Chapter 629
Following the address, Penelope found herself in a rundown, village-like neighborhood tucked away in the city.
She had lived in Orenth for so long but had no idea such a place existed amidst the city’s glamorous facade. It was a chaotic maze of two-story buildings, dirty, and teeming with all sorts of people.
She drove a short way in before realizing that makeshift sheds built on either side of the road had blocked the path. She had no choice but to reverse. Though she was being extremely careful, she still managed to bump into an old man on a bicycle.
Penelope quickly got out of the car and saw the old man sprawled on the ground, clutching his left leg and wailing at her.
“Look what you did — my leg’s ruined! I’m crippled because of you, and I demand compensation p>
Penelope frowned. It was possible she had grazed his bicycle, but she definitely hadn’t hit him. She had been watching carefully, heard no impact, and there were no marks on her car, let alone enough force to break a leg.
Her eyes narrowed. She took out her phone and pretended to make a call.
“Who are you calling?” the old man asked hastily.
Penelope raised an eyebrow. “The police, of course p>
The old man’s eyes widened. “You hit me, and you’re the one calling the police before I do p>
“I’m helping you call them p>
The old man coughed. “No need. I’m not an unreasonable person. I know you didn’t do it on purpose p>
Seeing his change in attitude, Penelope was almost certain it was a staged accident.
“What do you want p>
“Money, of course p>
“How much p>
The old man eyed Penelope’s clothes and her car. “At least a hundred grand, I’d say p>
“Are there security cameras around here?” Penelope looked up and spotted one at the intersection. “Let’s just call the police. When they get here, they can pull the footage and determine who’s at fault p>
“I don’t want the hassle, and neither should you!” the old man grumbled. “Fine, just give me fifty thousand. I’ll count it as my bad luck p>
“Oh? Did you scratch my car? Repairs for this model can be quite expensive p>
“What do you mean? You want me to pay for your car instead of giving me money p>
“If it was a deliberate scam, then yes, you’d probably have to p>
“Don’t you go making baseless accusations p>
“I’m calling the police!” Penelope said, raising her phone again.
The old man seemed rattled. “Ten thousand! Just give me ten thousand p>
giving
Penelope scoffed. “I’m not going to pay for my repair onet
you a single penny. In fact,
costs p>
Gontent belongs to swnows
The old man gritted his teeth in frustration, shot to his
t, pickedet
up his bicycle, and rode off with
agility that belied his white hair.
an
Penelope stood there speechless for a moment before parking her car and walking into the alley.
Following Harold’s directions, she
wandered for a while, asking several people for help before finally finding a very dilapidated courtyard. Through the rusted fron gate, she saw a thin woman washing clothes, with a little girl of about six or seven playing with water beside her.
Penelope double-checked the address on the house number. It was correct.
Why had Theodore sent her here?
“Can I help you p>
The woman washing clothes looked up and saw her.
Penelope hesitated, unsure what to say. Just then, a message from Harold arrived.
[Ms. Laurier, have you met Jack’s wife p>
Penelope frowned. So this woman was Jack’s wife.
[Why did you want me to meet Jack’s wife p>
[Mr. Stapleton just said you two could talk p>