"Okay, okay. Let's go now," Caleb was happy to give in and drive the women to the restaurant.He initially planned to take Rebecca and Susan, who sat in the backseat, to a restaurant specializing in local dishes. Alas, the two refused. They had already eaten local dishes on the ferry for several days, so they refused to eat those foods.Even if the food on land tasted much better, the women had already committed the flavors to memory. They didn't even want to see the food, much less eat them.Caleb didn't force them. In truth, he didn't like the local dishes, either. He only suggested the restaurant after thinking about Rebecca's personality. Caleb figured she'd want to experience the local cultures of this foreign place.As for the food, Caleb didn't mind it as long as it could fill his stomach. After all, it was a pleasure to try new foods and experience a different dining environment. He changed his plan now that the women turned down his suggestion.They went to a restaurant
Rebecca skillfully shifted the conversation away from the earlier tense topics, and their subsequent conversation took a more relaxed turn. They delved into gossip and shared amusing anecdotes, while tactfully avoiding any subjects that could potentially dampen the mood. Following a satisfying lunch, Caleb escorted the two ladies back to the hotel. Their flight was scheduled for the next morning. The plan was to let them rest in the afternoon, have dinner, and then explore the local culture. Naturally, Rebecca had no objections to this plan. After all, who wouldn't enjoy a little vacation? On the way back to the hotel, she even jokingly said that the unexpected turn of events had turned this into an overseas vacation. During the journey, Sam initiated a video call and belatedly inquired about the situation. After confirming Rebecca's safety, he cautiously shared this matter with his wife, who had been transferred to a postpartum care center. As an added bonus, he initia
Of course, this didn't mean they could let their guard down entirely. Even though an immediate threat wasn't apparent, the constant surveillance by a group of people remained unsettling. "You can head back to the hotel and rest. Someone at the front desk is waiting for you; just mention your name, and they'll guide you up. I still have to follow Albert's orders and visit a nearby factory. I'll pick you up at dinner." Hearing this, Rebecca understood why Caleb didn't show any intention of getting out of the car. Even at this point, he hadn't even loosened his seatbelt. She opened the door, bid him farewell, and said, "Take care, Caleb. See you tonight." "See you tonight." ... After entering the hotel with Susan, Rebecca didn't follow her upstairs. "Ms. Johnson, what are you going to do?" Although Susan knew it wasn't her place to ask, gratitude compelled her to express concern. She was afraid Rebecca might have encountered unforeseen dangers. "I believe you're well
Indeed, nothing bad would happen. Rebecca had lost count of how many times this handsome guy had vented his anger on her before. Each time, it was all bark and no bite. After all, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't resort to physically harming a woman. Except for those inherently dangerous women, his anger was mainly displayed on his face—anger, glaring eyes, and a stern expression, but without any unnecessary physical actions. Those with slightly less courage might be intimidated by him, but those who had seen it often or had a bit more courage. They wouldn't be intimidated by him. Honestly speaking, Rebecca found it amusing to tease him like this. However, she knew when to stop. She didn't want to provoke him any further and chose to reply straightforwardly. "You can go back; I won't return to Seardale. And, Little Georgie, aren't you the one who despises me the most? You think I'm nothing but a burden in Seardale, so why bother following David's orders to take
Rebecca had a good night's sleep. Unlike before, she didn't close all the curtains when she hit the hay. Perhaps, having gotten used to her time on the ferry, she appreciated the soft sunlight filtering through the window during her afternoon naps. Thus, she grew accustomed to having a faint light in the room. After her chat with Georgie, when she went upstairs to rest, Rebecca left the thick curtains partially drawn and covered the inner layer with a light gauze. This way, the room struck a balance between not being overly bright and not too dim. She drifted into a peaceful sleep under these comfortable conditions. There were no chaotic dreams, and she awoke naturally. Upon waking, the room had darkened completely. The moonlight outside filtered through the light gauze and cast a hazy glow. The curtains swayed with the wind. Rebecca didn't rush to get out of bed; instead, she turned to face the window and lay there for a while. Without thinking about anything in pa
As they entered the hotel, Caleb suddenly asked, "Is that the friend you met today? How do you manage to have friends everywhere?" Caleb didn't deliberately look at Georgie, who stood next to the SUV. Instead, he cast a side glance in his direction. Rebecca didn't hide anything either. Without turning her head, she replied, "He works for David. It seems like David's grip on the Winston Group is slipping. So, he's planning to head back to Seardale and wants to take me along." If this were in Chirea, David probably wouldn't have the ability to take her away. Upon her return, setting aside the security situation, just this incident alone would likely trigger another round of changes in her surroundings. David left upon regaining control of the Winston Group. This time, there was no way he could openly return to the Winston Group with the assistance of Mr. Winston Senior. Without the Winston family, he might not have stood a chance against Maxwell in Fairport. In that case,
As Rebecca uttered those words, she looked at Caleb with a smile. Caleb gazed at her seriously for a moment, then chuckled softly, "It's best if you can think like that, Becca." After conveying his thoughts, Caleb didn't linger in Rebecca's room much longer. After picking up his laptop from the couch, he bid farewell and left. "It's getting late; don't forget about the early morning flight. Remember to wake up early. I'll head back to my room to rest. You should get some sleep too." "Goodbye, Caleb." Rebecca waved as she saw him off. Once Caleb left, the room felt somewhat empty. Rebecca strolled to the window and, looking down, spotted the man standing beside the SUV. The crimson flames slowly burned at his fingertips, sometimes bright, sometimes dim. After observing for a while, she expressionlessly closed the curtains. The man on the ground seemed to sense something and looked up at the building. However, he found nothing. The next morning, Rebecca woke up
The environment here, unlike the commercial streets that Rebecca explored last night, had a distinctive local architectural style. Extending as far as the eye could see was a massive square, adorned with numerous white doves near the fountain. Street artists diligently worked on their paintings, and musicians played an array of musical instruments. People casually rested or immersed themselves in the performances. After each performance, children eagerly tossed coins to the musicians while anticipating the next captivating performance. Beyond the colossal circular fountain stood an iconic cathedral. The central clock's hands moved slowly, and the air carried the distant sounds of a wedding march. Perhaps a priest inside the cathedral was officiating a marriage ceremony. Rebecca felt like she had outgrown the age of romantic fantasies about love. Or maybe, having understood various aspects of life, she had lost interest in love. However, in such an atmosphere, listening to
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