Dexter's presence here meant he wasn't entirely indifferent to Angela. For Bill, this was a golden opportunity. It meant he could continue leveraging his self-proclaimed role as Dexter's future father-in-law to gain benefits. This was nothing short of fantastic news. "I heard she works here, so I stopped by," Dexter said casually, his gaze sweeping over the group before landing on Angela. "Are you upset?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Angela looked at him as if she'd seen a ghost. "What are you doing here?" She wasn't buying his story of just happening to pass by. "I thought I'd take you out for a meal and have a chat." A faint smile curved his lips. "Need help?" Angela rolled her eyes at him and was about to retort sharply when a thought struck her. His presence exuded authority, which could save her the trouble of dealing with these idiots on her own. "Perfect timing. Hector tried to harass my colleague. I found the evidence, but he's refusing to apologize…""Nonsen
It was Trevor!Angela stood frozen. How unlucky could she get?"Let's go, hurry up!" Angela pretended she hadn't heard, urging Dexter to leave immediately. But Trevor spoke up. "Bill's having an affair and has a daughter who's already 15 years old." Angela was stunned. What was he talking about?Taking the opportunity, Trevor approached Angela and said, "Angela, add my number, and I'll send you the evidence."Before she could respond, he snatched her phone and quickly added himself to her contacts. "Bye, I'll send it to you soon," Trevor said, disappearing as quickly as he came, like a gust of wind.Dexter's face darkened, black as a storm cloud. He had been one step too slow.Later that night, Angela tossed and turned in bed. She had sent Trevor dozens of messages, persistently asking him to send the materials. He kept toying with her, coaxing her into answering numerous questions. "Angela, one last question—do you like Dexter or not?" That crazy man sent yet anothe
Dexter sighed lightly. "Your dad arranged for her to stay in the same neighborhood as Judy, though it's a couple of buildings apart." "I can't believe it." Angela laughed bitterly in anger. "Doesn't he worry about being found out? Judy's not exactly a submissive person. If she finds out, she'll tear him to pieces.""There's also a paternity test report," Dexter said indifferently, picking up a document. "With this, you can go directly to Bill and make demands. I suggest you ask for shares, starting with 20%.""But as far as I know, Bill only owns 60%. Will he really give me a third of that?" Angela was so overwhelmed that she could barely think clearly anymore.Dexter placed a hand on her shoulder, speaking each word with determination. "I'll go with you. Even if we have to use threats or persuasion, we'll make sure to get it."The next morning, Angela got up early. In fact, she hadn't slept all night, and her eyes were swollen, dark circles heavy beneath them."You're about t
Bill finally snapped out of his daze, irritation clearly etched on his face. "This matter is over. After all, it was Hector's fault. Let's just move on and not stir up any more trouble," he said impatiently. Nora, as usual, was coming up with bad ideas. If it weren't for her connections and her ability to bring in business, he would have fired her long ago."This isn't acceptable! She's simply—""Enough." Bill waved his hand dismissively. "I know what I'm doing."Nora fumed with frustration, but seeing that there was nothing more she could do, she reluctantly left the office.As she reached the door, she unexpectedly ran into Angela, Dexter, and Fiona.Nora was wary of Dexter, so she hurriedly walked past them.Once she was out of earshot and in a more secluded area, she paused and glanced back at the trio's retreating figures. Something felt off. Could something be happening?Nora secretly walked back and stood behind a big plant pot by the door."Oh, Dexter, Mrs. Bamford,
Dexter and Fiona were two people who were not to be underestimated. With a mere snap of their fingers, they could ruin him. Bill stood no chance against them. "Angela, I'm your father. You—""The pen is here." Angela ignored his fake tears and placed the pen on top of the contract without a second glance. "You are threatening and slandering me. Angela, you are simply outrageous. Your father is alive and well, and here you are, trying to usurp the throne. How could you be so unreasonable!" Bill completely lost his composure; his finger pointed accusingly at Angela, his eyes blazing with fury. Angela nearly laughed in disbelief. Usurp the throne? Did this guy really think of himself as an emperor? "Mr. Graham, I advise you to be kind." At this moment, Dexter, who had been sitting silently by, suddenly spoke up, his tone calm and unusually soothing. Fiona chimed in as well, "Is it just a portion of the shares you're losing, or are you also losing your reputation and the compan
Dexter turned his head with a disgruntled expression, ignoring Fiona. At least she had been there to keep things from getting awkward; without her, he wasn't sure how things would have gone. Other people's mothers-in-law were typically considered nuisances or troublemakers, but Angela's had turned into an asset. "Mom, I must thank you this time, too. I toast to you." This time, Angela stood up steadily and respectfully raised a glass to Fiona. The atmosphere between the three of them was strange, yet oddly harmonious. On the way back, Angela slept on Fiona's shoulder the entire ride, her phone ringing constantly. Fiona grew a bit irritated and opened Angela's bag to check her phone. To her surprise, it was a voice message from Trevor. "When did she start talking to Trevor?" Fiona's voice turned cold. "Delete it," Dexter glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his gaze sharp. Fiona raised an eyebrow, quickly deleting the message. But soon, Trevor sent another message
