"Since she's so intent on getting divorced, then so be it!" Benjamin raised his voice, anger surging inside him. "Call the lawyer and set an appointment at City Hall."Larry didn't dare hang up yet. "Mr. Hawkins, she said she wants the divorce settled as soon as possible, so they're willing to accommodate our timing."Hearing this, Benjamin threw his phone onto the ground without bothering to hang up. He put a hand on his forehead, feeling his headache intensify. "You're a cruel woman, Grace!"…Over at Amirate's office in Pamore, Grace pushed open the door to the meeting room. She walked up to the executives with Emily.With their friendship repaired, Emily had decided not to return to Frenda. She wanted to help Grace with her career while handling their boutique on the side.Grace introduced herself and Emily. "Hello, everyone. I'm Grace Lewis, the general manager appointed by the Darai headquarters. This is Emily Jenkins, my deputy. "I hope we can work together for the
In the middle of the high street stood a five-story office building. The exterior of the building was entirely made of glass.Today was the re-opening day of Emily's boutique.It had been three years since she last designed anything. Now she was picking up where she left off.This time, her boutique was in a better location than it had been three years ago.The decor inside was unique, with bright lights shining over the carefully selected clothes and jewelry. Simple and elegant, it showcased the exquisite taste of the owners to all passersby.Back then, Grace's and Emily's shop, along with their unique outfit designs, had been all the rage amongst the socialites of Pamore. Many young women had coveted their styles.Even before the doors were opened, there was already a long queue outside. They were all rich ladies, waiting patiently outside with their reservation numbers.Emily had pulled Grace away from Amirate so she could help out with styling clients.They were busy all mo
"Invitations purchased from third parties are void," Grace said, lifting an eyebrow mockingly. "You certainly aren't worthy of my attention.""Of course," she added, "if you spend over 50 thousand dollars here today, I might consider serving you."The Quine family wasn't filthy rich. Yvonne only had so much money to spend, and after the 31 million dollars she wasted on the diamond bracelet, Grace knew that she was broke now.Even if she managed to scrounge up the money somehow, it would only help Emily's profits.Either way, Grace won.Celia, an utter idiot, began urging Yvonne as well. "Yvonne, let's buy everything in this boutique. Then she'll see!"Yvonne lowered her eyes silently, ignoring Celia."No money?" Grace's voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear her. "If you're broke, then why waste the money to buy an invitation just to ogle at things you can't afford? I'm afraid I'll have to call security to turn you out."The world of socialites was a brutal one. Al
Three days later, both parties' lawyers were gathered at City Hall for the procedure. Grace and Benjamin were there on time. When they got the forms, Grace filled them in quickly and without hesitation. In contrast, Benjamin hadn't even started. She gave him a side-eye and said emotionlessly, "I'm a busy woman, Mr. Hawkins."Benjamin's face fell when she rushed him, and he finally started filling in the forms. When they were done, they handed them to the staff member through the window."Wait," Benjamin suddenly said as the female staff member was about to stamp the divorce certificate, making her stop.She had never thought that the first couple she would have to deal with today would be the president of Hawkins Group and his secretary.At first, she had thought that they had fallen in love and come to get married, but this was even more shocking. They were getting a divorce!Benjamin turned to Grace and asked in the same high and mighty tone he had always used with her, "Are
Yvonne was overjoyed. After so many years of waiting, Benjamin was finally hers. If he proposed to her right now, she would say yes immediately.However, the star of the show still hadn't raised his glass. If anything, his face was grim, and his moodiness was obvious as he pressed his lips together without saying a word.The image of Grace leaving was still replaying in his mind. It refused to go away.Celia noticed the awkward atmosphere and said, "Say something, Benjamin! It's no fun if you don't say anything.""Yeah, Benjamin. That jinx is gone now, so you should be the happiest one here. Why aren't you smiling?" Susan asked.Then, she looked at Yvonne with satisfaction. "All I want now is for you to marry Yvonne as soon as possible, so I can have a grandson."Yvonne's face flushed. "Benjamin and I would need time for that, Mrs. Hawkins."Benjamin scanned the three of them before replying in a cold, aloof tone, "No one should tell Grandma about my divorce."Yvonne froze. Wha
"I respect your decision," Zoey replied decisively. "Call me if you need anything. I'll be there.""Thank you." Grace had just hung up when Emily leaned over."What are you going to do? That bitch is so infuriating!""Aaron's taking me to a banquet hosted by Pamore Chamber of Commerce tomorrow night. Every single rich person in the city will be there. That's where I'll expose her."Emily cheered her on. "Heck yeah, babe! Destroy them!"The next night, people showed up wearing flashy outfits that shone under the blinding spotlights. It was a lively event.Grace showed up fashionably late with her floor-length, diamond-studded dress. It was handmade and showed off her figure perfectly in a luxurious yet elegant way.No one could look away from her. Her makeup was stunning, accentuating her beauty. It gave her a sharp, cold look that intimidated people.Every rich girl who read the tabloids started gossiping when they noticed Grace. When Celia showed up with a champagne glass
