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
When she woke up, Caleb was still not there.In the past, he had occasionally worked overnight, so Penny did not try to probe. Just as she was about to leave, she ran into Sebastian.Sebastian had brought a property transfer document over.Last night, Caleb had mentioned that if she spent the month with him, whatever she needed would be promptly delivered to her.“Ms. Penny, this is what Mr. Fergerson asked me to give you.”Penny took a glance and realized the property was located in the city center. It was a piece of real estate that had been auctioned in the early stages, and she had not expected it to belong to Caleb.It was a small community with only three buildings that had four units per elevator, with each unit around 60 square meters. The environment within the community was beautiful. It catered to those urgently wanting to own a home in Imperial City, and its location was convenient.Later, with a good property management team, the amenities in this community would be
When she was alone in the office, Penny finished reading the files she needed for the morning.During lunch break, she went to a nearby fast-food restaurant to grab something to eat and unexpectedly saw Tommy.Tommy was standing with a woman in her 50s, who was holding his hand. They stood very close to each other.Penny initially did not want to pay any attention to them, but as she was about to leave, she was accidentally bumped into by the woman. It caused the latter’s tea to spill on her trousers.Initially, she did not want to make a fuss and was about to walk away, but the woman grabbed her sleeve.“Stop right there! Can’t you watch where you’re going?! You made me spill my tea. You have to compensate me for it!”As her sleeve was grabbed, Penny furrowed her brows and turned to face the woman.The woman had a fierce look, and half of her tea was already spilled. “What are you looking at? You owe me a cup of tea! Do you know what my son does? Once he marries a rich family’s
Penny’s eyes darkened, and at that moment, the elevator door opened.Tommy, with his arm around the woman’s waist, said, “This is the top floor. We might meet the CEO of this company shortly. Be mindful of yourself. We’re just here to deliver lunch and will leave afterward.”Winona’s desk was indeed on the top floor, and everyone on that floor was now looking their way since it was break time.The woman ceased her complaints but still muttered a few words under her breath before following Tommy.Winona spotted Tommy immediately and rushed over.“Tom?”Before Tommy could respond, Winona turned to Penny.“Ms. Sullivan, the documents you need for the afternoon are placed on the conference room table. After your approval, I’ll send them to the executives.”Penny nodded, and from the corner of her eye, she noticed the older woman’s face darkening. Tommy’s expression became incredibly odd.He looked uneasy and asked, “Win, so she’s your…?”Winona quickly introduced, “She's the comp
At that point, saying more would not have been as effective as allowing Winona to discover for herself.Penny had no choice but to nod.“Go on. You can leave work early today.”A look of delight had instantly appeared on Winona’s face.She turned and left, and Penny could see the happiness in her departing figure.Penny merely sighed.…At eight in the evening, Penny had clocked out on time.She then realized that Caleb had not contacted her at all that day.He had said he would be with her for the entire month, and given his character, it was unlikely for him to be so silent.Penny took out her phone, wondering if she had missed his call.Yet there were no missed calls from Caleb.She then dialed his number.The one who answered was not Caleb but Sebastian.“Hello, Ms. Penny.”“Mr. Quinn, where’s Mr. Fergerson?”“Mr. Fergerson will be on a business trip for the entire week. He’s expected to return next week. His flight is leaving shortly. However, he wanted me to ask y
Penny had frozen in place, while Aurelia stood in front of her, coldly smirking as she circled around her.“Look, New Year's is almost here. Who do you plan to spend it with? Your family is basically all gone, and Caleb, your ex-husband, certainly won’t offer you any warmth. If it weren’t for the Fergersons’ help back then, the Sullivan’s company would’ve gone under long ago. "From the beginning to the end, you’re like a disgusting parasite, always clinging to the Fergersons. You’re a jinx! If it weren’t for you, how could my marriage have turned out this way!”She took a deep breath and began to cry.“You disgusting woman! If even after losing a child you still can’t let go and want to be with Caleb, then you’re truly shameless! Do you believe that Caleb will let you keep another child? He’ll never be a good father!”Aurelia's voice became choked. “That child has zero emotions. I should’ve strangled him back then. Now that his father and I are getting a divorce, he’s indifferent
On the day of New Year’s Eve, Penny knew Caleb was returning, so she rushed to the mall to buy a couple of balloons and then headed back to Kensington Gardens.Throughout the week, Caleb had not contacted her, and she had been busy with her company’s recruitment.After all, it was nearly January, and soon, graduates would be entering the workforce. She had to prepare her HR department for the influx of new talent. She also needed to start planning some basic renovations for the rented accommodation since she had already paid a year’s rent.She was so busy that week that she momentarily forgot about New Year's celebrations.It was not until Sebastian called to inform her Caleb would be home that evening that she hurriedly went to the mall to buy the decorations.Just an hour after she had put them up, she heard the sound of a car engine outside.Penny sat on the sofa, looking at the table full of dishes prepared by the staff, and closed her laptop.Caleb got out of the car and sc
The next morning, while Penny was still resting, he pulled her up.“Let’s go buy New Year’s goods.”Penny had been worn out by him until the early morning and was utterly exhausted. When she was led to the car, she felt so limp that she rested on his shoulder to catch up on some sleep.Caleb shifted her to a more comfortable position. While he dealt with the documents in one hand, he used the other to support her, ensuring her head did not droop.Upon reaching the mall, he noticed the mall doors were firmly shut. Being the driver, Sebastian then realized his oversight.“Sir, it seems the mall opens at nine.”It was only seven, and the mall’s doors were still locked.Sebastian, having never been to the mall, had forgotten to remind them. It was an oversight on his part.Neither Caleb nor Penny had ever been to the mall early in the morning either, so both were unaware.Hearing Sebastian’s words, Penny raised her eyelids slightly and could not help but laugh.“Mr. Fergerson, sh