Chapter 156 So what if that girl had been the one Caleb cherished most ? Back then , she had still been at Penelope's mercy . And Penelope remembered her vividly . Back then ... The orphanage teemed with ragged , hollow - eyed children . Unexpectedly , a girl arrived in a delicate princess dress , clutching the director's hand with timid fingers . Her parents had just died , and her eyes were swollen from crying , round and glistening like bruised peaches . She looked heartbreakingly pitiful .
The moment the director turned away , Penelope rushed forward and yanked the hairclip from her head . Raised in a loving home , the little girl had seen no malice. Instead , she obediently removed another clip and offered it . " Here , you can have this one too . " Penelope slapped it from her hand . That was the first time Penelope realized just how much she resembled a rat crawling in the gutter , standing beside a child who had once been cherished . Caleb felt a murderous storm surge through him . His vision burned red , and his grip around her throat tightened without mercy .
She had bullied Precious , and he intended to kill her . Penelope felt the air crush from her lungs , yet the smile on her lips did not waver . She forced out a final gasp . " If you strangle me , you'll never find her . " " What did you say ? " Reason snapped back for an instant . His hold loosened slightly , and his eyes locked on her with a predator's intensity . " You know where she is ? " Penelope offered no riddles . " I know the family who adopted her . " Excitement flared in his gaze . " You'll have to let me go first . " " Where ? " " Fine .
" He studied her sharply and eased his grip in careful increments . " But do not play games . You know I can end you in a heartbeat . " Of course she knew . In a world carved by power and class , her life had always been expendable before men like him . Caleb would not need an excuse to get rid of her . Still , she refused to accept it . Once she had tasted privilege , she could not endure returning to that precarious existence . Caleb would not let her go easily anyway . Facing the razor edge of his stare , she dug her nails into her palms until they split and forced herself to speak .
" I can tell you where they are . But you must promise me one thing . " 1/2 " What ? " " Divorce Sydney . Marry me . " He let out a low , humorless laugh , his tongue pressing against his teeth . " Penelope , do you really think you have the right to negotiate with me ? " he asked coldly . " If you refuse , fine . Stay here . When you finally feel like talking , I will come back . " " Good . " Her heart sank , but her expression remained steady . She had to gamble one last time . " Then you will never see her again . She is the daughter of a narcotics officer , isn't she ?
" Halfway out the door , Caleb whipped his head back . Her gamble was successful . Penelope clenched her hand . " When that family came to adopt her , I overheard the old crone and one of her men . They said everything her parents had done would fall back on her a thousandfold . " When the drug lord is released from prison , they will let him cut down his enemy's daughter with his own hands . " Caleb's breath caught , taut with fury and disbelief . He decided to test the truth in her words . " Are you certain ? " He had tracked the timing of Precious ' parents ' deaths .
It had aligned exactly with Brimcrest City's largest drug bust in years . The entire trafficking ring had been sentenced to 20 years . Because of the case's severity , there had been no reductions . 2/2