Grace made a soft sound of acknowledgment, feeling an inexplicable sense of peace at that moment.In just two minutes, she saw Xander striding toward her.By the time he reached her, she could clearly see a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. "Xander, did I disturb you?"When Xander felt the distance she put between them, he took her hand and walked toward the company. "Gracie, when did you become so polite with me? You can come find me at any time. It's never a disturbance."Grace smiled. She could feel the warmth in his palm, and at this moment, that warmth was genuine.The two of them walked through the lobby on the first floor, garnering various curious gazes. Grace felt the scrutiny but was surprisingly unembarrassed. Instead, she felt inexplicably reassured.Inside the elevator, Grace explained, "Aunt Hestia told me it's your birthday today, so I came—"Xander turned to her. "Why didn't you tell me in advance?"Tell him in advance? So she wouldn't see the scene in the
Grace didn't give Xander a direct answer, but it was already written all over her face.Without hesitation, Xander stepped forward and pressed the intercom. "Have Ms. Snow from the sales department come to my office.""Yes, Mr. Fulton.""Also, get a few security guards over here.""Yes, Mr. Fulton."Grace sat on the couch without saying a word.In just five minutes, Linda hurriedly arrived and pushed open the door. "Mr. Fulton, did you ask for me?"As her words fell, she noticed Grace sitting on the couch. She was momentarily distracted, but quickly composed herself.However, this subtle change didn't escape Xander's notice.Hestia had mentioned before that Linda, despite her innocent appearance, wasn't as pure as she seemed.That was why she had been forcibly transferred from the president's office to the sales department as a manager.Xander had initially thought his mother might be biased against Linda, but now it seemed there was some truth to it."Ms. Snow, I need an e
Grace lifted her gaze and met Xander's eyes. As their eyes locked, she could see her reflection clearly."Happy birthday, Xander."Xander smiled affectionately and reached out to ruffle her hair. "Thank you."Grace quickly got up and walked to the desk. Clearing away the previous gloom, she lifted the birthday cake as though she were presenting a treasure to Xander."I made this cake, Xander. Make sure to finish it."Smiling, Xander looked at her and replied, "Okay."Grace opened the cake and put some candles on it. After she lit them with a lighter, she sang softly, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you …"Xander, make a wish."Xander stared at her face and then slowly closed his eyes. He clasped his hands together and made a wish. When he opened his eyes, she was standing in front of him.In sync, the two of them blew out the candles.Grace handed the knife to Xander. "Here, Xander. The first cut must be made by the birthday boy."In the past, Xander had had many f
Benjamin sat in the car, staring at Grace through the car window, not daring to approach.After some time, Grace and Xander finished their dinner happily. Then, they paid the bill and left.Benjamin witnessed their whole interaction. Even when they had disappeared from his sight, he still hadn't come back to his senses.Just then, his phone rang again. On the other end, Susan sounded somewhat angry. "Benjamin, where are you? Ms. Carter waited for you for so long and didn't see you. Do you know—"Benjamin hung up on her again and turned his phone off before throwing it out of the window. He then immediately started the car and drove away.…In a private club, Frederick was enjoying himself. But the next moment, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open."Who the hell doesn't know—" Before he could finish his sentence, he met Benjamin's eyes.He quickly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and asked, "Bro, what brought you to me today?"Benjamin hadn't been t
Benjamin smiled, seemingly knowing what to do. "Thanks, bro."With that, Benjamin stood up and left, leaving Frederick puzzled.…Early the next morning, Grace arrived at the office. It was the semi-annual board meeting. All of Amirate's directors and top executives had already gathered in the top-floor conference room.As soon as she entered the office, Luke handed Grace a document, saying, "Ms. Lewis, this is the financial statement for the past six months and the financial accounting for the same period."In the first half of the year, our company has accumulated profits that have already surpassed last year's total profit by 10%," Luke said with obvious excitement.They had not only achieved last year's annual performance but also exceeded it by 10%. This would be a significant accomplishment for any leader, but Grace had achieved it in just half a year."Ms. Lewis, if we present this data to the old folks on the board, they will surely admire and respect you. Your bet with
The conference room door opened, and Grace walked in. As soon as she appeared, the room fell silent.All eyes focused on her until she took her seat at the head of the table.Beside her, Samuel said with a smile, "Ms. Lewis, you've worked hard during this period."Grace looked at him and smiled in return. "You're too kind, Director Walker. It's all for the sake of the company."Samuel chuckled awkwardly. "Since you're here, let's start our meeting."At his words, everyone nodded, as though Samuel were in charge.Though Grace noticed it, her expression didn't give away anything.After a pause, she continued, "In the first half of the year, the company undertook many projects, all of which achieved good results. Now, let each project manager provide a summary—"Before she could finish speaking, a director interrupted."Ms. Lewis, since today is the semi-annual board meeting, I believe everyone has already seen the financial statements for the first half of the year. Why don't we
Seeing that Luke's words had served their purpose, Grace timely stopped him.She spoke calmly. "There's still half a year to go. Please be patient. When the time comes, everything will be clear. We'll know who's the winner by then."Samuel nodded cooperatively. "Ms. Lewis is right. It isn't time yet. Everything is still uncertain. Let's look forward to the good news Ms. Lewis will bring us."Though the other directors weren't optimistic about Grace, they echoed Samuel's words."We'll look forward to your good news, Ms. Lewis.""We hope you won't disappoint us.""But if you do lose the bet, you should be willing to accept it and step down sooner."Grace scanned the room. She knew that the current board was corrupted, and most of them listened to Samuel. It was clear that Samuel was their central figure.To rectify the situation with the board of directors, she needed to start by dealing with Samuel.Once the meeting was over, a group of people approached Samuel as soon as Grace
After Grace finished speaking, she gestured to Luke. "Bring all the documents for the new projects we're considering."Seeing Grace so composed, Luke also calmed down. "Yes, Ms. Lewis. I'll get them right away."In a short while, he returned with a stack of files.He flipped through the most recent projects worth considering and handed them to Grace. "Ms. Lewis, these projects are all promising. Take a look.""Put them there."Grace casually took a file and carefully examined it. Soon, she pointed to one of the projects in it. "This acquisition case seems to have room for negotiation."Luke had also noticed that project. "Ms. Lewis, the feedback from the evaluation team for this project isn't bad. But all their factories are on an island. If we decide to work with them, we may need to visit the island for inspection."Grace thought for a moment and asked, "Where's the island?""It's in Azure Bay, about 186 miles along the west coast of the city. If we want to inspect them, we'l