Chapter 1

I was the only heiress among the five great families, and all my fiance were the heirs of the other four families.

Initially, I was supposed to choose one of them to be my life partner, but things changed completely after Julia Leonhart came into the picture.

That night at the bar, Ethan Quinn, who always bore an aloof temperament, got on his knees in front of Julia and planted kisses on the back of her hand.

"I will only love you. I'll still be with you even if I'm the one Penny chooses. On her birthday, no matter what her decision is, we will turn her down for you."

Xander Schneider, Kyle Young, and Henry Johannson also surrounded Julia and agreed with Ethan.

Julia was moved by his words, her eyes brimming with tears. "If Ms. Sullivan were to discover that the car crash on the day of the design award happened because of me, you guys would be blamed."

Ethan brushed the tears away from her cheeks gently.

Xander, who seemed to want to make his existence known, hurriedly said, "What she has is more than enough. It's only a design award, and you're the one who truly needs it."

Upon hearing his words, I held my chest.

It had always been my dream to pursue design. Back then, if I had won the gold award, I would've had the chance to study design overseas.

However, just because Julia wanted to win the same award, I got into a car accident.

Although Julia was only the daughter of a housekeeper, she captivated the hearts of all of them.

I had no idea what had gone wrong. I felt as though I had plunged into despair.

All of a sudden, a drunk man appeared next to Julia.

He gripped Julia's hand, and the others could only surround him nervously, warning him from the side. They were afraid of hurting Julia.

Just then, Ethan caught sight of me. He stepped forward without hesitation and grabbed my hand before shoving me toward the drunkard.

"This woman is prettier, and she's wilder. If you want to have fun, then do it with her!" he said.

Ethan then took advantage of the drunkard's distraction to pull Julia to him and leave. The other three followed right after. None of them cared about my safety.

As I watched their figures grow more and more distant, I understood that there was no place for me in their hearts anymore.

Then, I should also choose to leave and find someone who loved me.

But why was it that after they found out I no longer loved them, they ended up regretting it?

…

"Penny, your 20th birthday is coming soon. It's time for you to make your choice."

On the other end of the phone, my father's dignified voice rang out.

I had just managed to escape from that drunkard at the bar. My body was still trembling.

Before I could reply, he continued, "I know you like Ethan, but Kyle, Xander, and Henry are also very good choices. You can pick whoever you want. My daughter deserves the best."

As he spoke, his tone softened.

My eyes instantly grew red. My father didn't know what they had just done to me. They always acted as if they doted on me on the surface, but their eyes were always dripping with disdain.

As I thought about that, I took a deep breath and firmly said, "Dad, I want to choose Zack Green."

"What?" he exclaimed in surprise. "Why would you choose Zack? He's far too much of a playboy. I really can't feel at ease entrusting you to him."

His voice carried genuine concern.

"We're not in dire straits that you need to sacrifice yourself. You only need to choose someone you truly like.

"You've always liked following Ethan around, right? Though I think he's rather calculating, and you might need to be wary of him in the future, he's still better than Zack, regardless," he added.

I lowered my eyes, smiling bitterly.

My father's impression of them was still stuck in the past. He didn't know that after Julia entered their household, everything changed.

They used to surround me, all four of them. They would bicker and laugh with me every day. However, ever since Julia arrived, she would always stand in the corner with tears in her eyes as if we had bullied her.

At first, Ethan and the others could ignore Julia. They had even told me that women like her only looked pitiful on the outside, but deep down, she was actually malicious.

I believed them… until one night when the rain poured down in torrents, and they received a phone call.

After that, their expressions turned grim, and they left my side one by one.

As if driven by some unseen force, I followed them, only to witness the scene before my eyes.

Ethan carefully lifted the disheveled Julia from the ground, his eyes filled with distress. Henry and Xander stood to the side, their expressions dark.

"Penny is getting more and more outrageous. She's aware that Julia likes us, yet she insists on acting close with us right in front of her. How vicious."

"If we hadn't been worried that Penny might go after Julia once she learned the truth, we would've stopped pretending long ago."

