She checked the time after taking her seat. It was 20 minutes past seven. Caleb would be arriving in approximately ten minutes. The restaurant was warmly lit, and her thoughts began drifting as she turned and gazed out the window. This was probably the best New Year’s celebration she had had in recent years. She had not expected Caleb to be the one accompanying her. It was an odd feeling. Some time passed before she took her phone out and checked the time again. It was eight o’clock, but Caleb had not arrived yet. The server approached her and asked if she would like to start her meal. She smiled. “I’m good. My companion has not arrived yet.” The server retreated. As the clock approached nine, Penny began getting hungry. Her eyebrows knitted themselves together. Caleb did not seem like someone who would be tardy. Unable to stop herself, she dialed his number. Caleb answered the phone. “What’s the matter, Penny?” His voice sounded so gentle that Penny began sus
Penny could not fall asleep, and she spoke to Caleb in a formal tone after answering the phone. “Hello, Mr. Fergerson.” “Penny, I…” He wanted to tell her he had been forced to stay and undergo a bunch of tests on his head that evening. He had not intended to forget their date. However, what Penny said next shut him up. “It doesn’t matter that you forgot, Mr. Fergerson. You’re a busy man.” Caleb felt stifled. Was he such a fickle man in her eyes? He did not know what to say in response. “If there isn’t anything else you want to say, I’ll hang up the phone now, Mr. Fergerson.” “Penny.” He could not stop himself from calling her name. “Why don’t we meet now?” They could watch the fireworks again. “That’s alright. I’m quite tired. You should get some rest too, Mr. Fergerson.” Penny hung up the phone after she finished her sentence. Caleb listened to the dial tone while he sat in his seat and stared at the cold food in front of him. He sighed softly. After Penny hu
Florence wasted no time and dialed Penny's number."Ms. Sullivan, what a wicked move. However, all your work to be approved by the Board of Review is in my hands. Let me make this clear. From now on, nothing produced by S.M. will pass the review! Penny, this is your own doing, so watch as I tear your company apart!"As a film and television company, S.M. would undoubtedly find itself on a road to ruin if all its productions consistently failed to pass the review process."Ms. Turner, it won’t look good on you if the public finds out that you’re abusing your power to bully others.""Fuck off! I've had my eye on you for a while now. I would’ve torn you into pieces if it weren't for Sir Fergerson backing you up!"Florence's heart raced. She shuddered at the thought of almost being outwitted.Astral Motion Pictures had invested so much to promote The Wind and the Clouds, and the thought that it may end up to Penny’s benefit made Florence raving mad.After years in the industry, she
The staff dared not question his orders, thinking that perhaps Caleb and Penny had a falling out.After he returned to his bedroom, Caleb sensed a faint, familiar fragrance in the air. He lifted his bedsheets and found a strand of long hair on his pillow. He instantly recognized it as Penny's.Caleb furrowed his brows and massaged his temples, trying his best to recollect the time he spent with her. His headache had subsided, but the memories were still elusive.He grabbed his phone and called Penny.Penny was occupied with S.M.’s matters. "Mr. Fergerson.""Penny, would you like to have dinner together tonight?""I'm busy today.""How about tomorrow?""Tomorrow won't work either."Caleb fell silent for a moment. "What are you occupied with?""Mr. Fergerson, I'm quite busy at the moment. Let's talk later.""But..."The call had already been hung up.Caleb's chest swelled with anger, which then turned to resignation. He assumed that Penny was still upset about him
Under the instigation of Astral Motion Pictures, the situation escalated rapidly. Online insults against S.M. reached unprecedented levels, yet the company remained silent for several hours. Netizens went on to taunt them.[They must be scared. S.M. tried to stir up some attention but didn't expect Astral Motion Pictures to respond for real.][They've bitten off more than they can chew.][Isn't S.M. embarrassed? They’ve offended Astral Motion Pictures and probably won't be able to survive in this industry.]At exactly four in the afternoon, Penny instructed Winona to continue calling out Florence on Instagram, asking her to reveal the records of when she purchased the scripts.Florence, determined to bring down Penny, did not hesitate to share the purchase dates of those scripts. However, Penny had already applied for copyright protection several days before the purchases were made.Penny's lips curved into a satisfied smile when she saw Florence's post trending, with many
The tables had turned, and netizens demanded an explanation from Astral Motion Pictures. Astral Motion Pictures stayed quiet online as the PR team anxiously awaited Florence's instructions.Florence felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. She decided to confront Penny."You bitch! What’s your plan?! If you keep pushing my buttons, you'll have nothing but trouble in the future. Your company is still in its infancy stage. There's no need to make such a formidable enemy for yourself!" "Ms. Turner, I would’ve already offended you even if I were to stop now. If that's the case, why not offend you thoroughly? There's no difference, is there?"Penny spoke with a calm demeanor. She abruptly ended the call after she said her piece, leaving Florence fuming on the other end.Earlier, netizens had been fervently cursing S.M. but the accusations were now aimed squarely at Astral Motion Pictures.Florence gritted her teeth and made another desperate attempt. She ordered, "Continue hiring
Khloe had a heart condition, but she was well protected by the Strausses. She had two loving older brothers and lived in a seemingly perfect family.Penny lowered her gaze and asked, "Mr. Sean, even though you say that, you still care deeply about her, don't you?"Sean, dressed in a gray suit, ordered a cup of coffee. However, he was swiftly stopped by Penny. "It's better not to have coffee in the evening."He chuckled and said, "She's my sister, after all. It’s unfortunate that she's become more and more wayward over the years. My elder brother and mother unconditionally indulge her every want. "There was once when she sneaked out. A celebrity questioned her, and she had a heart attack, so she fainted on the spot. That female celebrity was subsequently blacklisted globally. She didn't do anything wrong; it was my sister who had provoked her."As Sean spoke, his brow furrowed in concern."My elder brother and mother's excessive doting has reached an unreasonable level. This ti
Caleb could not sit still when he saw the photo. He immediately called Winston and asked about Sean and Penny’s whereabouts. Winston saw Penny leave first, so he replied, "She just left. I'm not sure.""Did they leave together?!"Everyone knew that Sean was a playboy. His past girlfriends could fill up Imperial City. He was questioning why Penny got involved with someone as such.Caleb felt a fire burning in his chest. He had asked her out several times, but she said she was busy. However, she had gone out for dinner with Sean!His jealousy surged, and he could not help but call Penny once more.Penny had already returned to Dawn Haven Villa, eaten a piece of bread, and was ready to rest.Her stomach was still aching, and she was incredibly tired. All she wanted was to lie down.Caleb called, but Penny did not pick up. He called her a second time.Penny felt irritated with how Caleb could never make up his mind. She found him unpredictable and wondered what he wanted this t
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