Penny began heading out the door since Caleb was not saying anything more. A panicked look flashed through Caleb’s eyes, but no words left his mouth. He merely trailed after her silently. Penny stopped. Caleb could still see the red marks on her earlobe from where he stood. He had left it there. She did not look at him. Instead, she used her phone to call Winona and stood there waiting for Winona to pick her up.Caleb stood nearby for a while longer before saying quietly, “I’ll give you a ride.” She took in a deep breath before abruptly turning to meet his eyes. “Can I take your silence as a sign that you admit you’re in the wrong? If you genuinely think you’re at fault, you should make sure Jade Fergerson is imprisoned for my cousin’s death. "What you should not have done was violate my boundaries when I was in prison when your cousin is part of the reason my cousin is now dead.” Her voice was devoid of any emotion when she spoke. Showing anger meant she cared.
Jade’s wounds had only just been dressed. She thought Penny would be jailed for the rest of her life.However, ten minutes prior, she learned that her cousin had bartered 10 % of his shares in Fergerson Corporation for Penny’s release. Now, he was requesting she be transferred to a psychiatric hospital. “I’m not ill! I won’t go! This is all Penny’s fault. Caleb is treating me this way because she has seduced him! Boo-hoo, I want to talk to Grandpa. I want my grandpa!” However, no one here was going to take her to Sir Fergerson. Two men grabbed Jade and stuffed her into a car. She kept sobbing hysterically, to the point where the wound on her forehead split open again. When a man’s face appeared in the car window, she let out a piercing scream. “Fuck off! Fuck off! Don’t touch me!” She had indeed been mentally unwell for a long while. Her world had been sunshine and rainbows in the past, which made the unraveling of this dark world even more traumatic. It was not some
Penny was not being selfless. If she thought about it, she could not find any fault with her aunt and uncle. They had lived in Union County all their life, and their worldviews were shaped by the people around them. Since the people they knew all favored sons, they naturally hoped for a son. Hence, the decisions Jenni made after learning she was pregnant with a son also made sense. It was not because they were evil but merely because that was how they saw the world. Penny had blocked their numbers in a fit of rage. She had never expected this was how their next meeting would be like. The four tombstones stared at her silently, and she sat beside them until the sun set before she got back up and massaged her numb legs. Then, she walked down the mountain and got into her car. Just as she was about to get into her car, she noticed a car parked nearby. It was an ordinary-looking car.It was late. What was anyone else doing here at this hour? She did not bother taking a closer
Penny was speaking to someone from Leo’s former workplace. He had left behind some stuff that no one had ever bothered getting rid of, and they had contacted her the minute they heard she was overseeing his funeral. Penny immediately raced over and retrieved Leo’s belongings from a pile of various bits and bobs. These items were all useless now. She held the box in her arms and walked along the river, making her way back to Union Square.For some reason, she felt like she was being followed. She frowned and turned around to check, but there was no one behind her. Goosebumps appeared across her body, and she quickened her pace. However, she was so on edge that she tripped over the river and tumbled down toward it.Thankfully, the fall did not hurt much despite the fact she had slid several yards down the path. She was about to get to her feet when a frantic voice rang out.“Penny, are you alright?” “Penny!” Penny thought she was hallucinating. She was just about to answ
Caleb closed the door in such a hurry because he was afraid Penny might attack him verbally again. He did not want to be on the receiving end of her sharp words once more. After closing the door, he stood by it and listened to the employee speaking to Penny. “Would you like some supper, Ms. Sullivan? The chef has prepared some squab. It’s good for the skin and for the gut.” Penny was about to turn the offer down, but the squab piqued her interest.“Where can I get some?” “We’ll bring it to you.” She nodded, and her stomach chose that moment to growl. The employee laughed. “Please give me a moment. It’ll be brought over immediately.” Caleb stood by the door and did not move until there were no more voices to listen to. Then, he shuffled over to the couch.The room had excellent soundproofing, but he could hear the sounds of water when Penny was taking her shower. His heart skipped a beat as memories of her in bed began resurfacing. He had never considered himself t
Caleb stood at the doorway, wrapped only in a bath towel, as he took the list handed to him.The cool breeze from outside blew in, but he did not feel cold. Instead, it seemed to dissipate the heat from his body.An item worth 20,000 was not worth his effort to look at, but at that moment, he read the document very seriously.Penny stood impatiently, suggesting, "Just take it to your finance department for a check. This amount doesn't require your review, Mr. Fergerson.""20 grand is still money all the same."His eyes were deep and calm, and he did not look up at her while speaking, afraid she might discover something.The draft in the hallway was strong, and Penny sneezed from the cold.Turning slightly, he offered, "Would you like to come in and sit?""No need."Her merciless refusal was followed by an urge. "I'll go back to my room. If you find any errors, just contact me by phone. I've already checked it with Mr. Bauer. There shouldn't be any problems.""Penny."He coul
On her way back to the city, the car finally disappeared.Penny breathed a sigh of relief, yet felt she might be overthinking it.How could someone like Caleb waste so much effort following her?She returned to S.M. and immediately sent a message to Taliah to meet up.However, Taliah was still holding back, upset about her and Jackson's scandal. Finally relenting, she sent an address to a bar.It was not Sky Lounge.Taliah, being a somewhat famous minor celebrity, could not access places like Sky Lounge.Penny replied with a message.[Okay, around 8:00 pm, then. I'll look for you in the private room you mentioned.]After contacting Taliah, Penny received a call from the Fergersons.The results for Aurelia were out. She had indeed fallen into a vegetative state.Surprisingly, the Fergersons only informed her without demanding any apology or compensation.She knew she was not involved in this matter as everything was done by Jade, but why were the Fergersons so quiet?She fo
He got up and walked out, but as he sat in the car and grasped the steering wheel, his hands felt stiff.What right did he have to question her?Just like how he had treated their marriage as a joke and a burden, she must have felt the same. While hiding her true love, she waited for the divorce.Caleb found it ironic when he thought of all the efforts he made to get a divorce, only to realize she was the one eager to leave.His handsome brows furrowed, and his expression darkened ominously.Even so, he endured it and drove back to Kensington Gardens. He planned to take care of the wounds on his back.Meanwhile, Penny had already arrived at the bar where she was meeting Taliah.However, Taliah had a different agenda for being there. Recently, she had been forced to meet with various bosses, each treating her as a commodity. Several had even asked her agent outright how much it would cost to sleep with her.The wealthy circle had no respect for a female artist like her, forcing
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