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.