Benjamin couldn't answer her. He had always sided with Sussan and Celia, and he had never really listened to what Grace had to say. Was that one of the reasons she had divorced him?Guilt flooded him when he thought about that. "Apologize," he ordered Celia with a stormy look. She lowered her head but refused to speak.Aaron came to Grace's side. He had a domineering expression on his face and was clearly seething."You think you can heal three years of humiliation and the slander you've spread after the divorce?" After the bullying Grace had suffered at the hands of the Hawkins, the mere sight of them disgusted him. When his eyes landed on Yvonne, he said, "I've already found the culprit who slandered one of my company's executives."Yvonne nervously tugged at her dress under Aaron's frigid gaze. It couldn't be. There was no way they knew it was her. She had sent those photos anonymously, so she couldn't have gotten exposed."The article was completely baseless and
"Benjamin, why are you negotiating with that unlucky jinx?" Susan grabbed Benjamin's arm. She had never seen him speak so humbly or so open to discussing things with Grace.Besides, Grace had always the one to follow their orders. Why had things changed?She marched over to Grace with an arrogant expression and tone. "So what if we're slandering you? What reputation do you even have? "You didn't say anything back when our family was yelling at you!" Susan screeched.But when she noticed Benjamin's expression fall, she realized her mistake.She had just exposed her attitude toward Grace for the past three years.Aaron couldn't take it anymore and glanced at Grace from the side."This is the mother-in-law and sister-in-law you've taken care of for the past three years? What kind of people have you been serving?" he asked.Then he remembered his sister's embarrassment and composed himself. "It's your choice, but if you end up embarrassing the family, I'll hold you responsible."
"Well, it's just that since Mrs. Jarvis introduced me to Ms. Lewis last time, I haven't had the chance to say thanks."The elevator doors opened then, and Dexter left after saying this.…After two hours of emergency treatment, Diana clung to a thread of life. Grace walked out, exhausted, and saw the angry figure of Dexter.Coincidentally, Dexter saw her as well. He turned and called out to her, "Ms. Lewis."Dexter, known for being stern and upright, suddenly smiled, which surprised Grace. "Mr. Hamilton.""You don't need to address me like that outside of work. Just call me by my name."As he had a higher seniority than her, Grace didn't dare be casual. "Are you here visiting a patient?"The weather was nice today. Standing in the sunlight, Grace's complexion was shining, seemingly hovering between youthfulness and freshness. She seemed even more beautiful than the flowers.Dexter suddenly recalled something Orson had said, and his expression darkened momentarily."I must ask
"Mr. Fulton, this.."The guard looked hesitantly at Benjamin lying on the ground and frowned."Isn't this a hospital? He won't die."As Xander said this, he coincidentally met the gaze of a nearby doctor. The doctor flinched and instinctively took a step back."Xander—" Benjamin's call suddenly came from behind as Xander took a step forward."Even if you deal with me, can you handle Alexander?"Benjamin's voice was filled with resentment and self-mockery. He lay flat on his back on the ground, staring at the ceiling. "My elder brother seems to avoid fighting, but if he does, you're no match for him."Xander paused momentarily, then continued to walk away without looking back or responding.Hazel followed closely. "Benjamin doesn't seem to be joking. Could there be a backup plan?""Someone needs to take over to completely deal with the Hawkins family. Let's see if the eldest son of the Hawkins family is willing to step up."As Xander entered the elevator, he coincidentally met
At the entrance, the police saw what was happening and moved to intervene but were stopped. A signal to hold back was given. "Don't worry. Mr. Fulton won't cause any fatalities.""Especially since you dared to make a move against Grace." Xander gave a cold laugh. "She spent a few days in prison, so I'll make sure you repay that a thousand times over.""Xander—"Grace brought this on herself. She even dared to investigate the Hawkins family, to dig into the past of the previous Mrs. Hawkins, to investigate Alexander!" Benjamin endured the pain he felt and was on the verge of a breakdown. "By the way, do you know who Alexander is? And the person he loves the most."Xander's face turned ashen, and he applied more force, causing Benjamin to scream in agony."If you were in my position, you would do the same." Benjamin struggled to speak. "Besides, don't you want Alexander to disappear? Don't you want Grace to be yours and only yours?"Xander remained silent, looking around disdainful