Ethan looked at Julia tenderly, gently wiping away the tears on her face as he comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid. Even if Penny chooses me, I'll reject her for you. None of us will accept her."

At that moment, a realization dawned upon me. They had long since been moved by Julia's tears. But to keep me from doing anything that might harm her, they had been pretending in front of me all along.

Realizing this, I could no longer hold myself back and broke into bitter sobs.

I sulked for several days before a close friend dragged me to a bar.

It was there that Ethan, without a moment's hesitation, shoved me at a drunkard just to protect Julia.

Only at that moment did I truly believe that I no longer had any place in their hearts.

I snapped back from memory before saying to my father on the other end of the phone, "I've already made up my mind. On my birthday in seven days, I'll go abroad and marry Zack."

When I thought of how Zack might react, I added, "You and Mom should head overseas first and prepare the venue for the wedding alliance. I'll take care of breaking off the engagements with the other four families."

I had made my decision.

My father fell silent for a moment but agreed in the end.

I let out a long breath, ready to start preparing for the banquet that would be held in seven days.

Just then, a sudden sound came from the door, and I instinctively hid myself.

Chapter 2

"Ethan, is it really okay to leave Ms. Sullivan like that?" Julia asked timidly.

I hid behind the curtain, and I could see a trace of smugness flash in her eyes.

Ethan let out a cold laugh. "She's done so many outrageous things to you. This is just a small punishment and a warning. Besides, she's tough. Getting roughed up a bit won't affect her."

Xander sneered and added, "She's offended too many people. Even if she gets hurt, she deserves it. Julia, you're still too kind. A vicious woman like her deserves to die."

I was shocked upon hearing that. So, they really didn't like me now. In fact, they hated me to the point of wishing for my death.

Pain made me bend down, clutching at myself.

Julia's eyes sparkled with amusement at their words, but she put on an act. "Ms. Sullivan is your fiancee, no matter what. She'll marry one of you in seven days. You pushed her to that drunkard for my sake. While I'm touched by that, I'm still the daughter of a housekeep—"

At this point, Julia stopped herself mid-sentence.

"I'm afraid that when Ms. Sullivan comes back from the bar, she'll lash out at me. I wouldn't care if it were just me alone. But I'm worried she might target all of you because of this."

Julia's eyes reddened, her gaze toward Ethan and the others brimming with worry.

Not being able to bear it any longer, they pulled her into their arms. They all looked pained.

"We won't let Penny hurt you ever again. Don't worry."

"Everything is her own doing. It has nothing to do with you. You don't need to worry."

Xander looked at Julia with tender affection and patted his chest in reassurance.

"The Sullivans may be one of the five great families, but they can't withstand the combined strength of the other four. If Penny really dares to lay a hand on you…"

At that, his face darkened as he continued, "We'll unite and bring down Sullivan Group first!"

When the others agreed, my eyes widened in disbelief. I had thought they were only targeting me, but now they wanted to destroy Sullivan Group as well.

Ethan gently stroked Julia's cheek. "I know what you're worried about. Don't be afraid. No matter which one of us Penny chooses, we will only love you. I'll arrange everything properly. If Penny doesn't know what's good for her, then I'll let her pay the price!"

Cruelty flashed across his face.

My heart skipped a beat, and I accidentally tugged too hard on the curtain, making it sway.

They immediately looked over. "Who's there?"

All of their eyes turned on me. I could no longer hide, so I stepped out expressionlessly.

Ethan's and the others' faces instantly darkened. Perhaps out of old habit, they instinctively wanted to explain themselves to me.

Julia's face dimmed in an instant. A flash of malice crossed her eyes as she moved toward me even faster than the men could.

"Ms. Sullivan? Why are you back so early?" she asked.

Julia's expression instantly changed, and fear flashed in her eyes. "Ms. Sullivan, nothing happened to you, right? Please let me explain. It all happened so suddenly. I didn't expect Ethan to pull you over. I should've been the one to go through that."

As Julia spoke, her eyes instantly reddened. "Ms. Sullivan, don't blame them. It was my fault. I'll make it up to you right now."

