Joanne gave a nod. "Of course. You can make any request. After all, Madam Fiona is paying me a lot.""Oh?" Angela's interest was piqued. "How much does she pay you per month? I can pay you that amount myself in the future.""20 thousand a month." Joanne then added in her usual serious tone, "Madam Fiona gave me an opportunity when I needed it most. I only follow her instructions."Joanne was obviously a person who repaid the kindness she received.Angela became even more satisfied with her. "Alright then. If you need my help with anything, feel free to ask. I only have one request—can you smile?"All morning, Joanne hadn't smiled once. She kept a serious expression, as if ready to fight someone at any moment.Joanne instinctively frowned, as if smiling was particularly difficult for her."Don't force yourself if you can't," Angela said, exasperated.She glanced at her sports watch; it was just past seven. She could still nap a bit before going to work."You should rest. I'll g
Angela's face lit up with joy before she quickly walked over."Congratulations on finally getting what you wanted," Finn said with a gentle and elegant smile.There was an indescribable warmth about him that made people feel comforted."It's also thanks to you. Let's go grab a bite. How about I treat you to some barbecue?" Angela suggested with a smile."The barbecue out here isn't good." Finn showed a slight frown.Angela replied without hesitation, "Then let's go to my place. I'll cook, but you'll have to help."The two went to the market together and bought a lot of ingredients. After some time preparing everything, they had the portable grill and ingredients ready by seven.The large living room was filled with the aroma of meat.Angela took a few oranges from the fridge to make juice and poured it into two large glasses, then handed one to Finn.He gladly accepted it. Just as the two were about to clink glasses and start eating, the door was pushed open from outside.Ang
Lately, Angela and Dexter had been living together rather peacefully. Angela had never seen Dexter this angry before—it was entirely unlike him."Did you forget? This is my house." she sneered coldly. "You're just a guest here."Dexter was momentarily at a loss for words. His retort was caught in his throat."Angela, don't be angry anymore. Since Mr. Bamford is back, why don't we just eat together? There's no need for all this tension." Finn spoke up as he knocked lightly on the door from outside.Angela let out a disdainful huff before opening the door to step out.Finn was standing there with his signature gentle smile, his demeanor so refined that it was hard to refuse him."Mr. Bamford, would you like to join us?" Finn asked politely.Angela believed Dexter would never swallow his pride and agree."Sure."To Angela's surprise, Dexter actually headed to the kitchen, grabbed a plate, and sat down at the table.Angela was dumbfounded.Why was Dexter suddenly acting like thi
"I'm over here." Fiona's voice came from behind them.Angela instinctively turned around and saw her mother-in-law in name stepping out of a black SUV, dressed in hiking attire, looking much younger than usual.However, Angela's smile quickly faded when her eyes landed on the person carrying a backpack behind Fiona.It was Dexter. Why was he everywhere?Why wasn't he in his office working overtime? Why did he have to follow them on this hike?Angela pulled Fiona aside, her tone low and questioning. "Why did you bring him here?" Fiona, usually a commanding woman who never hesitated to get things her way, looked somewhat sheepish at the moment as she forced a smile."Angela, he just happened to have the day off, and when he heard I was going to meet you all, he insisted on coming. I made him carry some food, and he can carry your bag and even drive for us. Isn't that fine?""Why would I need him to carry my bag? I'm perfectly capable of doing that myself." Angela scoffed. "Next
With his unchanging gentle demeanor, Finn emitted a calm and pleasant air that could put people at ease.Dexter, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was wearing a black jacket, black cargo pants, and black hiking boots.As he was clad entirely in black, he appeared brooding and intimidating, especially when he wasn't speaking or smiling—he looked like he was ready to pick a fight at any moment."What's the matter? Are you hoping I'll hurry up and divorce her so that you can take my place?" Dexter broke his silence after a pause, speaking with biting sarcasm.Finn scoffed. "Whether you divorce her or not makes no difference to me. My feelings for her aren't something you can compare to.""Oh?" Dexter smirked. "Does she know that you're that infatuated with her? Is she okay with that? Or are you just deluding yourself while she doesn't care about you at all?"It was unlike Dexter to talk this much, especially with someone he didn't care for. But today, he was unusually
Fiona also came over. "If you like it, take it home to keep Mitsy company."As she spoke, she squatted down and gently stroked the back of the tabby cat.Angela hurriedly stopped her. "Don't touch it. It's a stray cat."It was already too late by the time she finished speaking. Just as Fiona was about to remove her hand, the tabby cat swiped at her with its claws. Angela quickly pushed Fiona aside. In that instant, a sharp pain struck. Angela's arm was scratched, with four vivid red marks that were shocking to see."Oh, no!" Fiona got up from the ground, her face pale at the sight. "Quick, you need—""You need to get vaccinated," Dexter abruptly said. "Otherwise, you might get rabies."Angela knew this too. Her arm stung with a burning pain. The cat had seemed so docile, but its claws were unexpectedly sharp. The deepest scratch was oozing dark blood, and the pain made her face turn pale."Let's head down the mountain," Dexter said.They had just climbed up, so their energy a
