Rebecca and Sam settled into their seats at the restaurant, and something caught Rebecca's attention—the odd expression on Sam's face.After ordering their food, Rebecca couldn't resist asking, "Why are you looking at me like that?"Sam nonchalantly tapped the table and said, "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought you might see someone and start thinking about an old flame."Rebecca was puzzled. She hadn't been thinking about that at all. Deciding to let it go, she shifted her focus to the dessert the waiter brought to the table.Surprisingly, enjoying a cold treat in the slightly chilly atmosphere turned out to be a delightful experience, and Rebecca relished every bite."Are you sure you're over him?" Sam persisted when Rebecca remained quiet.Daniel's return triggered valid concerns. His remarkable physical recovery was undeniable. While David's passing brought a sense of relief to everyone, Rebecca's lingering sorrow was palpable during that period.Whether it was witnessing his
Rebecca and Sam decided not to bring up Daniel during dinner. They chatted about work and family. Then they briefly touched on Rebecca's trip to Seardale.Safety meant everything to the Johnson family, and it was only natural for Sam to feel concerned when Rebecca visited places with a dangerous history.However, seeing her return safe and happy made Sam let go of his anger. He decided not to bring up those worries again as he didn't want to dampen the mood.Rebecca decided to stay in Fairport for a longer time during this visit. James, who had aged a bit, settled down there two years ago. With its year-round spring-like weather, James found Fairport to be the perfect place for his retirement.James's children were doing a great job of running the family business. Even though the family was spread out, the business kept growing, so James didn't have to worry anymore.Angela never really considered moving to Fairport. Over the years, she felt like the only person who cared about he
Rebecca kept grinning as she said straightforwardly, "Oops, our place is full, and we didn't expect you and your daughter. There's just not enough space for you two."If Zelda had said that, Angela could have made her feel bad and convinced her to let them stick around. Angela usually pushed Zelda by saying she should look after her younger sister because she was the older one.But the game shifted when Rebecca spoke up. Even though she was younger than Mary, her words surprised everyone with a confidence that no one expected. She was confident because she had survived a car crash that might've been caused by Mary.Also, Rebecca had disappeared as a baby, and it was somehow connected to Mary. This connection left Angela hesitant to confront Rebecca.Even if Angela considered mentioning it, Rebecca could easily brush it off by using her youth as an excuse. Angela shot Rebecca a disapproving look but chose to keep quiet.However, Mary wasn't satisfied and fired back, "Becca, I'm not
Zelda's comment made Mary feel a bit guilty, and she retorted, "Who cares about staying at your place? We'll just book a hotel room for ourselves."She stood tall and held onto Angela's arm while muttering, "I came to be with Mom, not you. It's funny how rich people get stingy. You won't even spend money on a hotel room for us."The others heard her not-so-loud complaint and shot glances her way. Mary ignored them and kept muttering to herself defiantly."Enough. Since we're all here, let's grab a meal first. Why gather at the airport? Come on, let's eat! Nothing's more important than a good meal!" James' suggestion broke the tension.Angela looked tired. She glanced at Mary before sighing. Without a word, she caught up with the others by walking with her cane.Mary was aware that her main support at the moment was Angela. She had brought Serena along for a specific reason. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come at all.Angela shrugged off Mary's hand and continued walking ahead. Mary
"How could that be? I saw—"Mary's words were cut off by James, who suddenly opened his eyes and silenced her with a sharp look.Meanwhile, Angela and Serena were also seated in the back seats of the limousine.James closed his eyes again. Mary glanced at him before shifting her attention to Angela, who seemed weary. In the end, she chose to remain silent.James didn't share a home with Zelda and the rest in Fairport. Instead, he lived in a villa just a short five-minute walk from Zelda's place in the same villa area.Even though he had his own place, he liked to join Zelda for meals at her house. He enjoyed waking up early, taking a short walk around the villa area, and then heading to Zelda's for breakfast.After breakfast, James would dive into some fun activities with the young folks. He would engage in games, go fishing with Kenneth, or make a point to visit his grandchildren at the company.In short, retirement brought him a lot of things to do, especially without Angela's
James ignored Mary and shot her a cold look. Upon realizing that she wouldn't receive any kindness from him, Mary turned to Angela for help.Mary ignored Angela's weariness and sat beside her. She linked her arm with Angela's and started complaining, "Mom, look at how Dad's treating me."I've only been at Fairport for a few days, and now, he's acting like this. It's not easy for me to make the trip all the way here. I brought Serena along because I'm worried about him, but he—"James was fuming with anger and burst out, "You're aware it's a long journey too. Can't you let your mom take a break? She's at an age where she needs rest, and you're not a child anymore."Your daughter's already grown up. Can't you see that?"In his younger years, James had a fiery temper and would often shout at the apprentices he was mentoring.He became more indifferent to trivial matters as he grew older. However, it didn't mean he did not have a temper anymore.James and Angela picked Fairport for
James walked out of the room with his hands clasped behind his back. The room went silent in an instant.As soon as Mary heard the front door close, she turned to Angela and asked, "Did I make Dad mad?"Angela felt too tired to talk. Back before she arrived in Fairport, she had chatted with James quite a bit and learned about his life here. It took a lot of bravery for someone her age to leave her hometown.Even though Angela was aware that Fairport offered a better environment, for someone who hadn't ventured far from her hometown her whole life, it was a big deal.Late at night, Angela often dreamed of Zelda's face and pictured scenes with grandchildren gathered around her. Due to James persuading her, she decided to move to Fairport.Angela began her journey with excitement. She hoped to explore Fairport with James when she arrived. However, things took a turn for the worse as they ended up in a heated argument.Though Angela felt annoyed by Mary's words, she couldn't find it
The Johnsons weren't happy that Angela brought Mary and Serena to Fairport without telling them first, but they were still polite about it.Later that evening, a housekeeper knocked on Angela's door to take her to dinner at the main house. Angela didn't look too pleased and stayed quiet for a few minutes.Finally, she got up with the help of her cane when the housekeeper spoke again. As Angela walked toward the door, she asked, "Should I just walk over?"The housekeeper smiled and said, "Mrs. Johnson's place is just a quick walk from here. It's good for your digestion to walk back after dinner."But don't worry, Mrs. Stigg Senior, if you're not up for it, I can have the driver pick you up right now."Luckily, the Johnsons' place wasn't too far, so they wouldn't need to wait too long for a ride.Angela snorted and tapped her cane on the ground. "My leg is practically crippled. Are you seriously expecting me to walk over?""Apologies, Mrs. Stigg Senior. It was my mistake." The hou
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