With that, she suddenly lunged forward. The window behind me was still open, and with Julia's sudden pounce, I immediately lost my balance, nearly toppling backward.

"Ah!" Julia let out a sharp scream.

My eyes instinctively darted toward Ethan and the others. If it were before, back when I hadn't fallen to this point, they would have stepped in right away to shield me from the danger. But now, when I looked at them, Ethan didn't hesitate for a second before reaching out to grab Julia.

The other three didn't even glance in my direction. They were all surrounding Julia, focusing on her with concern.

"Julia, are you alright? You're far too naive. Why would you plead with Penny over something like this?"

"Yeah. Even if you stayed silent, she wouldn't dare act against us."

They spoke one after another, paying no attention to me, who was struggling desperately by the window.

Only after Julia had basked in their affection did she timidly point in my direction. "You should help Ms. Sullivan down first. I'm afraid she'll hold a grudge otherwise. What should I do if she targets my mother because of this?"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ethan and the others ached with pity.

Then, they turned to look at me, their eyes burning with anger.

"Penny, you know it happened suddenly. I only did what I had to at that moment. Why did you have to go after Julia?" Ethan was the first to question me.

Xander and Henry quickly followed, frowning at me.

"Penny, we know you're not that kind of person, but what you did today was really out of line. Hurry up and apologize to Julia, or we will not pull you back up."

After everything that had happened before, I already knew they wouldn't save me. I had no hope for them at all.

I struggled desperately, just one step away from climbing onto the window ledge.

Just then, Ethan clamped down hard on my arm, as I didn't answer them.

In my disbelieving gaze, he pried my fingers off the ledge one by one.

"Ethan! What the hell are you doing?" I used every ounce of strength I had to grip the ledge. My nails were nearly ripped off, my fingers torn and bloody.

But Ethan, who once would feel distressed over even the smallest scratch on me, acted as if he didn't see it.

He ignored my struggle and kept prying my fingers loose, and I was on the brink of falling.

Ethan stayed calm, but his voice was cold. "Penny, we spoiled you far too much in the past. That's why you've become someone this vicious. It's only the second floor. At worst, you'll break a bone. If you won't apologize, then take this as a lesson."

At that moment, Xander and the others came over to my side.

Henry glanced at me worriedly, hesitating before saying to Ethan, "Maybe we should pull her up. She's terrified of pain. If she falls, she's going to cry for a long time."

Ethan didn't take his words into consideration as he replied, "It's exactly the pain that will teach her a lesson."

Xander even held Julia back when she tried to step forward to stop Ethan. He was soothing her gently, as if she were the one about to be hurt.

Hearing this, I realized that whether I apologized to Julia or not, they were going to push me down. I looked at them one last time, erasing all the feelings I'd ever had for them.

Then, I let go.

Chapter 3

Maybe Ethan hadn't expected me to actually do it, but when he saw me fall, his face instantly paled.

"Penny!" he shouted, not being able to stop himself.

Until the last second before I blacked out, I saw the four of them rushing toward me in panic.

When I opened my eyes again, I had already been sent to the hospital.

Xander and the other two were surrounding my bed. Relief filled their eyes when they saw me awake.

"Penny!" Xander reached his hand toward me, but I instinctively pulled away.

His hand froze in midair as he stared at me in shock. "Penny, what's wrong? I just wanted to check your injuries."

As if suddenly remembering something, he hurriedly explained, "We only did that because we were flustered."

"Yeah, we didn't expect you to let go," Henry chimed in.

Kyle handed me a bowl of soup. I frowned as I took it, only to realize it had already gone cold.

Ethan wasn't here. He must be with Julia now.

If it had been in the past, I would have made a scene. But now, I didn't care about anything anymore.

I lowered my eyes, finishing the soup quietly.

"Penny, I know you still haven't forgiven us. Maybe you don't even want to see us right now, but we'll apologize," Xander uttered anxiously.

Kyle quickly added, "We'll pick out a gift for you as an apology right away. You just focus on resting."

Henry looked at me, hesitant to speak.

I only nodded calmly, signaling that they could leave if they wanted.

