"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
"Sam, can you slow down a bit?"Rebecca could keep up with Sam's pace, but being dragged by the back of her collar didn't feel good. Hearing her somewhat aggrieved voice, Sam couldn't help but curse internally. "Slow down? Slow down my foot! How can you not learn your lesson and fall in love with another guy so quickly after all that has happened? You two sure look close. He's clearly a liar!"Although he was berating her in his mind, Sam halted his steps in response to her plea."Becca, you really need to be more cautious. Haven't you suffered enough from getting fooled by Daniel? It hasn't been that long, and you're already interested in another man? Do you even know what kind of guy he is?"Sam stood in front of her and lectured her out of concern. Their shadows stretched out under the dim lamplight. The difference in their heights made it look like one of them was enveloping the other. Rebecca didn't expect Sam to say these things to her. It took her a while to process it
Jessica ... died?Rebecca was in shock for a while.She hadn't paid much attention to news about Jessica after reading about her accident the last time. To her, everything that happened in Riverwood was a fleeting dream.But she couldn't simply ignore the experiences she had and the people she met.This news stirred up emotions within her.She turned to Daniel.Sensing her gaze, Daniel, who was still eating, raised his eyes to look at her. There was a hint of foolishness in his dark eyes. Rebecca hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but speak, "She ... Are you okay?"Daniel only glanced briefly at the TV in the room. He then continued eating as if the dishes on the table were more important than the news being broadcast.Rebecca suddenly felt she might have overstepped.Daniel and Jessica's issues were none of her business.He used to care for her deeply. Yet, he seemed unfazed now.Whether it was because of what happened at the wedding or for other reasons, it had n
The reporters continued with their probing questions."Do you think you're partly responsible for Ms. Brown's death? It's been said that she initiated the accident as an act of revenge because the Winstons broke off the engagement with the Browns. What do you think about this? Why did you break off the engagement with the Browns?"Upon hearing the straightforward questions, Rebecca frowned. After all, the real Daniel was still in the hospital. The one who was receiving the interview was an imposter.Nobody knew what his true intentions were. She didn't have much sympathy left for Daniel. But she didn't want to see an impersonator damage his reputation.Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.She wondered if it meant that all the mishaps she had experienced while abroad and upon her return were orchestrated by this imposter. If that was true ...But this notion only lingered in her mind for a few seconds. She decided to dismiss that thought.Even if those incidents had nothin
"What ... do you plan to do now?"The news on the screen had already switched to other segments. Despite the professional broadcasting tone coming from the TV, the ward still felt somewhat desolate. Unable to restrain herself, Rebecca tentatively questioned him.Daniel's gaze remained calm. She couldn't read his emotions.Furthermore, his face was partially covered in bandages, and that made it even harder to discern his expression. He lowered his gaze slightly before looking at Rebecca."Becca, Ryan told me you had some bad experiences while abroad. Back in Springford, you also asked me if I wished for you to ... disappear. Will you still believe me if I say no now?"He didn't answer Rebecca's question directly. Instead, he chose to clarify something about his past actions. As for what would happen from now on, he wasn't ready to think about it yet. He wanted to talk things out with Rebecca. He didn't want her to dwell on it.Little did he know that Rebecca had already t
After all, this guy had a mental illness and needed regular medication.Ryan believed that Daniel would never harm the girl he grew up with, but the evidence seemed to point in his direction. Plus, Daniel was infatuated with Jessica back then. He was so protective over her.But when Rebecca returned, he eagerly started investigating her time abroad. He seemed like a completely different person. It was understandable why Ryan had his suspicions.Now, looking back, aside from those unusual incidents, it all boiled down to Daniel's unwillingness to bow down to Rebecca. Daniel was accustomed to being high and mighty. He felt awkward to make the first move when facing the lady who always obeyed him.It was only after suffering a major blow that he realized how overboard he used to be.So, he willingly reversed their roles now. Regardless of how unreasonable Rebecca's demands might be, he wouldn't refuse them.It was as if the once lofty god had become the most devout believe
Like Rebecca, Ryan was too stunned to speak after hearing the unexpected information Daniel told him. He couldn't believe that Daniel's own brother would do something like this to him.Even Maxwell, whom Ryan disliked the most, was only more ruthless to the illegitimate child of the Jenkins. He didn't take any action either when he learned that Ryan was secretly taking away the Jenkins' business. He just let Ryan and Daniel take the projects away.Maxwell acted like they were only playing house instead of seriously fighting for projects worth up to billions. Ryan was surprised that the Winstons were fighting like they were battling for the throne. He could not fathom it.Even when Daniel finished telling him everything he knew, he was still at a loss for words. He was also curious why Daniel's brother wasn't raised in the family. Yet, Daniel wasn't able to give him an answer.Daniel could only tell him he wasn't sure of his brother's intentions either. He didn't even know much ab
Daniel didn't expect that what he was thinking about would suddenly happen at that moment. His phone on the table suddenly rang while he was pondering whether Rachel would mistake his brother for him.Rachel was calling.Daniel didn't rush to answer the call. He waited for a while until the ringing started to sound like it was urging him to pick up the phone before slowly reaching out for his phone.He heard Rachel's voice, which was filled with frustration, the moment he answered the call."Daniel Winston, do you have any idea what you have done? It's been more than ten days. You haven't returned home, and you didn't even show up at the company. I can't believe that you were even involved with Jessica. Don't you feel shameless at all? She's dead. Why do you have to be entangled with her? Your grandpa would be so furious that he would come back to life immediately if he learned of it!"Even though Daniel didn't put the phone on speaker mode, Rachel's irritated voice was still clea
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