Zelda was still thinking about Sam's affairs, so she took a moment before processing what Albert said. Kenneth had a huge reaction. "A man? What man?"Albert's expression turned dark as he coolly told his parents what he had seen at the door in detail. This included how that man had opened the car door for Rebecca and the way Rebecca smiled.He gave countless small details like this. As he did, he seemed very displeased.Rebecca had only been back in Rookfort for a few days. How could she have found a man so quickly? Plus, she even smiled at him! Wasn't she afraid of being tricked?Even if Rebecca wanted to get married, it didn't make sense to progress so quickly. Albert had only taken his eyes off her for a few days!Hearing Albert's antagonistic tone of voice, Zelda finally came back to herself. She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the looks on Albert's and Kenneth's faces."He's one of Becca's friends from Riverwood. He helped her out during the incident at the Grand C
Kenneth was furious. He was ready to unleash a tirade out of anger, but his wife managed to hold him back.Helpless, Zelda turned to Sam. "You're such an idiot. We were never against you marrying Penny. Why are you in such a hurry? What will the Lowes think of us if you go alone? Let your father accompany you. It shows that our family values her. Let's show her some support."Sam calmly stared at his mother.He wasn't surprised that Zelda knew Penny's name.Obviously, Zelda asked Rebecca about it after their conversation this afternoon.It would have been more shocking if she didn't know.He pursed his lips and remained silent. Zelda continued composedly, "Becca said the Lowes don't really appreciate Ms. Lowe. They don't hold her in high regard and just want to marry her off to benefit their family business, right?" Sam's patience was wearing off.He ran his fingers through his hair and reluctantly replied with a hum."Exactly. The Lowes already treat her poorly. If we don'
"Daniel, I admit that I'm not exactly enthusiastic about taking care of you in the hospital."Rebecca stared intently at Daniel and expressed her feelings in a straightforward way."If I've made you unhappy in any way during this period, you can tell me directly. You don't have to risk your own health."Having gone through all those things in the past, Rebecca acknowledged that she couldn't be as devoted to Daniel as she was three years ago. Back then, her life revolved around him.If it were three years ago, she would have stayed by his bedside every day after finding out he was injured and hospitalized. She would be worried about him constantly.Even if she wasn't the cause of his injury, she would have willingly endured the hardships of accompanying him in the hospital. Even if he were injured because of someone else, like Jessica, she wouldn't have minded.But times had changed.Before loving anyone else, she wanted to love herself first.A broken glass couldn't be fixed.
Just as Maxwell had told Ryan earlier, he wasn't seeking his forgiveness. "The passing of our grandfather was largely my fault, so I won't argue with you about that. If you want to scold me or throw a few punches to vent your anger, I won't fight back. However, I believe this isn't a reason I can't pursue Becca." Ryan raised his gaze and looked at Ryan earnestly."Given the current situation in our family, I don't think there will be another occasion where I need to abandon my family. Moreover, even if such a situation were to arise in the future, I believe the Johnsons will take good care of Becca.""You ..."As Ryan listened to what Maxwell said, he couldn't help feeling that Maxwell was too selfish.How could he speak about the potential consequences of abandoning Rebecca in such a solemn manner? He didn't even bother to consider her feelings.Ryan couldn't decide if he was hypocritical or genuinely straightforward! Maxwell seemed to sense Ryan's thoughts. He said calmly,
Back in the hospital, the ward fell into an eerie silence after the Jenkins siblings left.The atmosphere was strangely tense.Rebecca broke the silence first. She apologized to Daniel. "I'm sorry, I didn't consider your feelings, and that's my fault. I know I haven't been in the best mood around you these past few days. If you're planning to leave the hospital because of this, I'll arrange for a caregiver to take care of you and have your meals delivered. Would that be okay?"She tried to keep her tone as calm as possible. From Daniel's perspective, it could be frustrating to have someone who looked reluctant to be around him all the time.But from her perspective, she couldn't force herself to wear a smile every day. So, she suggested a compromise of hiring someone to care for him. She hadn't considered his feelings thoroughly. Since her grandfather was in the hospital, she thought she might as well take care of Daniel, too.Regardless of the situation, she still hoped for
Rebecca didn't avoid his gaze. One of her hands was still on the doorknob. Her tone remained unchanged as she spoke, "Your lips are peeling. Remember to drink some water later. If it's too troublesome, ask Ryan to help you with a cotton swab."With that, she left the ward.She gently closed the door, and it made a soft click.Daniel was still in a daze inside the room.He blinked and touched his peeling lips. He felt a slight pain, but he didn't move his hand away. Instead, he smiled faintly.Ryan walked into the room just in time to witness this. He looked like a TV character smiling foolishly with his head bandaged. Those who knew him knew he got burned, but those who didn't would think he had some mental issues."Danny, are you okay?"Staring at the dazed Daniel, Ryan dared not step in. He stood at the door and looked at Daniel in disgust."What did Ms. Johnson say to you? You had that 'don't mess with me' expression just a moment ago, and now you're all smiles. Aren't you
Rebecca focused on eating.Sam quietly leaned in. "Becca, why don't you come back to Riverwood with me for a few days?"Rebecca, who was biting into her food, was stunned. She didn't expect Sam to say this. "Sam, are you in your right mind?"Hadn't they agreed that she would stay in Rookfort?Sam seemed persistent. He cast a glance at her. His expression wasn't very pleasant. "Do you really have to stay in Rookfort?" Of course, she had to.She didn't plan to go to the hospital anymore. Even if Daniel was displeased, he wouldn't say anything.She mainly didn't want to leave because of Liam.Liam came all the way from Riverwood just to try their food. She couldn't possibly change her mind and follow Sam back just like that.She didn't want to offend Liam.Rebecca didn't know what was bothering Sam. But she assumed it was because he cared about her and was reluctant to leave her alone. She smiled and jokingly offered him a piece of spare rib."If you're so reluctant to leave m
"I ..."Rebecca gazed at him. She didn't know how to respond. She had considered giving things a try with Maxwell, but she felt that something was missing in the past few days. So, she didn't know how to reply just yet.Seeing her hesitation, Maxwell smiled warmly. "Becca, you don't have to rush to give me an answer. Can we continue being friends for now?"Rebecca couldn't refuse this tentative request. She also hoped to become friends with Maxwell. She felt that she could learn something from him during their time together.He was somewhat similar to Albert. He also taught her how to avoid making mistakes, but they weren't exactly the same.After hanging out with him for the past few days, Rebecca didn't mind getting closer to Maxwell.Sometimes, they would chat about trivial matters, such as her studio. Surprisingly, she had gained some insight from him.He was always polite and considerate. He never made her feel uncomfortable. Rebecca sometimes wondered why she des
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