Xander and Kyle left the room in high spirits. Henry, on the other hand, glanced at me and called my name softly. When I gave no response, he walked out slowly and looked back every few steps before finally leaving the ward.

A few minutes later, Julia sent me photos. I had no idea when she got my number. But from the moment she started sending me pictures, I knew that Ethan and the others were already starting to lean toward her.

The people in the photos were the very same three who had just left my ward. They were gathered around Julia, their faces filled with affection.

Xander was thoughtfully handing Julia a towel, while Kyle was animatedly telling her a story, gesturing wildly to make her laugh. Henry, unable to get a word in, simply sat at the side. He seemed entranced by Julia's smiling face. Ethan stayed by Julia's side the entire time like her knight.

All of this had once belonged to me.

I stopped looking at the photos and turned off my phone screen. Then, I began practicing getting out of bed. My broken leg reminded me constantly that everything was already in the past.

Now, Ethan and the others wouldn't hesitate to strike against me. They had once promised me that they would protect me for life and never let me get hurt, but now, those promises were nothing but history.

Over the next two days, they didn't come to visit me again.

My heart slowly began to settle.

I booked a flight to Manova, as I would fly in five days. At the same time, I started looking into Sullivan Group's overseas projects.

Just then, Ethan and the other three walked into my ward.

I turned off my phone screen, but Ethan still caught a glimpse of it.

He frowned slightly and scolded, "You haven't fully recovered yet, and you're already thinking about having fun. You don't take care of yourself at all."

Xander and the other two quickly stepped forward to comfort me. "She must know her limits. Besides, if she wants to have fun, let her. We can take care of her."

Kyle also nodded, looking at me with doting eyes. Meanwhile, Henry tried to reach for my hand.

They acted as if nothing had ever happened before.

Seeing the familiar expressions on their faces, I was dazed for a moment. For more than ten years, whenever I came up with some ideas or acted a little headstrong, Ethan would always scold me, while the other three would back me up.

In the end, Ethan would just helplessly go along with whatever I wanted, and I would smile in triumph.

I once thought those days would last forever. But when I thought of Julia, my gaze turned calm again.

Ethan saw the change in my expression, his frown deepening. Panic suddenly welled up in his chest, as if something was slipping away bit by bit.

He instinctively reached out a hand toward me, but his phone rang just then.

Julia was calling him.

Ethan froze for only a second before quickly choosing to leave. Xander and the others immediately did everything they could to cover for him, handing me the so-called carefully chosen apology gifts they had prepared these past few days.

Without saying a word, I looked at them calmly and accepted all the gifts.

The next day, I pushed myself to get discharged.

Sullivan Group was holding an auction today. Since I was the host, I had to be there.

Thankfully, when I fell from the second floor, I had paid attention to the angle, so I wasn't severely injured.

That evening at the auction, I dressed extravagantly in a red custom gown that highlighted every curve of my figure.

Not far away, Ethan escorted Julia toward the seats that had once been ours.

Years ago, I had personally founded Sullivan Auction House. At the time, Ethan and Xander had given me their full support. They had even attended nearly every auction.

Hence, when the building was constructed, I had deliberately left a section as our private area. It was filled with things we liked. Whenever I was tired, I would relax there with them.

Even though I already knew Ethan had changed, watching him unhesitatingly bring Julia into a space that belonged only to me still sent a wave of pain through my chest.

Ethan noticed my body stiffening, but he didn't care in the slightest.

Xander and the others immediately gathered around. "Julia just wanted to take a look. We knew you'd be kind enough to let her, so we asked her to sit there."

Seeing the flattery in their eyes and Henry reaching his hand toward me, I quietly avoided him and nodded casually.

If I could give up on all of them, why would I care about that spot?

With that thought in mind, I turned and walked toward another area.

Xander and the others hadn't expected me to react that way, and they stood frozen in place. They exchanged glances with one another but still chose to follow me.

Chapter 4

The auction began. As I watched the orderly proceedings, I gave a slight nod to myself. This would be the last auction I oversaw in the country. I wanted it to end perfectly.

The next second, Julia's excited voice rang out. She had been raising her paddle from the very first item. She practically bid on everything in the entire room. Many people seemed unhappy about that.

