her on the shoulder, startling her. She let out a loud scream, which drew everyone's attention.Feeling deeply humiliated, she looked toward who had tapped her. It was Sherry Pattinson.Sherry was accompanied by a young man who was slightly handsome but not exceptionally striking."Sher, you scared me." "Why are you hiding here?" Sherry's gaze shifted to a spot not far away, and she froze in her tracks when she spotted Penny. She instinctively looked toward the man by her side.The man was Tommy Chesterfield.Sherry breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Tommy was not paying any attention to Penny.Meanwhile, Minnie continued to make sarcastic remarks toward Penny. "I remember now. Haven’t I met you before?"Penny tensed up as she did find Minnie somewhat familiar, but she could not recall where she had seen her before.That was until Minnie spoke up."I first saw you a
She was a bit surprised. Just as she reached out to take the handkerchief, Caleb swiftly pulled her behind him, eyeing the man.Wearing a mask on such an occasion, who knew what he might be up to?Both men had a strong presence. In front of so many people, they stood there confronting each other. This left Minnie at the side, seemingly ignored.Penny’s hand was tightly gripped by Caleb. His sharp gaze was fixed on the masked face.However, the man behind the mask was simply observing Penny, giving her a once-over.Penny felt a subtle sense of familiarity exuding from him. But as she tried to delve deeper into that feeling, the man merely nodded slightly before leaving.Caleb felt as if someone had set his heart on fire. He lowered his voice and asked her directly.“Who’s this now?!” It was as if he had been cuckolded.Penny shook her head. “I don’t know him.”She truly did not recognize him. She thought he was just a bystander kindly offering her a handkerchief.“You don’t
“She’s alright.”A hint of smugness flashed across Sherry’s face. No matter how much that wretched woman tried to flirt, if Tom did not appreciate her looks, then it was her loss!Penny’s gaze lingered on Tommy for a while. She had previously seen a photo of Tommy on Winona’s phone screensaver and recognized the man sitting next to Sherry.Having come here with Sherry, was Tommy still serious about Winona?She took out her phone, intending to take a photo. However, it rang right at that moment. It was Winona calling.Originally, Penny had asked Winona to pick her up tonight, but since Caleb had asked her to spend the evening with him, she probably would not need Winona anymore.“Ms. Sullivan?”Winona’s tone was somber. “I’m sorry, I might need to take the night off.”“What happened?”Winona’s face was pale, and her whole body was trembling. “I have menstrual cramps. I was on my way, but the pain became unbearable, so I had to pull over.”“Where are you? I’ll come look for you
Penny had been observing the two and realized that Sherry seemed to be deliberately flaunting their affection in front of her.She furrowed her brows, averted her gaze, and then looked toward Selina.At that moment, Selina was sitting alone on the sofa. When she saw Penny looking her way, her face immediately turned pale.Yet soon, she spotted Finn entering the hall.Her confidence instantly returned as she approached Finn in a few strides.“Finn, can you teach her a lesson for me?”Lifting his gaze, Finn’s attention was immediately drawn to Penny, who was sitting alone.Penny wore a strap dress that day. Though it had been splashed with wine, fortunately, the neckline was low. The wine had only been splashed on her neck, which was easily cleaned off."Finn, that shameless woman embarrassed our mother earlier.”Finn then headed toward Penny, with Selina closely following him.Having her brother by her side, Selina stood tall, regaining her haughty demeanor.In this circle, F
Noticing from the crowd that the two seemed ready to come to blows, Winston quickly stepped forward.“Hey, hey, we’re all brothers here. Let it go. Everyone’s watching.”Finn, for his part, had no intention of actually confronting Caleb. Holding onto Selina, he promptly left.Winston watched his departing figure with a sigh.Turning back to see Caleb still guarding Penny, he sighed again.“After this, explaining things to the Sanders might be tough.”The Sanders and the Fergersons had always been close. If the Sanders took this issue to Sir Fergerson, Caleb would inevitably face the family’s disciplinary actions.Hearing this, Penny began to feel anxious.If the Fergersons and the Sanders had a falling out, the entire Imperial City would surely be in an uproar.She grasped the corner of Caleb’s suit, clearly looking nervous.Caleb gripped her wrist and glared at Winston.“Don’t scare her.”Winston furrowed his brows, thinking that he was not trying to scare anyone. He was j
Worried about being seen by the domestic staff who might come later, Penny could not help but push him away.“Mr. Fergerson.”Caleb released her and then examined her leg.“She kicked you. Are you sure you’re okay?”Penny shook her head. Even though Selina’s kick was indeed strong, fortunately, the angle did not cause too much harm.Caleb breathed a sigh of relief and then pulled her close, his hands sliding under her dress.At that moment, Penny sat on his lap, anxiously glancing toward the courtyard. Seeing no staff around, she relaxed a bit but still felt apprehensive.“There are still people in the villa.”Even so, Caleb did not care. She looked stunning that night. Her dress accentuated her fair skin, and her short hair gave her a cool and capable look.However, this usually cold woman was now melting in his arms.Penny could not help but let out a soft moan. At this point, resisting seemed futile.While holding her waist and gazing into her face, Caleb kissed her passi
After 20 lashes, Sir Fergerson finally felt his anger subside.Caleb’s back was bloody and oozing with fresh wounds.Francis took a deep breath. Just seeing Caleb irritated him. Knowing the young man’s resilience, he waved him away impatiently, “Get out and kneel. No one is allowed to give him a coat.”It was freezing outside, and Caleb was wearing only a shirt. With all the wounds on his back, a regular person would die from the cold.The butler was worried and wanted to intervene, but he heard Francis say, “That brat is strong. He won’t die.”Without hesitation, Caleb stood up, walked outside, and knelt down.Unable to persuade either of them, the butler sighed heavily in the hall.Snow was falling heavily outside. He tried to hold an umbrella over Caleb but was stopped.“Mr. Caleb, you should shield yourself from the snow. When it melts, your clothes will get wet, and you could catch a cold.”Caleb’s posture remained upright. “I don’t need it.”The butler stood nearby with