A commotion broke out again outside the hospital room. At the same moment, the medical equipment started beeping urgently. Reina's face turned pale with fright as she threw herself onto Diana. "Di Di! Doctor! Someone come quickly!"In a panic, Grace rushed out and pounded on Cael's office door. "Bed 24, Dr. Simpson! Di Di is not doing well!"Cael immediately hurried over with the nurses.Grace was pushed into a corner by the crowd. She leaned against the wall, her face filled with melancholy. This scene did not escape the eyes of someone hidden in a corner, who also felt a sense of wistfulness.She didn't notice the figure cast long shadows in the light, with her being the sole focus in their view.…Meanwhile, in another building, police stood guard at the hospital room door where Benjamin was confined. His face was haggard and unshaven, and he no longer looked like the well-dressed Benjamin Hawkins.Instead, he resembled a prisoner.Before entering, Xander asked, "What's the
"If it were as usual, working for these wealthy families would keep money in my hands. But after Di Di's incident, our whole family got crushed. Her father wanted to give up, but I couldn't, so we divorced.""When I worked at the Hawkins family, both Mr. Hawkins and Mrs. Hawkins treated me well. Mrs. Hawkins knew about Di Di's situation and kept giving me money, but it was never enough. One day, I accidentally stumbled upon Mr. Hawkins having an affair with Susan…"Reina recalled the past with a look of melancholy on her face. "Susan gave me hush money and promised another payment if I did something for her."Grace had a hunch after hearing this. "She wanted you to frame Mrs. Hawkins, who was pregnant at the time.""I didn't want to." Reina shook her head, clearly pained. "But I have a daughter. I couldn't lose Di Di. I needed that money."Even as a mother herself, she could actually harm Felicia Wilson, Alexander's mother."The Hawkins family is wealthy. If you had told Mrs. Haw
Grace thought about it. So that's what happened."So you had someone beat him up?""I forgot to ask. Which hand did he touch you with?" Xander asked seriously.She thought for a moment. "The left hand? I can't remember exactly.""No problem. Both hands were hit," Xander said casually as if discussing the weather. Grace remembered the content of that video. Orson was clearly heavily injured and beaten mercilessly.Luckily, he got what he deserved. Xander had fiercely avenged her.The coat slipped off, revealing her outfit for the day. Xander glanced at it and said, "You're going out."Grace didn't deny it. She thought of today's matter with Celia. "Benjamin was released for medical treatment. I want to see him."Since it had come to this point, a meeting with him was reasonable.Xander leaned back on the couch, not speaking for a moment, his jaw clenched tight. He seemed to be contemplating something, or perhaps he was angry.Grace couldn't be sure, but she was resolute. "I
An hour later, Xander concluded the negotiations, with the partnership successfully sealed and the contract signed that day.He personally escorted the clients to the elevator and then returned to his office. Hazel approached cautiously with a cup of coffee. "Mr. Fulton.""Speak." Xander didn't look up from his documents."Ms. Lewis came by."He looked up at Hazel, his expression shifting. "Where is she?""She wanted to see you directly, but since the contract wasn't finalized, I didn't dare let her in to disturb you, so I…""I asked where she is."His gaze was icy, cutting her off mid-sentence.Hazel immediately lowered her head. "She's in the lounge."He stood up abruptly and headed straight for the lounge, leaving a stern warning, "If you take matters into your own hands again, resign."Hazel was left stunned.Grace hadn't left. Exhausted from the sleepless night, she lay on Futurelink's large couch, lost in thought.When Xander entered, he saw her fragile figure, as if
"What is it?""Ms. Lewis, I just received news that Orson from the municipal bureau is in trouble…"Grace's expression changed. She had just seen him last night. How could something have happened so suddenly? Her first thought was of Xander.Luke sent her a video.It was night time In the video, the street outside a bar was brightly lit, and neon signs flashed from the tall buildings. The place was bustling with people. The videographer had been capturing the night scene when suddenly, the sound of roaring engines was heard—Orson stepped out of a car, dressed formally, and entered a club discreetly. But within minutes, he was kicked out, landing heavily on the ground.Approaching him were five or six masked men in black, clearly part of an organized group of thugs. Orson screamed in fear, "Who are you?"Two men grabbed him, while the others began beating him badly. His screams echoed through the street, and it was clear they were showing no mercy.Blood pooled on the ground.
With nothing better to do, Grace nodded. "Let's watch."Caleb led her out the door.The leading actress of the film they were heading to was a friend of Caleb's in the industry, which allowed him to visit the set under the guise of catching up. As their car parked at the entrance, they saw a throng of reporters pushing their way inside.Celia wore a hat and mask. She was dragging a suitcase, and she looked disheveled and desperate. "You can't fire me! I'm the second female lead! The film is almost finished! You're breaching the contract!""You caused a scandal. That's the real breach of contract. It's a good thing we're not asking you for damage compensation! Get out, get out!"The staff were shoving her out.Reporters swarmed her. "Celia, how do you respond to the video online?""Is it true you have a sugar daddy?""Celia, Celia!""Shut up!" Celia screamed, her hair a mess. "It's fake, all fake! I'm an actress, how could I do such things?""But the video…"Celia lashed out,