My heart sank.

Everyone present was basically a partner of Sullivan Group, and auctions were usually about give-and-take. But today, Julia was taking everything for herself just to show off.

She wasn't after the items themselves. She only wanted to flaunt.

Sure enough, when no one competed with her anymore, Julia cast me a provocative glance.

I frowned deeply. Starting with the next item, I began competing with her again and again. What was originally worth one million soared to five million, even ten million!

Meanwhile, Ethan gazed at her indulgently, feeding her fruit from time to time.

A housekeeper's daughter like Julia could never afford such sums. Who was backing her up in this auction went without saying.

My expression darkened. The next second, I was ready to go all out against her.

After knowing me for over ten years, Xander and the others instantly understood what I was about to do. They quickly pressed my hand down, and Kyle even covered my mouth to stop me from speaking.

In the end, Julia smugly won the item. She threw me another taunting look before nestling into Ethan's arms.

Ethan paid no attention to my humiliation, gently stroking Julia's hair instead.

The people around exchanged glances and began whispering.

"Isn't Ethan one of Penny's fiances? He's always been treating her well, so why did he bring another woman today? Who is that beside him?"

"Ms. Sullivan really… She can't even manage her own fiance. Just now, I saw the other three holding her back from competing with that woman. One of them even covered her mouth."

I clenched my fists and broke free from Xander and the others. Then, I turned to leave.

They kept following me, apologizing and saying they hadn't meant it. They had only done that to me because they pitied Julia for being too sheltered and inexperienced.

Before I even reached the door, the smug Julia blocked my way. But the moment she saw Xander behind me, that timid, pitiful look reappeared on her face. I dug my nails into my palm at that sight.

"Ms. Sullivan, I didn't mean to do that. Ethan told me to bid on whatever I liked. I don't know much, but I bid on everything because I liked all of them. Ms. Sullivan, I've prepared a gift for you. Will you forgive me?" Julia asked.

As she spoke, she held out a cheap necklace toward me.

I recognized it immediately. It was the complimentary gift Sullivan Group had prepared for every guest attending. Though finely crafted, it couldn't hide the fact that it was just a giveaway.

Among the items Julia had just won, many were necklaces. She could have easily offered me one of those, but she wanted to humiliate me.

When I realized that, I slapped her hand away without hesitation.

Her eyes instantly filled with tears.

"Penny! What on earth are you doing? Julia was kind enough to give you a necklace, and you treat her like this!" Ethan shouted at me the next second.

Julia clutched the necklace, tears streaming down her face. "It's not Ms. Sullivan's fault, but mine. I shouldn't have competed with her just now."

With that, she suddenly dropped to her knees. "I'll apologize right now. Ms. Sullivan, please forgive me. Don't go after my mom, okay?"

As soon as she finished, she slammed her head hard against the floor. Blood instantly flowed from her forehead.

"Julia!" The distressed Ethan quickly helped her up, then turned and shot me a cold glare.

"Penny, it seems the last lesson wasn't enough for you. This necklace is Julia's gift to you. Whether you want to wear it or not, you'll wear it!"

His gaze was sharp as he waved at the bodyguards behind him. Then, they dashed toward me in an instant.

I was forced to the ground. Though I struggled with all my might, they still clasped the necklace around my neck. The sharp edges cut into my skin, leaving blood streaking down my neck. Yet, Ethan didn't even spare me a glance.

"Julia slammed her head against the floor several times. You'll do it tenfold!" he said coldly.

I lifted my head in shock, yelling furiously, "Don't you dare!"

Ethan only sneered, and at his command, the bodyguards pressed me down.

I fought desperately, only to be slapped hard across the face. With my cheek swelling and burning, I glared at Ethan with pure hatred. In that moment, I wished I could tear him and Julia apart on the spot.

Ethan faltered when he saw my gaze. For a moment, it seemed he remembered something as he reached toward me with a flicker of agony in his eyes. But the instant Julia started crying in his arms, his gaze turned cold again.

They forced me to slam my head against the floor brutally.

By the time the bodyguards let go, my head was split open. I collapsed to the floor, completely drained.

