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
Caleb ran into Finn just as he reached the bar's entrance.Finn had a cigarette between his fingertips when he saw Caleb."Winston says you're recovering. I need to talk to you about Cas."Anything to do with Caspian always took precedence no matter when it arose.Caleb headed toward his car and tossed his car keys to Finn. "We'll talk on the way home."Caleb had drunk quite a bit and was unfit to drive, so Finn had to take the wheel.Caleb closed his eyes once he got into the car.Finn stared ahead and said in an emotionless tone, "All the rough drafts have been scanned. We didn't find anything except for the poem.""Cas mentioned to my dad that he had feelings for a girl, but my father had a bit too much to drink that night and can't recall her name."At a red light, Finn continued analyzing the situation. "We couldn't trace the origin of the notebook that Charlotte had. It seems like someone intentionally wiped it clean. However, we’ve verified Cas' fingerprints to be gen
Penny's hands were cuffed behind her, rendering her unable to fight back.She observed the rapidly receding scenery outside the window as the car headed toward Union County.It came as a shock to her. Her kidnapper said, "Ms. Sullivan, I hope that you can take me to the place where your mother stayed."Penny glanced at the man's hand and found that he had the hands of a thug. His arm bore a small tattoo.Penny thought to herself, ‘Union County, Mom… Are these people after Mom? But she’s been dead for years...The tattoo was vaguely familiar. She suddenly recalled that Maeve's foot had a similar-looking one. However, it was a hidden location, and she had only glimpsed it when she was young. She was not even sure if it was real or just her imagination.After all, Union County was impoverished at the time. Her family struggled to make ends meet. It was unlikely that they could afford tattoos.She remained silent as she could see a car following them in the rearview mirror.It wa
Maeve was the most self-reliant and charismatic woman Penny had ever known. Penny was deeply influenced by Maeve and took every word she had said to heart. As such, she lowered her gaze and replied, "I don't know."As soon as the words left her lips, the man removed her handcuffs before handcuffing both of her hands once again."Let’s go to Maeve's grave. There might be something buried there." Penny's heart was filled with unease. As they walked outside, she heard the sound of a helicopter approaching in the sky. She thought that it must be Caleb!Her footsteps slowed as she searched for an opportunity to escape.She did not believe that the man intended to take her to Maeve's grave. The state of her uncle's house suggested that Maeve's grave had already been dug up and likely yielded nothing.Penny assumed that her kidnapper said that to ease her suspicions. As for where he was taking her, that remained uncertain."Ms. Sullivan, take me to Miss Maeve’s grave," the man
Penny took a deep breath and said to the leader, "Let's play a game."The man thought he had misheard her as he could not imagine anyone wanting to play a game in this situation.Penny, however, looked at him and continued, "You've already taken control of the entire building. I can't just disappear into thin air. That thing is important to you, but it's also important to me. "Killing a group of irrelevant people won't faze me, so let's play a game. If I lose, I'll tell you where my mother hid that thing."The man raised an eyebrow and pointed the gun's muzzle in between her eyes."Do you think I'd believe you?"Penny was unafraid and calmly said, "You have no choice but to believe me. In this world, I'm the only one who knows where that thing is.""Ms. Sullivan, are you aware of what we're looking for?" The gun's muzzle was pressed on her forehead. One wrong word would mean her death.For someone else, the situation would have been terrifying, but Penny remained calm throug
After she finished speaking, she stood up and walked outside.Jade sobbed as she stood at the door, wiping her tears while listening to the noises outside.Only five minutes had passed, and the game had not even started yet.Penny walked into the hallway. She saw a man smoking not far away. There was a gun in his hand.She took off her coat and undid a few buttons.The man’s eyes lit up when he saw her.Penny beckoned him with her finger, and the man immediately threw down his cigarette, stamped it out, and strode toward her.He even started unbuckling his belt as he walked.Penny turned into the bathroom, and the man followed her in.As soon as he entered, he pressed Penny against the door of a stall, his back facing Jade.However, when Jade saw the gun on the man’s waist, she was so scared that she covered her mouth tightly, not daring to move.At this moment, the man was hurriedly undoing Penny’s buttons, speaking in a flurry of foreign language. His mouth was pressed aga
Penny reloaded her gun and went to another floor.The game had already officially started by then, and these people all had walkie-talkies. They were certainly keeping tabs on her position.She only had to delay as much as possible so that the people downstairs could survive longer, giving those outside a chance to get in.She went straight to the 17th floor, which the kidnappers had probably swept through already. No one had been left behind.Penny avoided the nearby surveillance and found that there were windows here that could be opened.She crouched down and carefully avoided the few patrolmen on this floor.Just as she was about to continue sweeping other rooms, she ran into two men head-on.“She’s here! On the 17th floor! Catch her!”Hearing them communicate in a foreign language, Penny hurriedly ran to the other side. However, gunshots rang out behind her. The bullets hit the ground near her feet as a warning.She was surprisingly calm at that moment, even hiding on top
Everyone around knew his identity. Just a second ago, he had been commanding the police. Shawn had also made a call from above.The safety of this man before them was more important than anyone else at the scene.“Mr. Fergerson, it’s enough that they go. Your safety is more important.”However, Caleb would not listen to such words, having already taken off his suit.Seeing that they could not persuade him, everyone was somewhat trepidatious.With a gun in hand, Caleb spoke in a detached tone.“Even if something happens to me, it has nothing to do with you.”Time waited for no one, and everyone knew they could not delay further. Even if there was no one on the 15th floor just now, what about now?They dared not gamble. They could only climb up to the 15th floor through the ducts while there was still no new news.As the windows from the 14th floor down had all been locked, and the kidnappers inside could not see the facade, climbing up through the ducts was feasible.Everyone’
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