Chapter 509

The man stepping out of the elevator instantly drew every eye, but the moment those gazes met him, they immediately softened from appraisal to deference.
He wasn’t merely the center of attention; he was like a king to whom everyone submitted.
Yet he didn’t look down on anyone or act superior. He nodded to people he knew, smiling slightly, composed and gentle-powerful, but restrained.
This man was still the same, yet he exuded a powerful aura that made those around him feel an absolute sense of awe, a reverence that could only be felt from afar.
Six years had changed everyone.
Theodore was no exception. His face was still flawlessly handsome, a beauty that could eclipse a room full of dazzling starlets, an unforgettable, almost miraculous presence.
But he had smoothed away some of the sharp edges of his youth, becoming more refined, and also more formidable.
People no longer called him the president of the Zenith Group; he was its absolute leader, the emperor on the throne of the Zenith Group’s commercial empire.
Penelope took a deep breath. Though it was early summer, the air she drew in felt cold, so cold it sent a shiver through her.
She had been the one to ask for the divorce, had even forced him to agree to it.
He had tried to win her back more than once, adopting the most humble posture he could manage.
But she hadn’t softened, casting him and their eldest son out of her world without a second thought.
He had asked her once, “What is your heart made of?”
She had replied, “Just assume I don’t have one.”
He was getting closer. Penelope felt the air around her grow thin, and her heart began to race uncontrollably. She hated this feeling, so she turned sharply and walked away, her back to him.
Natalie had said, “Penelope, you’re the most rational woman I’ve ever met, so rational it’s almost cruel.”
She didn’t think Natalie was right. The word ‘rational’ was too kind. She saw herself as selfish, and for her, ‘selfish’ wasn’t a negative word.
She embraced her ‘selfishness,’ endorsed the actions she took because of it, and enjoyed the results that followed.
In short, she never regretted her decision.
To this day, six years later, she hadn’t regretted it for a single moment.
Penelope felt a burning sensation on her back. A flicker of panic made her quicken her pace. She didn’t look back; looking back was never the best choice.
When she turned down another hallway, cutting off a certain line of sight, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
She was terrified that he would follow her, that maybe he still wasn’t over her.
“Mr. Stapleton, what are you looking at?”
Harold noticed Theodore had
stopped abruptly, his gaze fixed on the end of the hallway, his expression darkening and his eyes growing sharp, so he couldnt help but ask.
Theodore withdrew his gaze and replied faintly, “I just saw a ghost.”
“Huh?”
Saw a ghost?
In broad daylight? Who was he trying to scare to death!
Penelope turned into a hallway lined with several lounges. Some were private their doors marked with nameplates As she walked past, she recognized the names of quite few top celebrities.
Up ahead, the path was blocked by a crowd-what looked like reporters and fans—
all swarming around a female star.
She didn’t pay much attention at first and was about to slip past them toward the stairwell, when she overheard someone ask:
“Ms. Scott, a few days ago on the show, you suddenly brought up being bullied by Natalie six years ago Could you share what
now? And does it have
prompted you to speak about
do with Natalie’s sudden. disappearance from the industry?”