Chapter 24
Penelope’s performance was so moving she even pulled out a tissue to dab at her eyes. While doing so, she snuck a peek at the Sullivans. Every face was a mottled canvas of red and green. Rebecca’s, however, was as white as a sheet.
Penelope had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
“What is all this nonsense?” Mr. Sullivan boomed, slamming the empty whiskey glass back on the table. He stood up, his face contorted in fury. “Zebulon, your taste in women gets worse and worse p>
With that, he stormed upstairs.
Penelope turned to her husband with a look of pure innocence. “Darling, what did Dad mean by that p>
Zebulon rubbed his forehead. “Nothing. Don’t overthink it p>
Rebecca tried to defend herself. “Don’t listen to her ramblings! That man and I, we p>
“I wasn’t rambling,” Penelope retorted sharply. “Every word was the truth p>
“Penelope, do you have to humiliate me like this p>
“I was defending you! How can you misunderstand my intentions so badly p>
“Penelope p>
Before Rebecca could say more, Penelope threw down her napkin and stormed upstairs as well, feigning her own fit of anger.
Once she reached the landing, however, she peeked back down. Mrs. Sullivan was marching out of the dining room, her face a black mask of fury. Rebecca trailed behind, trying to explain about Keith, but the more she explained, the darker Mrs. Sullivan’s expression became.
“That’s enough. I have no interest in hearing about you and your ex-boyfriend.” “But I p>
“I’m tired. I’m going to bed. Zebulon, you can see her out p>
A snort of laughter escaped Penelope’s lips. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and scurried back to her bedroom, locking the door before letting loose a full-throated laugh.
The grand dinner Mrs. Sullivan had so carefully prepared had been ruined. No one had managed more than a few bites. Except for her. She was full.
Not only was her stomach full, but her heart was full of a deep, satisfying joy.
That night, Zebulon didn’t return to their room. He was probably afraid the marks Rebecca had left on him hadn’t faded yet and didn’t want to arouse her suspicion.
The next day was Saturday. For the past six months, she’d been so consumed by the KINY Group project that weekends had become a foreign concept. Sleeping in was a luxury she hadn’t enjoyed in ages.
But her rest was cut short by a call from Mr. Johnson, urging her to see
the trusted old doctor he had
mentioned. Penelope agreed. Whether she want
children was
one thing, whether she could have them was another entirely.
She got ready and went downstairs to find Mrs. Sullivan in the garden, pruning her potted flowers. Judging by her mood, she was taking her frustrations out on the plants. With a single, vicious ship, she decapitated a vibrant azalea, leaving it bald.
Penelope suppressed a laugh, offered a brief greeting, and started to leave.
“I heard you demanded a bonus from the company,” Mrs. Sullivan called after her. “A million dollars, no less. Quite the demand p>
Penelope arched an eyebrow. “It was hardly a demand. The one-million-dollar
figure was calculated strictly according to the company’s incentive policy p>
“But the KINY Group deal wasn’t finalized. It has to be redesigned p>
“Then that’s no longer my problem p>
“You… you march right back to that office and return the bonus p>
Penelope flashed her a brilliant smile. “Not in a million years p>
As Mrs. Sullivan’s face turned a familiar shade of angry purple, Penelope turned
on her heel and walked out, her mood significantly improved.
The doctor Mr. Johnson had recommended was located in a narrow alley in the
old part of the city. After a long search, she finally found a dilapidated storefront with a sign so faded the words were illegible.
This was where Mr. Johnson’s supposed “miracle worker” practiced? Had he been scammed? The place looked like it was about to collapse.
But since she was already here, she might as well take a look.
With a look of distaste, she pushed open the creaky door. Inside the dusty, cluttered room sat a man immaculately dressed in a tailored suit, engrossed in a file. The faint light filtering through the grimy Winde wpañe seemned to illuminatë” only him, casting everything else into shadow.
Just then, he looked up. His features were so perfectly sculpted, so stunningly handsome, that words like ‘ethereal’ and ‘divine’ suddenly seemed inadequate.
Penelope let out a silent ‘wow.’ It was simply unfair for a man to be that good- looking.