"Don't worry," Dexter said coldly. "I won't go the wrong way. Does your arm still hurt?"Angela didn't reply immediately. After a while, she asked, "Can you put me down for now? My back hurts."He was holding her in a way that made her particularly uncomfortable.Dexter had no choice but to set her down on a flat area. Standing up, he looked down at her from above."Why are you carrying me? It's not like we're in a rush to get down the mountain. Don't think this will change my opinion of you," Angela muttered.Ever since that incident, she had been particularly wary of Dexter; she was unwilling to be alone with him.He looked a bit exasperated. "Do you think I want to carry you? You got injured because of my mom. I'm just paying back the favor for her so that you don't accuse us of owing you anything later."Angela was momentarily at a loss for words, silently fuming to herself.This was indeed an obscure path, a narrow trail hidden deep within the bushes. It was nearly invisib
Luckily, the snake looked like it was about to slither right over her hiking boots.At that moment, Dexter's voice rang out. "Angela! Angela!"His voice was urgent, filled with anxiety.Angela wanted to curse out loud. She was doomed!Thankfully, the snake quickly slithered away, leaving no trace behind.The relieved Angela momentarily forgot everything else and bolted toward Dexter.She ran the 100 feet like she was being chased by a monster."What happened to you?" Dexter immediately noticed her pale face and grabbed her wrist.Angela's legs felt like jelly. She glanced behind her, still feeling as if something was following her."There… T-There was… a snake…" she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence. "Let's go now!"Dexter's face darkened. "You saw a snake? Did it hurt you? Did it bite you?"Angela shook her head frantically. "No, it didn't. Let's just go quickly. Please, carry me… My legs feel like jelly…"By the end, her voice took on a tearful tone.Dexter h
Angela trembled violently as she stood frozen in place. Her already pale face instantly lost all color.Sure enough, what was meant to come would come, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it."Grandma, this has nothing to do with you." Dexter suddenly stepped forward in three quick strides, planting himself firmly in front of Angela. Every word he spoke was powerful and resolute.Angela was slightly stunned. His back was like an unbreakable wall—solid and unyielding.Natalie, however, was utterly shocked. She stared at Dexter in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? Isn't the child she's carrying yours? You two have only been divorced for a while. Don't tell me she already has someone else's—""Grandma!" Dexter cut her off sharply before she could say anything more offensive. "I said this has nothing to do with you."With that, he turned around, grabbed Angela's arm, and led her out the door. "Where do you want to go? I'll take you.""Home," Angela replied hoarsely. She looked
Dexter stood motionless outside the room for what felt like forever until Natalie approached with the help of Ursula."Dexter, is it true that that woman is pregnant? Is it your child? Is it a child of the Bamford family?" Natalie was unusually excited. There was even a hopeful glow in her once lifeless eyes.Dexter's mind was in chaos. He nodded vaguely, not wanting to say anything more.Alas, Natalie wouldn't stop asking questions, like whether Angela's previously poor health would make the pregnancy risky or who would get custody of the child now that the two of them were divorced."Grandma, you should go get some rest. We haven't even discussed all of this yet." Dexter finally couldn't take it anymore and gently persuaded her to leave.But just then, someone from Joseph's side came to call him. Dexter had no choice but to get Fiona to stay with Angela while he hurried off.Joseph had also heard about the pregnancy. In fact, the moment the result was confirmed, the news spread
"Why are you stammering like this? Are you even a man?" Fiona gave Dexter a disapproving smack on the back before bluntly revealing the truth. "Angela, you're pregnant."Angela was speechless. What did Fiona just say?She genuinely thought something was wrong with her ears. How could she have heard something so absurd? How could she possibly be pregnant? Hadn't she become infertile after her body had been exposed to something harmful?Even though Dexter had forced her to undergo treatment for a while, it shouldn't have worked that well.Angela's face shifted between pale and flushed a few times. After a minute or two, she finally came back to her senses. "Madam Fiona, are you joking?"She gave an incredulous laugh, suspecting that Fiona didn't want her to be just a friend anymore and wanted her to be her daughter-in-law instead.With a heavy sigh, Fiona pulled out a blood test report. Angela stiffly accepted the undeniable proof and gave it a quick scan, only to be instantly dumb
