"What's … his problem?" The blue-eyed youth looked back at Rebecca. Rebecca was equally shocked by the loud slam. She was stunned for a moment. She shook her head and asked the man, "I don't know. Did you make him angry while I wasn't around?""Honey, you know I wouldn't dare! You're the only person in Seardale who would dare do something as stupid as pissing him off, and you're asking me if I did that?" The man looked at her in disbelief.He continued. "He must've been angry because you snuck out."Rebecca defended herself confidently. "Nonsense. I snuck out many times in Seardale but he never reacted this way before."She had been sneaking out while in Seardale but she always managed to placate David.The man thought on her words and nodded in agreement. "That's true …"Seardale wasn't safe and they had made many enemies. Although no one dared to provoke them, conflicts were inevitable when they had been taking over other gangs' turf and businesses. The loyalty of those peo
"I'm telling you, it's not right for you to be this angry," Rebecca said to David. She was sitting upright on the couch, fully awake now. "I was invited to the event. It's not like I was doing anything wrong. It's because you didn't allow me to go. That's why I went on my own. I'm not a child anymore. Besides, my career is making progress. You shouldn't keep coddling me at home."If anyone had a reason to be angry, it should be her. She used her abilities to showcase her jewelry designs in the market, yet he insisted on accompanying her everywhere.If that was the case, why not leave her in Seardale? Why bother bringing her here?David took in her solemn expression and pinched the bridge of his nose helplessly."Yes, it's my fault," he said in a low, gentle tone as if coaxing a child to sleep. After a pause, he explained, "I just returned to the country, and there are some matters I haven't handled yet. I didn't want you to go because I was worried you might get into trouble. "
Meanwhile, the VIP building at the hospital was usually bustling, with people always coming and going. While this private hospital was expensive, there was still a demographic who could afford it.For the past month, the entire building had been reserved. Even if another person offered a lot of money, patients in the building could only be transferred to another hospital or somewhere else.The nurses and doctors in the hospital were also clueless about the identity of the person staying there. They only knew that the patient was old and had been transferred from Clarkdale. The patient probably didn't have long.Nevertheless, for this last stage of life, they had chosen a place with beautiful scenery, opting for this private hospital in Fairport. Outside the window was a deep blue sky and white clouds. The landscaping at the base of the hospital building was also one of the best in the area. A few years ago, a movie crew had come to shoot at their hospital because of its unique sce
A nurse came to remind the patient to rest. David ended his chat with George. He got up and pulled a blanket over George and casually said, "Not yet, so you'd better live a little longer. Otherwise, you won't get to see your great-grandchild."George shot him a glance. "You brat. I just praised you a little, and you're getting carried away."Although George's voice was still unclear, his temper was evident. He seemed livelier than before.David smiled and allowed the caretaker to take over before leaving the ward with his bodyguards.The corridor was filled with the scent of disinfectant. It felt much colder compared to the ward where there were still signs of life.David didn't rush to leave, and he turned back to look at the ward for a moment.For some reason, he suddenly felt a bit reluctant to leave.He placed his hand on his chest. Human emotions were swirling within him.He used to think that emotions were the most useless thing in the world. Other than being burdenso
David stopped and turned to look at her. Rachel gazed at the face before her that was almost identical to Daniel's. She also recalled her second son's face, which was unfamiliar nowadays. She hesitated and didn't know where to begin.David was not patient enough to wait. "If you haven't figured out what you want to say to me, then I'll be taking my leave now. We can discuss it some other time.""It's nothing important," Rachel finally spoke up, taking a step closer to David. She wanted to remind him, "David, all the power of the Winston family in Fairport is now under Dan's control. You ... be careful."David cocked an eyebrow, not expecting his mother to say this. He found it rather surprising. After all, she should care more about the child she raised. However, she was … telling him to be careful.David couldn't quite understand it, but he didn't press the matter. He simply nodded. "Thank you for your concern. Is there anything else?"Hearing her son's tone soften, Rachel's ey
"I'm sorry, Mr. Winston, Mr. Johnson said he doesn't want to meet anyone today," the assistant mumbled.Sam had refused the invitation beforehand. At that time, the assistant thought Sam was being overly self-assured. After all, between Winston Group and XR Entertainment, it should be the latter inviting the former. Even though Sam and Daniel had a good relationship, Sam shouldn't be so arrogant. Now, it seemed that he had underestimated Sam.The assistant hesitated and felt a bit embarrassed by his next words. "He said that he's currently in Fairport. And whether or not you can find him depends on ... your abilities. As for discussing how to find him, he said he would talk about it when he has time."After the assistant finished speaking, he lowered his head, afraid that Daniel might get angry and give him a severe lecture. However, it turned out differently. Instead, Daniel chuckled with amusement. "Oh, Sam. That guy ..."Daniel shook his head helplessly. He guessed that Sa
It took a while before Daniel regained his composure. He lowered his gaze, looking at the spoon handle he had broken and at his reflection in the mirror-like surface. He suddenly didn't know what to do.He knew the girl he had been searching for was right behind him, but he felt a bit nervous and couldn't bring himself to look back. Perhaps, he was feeling nervous like how one would when they're neared home after years abroad.Rebecca started to order food. Her melodious voice was like the restaurant's piano that played in the background, and every word was pleasant to the ears.When Daniel heard that she was done ordering, he raised his hand and called a waiter over to order a couple more dishes.His deep voice attracted the attention of the two in the back.The waitress approached, politely asking, "Sir, if you're dining alone, ordering so much food may be too much. Would you like to reconsider? We have a no-waste policy here. Maybe ..."Those who came to the restaurant were us
Daniel's gaze might have been too intense. When Rebecca's observant eyes met his, it was as if she had been burnt. She quickly averted her eyes. Conveniently, the waitress was approaching their table, and Rebecca immediately found a reason to leave. "Well, I heard you were about to order more food. I won't disturb your meal. See you later!"She hurriedly escaped in a panic and hid behind the booth where Daniel was sitting.With her sudden absence, the surroundings seemed to fall silent. Even the restaurant's piano music lost its charm, and the colors around them seemed to dull. But she said she would see him later. Did that mean they would meet again?Daniel turned his phone around, and the call had ended a minute ago. The phone screen displayed a message from the other party. "Be there soon."This one sentence conveyed the same emotions he felt. He stared at the screen for a while until the waitress came over again. He finally placed the additional order he had chosen earlier.
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