Meanwhile, Olivia remained unnoticed, quietly studying and observing as everyone flocked around Frederick.Some even whispered, inquiring if he was her boyfriend, which made her uneasy as she sensed their obvious interest in him.She replied in a soft voice, "We only met at the interview yesterday."Hearing Olivia's response seemed to embolden the women even more, and they surrounded Frederick with questions. At that moment, he had just finished reinstalling the operating system on a colleague's computer.One of the colleagues, Melissa Hartley was overjoyed when she logged in to find her once sluggish machine now running smoothly.She admired Frederick's competence as much as his looks. He was clearly going places, perhaps even becoming a team leader. And the way he'd stood up to Grace showed he had real boyfriend potential.A man like him wouldn't be on the market for long if she didn't act fast.Melissa's eyes sparkled as she smiled at Frederick. "Oh, Frederick, thank you so
Since the Danbury family's sudden disappearance after liquidating their assets, Grace and Priscilla had always assumed they'd crossed the powerful Monroe family, leading to their downfall.A wave of jealousy washed over Priscilla as she observed Olivia in the floral dress, standing nearby.Suddenly, Priscilla felt a wave of resentment surge through. Frederick was a manipulative heartbreaker, nothing more.Grace's voice dripped with disdain. "Look at him, Prissy, strutting around in that tacky suit, pretending to be something he's not. He's all charm and no substance, a master manipulator preying on these naive women. Who knows how many hearts he's trampled on before?"When Priscilla first met Frederick, he was wearing the same nice suit and refined manner that had swept her off her feet, leading to their whirlwind marriage.Now, the truth was painfully clear—his polished appearance and smooth talk were merely tools in Frederick's arsenal for flirting with women!The cheerful atmo
Frederick's eyes narrowed at Priscilla's outburst.Was she having another meltdown this time?"First of all, I never conspired with Vivianne. Secondly, I didn't resort to any tricks before, and I won't now. I always act with integrity, so I suggest you refrain from using such harsh language. I've tolerated you long enough."Priscilla's anger flared upon hearing Frederick's words. He had gone to great lengths to sabotage her job interview, using underhanded tactics against her designs, and now he dared to blame her!At that moment, Grace, like a loyal lapdog, jumped in to defend Priscilla.She marched up to the women around Frederick and snapped, "You bunch of sluts! Have you never seen a man before? Get out of here now! Be careful, or I'll have my cousin bring some thugs to teach you a lesson."The female colleagues, already intimidated by her, quickly distanced themselves. They were all too familiar with the unsavory reputation of her cousin, Mitchell.He held a position in Tea
Frederick scoffed at Grace's words. "So, what's the difference?"Grace replied with a hint of satisfaction, "The first option lets you leave on your own with a shred of dignity. The second? I throw you out."Frederick snorted. Seeing Priscilla and Grace again was like accidentally tuning into a cringeworthy reality show.If he'd known they worked here, he would've turned and walked right back out. However, Grace just threatened to kick him out. Leaving now would be like admitting she scared him.There was no way!Sitting himself nonchalantly in a chair, Frederick met Grace's gaze unflinchingly."Here I am. Are you feeling brave enough to toss me out? Do it. Otherwise, shut your pie hole and get lost. What a rabid dog! I've got work to do!"Seeing those two again made Frederick sigh in exasperation. It seemed fate was determined to throw him together with these annoying women no matter where he went!Frederick's comparison of Grace to a "rabid dog" sent ripples of laughter thr
This was the first time.Never before had an employee dared to challenge Grace's authority.Used to bending even the director to her will, Grace understood a core principle—power thrived on fear. One slip, one instance of defiance, and the carefully constructed hierarchy could crumble. Grace said angrily, "Bitch, just because you have Frederick as your shield, you think you're something special? Hiding behind a man, huh? That's your talent? You're nothing but a slut born to be played by men!"Melissa lost her temper as well. She stepped in front of Frederick, hands on her hips, and said to Grace, "So what if I am? I'm right here, not hiding behind anyone. Hit me if you dare. Do you think you can beat me with your injured hands?"Grace was caught off guard by Melissa's sudden defiance. She faltered as the throbbing pain in her hand was a stark reminder of her vulnerability. Two healthy hands against one injured one; the fight wouldn't be pretty.Empowered by her newfound courag
With Team One now so united, they probably wouldn't apologize.Catching Priscilla's frown, Grace quickly soothed her concerns. "Don't fret, Prissy. Once Frederick's out of the picture, those sheep will cower back down. He's the one riling them up."Priscilla nodded in agreement. Frederick was clearly the instigator.With renewed purpose, they set off to find Ivy.…Meanwhile, Ivy was on the phone with Anya."Anya, weren't you supposed to check on the new guy today? What happened? And guess what? He already got into a fight with Grace on his first day! Talk about a troublemaker."Anya's brow furrowed at the news of a fight. But upon learning it was Grace who ended up on the receiving end, she suspected there was more to the story. As close friends, Ivy kept Anya looped in on all the company gossip, and Grace's bullying was no secret. However, Anya had become somewhat desensitized to it. Talented salespeople often got away with bullying their colleagues. After all, they brough
Grace had never treated Ivy with much respect.In her view, Ivy's position should belong to Priscilla, with Grace as a powerful second-in-command. Normally, Ivy would let Grace's arrogance slide.But after Anya's call, Ivy was determined to put a stop to it.Today, the line was crossed. Grace barged into the office without knocking.Ivy's stern voice cut through the tension. "Grace, don't you have hands to knock?"Furious and ready for a fight, Grace raised her cactus-decorated hand. "Can't you see? My hand is hurt."Priscilla quickly tried to smooth things over for Grace and said, "Ms. Mallin, her hand is indeed injured."Ivy knew Priscilla usually handled reports. Grace wouldn't be here unless something significant went down. Ivy settled back in her chair, a cool mask on her face, waiting for Grace to explain.Grace immediately said, "Ms. Mallin, there's this new guy, Frederick York. You know him?"A sly smile played on Ivy's lips. Grace's anger clearly stemmed from Frederic
"Responsible leadership means listening to the best ideas for the company's benefit. During Frederick's interview yesterday, his insights into fashion were impressive. He pinpointed some flaws in Priscilla's designs, and quite frankly, they were valid," said Ivy.Grace's response was a harsh, humorless laugh. "Unique fashion insights? From Frederick? This guy barely finished school, and now he's supposedly better than Prissy, a top fashion graduate?"Ivy was surprised at Grace's words. Apparently, Grace knew Frederick well.Regardless, Frederick's observations about the fashion line were undeniably insightful compared to Priscilla's. Ivy remained calm. "If dismissal over the fashion line is what you seek, let me be clear, I stand by Frederick's assessment. His points are accurate. As long as I'm the director, we don't fire people for being right."Her unwavering support for Frederick caught Priscilla and Grace completely off guard. Getting him fired today seemed like a lost cause