Rebecca hummed. She ignored Mary and her daughter and walked straight toward Zelda. Of course, she didn't forget to greet James on the sickbed, as well as Henry and Emily.Mary grew agitated from being ignored and sneered sarcastically, "Some people are really arrogant. They only have eyes for those they want to see. You can't say that she's rude because she did greet her elders. But she isn't polite either."She was just short of pointing her finger at Rebecca and scolding her.Rebecca didn't mind and patted her mother's shoulder, asking softly, "Are you tired? Do you want to go back first?"Although she didn't know how the discussion went, Rebecca thought it mainly depended on her grandfather's decision. Her mother had come here just to say a few words, hoping the old man wouldn't be stubborn. Seeing the current situation, things might get complicated with Mary here. In case things escalated, she was afraid her mother would become emotional and trigger her illness again.Zelda
Fortunately, no one in the hospital room paid much attention to Mary. Except for James's helpless sigh, the others were used to her personality. What else could they do? She was always throwing tantrums. If they argued with her every time, they would have been driven crazy by now.After Mary left, the others in the room didn't linger either. Zelda was in poor health, and coming out here was already worrying enough. If they stayed longer, the rest of the Johnson family might come looking for them.So, after bidding farewell to Henry and his wife, they left with their meal boxes.Seeing them leave, Henry and his wife also intended to leave. After all, everything that needed to be said had been said. James didn't oppose it as they had imagined, so the weight in their hearts had lifted. It was getting late, and they wanted to go back to have a meal and rest properly. Plus, it had been a while since they had spent time with their son. The thought of moving to Jimmy's place had them fee
James was lost in thought as well. It wasn't because he was afraid that his troublesome daughter would accuse him of favoritism. So what if he was biased?Mary hadn't contributed anything significant to the family. Even if he gave 99% of the family assets to Henry, it would still be his rightful share, and she had no right to complain. James was just tired of arguments. Not only did arguments make things ugly, but the Johnson family might come into the mix. Gourmet Haven would be a mess if that happened.Four Seasons was established later than Gourmet Haven. Initially, it was just a makeshift shelter for homeless children. Somehow, it had managed to build a reputation as a distinguished family of chefs. Later, it even started taking reservations, adapting to the times.In contrast, Gourmet Haven always followed a budget-friendly route and opened multiple stores. However, Four Seasons was now flourishing while Gourmet Haven, which was supposed to be a family-oriented business, ha
While Rebecca was still in a daze, Liam began to explain himself. "I came to Rookfort with Markus because I wanted to taste your cooking again. "But I also came to help your mother with her illness. It's not that I didn't want to help you when we were back in Riverwood. But I had hoped you could cook a few more meals for me. "I never expected you to leave. That got me to reflect on myself."Rebecca was surprised, finding it both shocking and amusing. So, Liam had been holding out just to taste her cooking?This …Rebecca didn't know how to react. "If Dr. Mansion is willing to help my mother with her illness, I swear to cook for you every meal."Liam laughed heartily. "If you say that, I might as well move in with you in the future!"Rebecca also smiled. "Of course, you're welcome to stay as long as you want.""You old rascal. You're pushing your luck! I didn't even get to stay at her place for long. How dare you ask for this ridiculous demand?" Markus had enough. He slapped L
While other matters might have been forgivable, this particular issue was something Markus couldn't tolerate. Apprenticeship was no laughing matter in the Flanneys. Ever since his father accepted Rebecca as his disciple, and even ordered Markus to think of her as his senior, it symbolized the continuation of the Flanneys' culinary legacy. Once she had accepted the apprenticeship, recognizing another master would be unthinkable! Even if they were not in the same field, he would never agree to it. Absolutely not!Markus had even planned for such a situation. If Rebecca were to compromise for the sake of her mother's illness, he wouldn't blame her, but he would never see her again. Someone who abandoned their teacher, even for family, would not be welcomed back. The Flanneys had no shortage of successors.The people at the table seemed caught off guard by Markus' outburst and took a moment to react. Liam even assumed that Markus was merely defending his pride, which was why
The moment Liam started talking, he couldn't stop. Especially when delving into certain areas of professional knowledge, Rebecca couldn't grasp a word of it. She was like a freshman struggling with advanced calculus, leaving her feeling drowsy.However, she didn't want to be disrespectful. So, she listened with a bewildered expression, occasionally nodding in agreement, even if she had no idea what he was talking about.Markus had had enough and interrupted him. "Enough. Ms. B has no intention of becoming your disciple! Just because you don't have to worry about food in the future doesn't mean you can start lecturing us at the dining table."Liam immediately halted and he glared at Markus.Rebecca hid a smile. To lighten the mood, she playfully remarked, "If we really start practicing dietary therapy, I'm afraid there will be many ingredients that I won't be able to use in my food anymore. I wonder how you'll manage, Dr. Manson."Before she could finish her sentence, Liam waved hi
"Who do you think you are?" The people standing beside Rebecca scowled at her, their tone particularly harsh. "You're accusing us of smearing someone's reputation. What do you know, young lady? You're in such a hurry to oppose the victim. Could it be that you're the perpetrator?" Many joined in agreement."Yeah, you look pretty. But you can't tell right from wrong?""That's right! Look at how this old man has been beaten, and you're still questioning him. Why would a bad person make himself look like this just to tarnish others?""I think she must be that assistant. She looks so attractive. She obviously doesn't have any capabilities. She probably climbed up using a man's help and doesn't care about her own father. She's really low!""Scum!"The accusations were thrown at Rebecca.Not only were they insulting her, but some even moved closer to her, attempting to grab her arms."Don't touch me!" After the incident, Rebecca had undergone some basic training. When she felt hands
Almost everyone at the scene and those watching the live broadcast agreed. The broadcast's comments and the people around Nelson began to voice their questions aloud."How's that fair? That guy got beaten up, yet you guys arrested him instead of the offender! Do the less fortunate not deserve just treatment?""Why don't you arrest the MRC Group's CEO? They attacked first! How vile!"Various voices filled the space. The contrasting arguments online and at the cramped scene swarmed the place. It left the situation at an impasse.The police who arrived in their vehicles couldn't drive past the people. They could only face the angry mob. After all, everyone's furious complaints drowned out the police's explanations. The people ignored the police's explanation of Nelson's criminal records. On top of that, they refused to believe what the police said. They found the beaten-up, bloodied man's words more convincing than the police's explanations.More people stepped into the live broadc
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