As soon as Rebecca said that, Jessica and Karen's expressions changed. They regained their composure very quickly. However, most people still caught a glimpse of their expressions in that instant.They connected the dots, and they all figured out what was going on. Not only did Jessica and Karen want to kick the adopted daughter out of the family, but they also wanted to make themselves look good. They couldn't have their cake and eat it too. As soon as she got the results she wanted, Rebecca wasted no time. "I know my place, so I won't stay. To thank you for raising me, I won't hold anybody responsible for what happened today. From now on, I have nothing to do with the Brown family. So, I won't be using your family's name. Please don't worry about that!" Rebecca said in a loud voice. Then, she turned and left. Daniel wanted to go after her. But before he could move, Jessica stopped him from behind. "Dan, are you mad at me? I have no idea why I did all those things, eit
Daniel was supposed to have made up his mind long ago, but he still hesitated.After a moment, he hummed softly and said, "I won't go back on my word." Jessica stopped crying and broke into a smile. Then, she threw herself into Daniel's arms. "I'm so happy to hear that. I won't make mistakes again in the future. I'll apologize to Jessica properly another day, okay?" Daniel's body became as stiff as a board, and he frowned a little. "Mmhmm," he hummed after a brief hesitation.Jessica didn't push her luck. She let him go and put on a sweet smile. "I'll let you get going, then. I'll take my meds on time to treat my condition." Daniel looked at her deeply. Then, he turned around after humming in acknowledgment. Jessica waited until she could no longer see his back. Soon after, the innocent smile on her face immediately disappeared. "Bitch! I should've kicked her out back then! Then, I wouldn't have embarrassed myself in front of Dan today! And so many others saw it too. How
Rebecca paid no attention to Penny's shocked expression. She just said, "Mmhmm. This is my second oldest brother—Sam Johnson. I want to avoid trouble, so I don't plan to go public with this for now. I hope you can help me keep this a secret."Penny nodded in a daze. She was still trying to process the information she received. After a while, she said, "Don't worry. I won't tell a single soul!"Rebecca was amused by her adorable expression. "Thank you for speaking up for me tonight, Ms. Lowe. I'll treat you to dinner another day if we have the time." She liked Penny, and they already exchanged contacts on their way out of the villa earlier.Penny immediately waved and said, "No, no, no need for that."Penny was in awe of the person she admired. As soon as she thought about her history of being canceled by people on the internet, she panicked. She then wanted nothing more than to run away at the speed of light. "You're too polite, Ms. Lowe. You helped my sister. We should def
That couldn't be possible!Daniel quickly dismissed the idea. Rebecca was an orphan and had been away from the country for three years. Her friends were also thugs. She could never ride such an expensive sports car. Where else but his villa could she go after the Browns kicked her out?But the villa was completely dark.The master bedroom on the second floor was completely empty. The freshly made bed was the only sign that someone once occupied it. Other than that, there were no traces of her presence anywhere. Her old and worn luggage was missing as well. After Daniel returned to Springford Estate, he searched every corner for her. But she was nowhere to be found. His gaze darkened. Then, he called his special assistant, Mike Hester. "Find out where Rebecca is. Also, send me a report on her situation abroad for the past three years." "Yes, Mr. Winston," Mike replied.But he still asked in confusion, "Weren't you planning to divorce Ms. Rebecca? Why are you looking into
Rebecca's hand stopped in midair. For a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.Why would she bump into Daniel here? The Winston Group wasn't located at Central Square Building. "Why is he here?" Sam looked in the same direction and felt incredibly disgusted. Rebecca was stunned for only a brief moment. Very soon, she figured out why Daniel would be there. He must have somehow found out that Fuller Studio was going to sign a contract with XR Entertainment that day. He planned to wait there as he hoped he could stop Sylvia. Unfortunately, he didn't know the wife he abandoned abroad for three years was THE Ms. Sylvia, designer of Fuller Studio. "Who cares?" Rebecca casually looked away. She already divorced him. Plus, she had no plans to stay friends with her ex-husband. So, she didn't even bother greeting him. After she accepted the roses, she stood right next to Sam. There was an elegant and relaxed air to her. Daniel had never seen Rebecca like t
Daniel fell silent. The answer was obvious.Rebecca smiled wryly. She tapped on his chest. "Since you want to marry her, let's finalize the divorce quickly. We don't want to waste her precious time waiting for you. As for me, I'm well aware of what I'm doing. I don't need your lecture. You have no right to lecture me even if we're still married, and certainly not after we're divorced." She stepped back and put on a poker face. She was so calm that it almost seemed like she was apathetic. "You should go. I don't want anything to do with you anymore. And I certainly don't want to invite trouble." Even though they already signed the divorce papers, Daniel still allowed Jessica to hire someone to humiliate Rebecca.Who knew how much trouble she'd be in if she kept in touch with him? She was willing to overlook everything they had done to her before. However, if Jessica kept bothering her, she wouldn't be so forgiving.Daniel didn't budge. His handsome face turned solemn. All the
