Penny was a great boss and a good friend.Winona handed over the bag containing two strands of hair to her.After receiving it, Penny took it to the hospital and handed it over to Quentin.She greeted him and hoped to get the results as soon as possible.Quentin rubbed his eyebrows. “Alright, I’ll have my colleague get on it right now.”He had been constantly performing surgeries at the hospital lately. Due to his arrival, many patients had chosen this hospital, specifically requesting him for surgeries. This left him with hardly any rest. However, he was aware of the recent rumors.He looked at Penny, wanting to say something. However, he slowly closed his mouth.With Quentin’s intervention, the results came out in two hours.Seeing the words on the report, Winona felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her head.It confirmed a parent-child relationship.Tommy really had a son, and he had had one for seven years.How old was he seven years ago? He was just 18!Without ev
Penny remained silent, then remembered that this was indeed the case. She responded with a noncommittal, “Mmm.”Caleb felt a lot better upon hearing this, but before he could say anything more, the call abruptly ended.In the following time, he was busy with the documents in hand while keeping an eye on his phone.After ten minutes, he tentatively sent her a message.It was a mere question mark: [?]The response was still the same. The message had been sent but was rejected by the recipient.Caleb frowned as he glanced at the time on his phone. He wondered why she was ignoring him when they had just spoken ten minutes ago.Penny, on the other hand, was busy with the contract with Jackson and had forgotten about Caleb after hanging up.After wrapping up the contract, she was led to meet Jackson in person.Penny pondered over Taliah, the actress currently under Jackson’s management.Taliah had only played a minor role in a TV show, yet her performance was notably impressive—esp
He took out his phone, thought for a moment, and then dialed Francis’ number.Nevertheless, Francis did not answer.Caleb took a deep breath, was silent for half a minute, and then told Sebastian, “Call Fergerson Mansion and say I’ll be coming for dinner tonight.”Sebastian promptly did so.At seven in the evening, Caleb arrived at Fergerson Mansion on time.Francis was playing chess alone on the sofa, with many pieces already on the board, indicating the game was nearing its end.When Caleb saw his grandfather about to retract a piece and find a new place to place it, he could not help but say, “You can’t retreat once you’ve put it down.”Unexpectedly, Francis looked up at him.“You’re right. I shouldn’t retreat. So what brings you here tonight?”The old man saw right through Caleb’s intentions.Caleb was obviously here because he thought Penny would listen to him, so Caleb wanted the old man’s help.Caleb lowered his lashes and placed the gift he brought on the coffee tabl
Upon hearing this, Francis chuckled coldly.“I can’t bring myself to lose face like that, especially after I bragged to Penny about how great my grandson is. And yet, she still hasn’t taken a liking to you.”Caleb felt another sting and pursed his lips.“Grandpa, don’t you also wish for her to become your granddaughter-in-law?”Francis huffed coldly again.“I won’t force Penny. If you can’t manage to remarry her yourself, then get out and don’t disturb my meal.”He was utterly merciless.Caleb stood up, indeed preparing to leave.As he was about to leave, he even planned to take the painting he had brought.“You insolent brat!”Francis was so angry that he swung his cane at Caleb, who then put the painting back down.Back in the car, Caleb looked at the scenery outside.Finally, he said to Sebastian, “Let’s go back to Kensington Gardens.”This matter would have to be done slowly.…Meanwhile, at another bar, Jade got herself drunk. She was utterly inebriated. Ever since
Yet Penny obviously would not appear in such a place. Ever since the rumors with Jackson hit the trending searches, she wanted the company to spend some money to reduce the spread.However, before S.M. could act, someone else had already lowered the search ranking.She frowned, not knowing who it was. Anyway, she proceeded with the original plan to find the artist under Jackson’s management, Taliah.Unbeknownst to her, because of the trending search with Jackson, Taliah was furiously cursing at her in her house.“Who is this old woman? How could she be trending with Mr. Jackson?!“Could he have truly terminated the contract because of her?”Since Jackson left, the company had assigned her a new agent.The agent advised her, “You should focus on shooting this production well.”“How can I do it well? Mr. Jackson isn’t with me anymore. How can I shoot? If you want me to act, fine. Then bring him back!”Although Taliah had only acted in one TV show, she already had over five milli
Though Taliah said she would not meet with Penny, the way she replied seemed almost as if she was self-recommending.It was as though she was telling Penny, 'I have super good acting skills. I’m a candidate for Best Actress, so you should hurry up and scout me. Do you hear me?!'Unsure if it was just her own illusion, Penny even sensed her eagerness.[Our company just signed a contract with Jackson today, and since you’re one of his artists, we all have high hopes for you. Can we set a time to talk?]Taliah narrowed her eyes. She really, really wanted to go because Jackson was there! Nonetheless, she could not let Penny see her eagerness, so she replied:[That old fart ditched me and ran away. Do you think I’d eagerly go looking for him? Haha, if Jackson Cole’s there, I definitely won’t be joining. Don’t bother me while I’m filming. I’m aiming to win Best Actress, goodbye.]The message was filled with the petulance of a child.Penny found it amusing and glanced at the informat
After hanging up the phone, Winona looked at the door in front of her.She tentatively touched it, only for the door to be pulled open from the inside by Tommy.“Win, why are you back so late?” he asked in his usual gentle tone.Winona could not understand men. How could they still be gentle after committing such heartless acts?She opened her mouth but did not know what to say.Tommy, however, pulled her into the house and sat her down on the sofa. “Guess what I bought for you this time?”Winona did not want to guess. She then saw him take out a delicate bracelet from a famous brand, probably worth over three grand.In the past, she had never allowed herself such luxury due to the burden of her mortgage.Tommy placed the bracelet on her wrist, coaxing her with his tone. “I’m sorry for losing my temper this morning, but you have to understand that my work is really busy. I deal with so many clients, some with odd temperaments, which makes it hard for me. So, I might've been
Winona, still sitting on the sofa, curved her lips slightly. “Tom, you have a higher education than me, and I used to think I wasn't good enough for you. But now, I think you’re not worthy of me, so I want to call off the engagement.”These words clearly struck a nerve with Tommy.He had graduated from Imperial University, while Winona was from a regular college. How could she claim he was not good enough for her?Moreover, he was not earning a low income.Tommy, unwilling to reflect on his infidelity, scoffed. “Fine. It seems you’ve found a better choice now, so you’ve changed. Win, I never thought you'd be such a person.”Muddying the waters and shifting blame were the tactics men loved to use.At this moment, Winona felt that not only was this man unworthy of her, but she also regretted being so blind as to be with him. She had wasted seven whole years of her youth!“Tommy Chesterfield, it’s clear here that you’re the one who’s found a better option, yet you're accusing me of
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