Ethan carried Julia away, leaving me behind without a glance.

Only when they were gone did Xander and the other two rush over from the auction hall. I knew they had been standing nearby all along and watching me suffer.

Xander carefully helped me up, and pain filled his eyes. He reached out to touch my wound, but I avoided him instantly.

"How could Ethan do this to you? He's gone way too far." Kyle's eyes reddened when he saw my injuries.

Henry even tried to lift me into his arms. "Let us take you to the hospital, okay?"

I lifted my head, noticing the anxious look in their eyes and how they kept glancing in the direction Julia had left.

In an instant, I understood. They just wanted to use helping me as an excuse to check on Julia openly.

As I thought of that, I let out a cold laugh and pulled away from their hands.

All three of them froze. Then, their gazes softened into lingering affection, just like before. For a moment, I couldn't tell if they truly loved me or if they had been pretending from the very beginning.

I pushed my aching body forward, walking straight toward the parking lot without looking back.

Xander furrowed his brows tightly, reaching out to grab my hand. "Penny, you're being too willful. How could you not care about your body?"

When the other two were about to speak, I stated expressionlessly, "Do whatever you want. My matters have nothing to do with you."

They hadn't expected me to be this angry. After exchanging glances, they hurried after me and kept apologizing.

I ignored them and got in the car before leaving. Through the rearview mirror, I saw their figures turning away.

As expected, they just wanted to go see Julia at the hospital.

I let out a long breath, cutting off the last bit of my fantasies.

Back home, I simply treated my wounds and went to bed. In my dream were memories of them. But just when things were happiest, they suddenly abandoned me without hesitation, leaving me to call after them in vain.

When I woke up, the searing pain in my chest slowly faded. As I looked back on everything with them, I realized I no longer felt anything.

Maybe I had already let go.

I glanced at their messages on my phone and swiped them away without care.

Julia had sent more photos and even voice recordings of them showering her with care and affection.

She thought these photos would still hurt me, but I felt nothing.

I was going to block Julia, but before I could even touch my phone, a loud crash suddenly came from the door.

Chapter 5

Ethan barged into my room, his eyes bloodshot. Xander, Kyle, and Henry followed closely behind them, all looking grim.

Ethan yanked me by the arm.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" I struggled with all my strength, but they still dragged me into the car.

When we got out, Ethan pulled me onto a helicopter.

Upon arriving, I realized they had taken me to a place more than 3,000 feet up in the air. I looked down, my face instantly turning pale.

They knew I was terrified of heights, yet they still brought me here.

My legs went weak. I held onto my last bit of strength and shouted, "You lunatics, what the hell do you want?"

Ethan stared at me, his eyes blazing red. "Julia's abducted. Where did you take her?"

His hand clamped down on my neck as if he wanted to strangle me to death. "I was the reason everything happened that way last night, yet you blamed it all on Julia!"

My pupils shrank. The air was cut off from my lungs, and my vision went dark. I fought desperately, forcing words out from my throat. "I… didn't…"

Ethan took a deep breath, staring at me icily. "I know you like me, but I've said it before—I don't like you, and all three of them don't like you either."

He loosened his grip slightly, allowing me to breathe. "If it weren't for Julia, we wouldn't bother pretending with you. If you don't confess now, don't blame us for what happens next!"

I gasped for air and shouted with all the strength I had left, "I don't like any of you! I will never choose you! I have nothing to do with Julia's abduction! I told you I didn't do it!"

Ethan's eyes darkened instantly. Even he couldn't tell what angered him more—when I said I'd never choose him, or when I denied having anything to do with Julia's abduction.

Xander's and the others' expressions shifted as well. They surrounded me, trying to persuade me.

"Penny, I know you're upset about what happened last night. Just tell us where Julia is, and we'll treat you the way we used to."

As Xander spoke, he tugged at the safety gear strapped to me. His movement made me sway at the terrifying height.

My entire body froze, my face turning deathly pale. I couldn't say anything.

For a moment, there was a flicker of distress in their eyes, but they still refused to let me go.

