Stanley had already provided all the necessary information. Caleb and the others also felt that there was little more they could extract from him.On their way to this location, Caleb had already investigated the person responsible for posting the photos and videos. It was evident that Stanley was just an ordinary person with no hidden agenda. The online publication of the photos and videos appeared to be driven by personal motives, rather than any broader scheme. As for the issues related to David and Randy, they believed that Stanley had limited knowledge about them. Caleb wasn't very acquainted with David and hadn't interacted with him much. However, the intense confrontation they had just witnessed and the use of lethal force against Daniel indicated that David wasn't someone who casually roamed in different places. Hence, it wasn't difficult to conclude that Stanley was speaking truthfully in his account. During this period, it appeared that David and Rebecca had been l
Before Albert and the others had a chance to ponder further, Sam, who had just returned from outside, interrupted their contemplations.Fearing that Sam might have used excessive force that could lead to further complications, Albert leaned in and asked, "You didn't get too rough with him, did you?" The previous commotion had resonated throughout the house, and Albert was concerned that Sam might have been overly aggressive, potentially escalating the situation. Despite the dynamics of this small community, the locals were closely-knit. While they might engage in daily squabbles and disputes, they would band together when significant issues arose, especially against outsiders. Albert was apprehensive that if the situation escalated, they might be the ones unable to leave unscathed. "Don't worry, Albert. I held back," Sam replied nonchalantly. He had probably been a bit rough outside, as his knuckles were a little red. Even in the dim light, the marks were clearly visible.
Fairport, located in Seabound Southwest, was a renowned tourist destination with excellent and convenient transportation. The city's large and ever-increasing population meant that even A-list celebrities could go unnoticed by regular travelers.On busy holidays, some celebrities were compelled to purchase regular tickets for public transportation. Their fans often hesitated to approach them, fearing they might have to give up their seats.Rebecca, accompanied by David, arrived in Fairport the following day. The city's scenic beauty was enchanting. They decided to take a break and stay overnight, allowing them to explore the area briefly.Of course, this opportunity was hard-earned, and mainly through Rebecca's insistence.She had spent nearly a month in that house and rarely ventured out, except for the day she went out to investigate David's altercation.At last, with the picturesque scenery before her and David's assurance that they could catch a flight out whenever they wished
Rebecca wasn't resistant to the idea of leaving, but a peculiar reluctance seemed to linger in her heart.She didn't know where it came from, yet it compelled her to seek a reason, perhaps from Daniel, for a compelling reason to leave."Dan, I'm not against the idea of leaving with you," Rebecca said, her gaze rife with complex emotions shimmering in her eyes.After a moment's hesitation, she expressed her thoughts."It's just that I find our current life rather fulfilling. It feels unnecessary to leave."Of course, she hadn't forgotten about Daniel's career.She knew she could get by on her own, even without relying on Daniel. She could find a job anywhere, earn a living, and support herself.However, these were her personal desires, and she couldn't impose her want for complacency on him.She continued, "Dan, I'm just saying what I’m thinking. Our life here is really quite pleasant, but if you have connections and capital abroad and want to pursue your business ventures, leav
Rebecca followed David back without immediately sitting down for a meal.After her emotional outburst and the sweat from being out all day, she felt sticky and craved a shower. Hence, even though her hunger pangs were quite pronounced, she insisted on returning to the hotel first to freshen up.The hotel's ground-floor restaurant offered a menu similar to what was available outdoors but at an even more affordable price.Prior to heading upstairs, Rebecca had instructed David to wait for her on the ground floor and pre-order their food. She wasn't picky and was open to eating whatever.David accompanied Rebecca to the room, and after seeing her off, he swapped his jacket for a different one and made his way downstairs. He also reached out to Randy and invited him to join them for dinner. Despite their time together, they hadn't grown too close.A short while later, Randy arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant.They occupied a window seat with a coastal view, where a layer of sand
Rebecca sat next to David. Coincidentally, one of the waitstaff came over with their food, which had been ordered in advance. They placed the dishes on the table."Why is there nothing for Dr. Collins? Are you not eating?" Rebecca asked, a bit taken aback. The waitstaff had left.Before Randy could explain, David, who had grabbed her steak and started cutting it up for her, spoke up. "He only just ordered. It will take a bit more time before it's served. Let's eat first.""Alright. Then you'll have to wait alone, Dr. Collins. I’m starving"Rebecca shot Randy a smile and picked up a small spoon. She took a bite of the pudding before her. She took David's efforts for granted, allowing him to help her cut up her food without any reservations.They had patronized this restaurant before when they first arrived. The food tasted decent, with the restaurant's only drawback being that they were slow to serve the food.Dishes that had been ordered in advance were still served quite quickly
There was a balcony on the third floor. The interior was a cafe and bookshop where guests could relax. Out on the balcony, there were many varieties of flowers. The majority of the flowers were roses: red, white, and champagne-colored. They were grown with other flowering vines. Under the lights, the whole setup made the place look like a utopia. It was gorgeous.When he first brought Randy here, David's first thought was that he shouldn't have brought a tasteless man, but rather the whimsical Rebecca.Roses. If the information he'd read on Rebecca was right, she loved roses the most. Clichéd but romantic roses."Mr. Winston, why did you ask me here?"Following behind David, Randy couldn't help but feel nervous when David didn't speak, even after a long while. After all, he didn't think David brought him here to enjoy the roses. That would be even more terrifying.David kept silent.He took a couple of steps forward, his thumb brushing over a gorgeous rose bloom that was luxuri
Randy fell into a stupor again. He nearly wasn't able to react to that. Who had gone missing?"Mr. Winston, is it possible that Ms. Johnson has simply wandered off somewhere? Or maybe she's washing up in her room and didn't hear your knock. Wait a moment and she might come out in a while."Randy started to defend Rebecca, ignoring how he had been suspicious of her during dinner. He immediately tried to reason with David and calm him down.However, it became clear that his efforts were useless.David's voice turned even more enraged at Randy's feeble attempts to calm him down."Get up here now. Don't make me repeat myself.""Yes, sir!"Not daring to say more, Randy rushed upstairs to the room they had booked after answering.His own room was on a different floor than Rebecca and David's. They were both in the presidential suite on the top floor. The setup there was no different from an apartment, having a master bedroom and a smaller bedroom.Randy didn't know which room Rebecc
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