Zack was rambling, but Angela couldn't focus on his words. Her mind was occupied with the possibility that someone else had leaked the information.She remained silent. Dexter and Fiona weren't the gossiping type either."Hey, Dad's here," Zack suddenly said, then dashed off. Before Angela could react, Bill walked in with an angry face."You're so dishonest, Angela. You're simply outrageous!" Bill's eyes were bloodshot with fury, and a cold menace radiated from him. "I didn't do it," Angela said, her expression unchanged. "You might want to check if the rumors leaked from somewhere else." "If it wasn't you, then who else could it be? You've taken the shares, and my reputation is about to be ruined. I didn't expect you to—" "I told you it wasn't me. Can you guarantee that you've kept the mother-son trio hidden so well all these years? Has no one else found out, or could they have accidentally let it slip?" Angela coldly glared at him. "It's impossible," Bill fumed, pacing
"You think I wanna be here?" Angela snorted. "I'm here to tell you to move your secret family elsewhere. Make sure they don't appear in public."Bill averted his gaze, trying to grasp the meaning behind Angela's words."I'm part of the Graham family, part of the Graham Group," Angela continued, her voice sharp with frustration. "Do you really think I'd dig my own grave?""I'll call them," Bill started to say, but before he could finish, the door swung open again. This time, it was Judy and Zack. "Mom, calm down. When you were dating Dad, didn't you already know how much of a flirt he was? You're just the product of his infidelity. Now that he has a mistress, why are you so upset and angry?"Zack was good at defusing tension, spreading his arms as if to block Judy, his posture awkward but well-meaning. "Get out of my way, you traitor! How dare you help that bastard! You're not even my son anymore!" Judy was fierce and domineering. She shoved Zack aside, took a few steps for
Angela was taken aback when her thoughts escaped her lips. She froze and gave an awkward chuckle. "Well… um... no matter how handsome they are, they're nothing compared to you. You're way more attractive. You're..."Dexter was visibly upset and glared at her. "Shut up! Stop going to places like that in the future!"Angela pouted but had no choice. She could only agree for now to calm his anger. Afterward, the two of them headed to Azure Club together. They arrived half an hour earlier than scheduled. Yet, to their surprise, Austin was already there, casually sipping his drink in the booth.He wore a black shirt and radiated an understated allure. The gold-rimmed glasses lent a touch of intellect to his sophisticated presence, while his graceful and composed movements further enhanced his charm. Just by sitting there, he attracted countless glances from other patrons. Some bold women even walked up to ask for his number, only to be met with a cold, piercing gaze that sent the
Dexter frowned instinctively.Angela's phone wasn't locked, and a message from someone named "Drifting Cloud" appeared on the screen. "Let's meet tomorrow at 6:00 pm in Azure Club."After seeing the location, Dexter instantly became nervous. Without hesitation, he picked up the phone and tapped into the message. Sure enough, "Drifting Cloud" was none other than Austin. Of all places, why did he have to choose Azure Club? There was no way Dexter would allow Angela to go there.Angela had become quite fond of handsome men. Whenever she saw a good-looking guy on the street, she would keep glancing at him. A couple of times, her colleagues had taken her to Azure Club to see the escorts. Ever since, she'd been obsessed, always looking for an excuse to go back. If it weren't for the fact that Callum owned the place, Dexter would've already bought out that indecent establishment and shut it down.But the one asking her out was Austin, someone she'd been eager to see for a long time
That kind of personality, combined with Austin's good looks and talent, made countless women flock to him. Yet, no one had ever seen him get particularly close to anyone. Even with Angela, he'd always been distant, rarely showing any warmth. Because of this, Angela had always felt a little intimidated around him and had never dared to get too close. But today, he'd taken the initiative to add her.She wondered if she should send him a message. Since he'd already made the first move, she figured she should at least show some sincerity in return.Suddenly, someone knocked on her door. Angela was shocked, then let out a sigh. The only person who'd come at this hour was Dexter. She wondered why he always appeared in the middle of the night instead of just going to bed like a normal person.Feeling helpless, she opened the door, ready to confront him. However, she found Dexter standing there with a thermometer in his mouth, looking sick and pitiful. "I'm having a fever," he said
Dexter took a deep breath and stared straight into Angela's eyes. "Do you think I need your damn money?"A rebellious thought suddenly popped into Angela's mind. "You might not need the money, but plenty of others do, like that tall, muscular male escort at Azure Club.""You have no sincerity at all! I went out of my way to help you with such a big favor," Dexter snapped before yanking the car door open and stepping out, slamming it shut with a loud bang.Angela was puzzled by the way he mistreated his cherished car. She hurried out as well. Hearing her footsteps, Dexter slowed down, adopting an effortlessly cool demeanor. He thought she was chasing after him. However, after a few moments of silence, he sensed something was off. He turned his head and was furious by what he saw. Angela had settled into the driver's seat and was following him at a relaxed pace, giving off the vibe of a commanding CEO. Dexter, already fuming, finally lost it. He strode toward her. "Get out!"
