Xander's eyes turned colder when he heard Grace. He swirled the highball glass in his hand, making the bright red liquid inside ripple.He had always held a grudge against the Hawkins for how Grace's mother-in-law and sister-in-law had mistreated her."It's nice to meet you, Mr. Fulton!" Celia didn't seem to notice the change in atmosphere and extended her right hand toward Xander.Even after a while, her extended hand received no handshake from him.Somewhat embarrassed, Celia withdrew her hand. "Mr. Fulton, you've become the president of Futurelink Corporation at such a young age. "I'm honored to meet you today and hope that Hawkins Group can have the opportunity to work with Futurelink."Xander smiled, but it didn't seem sincere. "I appreciate the compliments, Ms. Hawkins, but let's skip the collaboration."His response completely humiliated Celia.People around were surprised that the newcomer, Xander, would treat the Hawkins family—the local bigwig—in such a way.They se
After saying that, Xander released Celia, leaving her looking furious."Don't be so smug, Grace. One day, I will kick you out of Pamore and ruin you."Grace found Celia's threat amusing and casually glanced over at Benjamin, who wasn't far away.She then said, "Mr. Hawkins, it seems that Ms. Hawkins has had a bit too much to drink and is talking nonsense. Could you please take her home?"Benjamin approached quickly with an unpleasant expression and grabbed Celia's arm firmly. "Come with me!""Ben! I was just teaching this woman a lesson for you. Why are you dragging me away?""Have you not embarrassed yourself enough?" His words made Celia realize the judging looks people around them were giving her.She felt embarrassed and blushed at her actions earlier.In the end, they left the banquet hall with Benjamin forcefully pulling her away.Once they had left, Xander asked in concern, "Are you okay?"Grace gently shook her head. "I'm fine.""Did she use to bully you like this be
Grace smiled graciously and declined. "There's no need, Ms. Snow. Someone will be picking me up shortly.""Then, I'll walk you to the door." Linda gestured, not giving Grace a chance to refuse.After a nod, Grace left in her high heels.At the entrance, Xander was talking with a few of Futurelink's partners. He casually glanced over and saw Grace approaching them."Alright, then, Mr. Leroy. We'll discuss the new nanotechnology project tomorrow at your office.""Sure, Mr. Fulton. I'll be waiting for you."After seeing the partners off, Xander hurried over to Grace. When he saw her bare shoulders, he took off his coat. "It's cold outside."As he said that, he draped it over her shoulders.As she watched this scene, Linda remained calm on the outside, but she was actually surprised by Xander's unusual tenderness for Grace."My driver is here." Grace spotted the familiar license plate. "I'll see you tomorrow, Xander."Xander made a hum of acknowledgement and waved his hand afte
Just as Grace took her seat, a woman in her early 30s walked in with high heels, wearing black-framed glasses, and exuding a serious air.Holding a stack of folders in her hand, she greeted Benjamin as soon as she entered. "Mr. Hawkins, it's been a while."Hearing that, Benjamin looked up and raised an eyebrow, clearly recognizing her. "Ms. Gardner."Nexa Group's director, Wendy Gardner, nodded slightly and turned toward Grace. Her eyes were filled with undisguised scorn. "This must be Ms. Lewis, right?"Her tone was dripping with disdain.Sensing her hostility, Grace frowned. As far as she knew, she had never met this woman."Hello, I'm Grace Lewis."Grace spoke politely, but Wendy crossed her arms arrogantly. "I know you. You're Mr. Hawkins' ex-wife."As her words fell, the atmosphere in the conference room turned cold."Ms. Lewis, at such a young age, you've managed to secure the position of Amirate's president. It seems your capabilities are quite exceptional. I'm just cur
Wendy couldn't help but think that Grace had strong tactics to have managed to gain Xander's support so quickly. It was no wonder that her cousin, Yvonne, had mentioned Grace's interference in her relationship with Benjamin.She thought, "Yvonne was right. This woman isn't easy to deal with."With these thoughts in mind, she reluctantly humbled herself and quickly offered an apology. "I'm sorry, Mr. Fulton. I shouldn't have said that. Please forgive me."However, Xander replied, "I'm not the one you should apologize to, Ms. Gardner."Wendy was flabbergasted, for she couldn't bring herself to apologize to Grace.In her eyes, it was Grace's fault that the Quines had gone bankrupt and Yvonne had been imprisoned. She had come here today to teach Grace a lesson."Mr. Fulton, I …"Xander stared at her and rhythmically tapped the table with his fingers. The atmosphere in the room became tense. His patience had its limits. Seeing Wendy's hesitation to apologize, he stood up and adju
"First of all, thank you all for your trust. Nanotechnology is an emerging industry that has gained prominence in the last two years …"Wendy gave a detailed presentation confidently as she stood in the center, flipping through her slides.She sure was capable of holding the position of director. She delivered the presentation proficiently, showing her professionalism.After her presentation, she closed her file and smiled at everyone."So, these are my thoughts. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask, and we can discuss them together."As Wendy spoke, she swept her gaze across the room, finally resting it on Grace."Ms. Lewis, as Amirate's president, you must have valuable insights to offer regarding our proposal. Why don't you share your thoughts with us?"Wendy directly shifted the conversation to Grace, and as soon as she spoke, everyone's attention turned toward Grace.Of course, Grace noticed the disdain in Wendy's eyes, but she just frowned and made no immediate m
Grace's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly. Her professional demeanor won the approval of most people in the room as well."However, there are several obvious mistakes that we can discuss."Suddenly, Grace changed the topic, leaving everyone in the room puzzled. There was an air of disbelief as they exchanged glances."What are you talking about, Ms. Lewis?" Wendy was the first to speak up, and her voice was tinged with a subtle anger.She had meticulously reviewed her presentation slides, ensuring that the content was based on her research and was error-free.Wendy couldn't believe that Grace, who didn't understand anything, dared to claim there were issues with her work."Ms. Lewis, I invited you to provide some input as Amirate's president. I didn't expect you to be an amateur. You don't know anything, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly!"Wendy was blunt. When it came to work, she considered herself a professional, much more competent than Grace.So s
"Ms. Gardner, are you okay?" Alvin couldn't help but express his concern while silently feeling anxious for Wendy.Grace had shown her competence, proving Wendy's misconception about her cluelessness wrong.Wendy clenched her hands as she stared at Grace with a fiery gaze, but she managed to restrain herself."I'm fine."After Grace finished her explanation, the others began to ask questions and share their opinions.Grace confidently answered their questions and added relevant information, earning unanimous praise from everyone.She was teaching Wendy a lesson.Applause broke out, and Benjamin was the first to stand. He looked at Grace in admiration. "Your professionalism is as strong as it was when you were at Hawkins Group."As soon as he said that, everyone exchanged glances and began discussing quietly."Ms. Lewis used to work for Hawkins Group?""Hawkins Group has very high standards for its employees. The fact that she worked there and excelled shows her strong capabil