Chapter 1411: Patricia Miller is indeed lucky

"By the way, Penny, how did your husband know what you’re up to?" Grace turned to the other side of the backseat where Penny was seated. Since Penny was no longer in a hurry to deal with something, she joined Grace in the car, heading to the Prime Group Headquarters.

"And by that, what I’m saying is that I didn’t think you’d ask him for his help," Grace clarified in a knowing tone. "I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, I approve of it."

"I didn’t call him," Penny clarified, pointing at the driver’s seat. "He did."

Grace slowly moved her gaze to the driver’s seat where Mark was seated. Her mouth parted slightly as she nodded in understanding, then turned back to Penny.

"Well, I guess you two ended up getting along," she mused.

The moment those words slipped past Grace’s lips, Mark’s ears twitched. He glanced at the rearview mirror, catching Penny glancing back at him.

"Grace meant that you got used to me, not anything else," Penny defended herself before Mark could speak. "I definitely didn’t tell her anything bad about you."

’She did talk bad about me behind my back,’Mark thought.

Meanwhile, Penny cast Grace a short glare while the latter chuckled.

"That’s right," Grace nodded. "She didn’t talk badly about you behind your back."

And with that, Mark was certain Penny did tell some bad things about him.

Soon, the car pulled up in Prime Group’s parking space. Penny and Grace jumped out of it, with Penny facing Grace.

"Anyway, Penny, don’t do that next time," Grace remarked with a deep sigh, watching Penny look back at her. "I know these words will just go in one ear and out the other, but I feel obligated to tell you as a friend and your lawyer that what you’ve done is beyond reckless. That woman is still the senator’s granddaughter."

Penny smirked. "Trust me, Grace. I am not the one burning bridges, and neither was I reckless."

"Well," Grace shrugged in defeat. "Why am I here if you can’t do something like this, right?"

"Hey, Mark helped you today, so you can enjoy your birthday later in the evening."

"Haha."

"Take care on your way, Grace," Penny grinned, waving at Grace before heading to the elevator.

Grace just smiled while watching Penny. "She really hasn’t changed... not one bit," she muttered, turning around as another car pulled over behind her. She smiled at the bodyguard, who stepped out of the driver’s seat.

"Thank you," Grace said, and the bodyguard nodded politely.

With that, Grace jumped into the driver’s seat. Before leaving, she glanced at where Penny had gone.

"I’m so proud of her," she muttered, her lips stretching before she started driving away.

Whether then or now, Penny truly hadn’t changed. Watching Penny in action today reminded Grace of how Grace and her mother were still alive today. Back then, Penny needed her father’s help, but now, Grace was glad that she wasn’t devoting her life to the wrong person.

After all, Penny had accumulated enough power, and with the people around her, it was easy to pull strings. However, Penny usually used them only in business matters. In fact, she didn’t need to do much because Penny wasn’t desperate and had always fought fair and square.

In other words, Penny could’ve easily used the power in her hands to get her way. Yet, despite all her success and connections, it never got to her head.

She was the same Penny who would likely let things slide if someone insulted or disrespected her. But when the same thing was done to her own people, it was a different matter.

"I guess... Patricia Miller is indeed lucky," Grace chuckled, shaking her head. "That woman better get her act together, or I’ll erase her from Penny’s side myself."

*****

Sometime later...

In a small apartment in a modest neighborhood, Teddy stopped in the entryway. He stared at the small, old studio apartment. The once-white walls were almost yellow, showing the traces of how many seasons it had survived. The ceiling was almost falling apart, and there wasn’t much in the small space.

Just a bed, a small table, and a few appliances that helped him get by daily. A heavy sigh escaped him as he carefully loosened his tie before walking into the room. There wasn’t a sofa to sit on, so he settled on the floor.

"I was so close," he muttered to himself, his brow furrowing as his eyes landed on the stack of job ads. "But... well, I can always try somewhere else."

Teddy shook his head before carefully taking off his blazer, folding it neatly. As he did so, his phone started buzzing. Picking it up, his face twitched a little.

"Oh, hey," he breathed out. "Yes, I’ll just launder the suit you lent me. I’ll give it back to you."

"Why would you give it back?" the man on the other end of the line remarked. "Just keep it! You’ll need a suit once you start working in the company. So, just return it once you can buy your own."

Teddy sighed and nodded. "Thanks."

"So, how did the final interview go?"

"I..." he trailed off before shrugging. "I’m waiting for a call. In the meantime, I’ll look for another job opening. Anyway, I just got home. So, I’ll clean up first."

Without waiting for the other person to reply, Teddy quickly ended the call. Another deep exhale escaped him as he looked around the place. Just by appearances, no one would think he was living in such poor conditions.

But here he was, in this kind of place, wearing a suit borrowed from a friend, using a phone lent by the same friend. There wasn’t much he could call his own.

"..." Teddy fell silent as he picked up the job ad from Prime Group. "Damn it."

Another deep sigh escaped him, shaking his head, and forgetting about Prime Group altogether. After everything he had seen and witnessed today, that was clear to him.

He wasn’t meant in Prime Group, and even if he convinced himself otherwise, he was certain that was asking for trouble in his life — a much bigger one than he already had.