Angela hurriedly called for the doctor to come and help Bill. Outside the emergency room, Zack mimicked the gossip he had overheard to Angela. "What's going on here? The daughter is so ruthless to go as far as harming her own father just to take over the company! This is just too cruel.""I know, right? She's such a horrible daughter! Does she think she truly deserves to get the company?""The world would be doomed if there were more people like her. She's too evil!"Zack was a natural when it came to acting; not only did he mimic those people's attitudes and tones, but he also mimicked their expressions. "Angie, are you not mad? They are slandering you!" Zack was stunned to see that Angela wasn't even fazed. He found it amazing that she could still remain so unaffected when faced with such accusations and slander."What is there to be mad about?" Angela replied casually.She had indeed done something to Bill, albeit something a little different."How come Dad suddenly coughe
After informing the receptionists in the lobby, Angela and Zack waited at the lounge.Zack couldn't sit still and kept looking around. "Angie, the lounge is so big—even bigger than our living room! But where is she? How long are we going to have to wait?"Angela replied casually, "She's waiting for all the employees to see how embarrassed we are first. Then, she'll come down."Zack looked shocked. "What? Why would she do that?""How did two sharp and capable people like Bill and Judy end up having a son as foolish as you?" Angela asked while looking at the goofy man in front of her. She couldn't help but think he was endearingly silly. Zack scratched his head awkwardly. "What do you know? I'm smart but might just be playing the fool." As expected, Angela was right. Before long, a few staff members started passing by outside the meeting room. They quickly glanced at Angela and Zack, whispering among themselves before quickly moving on. Some of them spoke loudly enough for the
Angela raised an eyebrow. "We're just here to inquire about the situation. Of course, Zack and I are more or less on the same page. We're both suspicious of you and hope you can provide an explanation."Her tone was very calm, far from accusatory. It felt more like a casual conversation between close friends over tea. On the other hand, Zack was like a rebellious guard dog, jumping around and snapping at anyone who came near.Elena was annoyed by Angela's calm demeanor, but she didn't mind too much. She thought to herself that as long as one of the siblings could pin this on her, that would be enough."Such a shame. I didn't do anything, and besides, why would I possibly do such a thing?" Elena spoke indifferently, observing Angela's expression, almost as if trying to predict her next move.Angela's expression shifted slightly. "Oh, really?"Elena pressed her lips together. "If you suspect me, then please, Ms. Graham, provide some evidence.""What evidence? Give me the antidote!"
Zack let out a hearty laugh, his demeanor changing astonishingly quickly. "Why should my sister be responsible for what I say? She's not my mom." "You…" Elena's eyes turned red with anger, and tears welled up in them as she cried out, "Dexter, look at them! The two of them are clearly working together just to provoke me."That was exactly the effect she was aiming for. She wanted Dexter to see what kind of person Angela truly was."You know best whether I'm provoking you or falsely accusing you. While I don't know what sort of dealings you have with Bill, I advise you to stay away from him. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences." Angela smiled faintly, leading Zack out of the room without sparing Dexter a single glance.Elena's face turned pale. "Dexter, they… They're simply too much…"If there had been any way to avoid such humiliation, of course, she wouldn't have chosen to appear so pathetic. But there was no other choice. Men fell for this act, and Dexter was no exception.
Angela and Dexter bought supplements at a supermarket near the hospital before heading straight to Joseph's ward.Joseph was already awake. He was sitting by the window, looking out.When he heard footsteps, he turned around. His eyes lit up when he saw who it was. "Angela, you're here. Zack, you're here too! Come have a seat. I'll have someone send some food over."As soon as Joseph finished speaking, the nurse who was taking care of him brought in tea and fruit. Zack sweetly exchanged a few polite words with Joseph and then sat quietly on the couch, pretending to be a well-behaved child.Joseph held Angela's hand, his gaze complicated. Angela avoided his eyes, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The atmosphere in the hospital room grew tense."Angie, are you still upset with me? I truly feel regretful. I never thought things would end up this way," Joseph said, his eyes filled with remorse as he looked at her.Angela sighed. "Grandpa, these things can't be forced. My relat
"Where's the antidote?" Bill looked very anxious, as if he was going to die without the antidote.Angela looked at him expressionlessly. "Stop acting. Don't end up fooling yourself, or you'll end up believing your own lies. You already have the antidote."Bill's face immediately filled with shock. "What nonsense are you spouting? You unfilial daughter! Are you trying to kill your father?""Huh? What's going on? Angie, what do you mean? He has the antidote?" As usual, Zack was completely lost, making him look even more like a fool.Angela ignored him and continued speaking to Bill. "I know what you're trying to do. You and Elena have been spreading rumors, claiming I'm trying to push you out of your position prematurely to clear the way for myself. If this were before, I might've looked into it and had those rumors quashed. But now…"She smirked, her gaze mocking as it locked onto the man in front of her. Bill's face stiffened entirely, and a sense of foreboding rose in his chest
"Back then, didn't you do the same by slowly seizing everything from Mom until you left her with nothing, making her die in despair? But unlike you, I'm not that ruthless. I won't drive you to death, nor will I harm Zack. "If you hand over the company sooner rather than later, I might even consider training Zack, turning him into a competent assistant for me in the future." Angela's tone was cold, and her gaze was fixed on Bill, filled with nothing but mockery.This man had never reflected on his mistakes. At his core, he was nothing but a selfish, despicable creature."You… you'll never get what you want!" Bill sneered through gritted teeth, his voice icy and resolute. "Even if you kill me, I'll never let you have your way!"Angela leisurely rose from her seat. "Suit yourself, then. Take care. I'll be leaving now."She truly didn't care. With Bill's doctor firmly in her grasp, she wasn't worried. This weak, pathetic man would eventually have to submit to her.…Time passed qui