Sam raised an eyebrow. Some topics were off-limits in the business world. However, it was acceptable to ask about contract renewals or signing with other companies when the current contract expired. So Daniel's question wasn't too impolite. Sam had no intention of withholding anything at first. But when the words were on his lips, he quickly changed his mind. "Indeed, XR Entertainment is working on it. I heard that Ms. Sylvia used to be the chief designer of Winston Jewelries. But when her contract expires, our efforts to sign her are entirely legal and compliant. Don't you agree, Mr. Winston?" "Of course," Daniel said slowly with one hand in his pocket. His index finger gently rubbed against his thumb. "To tell you the truth, I came to Central Square Building today to learn the ins and outs of the situation. If you've already signed with Fuller Studio, I'm afraid I can only go back and reflect on the matter." Sam smiled. "I thought you were here to steal the show, Mr. Winsto
"Daughter of the Johnsons missing for 20 years found. 50 million dollars donated. Wow! They are really quite generous!" Florence Seales said as she read the trending news on her phone.She was Jessica's friend, and they were in another private room at the Four Seasons. "Hey, as soon as your family kicked that woman out, the Johnsons announced the return of their daughter. They can't be the same person, right?" Florence asked."That's impossible!" Jessica rolled her eyes at Florence. "You saw it yourself yesterday. The only people that bitch knows are lowlifes. If she really were the Johnsons' daughter, they probably think it's bad luck!" "You're right." Thinking of Rebecca made her feel disgusted. "You both are from the same family, but why is she so shameless? Mingling with all the lowlifes. What an embarrassment!" "Why are we talking about her? Let's look at the menu instead," Jessica said, flipping through it. "I heard Chef Flanney is cooking today. That doesn't happen ever
Penny didn't have much free time over the past three years.As she had envisioned, during the first year, she honed her acting skills amidst criticism while also working as a translator.Later on, she felt that acting didn't hold much appeal anymore. Moreover, realizing that there weren't any roles left for her, she gradually gave up and moved toward working behind the scenes.She had some work during this period.It seemed that a daring reality show, not caring about potential risks, decided to capitalize on her controversial popularity and invited her to participate in one of their programs.The reason Penny agreed to participate was because the show's first season had a good reputation, and the payment offered was reasonable.Continuously doing translations could be quite tiring. After discussing with Cecilia and weighing the pros and cons, she eventually signed up for this TV show.Unfortunately, she had underestimated the darker side of human nature.The show's production
"Really?" Zane blurted out, staring incredulously at Sam, who nodded calmly. His unruly and carefree demeanor was restrained, and his composed attitude showed that he wasn't joking.Zane fell silent again, furrowing his brow as he intently observed Sam.It was as if he thought everything through in an instant, giving up without hesitation. He didn't even remind Zane of the request from years ago to take care of Penny. Instead, he said this would be the last time he would help out.Logically speaking, this should be a satisfactory outcome for Zane. After all, from any perspective, the Lowe family's scion would only be a burden to Sam.Looking again at Sam's attitude, it seemed he didn't want Penny to know he was the one quietly spending money to handle things behind the scenes.Since there was no plan to meet her, he didn't need to worry about anything after that. If that was the case, it would be better to just end it early.That way, if Sam saw Penny falling in love, getting mar
All those old scoundrels from the Lowe family undoubtedly ranked the highest. Then there was Jessica, the entertainment industry's national goddess, who also played a significant role.Besides them, there were a few minor celebrities who didn't really make the cut.However, as Sam's partner and someone who watched him grow up, Zane privately hoped Sam could find a better girl.So, he advised, "There are plenty of socialites in Riverwood, and Amdale has no shortage of beautiful young ladies, either, and Rookfort isn't much different."You and the Lowe family's daughter haven't even officially met…""Who said I haven't met her?" Sam interrupted him without a second thought.He had even seen her twice. How could Zane say they hadn't even met yet?The first time, she gave him all the money she had. The second time, he spoke up to help her get that role.After these interactions, they could be considered acquaintances.Zane choked up and couldn't find the words to refute.He was s