However, Angela appeared nonchalant. She was experienced in public speaking, having frequently delivered speeches at the company and even gained a following of admirers. To her, a speech at a homecoming didn't seem like anything particularly impressive.Sure enough, the first speaker was the nephew of Westbridge High School's principal. As a newcomer with little experience, he was supported by a group of backers, and his speech was passionately and eloquently written. However, his slightly hoarse voice and trembling hands made it clear to everyone just how nervous he really was."Just a rookie. Nothing special." Angela leaned back in her seat absentmindedly. She was clearly unimpressed.Dexter wasn't interested either. Every so often, he glanced toward a seat ahead of him as if something had caught his attention.Angela was curious. He was typically the one intriguing others and was always calm and distant. She wondered why he was suddenly so distracted.Following his gaze, her
Felix was frustrated.Once Angela stepped out of the living room, she found Cecilia waiting for her in the courtyard. Angela barely had any interactions with her. Despite Cecilia's cheerful demeanor, she was actually just as scheming as Ursula. This made it hard for Angela to feel any fondness toward her. "Cecilia, is there something you need?" Angela asked with a smile as she approached. Cecilia casually grabbed Angela's arm and led her for a walk around the courtyard. "Angela, our school is celebrating its homecoming event next week, and many famous alumni will be attending. Could you come too? Think of it as a chance to make some new friends."Angela was momentarily stunned. Cecilia was currently at high school. If Angela remembered correctly, her school was Westbridge High School. The school had a long history of producing talented individuals, including exceptionally gifted graduates like Dexter and Mateo. "It wouldn't be very appropriate for me to attend, would it
Angela was stunned and looked at Dexter in astonishment. Then, she instinctively glanced at Joseph, who was seated at the head of the table.Joseph frowned, looking helpless. "Dexter, what do you mean by that?" Ursula asked with a displeased expression, staring at him intently. Her gaze carried a hint of provocation. Joseph exclaimed impatiently, "Enough! Ursula, all of you should head back for now."Ursula frowned, wanting to say something but ultimately holding back."Grandpa, Grandma, we'll be leaving first then." Mateo picked up his tablet and stood up, his expression calm and gentle.Angela gazed over at him. Among Mateo, Trevor, and Dexter, Mateo appeared the gentlest. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and a white suit, radiating a unique warmth and elegance that suggested sophistication even without him needing to speak. He was strong-willed and never compromised on the path his parents had arranged for him. If it weren't for Dexter being naturally gifted in business leader
Angela smiled faintly. "What are you doing this for? You're Dexter's uncle. As long as he's around, you'll never face any difficulties. "Wouldn't it be better to just enjoy a carefree life of luxury? Why insist on making a mess of the company and ruining whatever goodwill others still have for you?"Felix suddenly froze as a sudden realization struck him. "Are you saying... this was all that brat Dexter's idea?"Angela spread her hands casually. "I never said that. Don't make things up."Felix glared at her and turned to leave. He directly went to find Dexter. He even went straight to Bamford Manor to inform Natalie and Joseph about Angela's actions and complain about her.Before the workday ended, Angela received a call from Natalie asking her to return. She was reluctant to go back, knowing she would likely be scolded. Yet, now that the issue was exposed, backing down without a fight was simply not her way.Upon arriving at Bamford Manor, she noticed that everyone, including M
"But you still continue to hire your distant relatives for important positions. If something goes wrong, who will be responsible for it?" Angela asked.If it had been in the past, she might have tolerated it. But these past two days, she'd been in a foul mood and naturally had no patience for this shameless scoundrel.Felix was stunned, looking at her in disbelief. "How... how can you talk to me like that? After all, I'm technically your uncle."Angela didn't even lift her head as she replied impatiently, "Go ask Dexter or Madam Fiona how I dealt with my own biological father. As for you, you're just an uncle. Do you really think I'd care?"She paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head and said in a leisurely tone, "To be honest, I've had enough of you for a long time. If you're willing to keep your head down and behave yourself, I won't go out of my way to make things difficult for you. "But if you insist on being ignorant and desperate for attention, then don't blame me