Rebeca was in shock. Her once cheery face paled with helplessness. She didn't have time to think about anything and stood to chase after Oliver instead. Even Kenneth and Albert were shocked, but they joined her in looking for Oliver.Oliver ran at the speed of light. Plus, many miscellaneous items crowded the office, so he vanished in the blink of an eye.Rebecca only saw a vague figure when she came outside. She followed it past hallways leading to various office areas within the company. Rebecca looked past the many employees at their desks but couldn't see Oliver anywhere. Guilt filled Rebecca, who never thought this would happen. She had thought too highly of herself. She assumed Oliver treated her differently from others. After all, he hugged her tight and cried about feeling aggrieved the night before. Oliver hadn't told anyone about it except her. So, she tried to explain the situation to Oliver in the mentality of an older family member. Rebecca wanted to say Albert sho
Inside the phone was a photo, which happened to be the scene from the recent conversation between Albert and Rebecca. Quincy had secretly taken quite a few photos and was eagerly sharing them with Wendy. Not only was Quincy describing the situation, but she was also constantly swiping through the photos on her phone. "Ms. Sherman, I heard you've been with Mr. Johnson for seven years. Do you know this beautiful lady? What's her relationship with Mr. Johnson?" The shooting angle was good; the camera perfectly captured the profiles of the two people. The man in the tailored suit affectionately raised his hand to pat the girl's head, wearing a gentle smile on his face and an unmistakable fondness in his eyes. No matter who saw it, they couldn't help but exclaim that it looked just like a scene from a romance TV show. Even Wendy couldn't help but stare blankly at these photos. Indeed, they were a perfect match, both in terms of talent and appearance. "Speaking of which, th
Hidden under the table, the little boy stared with his big round eyes, tilting his head slightly as if puzzled. Grown-ups sure were strange. They pretended like nothing was wrong even when they were clearly upset. Although the coffee smelled nice, it tasted bad. So, why did she have to frown and force herself to drink it? Even if she wanted to try, she could have added some sugar, right? If she didn't like it, why did she have to endure it? Oliver curiously looked at the woman sitting on the couch not far away. His small face was filled with questions. Wendy was also looking at him. The moment Wendy saw that little face, her heart surged with emotions. Her expression was a mix of astonishment and surprise. "Why are you here?" Wendy put down the coffee cup and quickly approached the table where the coffee machine was placed. She bent down, looking at the child worriedly. "Come out quickly. It's uncomfortable to stay here for so long!" Wendy's eyes were filled with co
Oliver was startled and nearly dropped the cup of water he was holding. He didn't dare to drink water anymore. He quickly jumped off the sofa, and his whole demeanor reflected respectfulness. "Dad." Oliver still had a sense of fear when it came to Albert. Oliver has hidden at home before, causing everyone else to worry. Every time when they found him, they would affectionately call him their little sweetheart. However, his dad would scold him. Hence, Oliver didn't dare to look into Albert's eyes. On the other side, Wendy was also frozen in place. She hadn't expected Albert to appear at this moment. She wondered if he had heard what she had said earlier and how much he had heard. But upon reflection, Wendy realized it didn't matter much. Albert would never marry her, and she had no chance of marrying him. Wendy glanced at Albert's dark expression and the worried look on Rebecca's face behind him. Wendy suppressed her bitterness and mustered a faint smile. "Mr. John
It wasn't that the people from the Johnson family didn't tell Rebecca about it. It was just that after her aunt from the Seales family returned to Rookfort, there were some unpleasant disputes between their mom and the maternal side of the family. This led to reduced contact with the Stigg family in the following years. So, they didn't share all the details about the Stigg family with Rebecca. As for the Stigg family, they were well aware that Rebecca had returned. Several months ago, when Rebecca returned to Riverwood and the Johnson family donated ten billion, they had already sent a congratulatory gift. However, at that time, Rebecca had not yet formally returned home, and the Johnson family had not received any relatives from the maternal side as guests. So, they had not met anyone yet. "Once you've spent some time in Rookfort, you'll get to know the relatives. There's no need to rush," Albert explained, concerned that Rebecca might overthink things. Albert added, "Bo
Wendy didn't even think twice before hanging up. With a stern face, she picked up her bag and left the office. At the same time, the clicking of keyboards around her fell silent for a moment. It wasn't until the slender figure of the woman disappeared into the president's office that the conversations resumed amidst the sound of typing. However, Wendy had no interest in the office gossip about her. As Wendy headed for the elevator, her phone buzzed again. It was a midsummer's day, but she felt a chill run down her spine. Her fingers trembled as she rejected the call again, feeling as if there were ghosts chasing her from behind. Upon reaching the underground parking garage, Wendy's phone didn't ring again. However, she received a new text message that made her want to smash her phone. "You're not answering the phone? Fine, I'm right outside your company's entrance. You don't have to answer the phone, but let's see if you can still go to work tomorrow!" The message was
At Rookfort Seaside, the waters of the rivers converged into the vast ocean, and the MRC Group was located near the river that flowed into the ocean. As the car had been driving for a while, they could already see the bridge spanning the river through the car window. After driving for a while, Nelson finally realized that something was wrong. He nervously clung to the passenger seat. Then, he trembled and said, 'My dear daughter, you can't do anything foolish. Look at how successful you are now, and you've grown up to be so beautiful. It would be a huge loss if we died together! We can discuss the money later, but safety comes first!' Wendy smiled coldly. This man was afraid of death, but his words were not wrong. Dying together with him wasn't worth it. It would be a disservice to herself, and an even greater disservice to her grandma who had raised her by collecting scrap material. Moreover, she hadn't even had the chance to see her child grow up properly, so why should
Wendy didn't even bother to look at Nelson again. She turned around and walked away. She couldn't believe she was even considering taking this scumbag to a restaurant just because he might not have had dinner. She should let him starve to death as he deserved it. Seeing Wendy walking away, Nelson quickly caught up and began to apologize desperately. "My dear daughter, I was wrong! You can't just abandon your own dad. If you let me leave like this, those loan sharks will beat me to death when I go back!" "What does that have to do with me?" Wendy raised her cold gaze and swept it over the man standing in her way, her so-called dad. "It's your own debt. Why should I repay it? I'll say it again, I don't have the money, and even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you! Get lost!" Wendy turned and walked away, not wanting to deal with him any longer. However, she was stopped again after taking only a few steps. Nelson had hit a dead end, so he decided to go all out. "So, y
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