Because Penny declined his offer, Zane didn't insist. After a bit of small talk, he ended the call.He politely mentioned that if she needed any help, she could call this number again. If he could assist in any way, he certainly would.However, Zanw knew very well that, given Penny's temperament, she would rather give up what she had than actively seek help from a stranger.Yes, to Penny, Zane was just a stranger. He was a person she had met once but didn't really know.This time, Penny didn't respond as coldly as she did when she was 18. Instead, she exchanged a couple of polite pleasantries, mentioned that she would reach out if needed, and then hung up the phone.After that, she let out a long sigh of relief and lay on the lounge chair on the balcony, gazing at the view outside the window.There were fluffy white clouds in the azure sky and the greenery visible in the neighborhood. Sparrows were chirping persistently as they darted through the forest, and the cicadas loudly bu
Although the other person said only one word, Penny could still tell he didn't have any ill intentions.Because of that faint sense of familiarity, Penny didn't hang up the phone immediately. "Hello? May I ask what this is about?"The unfamiliar and distant tone probably made the man on the other end of the phone pause for a moment. It was only after a brief silence that he responded."Young lady, don't you remember me? It's Zane Moran."His voice carried a laugh, with a hint of teasing.Only then did Penny remember who he was, but she wasn't happy at all.Zane meant no harm when that incident happened back then. But despite that, over the years that had passed, he became one of the people and things Penny would rather not recall.Whether it was the exam she missed, the incident where Spencer took her to the hotel against her will, or Zane, who gave her 30 dollars for a taxi ride.She just wanted to hide all of them deep in her memories.The recent events had particularly made
"I'm fine. You all don't have to look so worried. You're making it seem as if something bad is going to happen to me."Penny looked at the two people at the door who were showing a range of expressions, feeling speechless.Cecilia was provoked by her words, and her eyes turned red."We're worried about you. You have no idea what you look like right now. You're almost like one of those disheartened protagonists in novels who hated the world."Penny clicked her tongue twice and said, "Aren't you exaggerating?"She didn't believe it. She was just worried about money. It wasn't like she had become disillusioned with life.Besides, she didn't dislike this world at all. On the contrary, she really liked it.Whenever Penny came across posts online suggesting that all humans should just die, she always felt like rolling her eyes. If they wanted to die, they shouldn't drag others with them.When searching for her own role in movies, TV dramas, and novels, Penny particularly preferred re
Penny's way of clarifying things was to simply tell the truth.Sometimes, trying to cover things up would just lead to needing 100 more lies to continue the cover-up. That would often end up making things worse and more ridiculous.It was better to tell the truth about the situation.To answer the question of why she lashed out at the Lowe family, she briefly explained her experiences over the years.Why didn't she attend the final paper of the college entrance examinations? She personally reopened that old wound.As for that man in the hotel, Penny didn't have much of an impression of him anymore. She only remembered not taking his business card and accepting 30 dollars from him.Why did she show up at that man's hotel room? She wrote it down truthfully—it was her father who personally took her and left her at the hotel, wanting to trade her like a commodity.Every single word was carefully considered and written by Penny.She didn't share much of these things with Cecilia. Th
Once the official statements were released, Penny's career being ruined became a certainty.The only surprising thing was probably that after the film crew issued their statement, the largest investor also requested to withdraw.The film crew was completely shocked, but there was nothing they could do. The scion was willing to lose money just to withdraw his investment, so what could they do?The amount of money in the compensation was nothing compared to the amount that the scion planned to invest. The production team would incur a significant loss.With one less investor, the project's status was essentially downgraded. They had much less room to manipulate their gains now, too.One would understand why the scion was doing this if they used their brain a little.However, the protests from the audience couldn't be ignored, and compared to the investors, it was clearly more important to keep the show going.After all, they could always attract more sponsors, even if the amount o
In addition to the widespread backlash caused by the phone recording, Penny's academic credentials were also scrutinized and exposed.Before the college entrance exam, she had always been the top student in her school and had never ranked anything else.However, in the college entrance exam, she barely passed the minimum mark for key institutions, far below her usual performance.Some people speculated that she had been cheating during regular exams and that her actual abilities were much worse.However, the exam results could be checked online, and the fact that Penny scored zero on the last exam was surprising.It was even more shocking that she was admitted to a top-tier university despite missing an exam. It was truly exceptional.But few people paid attention to this information.After all, the achievements attained through hard work couldn't be faked. Even if the results weren't as expected, it was undeniable that she was stronger than many others.Regarding this topic, t