Rebecca's grievances were brief. When she met David's icy gaze, she unconsciously sucked in a breath. She had no idea what had triggered this lunatic that caused the icy look he was giving her.During the journey, she hadn't spoken a word and had endured the discomfort of the ropes, trying hard not to make a sound. Could it be … that he didn't want to continue the game?Rebecca felt her heart tighten and decided to suppress her grievances. She asked tentatively, "Mr. Winston, is there no way forward from here? Or is there some other problem?"David didn't beat around the bush and threatened her, "It's the middle of the night, and based on what you have on you, they will definitely find you before daybreak. But can you guess if you'll still be alive by then? And when your brothers find you, will you look like the corpse you saw in that room?"Rebecca pursed her lips, and David's words brought back memories of Benjmain's horrific look. She didn't know if he was alive, but she knew
Rebecca glanced down briefly at Caleb's gift, watching as her jewelry was crushed under David's feet. She felt a bit distressed.She forced a fake smile. "Why wouldn't I want to accept it? If you want to give me a gift, why wouldn't I take it?"Why wouldn't she take the free money? Rebecca, despite her current financial stability and the support of her brothers, still understood the value of money.If this madman was willing to give her something, she would accept it. She could either keep it or sell it for a good price.He might be disgusting but his possessions weren't.David gazed at her for a moment, and his expression abruptly changed. "Wipe that fake smile off your face. It's ugly."He turned and walked away, his demeanor suddenly becoming aloof."We must descend the mountain before dawn. If they find us before daybreak, I can't guarantee how the situation will end like. If we make it down before dawn, it means our escape is a success. I can't promise anything, but at th
Maxwell had only heard about the Winston family's small, dark building. He had never seen it before. Still, Maxwell pictured it many times. Now that he had entered the place, it felt as creepy as when he imagined it.A corridor greeted them upon entering the building. Darkness shrouded the place like a horror film.Ryan couldn't imagine how Daniel tolerated living in such an environment as a child. The Winston family appeared glorious to the public eye. Yet, little did anyone know they were a worse mess than the Jenkins family. "My shithead dad is a pig for always desiring other women. Meanwhile, the Winston family …" Ryan shrugged the thought off. The main thing now was to search the area with Daniel for Rebecca. There was no telling if Rebecca would become traumatized from being locked up in such a place. Ryan's concern grew when he thought about Benjamin, who had gotten abandoned at the door. So, with heavy steps, he caught up to Daniel.The building's electricity was cut o
Rebecca stiffened and paled once she heard David's words. She couldn't fathom how he knew what she had been doing.Yet, David stood in front of her before she could react. "You may take me for a fool, Ms. Johnson, but have you considered that I'm not blind?"Rebecca bit her lip. Hellfire burned in her eyes as she thought, "He's not blind. It's more like his eyes are on the back of his head!" She had deliberately bumped against trees and stumbled several times. Although it was because the mountain terrain was challenging to walk on, the other reason for her clumsy movement was to leave behind her trail. Little did she know David, who led the group without turning his head to look at her once, would notice her plan.Rebecca was drenched in rainwater. Her wet hair shrouded her face while her wild eyes peered from beneath it at David, awaiting his next move. She was determined to chop off a piece of his skin if he dared harm her."Why are you so nervous? I never said you did anythi
Rebecca's throat hurt, but the bitterness in her chest made her cuss the living daylights out of David. Even after cursing him, she still didn't feel relieved of her rage. So, Rebecca swung her leg at him without caring where her kicks landed.David wasn't someone who would let others kick him. He instantly snapped to his senses, frowned, and pinned down her kicking feet. "Are you that obsessed with kicking me?""Duh! I can't stand a lunatic like you. I wish I could kick you until you're immobile!" Rebecca was so absorbed in that thought that what happened next stunned her. She slapped David.David was equally as surprised. A red handprint formed on his handsome face while disbelief flickered in his widened eyes.Even so, Rebecca didn't fear the consequences. Her arm boldly swung toward David as he glared daggers at her. This time, David was prepared and grabbed her wrist once she raised it. "You really aren't afraid of death, huh?" Rebecca gritted her teeth while refusing to
David recounted his past to Rebecca as if he were talking to an old friend. Although he spoke calmly, Rebecca knew how difficult it must've been to say, "I survived." After all, she had survived many threatening hurdles in life, too.Rebecca had a rare, peaceful moment as she rested on David's shoulder. Even so, she couldn't ignore the thought that plagued her mind. So, she forced herself to ask him to clarify things.Her voice was hoarse as she struggled to speak. "Mr. Winston, why would you do this if you understand the struggles of surviving? You kept ambushing me abroad. Even now, I must tolerate your horrid behavior. You may be displeased with Daniel, but why can't you sit down and talk things out with him?"She didn't understand why brothers couldn't civilly solve things. Plus, she felt David shouldn't have messed with her life even if he didn't know her. What was the point of hurling fatal attacks at her all the time?"Ms. Johnson." David chuckled, stopped walking, and place
Rebecca listened to David's unhurried explanation. Her tenseness eased as she observed the barren, natural scenery. A sliver of light peeked out among the grey clouds. It pierced past the dark clouds and shined onto the lake, causing a brilliant red light to reflect off the water.The dark clouds soon blocked the light again. Yet, the morning mist shrouding over them dispelled.Rebecca calmly spoke as she looked up at David. "Mr. Winston, could you move me to the side a little? I want to see the lake better, but the pine tree ahead is blocking me."David turned to look at her in surprise. "Aren't you cheery? I can't believe you have the heart to admire the scenery even at this point."Although David said he wasn't planning to spare her, he didn't plan to make things difficult for her. So, he bent down, picked Rebecca up, and moved her to a spot with a better view."The view is better from here, but you shouldn't move too much. There aren't any trees in front, so nothing will stop
"Rebecca has nothing to do with the grievances in our family, David. You can come after me if you're unhappy with anything. Why involve an innocent?" Daniel's eyes widened when he saw the dagger against Rebecca's neck. He stepped up without a second thought and tried to stop David. While focusing on the dagger with panic, he urged, "What do you want? Or do you have any requests? Feel free to state your demands. Just let Becca go!""How touching." David lowered his head until his lips almost touched Rebecca's ear. "Mr. Daniel Winston is willing to accept my demands for your safety. Do you like that, Ms. Johnson?"The cold blade against Rebecca's neck cut her relief short. Not only that, but the dagger sliced into her skin slightly, causing her body to tense from the ache. She knew David's words weren't trustworthy. "He has some nerve promising her safety when he was the first to put a knife to her neck. What a liar!" Rebecca yelled in her heart. As she struggled in David's hold, s
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