Later at the dining table, Fiona couldn't resist asking, "Why are you acting so quickly now? Before, you were always dragging your feet and holding back." Angela took a bite of food and smiled faintly. "I was waiting for the right moment. Bill is so cunning; I had to wait for him to reveal all his cards before taking action."Fiona nodded in agreement and poured her a glass of peach juice. "Not bad. It was both smart and bold. You'll be the head of Graham Group soon. If you need any help, just let me know."Angela chuckled. "Why do I feel like we're becoming more like friends instead of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law?"Fiona rolled her eyes. "Whether we become in-laws or not is still up to you, isn't it? You're so heartless for deciding you don't want my son and dropping him just like that. Poor him."Angela couldn't help but laugh, but she didn't respond to the comment. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked, "Can you do me a favor?""Tell me," Fiona asked, lowering
When Angela woke up, the room was utterly silent. She felt like she was being held in someone's embrace, a weight pressing on her chest, making her uncomfortable. "You're up?" Dexter's deep voice, filled with satisfaction, came from right beside her.Angela froze. She instinctively wanted to turn and sit up, but she was firmly held in his strong arms, unable to move. "I... I'm a little thirsty. I want to get some water." She avoided looking at his face. Her voice carried a hint of unease. "Hmm." Dexter stood up and turned away from her to pour a glass of water.He wore only black boxer briefs, showcasing his impressive physique. It was simply mesmerizing. His broad shoulders, trim waist, defined abs, and long legs were striking. But the most captivating feature was his face with sharp features, a chiseled jawline, and icy eyes that exuded indifference. He was absolutely stunning.Angela couldn't shake off the wild memories of last night and suddenly realized how much she h
"You're just getting back? Have you eaten yet? What's going on?" Fiona looked at Angela, surprised to see her return with such a heavy heart. Angela forced a faint smile and shook her head before heading upstairs. After shutting herself in her room, she didn't do anything. She didn't shower or change her clothes. She simply lay there, motionless, for two hours.A little past eleven, Angela heard a door open in the adjacent room. It must be Dexter coming back. She quickly got out of bed, kicking off her high heels and slipping into quieter slippers before stepping out. From the slightly ajar door, she could already smell the faint scent of alcohol. Dexter had been drinking. Without hesitation, she barged in. Before he could react, she switched off the lights and pushed him onto the bed.Dexter was startled. Instinctively, he tried to push her away. But the moment he realized it was her, he stopped moving. In the darkness, he looked at her intensely, feeling puzzled. He a
Austin was surprised by Angela's directness.After all, in the past, Bill and Judy had kicked her out of her home more than once. Despite being a wealthy socialite, she had ended up being a waitress and washing dishes in a restaurant just to make a living, even becoming the subject of ridicule. At that time, she had never even considered defying her family. She had accepted every word they said without hesitation. Her compliance had been so extreme.But at the very least, she'd still had a tiny spark of ambition. Otherwise, Genevieve wouldn't have chosen her as her last mentee.When they arrived at the top-floor office, Clara was already waiting outside. Seeing Angela approach, she quickly stepped forward and handed her an acquisition contract. Angela introduced Clara to Austin before taking the contract and leading both of them into the office. She asked Clara to take care of Austin while she focused intently on reviewing the document. Austin sat on the couch, quietly watc
Angela told Mia about what had happened earlier, hoping to get her opinion.Mia, who already felt that her life was complicated enough, found herself caught in a dilemma at this moment. "Angela, your situation is really tough. Just when Mr. Bamford is being the best to you, Austin suddenly showed up. It's really tricky," Mia said, holding Leo in her arms and furrowing her brows in thought.Angela collapsed onto the couch, staring at the ceiling in deep thought. If she agreed to break up with Dexter, he would be utterly heartbroken. Their relationship would be irreparably damaged. In fact, it might be even worse. Dexter's pride would prevent them from ever crossing paths again.After all, he was the one being abandoned. To him, it was the greatest humiliation.Yet, if she didn't break up with him, she would miss her last chance to see Genevieve. When it came to life and death, everything else should be secondary. She was conflicted, but it felt like she was gradually leaning to
Angela's eyes turned red, but her face became deathly pale. She stood there for a long time without saying a word. Austin said gently, "Calm down first. This is also the reason I came back this time."She asked emotionally, "Where is Ms. Lawson? I want to see her."She hadn't seen Genevieve for years. Back then, Genevieve and Austin had strongly advised her not to marry Dexter, but she had refused to listen. This led to a rift between them, and the two left in anger, never contacting her again.Austin looked at her intently. "You can see her, but… you have to agree to one condition."Angela was stunned. "What's it? Just say it."She had absolute trust in Austin. He would never force her into something unreasonable, let alone make her do anything against her morals. "Cut all ties with Dexter," he replied firmly.Angela almost nodded instinctively, but her mind suddenly went blank in chaos. She stared blankly at Austin, who was distant and cold. She frowned. "Austin, why?""Y
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!"