Ethan took a deep breath and fixed me with a stoic stare. "Penny, I'll count to ten. If you don't answer us by the third count, we'll strip you. If you still don't talk by the last count, we'll throw you off!"

My expression changed drastically, disbelief written all over it. "You're insane! I told you I didn't do it! If I die, my family will never let you off!"

Ethan laughed coldly.

"Even so, our families are also part of the great families. Do you think the Sullivans can do anything to us?"

My eyes were red as I swept my gaze over them.

At Ethan's words, Xander and the other two silently expressed their agreement.

Before I could say anything, Ethan began the countdown. "Ten."

"I told you I don't know!"

My desperate scream did nothing to stir their sympathy.

Ethan just continued counting on his own. "Nine."

I clenched my teeth so hard, and I was at a loss for what to do.

"Eight."

The next second, Ethan tilted his chin toward the others. "Take her clothes off."

When Ethan dragged me out, I was wearing only a nightgown. If they stripped it off, all I'd have left was my underwear.

I struggled with all my strength, but my fear of heights left me completely powerless. Xander caught hold of me easily.

"Penny, there's no one else here. Just take this as a lesson, alright?" His eyes were still full of affection, and his voice was just as gentle as always.

As he spoke, he pulled off my nightgown without the slightest hesitation. I clutched my upper body desperately, screaming in helplessness.

Ethan kept counting down. But I couldn't say anything, as I hadn't abducted Julia.

In the end, with every number Ethan counted, Xander undid a button. When the countdown was over, Ethan shoved me off without hesitation under their utterly indifferent gazes.

In that extreme terror, I couldn't even scream. I blacked out instantly.

When I regained consciousness, before I even opened my eyes, I heard Kyle's voice beside me. "Xander, you're so ruthless. If Henry and I hadn't tied a thin rope on Penny's back, she would've been dead for real."

Xander chuckled. "Penny went after Julia first. Besides, even if she really did die, we could still get away with it."

Letting out a sigh, Kyle said, "If she had died then, we would've been freed. We've been keeping up this act for years. I don't think I can keep it up much longer."

"Well, at least Julia's fine. After this, I wonder who Penny will choose to marry." Henry's refined voice sounded from behind.

At that, they all fell silent.

I only opened my eyes after they had all gone far away.

There wasn't a single wound on my body, but my heart was already riddled with holes. Thankfully, I was leaving today. Thinking of this, I forced my weak body up and left without hesitation.

Not far away, Xander and the other two seemed to sense something and looked back, catching my figure walking away.

"Why does that person look like Penny?" Henry muttered to himself.

Xander sneered, "Even if Penny woke up, she'd have to stay in bed for a while. She's afraid of heights, remember?"

When I got home, I quickly packed up all my things. I casually put the engagement rings they had given me into four boxes and told my butler, Benny Lerson, to deliver them to the banquet tomorrow.

After that, I wouldn't care anymore.

I took my documents with me and boarded the plane without looking back.

From now on, I had nothing to do with all of them!

…

Third-Person point-of-view

It was Penny's birthday banquet. Even though Ethan and the others didn't want to attend, they still dressed neatly and went under their parents' pressure.

They stood together expressionlessly, enduring the envious gazes from those around them.

Time ticked by, but Penny never appeared.

Henry was the first to sense something was wrong. He frowned, glancing repeatedly between the entrance and the backstage doors.

"She's still not here."

Ethan sneered, "She's clung to us for so many years. Even if she were dead, she'd still show up to choose one of us. The only question is, which unlucky one would it be?"

As he said this, the four exchanged glances.

Soon, amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Benny appeared with four gift boxes.

Ethan and the others looked at the boxes, and a strange feeling suddenly rose in their hearts.

Once Penny chose her man, three of the engagement rings would be returned. They had known this long ago. However, there were four boxes in front of them now.

As Benny drew closer, Ethan and the others slowly widened their eyes when the boxes were placed in their hands.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Benny spoke expressionlessly. "Mr. Quinn, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Young, and Mr. Johannson, we're returning your engagement rings. Please verify them."

Benny's words landed like a bomb in the middle of the hall. The entire place fell silent in an instant.