Daniel's expression darkened immediately.Markus had been rude to him ever since they met. He had only asked him about Rebecca, yet the man bluntly told him to divorce her. Besides, he was clearly being sarcastic when he said that he and Jessica were meant for each other.However, not everyone noticed the sarcasm in Markus' tone. Jessica was all smiles. Markus' words touched her heart. She wanted Daniel and Rebecca to get a divorce as soon as possible too. She didn't have any time to waste. She thought that she was meant for Daniel as well. This man was hers from the start. Rebecca wouldn't have met Daniel if the Browns hadn't picked her up. No one could go from rags to riches. No one.Jessica thanked Markus shyly, "Thank you, Chef Flanney. I'm so sorry for upsetting you back then. I hope you won't take it to heart. When the time comes, you can join the fun at my wedding with Dan if you're free."Markus narrowed his eyes at her words. He wondered if she was really stupid or just pr
Daniel had left his phone in his car when he went out for lunch, so he had no idea why Rebecca had cursed him out at Four Seasons. However, he had a vague guess.As expected, as soon as he turned on his phone, news about Rebecca and Ethan kept popping out. What he saw made him frown. No wonder Rebecca said he was disgusting. This was truly a despicable move.First of all, they were already publicly divorced, so this wasn't a case of cheating or homewrecking. And even if they were still married, he wouldn't have done something as despicable as sending surveillance footage to the media.It would only show the world that he was incapable of making his wife stay with him.Therefore, even though he wasn't happy about the way Rebecca threw herself into Ethan's arms, he would never have sent the footage to the media just to ruin Ethan's career.What really bothered him, though, was how little Rebecca trusted him. The thought made the wound on his lip throb again. She really didn't hold b
Daniel walked past Ryan, ignoring him. "How am I done for, then?"He wasn't in the best mood in the first place, especially after seeing through Jessica's malice. At that moment, he was nursing an annoying headache, so he was in no mood to argue with Ryan.Ryan had no idea about all of these and was still hung up on the news. He stared at his laptop with a sigh. "You've offended my brother-in-law."Daniel gave him a side eye for that nonsensical remark. "What the fuck are you on about? Look, Ryan, try and think about something useful for once instead of getting all hung up on Rebecca or some other woman. I don't have time for your whims."He didn't know what Ryan was talking about. Winston Group had a lot of competitors, so they had plenty of enemies to pick a fight with. Daniel had no idea who Ryan was referring to.In fact, he found it amusing. Not too long ago, Ryan was just arguing with him about Rebecca, calling her Bex and all, but now, he had a new brother-in-law. So much f
Rebecca hadn't meant to follow Ryan.Before Ethan clarified their relationship, there was barely anyone who stood up for her online. One of them, who was Ryan, caught her eye as he had a decent online following. Then, while everyone was sharing Ethan's post about their relationship as siblings, he was the only one who found her account and showed her support. The name Ryan Jenkins made her click on his profile. She didn't expect him to actually be the second son of the Jenkins family. When she was exiting his profile, she accidentally clicked on the wrong button and followed him. Too embarrassed to unfollow him immediately, she just left it there. It wasn't like she didn't know Ryan anyway. She'd beaten him up once before too.However, she didn't expect Ryan to act so fast. His message appeared almost as soon as she followed him.Ryan: "Bex!"Rebecca frowned at the nickname.She knew that the nickname was derived from her name and came from their shared childhood, but she prefer
The Internet? Rebecca was the pariah in everyone's eyes right now. What did that have to do with Jessica?As Jessica stood there, dazed, the random stranger shook off her hand in disgust. "You'd better make your public apology, Ms. Brown. Don't go celebrating just yet. Frankly, I doubt your apology would even be sincere. What can I expect from a woman who would ask for money for leaking a video?"The person's voice was loud enough for the crowded dance floor to hear. Everyone laughed.Jessica turned white with rage. She didn't want to stay there anymore. Glaring at the laughing crowd, she turned and left. As she walked away, she took out her phone to check what was going on online. She found it hard to believe that Rebecca could possibly debunk that video. After all, the implication was clear as day. Was she going to lie and say that Ethan was her brother? She'd need solid evidence for that! However, as soon as she saw Ethan's post, which Rebecca had shared, her mind went blank.
When Rebecca saw the man standing in front of her, she smiled widely. "Ethan! What are you doing here? Aren't you afraid of being recognized and mobbed by your fans?"Ethan had clearly disguised himself by stuffing his shirt so that his broad figure appeared plumper. He wore a tousled wig that looked like it hadn't been washed in days. For what it was worth, he looked like a regular office worker who had been working overtime for several days. Even so, Rebecca recognized him instantly, and she had no doubts that his fans would too. Ethan looked unconcerned as he settled into the seat across her and sipped his coffee. "I heard from Sam that you came here to have cake. It's been an hour, so I came to check on you," he said, avoiding her other question. His clear voice didn't suit his current appearance at all."I was going to head back after I finished eating, but I got too engrossed with my phone," Rebecca replied apologetically. If she kept looking at her phone at home, Sam would n
Daniel had only messaged Sylvia to try his luck, not expecting her to reply. Therefore, when he received her message in return, he could hardly believe it. It took some time for the surprise to truly sink in. He quickly scheduled a time for her and picked two locations so that she could choose where she wanted to meet.F: "How about this Sunday? As for the place, would Four Seasons suit your palate or Abimael at GW Plaza?"Like the Four Seasons, Abimael was a major attraction in Riverwood, famous for their pizzas. Both restaurants were expensive, but more importantly, the taste and quality of the food were the best. It was clear that Daniel truly wanted this meeting to happen, and it didn't take long for him to receive a reply.Sylvia: "I prefer pizza."Those three crude words showed just how haughty Sylvia was, just what Daniel expected from a woman who blocked him without mercy. It reminded him of Rebecca for some reason. Daniel frowned and pushed the thoughts of her from his m
"Am I supposed to believe you?" Daniel's voice was cold.He was expecting to meet Sylvia. Even if she refused to continue working with the Winston Group, he still wanted to know why. He was willing to apologize to her if he had offended her in any way while they were working together or even express his gratitude for her help three years ago. He never expected to see Rebecca. At that moment, his heart was heavy.Rebecca hadn't expected that Daniel wouldn't believe her either, but she could see where he was coming from. Sylvia had signed an exclusive contract with the Johnsons, which meant they were close; Rebecca knew Sam well, whose company was also working with Sylvia, so it was highly probable that she knew Slyvia through him. With that, it wouldn't be impossible for her to pretend to be Sylvia just to make a fool of him. Even so, it was still amusing. Rebecca smiled. "Why are you so sure that I'm pretending to be Sylvia? Why won't you believe that I'm really her? Daniel, ar
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