Unable to find common ground in conversation, they decided to play poker instead.Wanting to liven things up, Isla made phone calls inviting more people to join. During the waiting period, Grace filled in for two rounds."Mrs. Brooke isn't answering her phone. Is something wrong?""You don't know? Last night, Mrs. Brooke stormed into Fortress, wielding a knife. It's said that when she arrived, the screens in the lobby were playing a loop of her husband with a woman," Jean recounted excitedly."What video?""You know, that kind."The ladies burst into laughter."Did she offend someone? The Brooke family has a solid background. Isn't this a slap in their face?""Fortress doesn't easily disclose client privacy. Whoever did this must be a big shot."Grace gazed at the cards in her hand, smiling but saying nothing.Bored of the women's chatter, Victor excused himself for some fresh air. He sent a text to Grace. "I'll wait outside. Come out after two rounds."That was her plan,
It was normal that Priscilla didn't know Grace. In this circle, the line between the original wife and the mistress was clear. Men were smart. They knew who could be brought out in front of whom and who couldn't.Although Raymond and Hestia had divorced long ago, he had never given Priscilla a title in all these years. She could only mingle in the circles of these wealthy ladies because of Jake and a lot of money.Others respected her for two reasons. Firstly, because Hestia was aloof and never participated in their activities. Secondly, they speculated whether Jake would ascend to power and hence give her a boost in status."Oh, Aunt Priscilla. I'll address you as you wish for Uncle Raymond's sake," Grace responded casually.It wasn't for Priscilla. It was for Raymond.Priscilla wasn't angry. "I've heard about you from Jake.""What did he say about me?""He said you were the Lewis family's youngest daughter and that you are bold and charming. He really likes you."Grace sudd
Xander knocked on the door, and an attendant opened it. Isla looked up and saw the good-looking man.Xander gestured with his finger, indicating for her not to make a sound.At that moment, Grace had already won over a dozen rounds. Another lady at the table understood the situation well and kept folding her cards. Combined with Grace's sharp wit, Priscilla and Jean were utterly defeated.A pile of chips lay on the table.Priscilla was visibly upset. After finishing the last round, she conceded. "You're really clever, Ms. Lewis. I admit defeat."Even from the back, Grace seemed delighted. "Okay. Losing isn't scary. It's being afraid to admit defeat that's scary. Aunt Priscilla, you need to practice your poker skills."Priscilla remained silent.After collecting the chips, Grace bid farewell and turned to leave. But as she did, she stumbled into a man's arms, hurting her nose. When she looked up, she saw Xander. "Xander?"Everyone looked over.Smiling, Xander gently rubbed
They finally decided on who to work with to supply the raw materials. Before signing the contract, Xander smiled lightly and said, "We will not tolerate any deception or shoddy work for these projects. I won't show mercy if I discover anything wrong." The older man was somewhat intimidated by Xander's presence. He wiped his sweat nervously. "Of course, I understand." With everything settled, Xander rubbed his temples to relieve fatigue. The new secretary handed him a cup of coffee. "Mr. Fulton, the car is ready. Where would you like to go?" Xander's eyes were bloodshot. "I don't drink coffee." The secretary quickly withdrew his hand. "I'll get something else."Xander took his coat and headed out. He didn't want to make things difficult for the secretary. "Forget it. I'm going back to my mother's place." Peter waited by the car, ready to report to him. Xander stopped to a still and unbuttoned his shirt collar, revealing his muscles under the night breeze. "Wha
"Despite the improvement in our performance, the after-sales issues in e-commerce remain our top priority. All departments need to put in more effort to identify and resolve these problems," Grace said calmly, feeling a bit parched.Aaron handed her a glass of water.She mouthed "thank you" to him.Luke waited until everyone finished reporting before speaking, "As the end of the year approaches, it's time to arrange the annual meeting for Amirate Corporation. Ms. Lewis, how do you think we should proceed this year?"When Grace had been with the Hawkins family, she had handled many annual meetings, most of which were very dull. They mainly involved preparing the programs and buttering up to leaders. She thought it was boring, so she suggested, "Since we've done so well this year, why not throw a party and let everyone have some fun?"The video conference immediately buzzed with excitement, "That's a great idea!""What's the theme?" someone asked.Grace pondered for a moment and
The man took it suspiciously. It was a document folder.He reached out, and the woman immediately crawled over and handed him his glasses.He was an older man with high cheekbones and wore old-fashioned black glasses.He tore the folder open, and the contents poured out. It turned out to be a contract. He flipped through it page by page, and after seeing the signature at the end, he gritted his teeth."Well done, Xander."Iverson Group made its fortune in real estate, and maintaining assets for generations was no problem. Unfortunately, Gregory Iverson had a prodigal son who had gotten involved in stocks and lost half of the family fortune. Just then, Xander, who had graduated at the time, had taken advantage of the situation and made his first bucket of gold.Later, while running Fulton Group, Xander had used this money to establish Futurelink Corporation.The woman curiously leaned over and saw the name "Joshua" written on the signature line.Her voice was soft, and she a
However, Grace hadn't expect Raymond to bring Priscilla along.As soon as they entered and handed their coats to the waiter, they saw Raymond and Priscilla standing side by side at the head of the table.Priscilla looked gentle and elegant. Grace wanted to leave immediately, but she forced herself to stay.Victor, on the other hand, seemed casual."Uncle Raymond, you've gone through a lot of trouble.""Uncle Harold is old and he's always worried about the happiness of his grandchildren. Of course, I have to share his worries too." Raymond smiled and continued, "Let me introduce you. This is Priscilla. Grace has already met her."Victor glanced at Grace and immediately realized why she looked upset.He nodded and greeted, "Aunt Priscilla.""Victor, right? I had not met you that day. The ladies all said you were outstanding, and it seems they were right." Priscilla smiled as she approached them. "This is a gift I specially prepared for you. This wine is over hundred years old
Grace had thought of showing Raymond some respect. She had wanted to try to endure it if she could and finish the meal peacefully. But she hadn't expected Priscilla to set her sights on the Lewis family. It was just insane.Hestia had heard that Grace was back and had indeed made plans to go shopping with her. But it wasn't time yet. Grace arrived early. She sat by the window in the café, quickly typing on her phone as she recounted the events to Xander.After her anger subsided a bit, she said, "Was I too impulsive?"There was a moment of silence, then he called her after a while. He laughed smoothly through the phone, "Grace, you being a bit impulsive is nothing."Grace grumbled, "You're joking at a time like this!""She's not entirely wrong to try to strengthen ties with the Lewis family with this scheme. We both know Victor. If he doesn't like it, nothing will come of it. Why are you upset?"It was true. It was unlikely for Victor to fall for a woman from a wealthy fami