Penny initially wanted to retort, but she suddenly remembered her promise to Sean.She had already taken his favor. Zach was already part of a Hollywood movie crew. Yet here she was, chatting and laughing with Caleb.Lowering her eyelashes, she tightly gripped the bedsheet, feeling guilty and reprehensible.However, she had to accept her fate. She could not compete with Khloe Strauss."You wouldn't know him even if I told you, Mr. Fergerson.""You two never did it... right?""Right."Caleb's tone was flat, his gaze equally unemotional. He looked at her, emotions churning in his eyes.He closed his eyes, then reopened them. He had regained his composure."If I make love to you more, will you forget him?""No."Caleb's hands hung naturally by his sides. Hearing her response, his fingertips curled slightly. His lips were in a slight smile, but his eyes were cold."Is that so? In comparison to him, am I that insignificant to you?"Penny did not want to continue the conversatio
The building's entrance was guarded by many people. It led down to the largest and most infamous underground fighting arena in Americana.The transactions in this place were so dark that it was chilling. Almost every day, someone died in the fighting arena, but the money earned in an hour on stage was more than what one could make in a lifetime outside.The fighting arena had seven floors underground. The top four floors were used for various transactions, while the bottom three were where life-threatening fights occurred.Each floor spanned about 3,000 square meters. This was a lawless zone in Americana.Nobody dared to casually provoke anyone here. Even the top assassins on the hit list had to behave themselves inside.One could choose to wear a mask or not, as it was a matter of personal freedom.Caleb used a special passage after entering and stopped in a room.This room offered a view of the fighting arena below, where a man and a frenzied wild wolf were in the midst of the
The fight in the arena had already begun, with an intense atmosphere both inside and outside the ring.When the last wolf was killed, everyone raised their hands in celebration.Admiration and cheers—mixed with sweat, smoke, and the smell of alcohol—filled the space.The air was thick with intense hormones, seemingly on the verge of explosion.All the scents mingled together, ultimately culminating in cheers."God! God!""God! God!""God!"Caleb did not remove his mask as he left the arena. He tore off the blood-stained cloth from his fists.Sweat rolled down from his forehead, dripping over his well-defined muscles.His upper body, bare and glistening with sweat, was a sight to behold.Having vented his frustrations in the fight just now, he felt much better.He took a bottle of mineral water offered by someone nearby and returned to the same room as before.However, right when he opened the door, he was met with the sight of the woman being held up against the wall by a
It was nighttime where Caleb was.After hanging up the phone, he took a sip of the drink beside him and found it unpalatable.He thought how nice it would be if Penny were there with him.There was a pool, a view of Americana's most bustling scenes, drinks, and fruits.He could swim with her in the pool and kiss her as they moved through the water.If the mood struck, he could even lay her on the edge and take her in that position.He made himself stop thinking about it.His fingers trembled slightly as he held the wine glass, and he eventually put the drink down.The phone rang again, this time from Finn.Caleb had sent people to investigate the assailants who had pursued Penny that night and expected results by now.A call from Finn could only be about Caspian's matter.For some reason, thinking of that name tonight almost made him crush the glass in his hand.After pressing the answer button, Finn's voice indeed came through."Caleb, we've found more of Cas' fingerprint
Red chuckled and shook her head."Young people always think their choices are right. You'll understand in time."Caleb entered the adjoining dressing room and emerged in a suit.Red then realized how much he had grown. He was no longer the adolescent he was in his teens.He stood tall, with an impressive physique. When he first appeared in the fighting ring, he was nearly killed by the animals onstage.With sheer willpower, he fought back fiercely, marking his presence.People only knew of God but were unaware of the unmasked, vulnerable boy before that.Red sighed."Fine, I won't send women anymore. But I've been in your shoes. Just be careful."Caleb fastened the buttons on his wrist cuff, regaining his dignified, unapproachable demeanor. There was no trace of his ruthlessness from the fighting ring."She's good in every aspect, except that she doesn't like me," he mused.She was rather good in bed too. In particular, he thought of her legs that were fair and straight. The
Chelsea thought her words would infuriate Penny, especially with several people watching at the front desk. A public outburst from Penny would be quite embarrassing.Chelsea's face was filled with pride, but to her surprise, Penny merely glanced at her and asked, "How many times is this now that you've boasted to me about your one night with Caleb?"Chelsea's smug expression froze, not quite understanding Penny's meaning.Dropping the formality of calling her Ms. Sullivan, Chelsea asked, "What do you mean, Penny?"With a light laugh, Penny queried, "I was just wondering, did you only spend one night with Caleb?"Chelsea's face flushed with embarrassment. She had not actually spent the night with Caleb. It was all a ruse on her part, a stroke of luck that had worked better than expected.Now facing Penny's ridicule, she felt like she could not utter a word in retort.Penny casually tucked her hair behind her ear."You keep bragging about one night with Caleb because that's all y
At that moment, Sam had approached Raven, still with that overly handsome yet sinister face.Raven remembered the first night they met; he was disheveled and claimed to have been in a scuffle with a thug over a food delivery.She had empathized deeply with him then, seeing him as just another ordinary person struggling to get by.“Rave, Jeanie might not accept you right away, but it’s okay. I’ll convince her,” Sam said, considering only his sister's feelings. It was as if Raven marrying him was a great privilege.Raven felt like slapping him for his audacity, but she restrained herself. She remembered that her hands were still recovering.She could not let this scoundrel cause any more damage to her.Sam mistook her silence for agreement.“I won’t hold the matter of the child against you, but don’t be so impulsive next time,” he added.Hearing this, Raven looked up at him sharply.Just as Sam's heart was softening upon seeing her, he caught a glimpse of hatred in her eyes. I
The car drove away, ending the absurdity of the night.Unbeknownst to most—except for Penny, who had been sitting in her car not far away the whole time—a life had been lost here.Penny had initially come to check if Raven had managed to get a cab and was shocked to witness the confrontation between Sam and Raven.From a distance, she could not make out their dispute. However, she saw Sam kill a man and Raven nearly kill Sam.Jackson once told her that Raven was like a rose in the desert. Anyone who dared to pluck her would first bleed. Now, Penny saw the truth in his words.After waiting for another 15 minutes, Penny slowly drove over, pretending she had just arrived. She rolled down her window."Haven't got a cab yet? Let me drive you home."Raven looked at her, suddenly feeling an urge to cry.It was strange how humans could bear their hardships stoically when no one witnessed their plight, but the slightest show of concern could unleash all the pent-up emotions.Raven sile
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