Joseph's eyes were filled with worry, as if he feared Angela would be left without support in the future.She was about to speak when she suddenly felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach, causing her to nearly gag. She quickly got up and poured herself a glass of water, barely managing to suppress the discomfort.It seemed like her body hadn't fully recovered yet, as even a little fatigue made her feel unwell."Grandpa, I've been swamped with work recently. I have no energy to focus on anything else," Angela said with a bitter smile before letting out a long sigh.The weight on her shoulders was just too heavy, so heavy that she could barely catch her breath.Joseph looked at her meaningfully, a trace of regret and helplessness crossing his eyes.…It was past 11:00 pm when Angela finally went to the guest room after her conversation with Joseph.By then, she was already physically and mentally exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the
Back when Angela and Dexter were still together, Joseph had clearly been biased toward them. Now that they were divorced, Joseph was still unable to let go of Angela. How could anyone tolerate that?"Grandma, Aunt Ursula, Grandpa treated Angela very well before. It's only right that she comes to visit him." Dexter's face showed no expression, but his tone was firm.Since he had spoken, Ursula stopped talking. She could sense something was off, but seeing the awkwardness between Dexter and Angela, it didn't really seem like anything was going on. Thinking it over, she decided to stay quiet.Natalie, however, wasn't so easy to deal with.Seeing that Dexter wasn't taking her side, she became annoyed and went straight inside, saying to Angela, "Alright, since you've already seen Joseph, you should go. He needs rest."Upon hearing this, Joseph immediately started coughing, his face turning pale.The exasperated Angela didn't respond to that. Instead, she immediately tried to calm Jose
Jennifer was rather frustrated. In theory, a man like Dexter, who was so charming and outstanding, should have easily won Angela over with all the effort he had put in to make her change her mind.Yet, the stubborn Angela acted like someone who had kicked a drug addiction. She merely observed from the sidelines, refusing to take the bait.Jennifer also believed that Dexter was being too laid-back about this. He was making her create minor issues for Angela, but he hadn't made any big moves himself. How could that work?"Mr. Bamford, if you ask me, you should get your family to help," Jennifer suggested. "I heard Ms. Graham is very close to your grandfather. If you involve him, she will definitely…"She didn't voice the rest of her thoughts.Dexter stared silently into space, as if lost in thought. He didn't say anything for a long time.Jennifer became anxious. "Mr. Bamford, you two have feelings for each other. You can't cut off contact. You need to show up in front of her occas
"You're out of luck. The elevator's to the right—please leave." Angela showed no courtesy as she outright told Jennifer to go. She couldn't be bothered to waste any more time on this drama queen."You…"Jennifer stood up abruptly, furious. "Angela, do you even hear yourself? I'm representing Bamford Co. Since you dare refuse me, does that mean you're not worried that this will anger Mr. Bamford?""Oh, I'm so scared!" Angela made an exaggerated face before smirking, making it clear she wasn't taking Jennifer seriously at all. "If you don't leave now, I'll have to call security.""Then I'll just have Mr. Bamford personally come here to talk to you." Jennifer sneered, waving her phone that had diamond studs on the back."Ms. Graham, you and Mr. Bamford have already gone your separate ways. I'm sure you don't want to have anything to do with him anymore, right? If he comes here to talk to you, your decision will change, won't it?"Angela remained indifferent, looking at Jennifer with
As a woman, Angela might not be the most perceptive in some areas, but when it came to matters of the heart, she knew what she was talking about.She could tell that Ingrid, despite her cold and distant demeanor, truly liked Austin. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here and swallowed her pride for him.Angela wasn't petty. As long as things could be cleared up over time, she wouldn't hold onto grudges.…In the afternoon, she and Austin held a management meeting to analyze and summarize the recent live commerce project.At the end, they conducted a vote, and more than half of the people fully supported Angela's decision. The rest had no choice but to go along with the majority. With this, Angela had managed to establish herself in the company for the time being.The live commerce gradually fell into a rhythm, boosting sales several times over and bringing Horizon back into the spotlight with consumers.To maintain this momentum, Angela had the HR department hire a group of youn
It was just that Ingrid hadn't quite shifted her perspective yet.At the moment, Angela was wondering whether things could be resolved peacefully. If tensions could be eased, wouldn't that mean she would gain a highly capable ally? Why would she go out of her way to maximize animosity?"What a shame; I absolutely hate cream puffs." Unfortunately, Ingrid wasn't having any of it. She shot a disdainful glance at Angela and the cream puffs.Angela froze for a second. Then, shrugging it off, she simply opened the plastic bag and took a bite of a cream puff."Well, if you've got something to say, go ahead. I've got no time to waste on someone who doesn't appreciate cream puffs." She spoke righteously, as if anyone who disliked cream puffs didn't deserve her respect.Ingrid wore a look of complete bewilderment. She stared at Angela, wondering if she had changed overnight. What was going on today? Had everyone eaten some weird mushroom or something, making them act all weird?"My dad w