"That's right. I simply wanted to get back at you, but with how thick-skinned you are, ordinary tricks don't work on you. So I had to target your weakness instead. And as it turned out, it worked well—just look at you now, Angela. You're finally losing your composure, aren't you?" Elena rambled on.This woman was absolutely insane!"And how much better off are you? Who was it that dragged you out of your hiding place? Who brought you here? Isn't it the very man you've spent years trying to impress?" Angela sneered, gritting her teeth.Elena's expression darkened instantly.Right then, she felt a suffocating weight settling on her chest. An inexplicable bitterness gnawed at her insides, making her feel unbearably miserable."As expected, you really are a shameless bitch. You claim to have no interest in Dexter, yet you're constantly using him. You truly have no shame!"Elena's gaze was so sharp it seemed like a cold blade ready to slice Angela's heart out."You want to know why I
Clenching her teeth, Elena glared at Dexter. There was not a trace of warmth in her eyes. All that remained was overwhelming hatred that was ready to explode at any moment."I shouldn't have loved you—is that it? But then why did you give me hope in the first place?" she asked coldly.The current Elena was like a venomous snake slithering through the dark depths of hell. She looked gorgeous and dazzling on the outside, but on the inside, there was nothing but poison."Stop coming up with excuses to justify your sins. I never said I liked you." Dexter scoffed, his eyes filled with disgust.As his gaze fell on Elena, she was stunned at first, and then tears began to fall slowly.She had never imagined that one day, she would have the courage to confront the person she once loved the most. Unfortunately for her, she had lost—completely and utterly.How ridiculous! This was laughable."At the very least, tell me—why her?" After holding back her bitterness for so long, Elena bit her
Angela needed to have her own career, hobbies, and source of spiritual support. She would never give up on herself. That was probably the biggest difference between her and Elena.No, that wasn't exactly true. Elena used to have those things too, but she lost them.Elena's eyes were wide open as she fixed her stunned gaze on Angela, utterly taken aback. "That isn't love—that's selfishness."She had never thought of it that way, but more importantly, she never believed she was in the wrong. She loved Dexter with all her heart and had given him everything she had when she adored him.And when she hated him, she wished for nothing more than to destroy everything and make him regret it for a lifetime.But why… Why was Angela different? No—Angela had changed."I'm not selfish." Angela sighed, feeling a bit helpless. "I'm just self-aware. I've fallen before, so no matter who I end up with in the future, I will never lose myself again.""Why? Why would you think that way? You're nothin
The company's anniversary celebration was approaching, and Clara had called to report on the progress of the venue decorations.Angela held her phone slightly further away to see the screen better. "Tell them to use less flowers and plants. We're celebrating an anniversary, not opening a flower shop. And can we change the balloon colors? There's too much red—it's too harsh and will look tacky in photos."Clara listened carefully, giving instructions to the staff as she went. The call lasted over 20 minutes before she finally asked about the guest list.She wanted to know who Angela wanted to invite from her side.By then, the seafood pasta had arrived, topped with two plump, orange shrimp that looked incredibly tantalizing.Angela took a bite before answering, "Let me think… Then, Mr. Callum Snowden, for sure. Also, Finn, Mia, Madam Fiona, and Mr. Bamford Sr. That's all."Across from her, Dexter let out two pointed coughs.Only then did Angela realize her oversight. With a sigh
Dexter's sulky yet handsome face finally softened a bit. He shot Angela a glare, muttering, "I thought you really had no conscience."Angela ignored him, had someone put away the gown, and headed outside the banquet hall to welcome the guests.Finn and Callum arrived together. The two brothers exchanged pleasantries with Angela in the foyer, but midway through their conversation, they suddenly fell silent.Angela turned her head and, sure enough, saw Dexter standing behind her like a stone-faced guardian, his expression both arrogant and wary.She quickly ushered Finn and Callum inside, then dragged Dexter to a secluded corner."What are you doing? Why are you walking around showing people your grumpy expression? What did they ever do to you?" Angela scolded him with a stern expression.With a pout, Dexter replied honestly, "I just don't like them. This isn't a recent thing. How could you not know?"On the surface, he acted defiantly, but deep down, he felt oddly pleased.He wa
Angela was the first to notice something was wrong. She hadn't even finished speaking when a sense of foreboding hit her. The moment the enormous crystal chandelier fell, she instinctively moved to evade it.Alas, the chandelier was too large. Even after taking a few hurried steps away, she couldn't completely escape its range. A sharp fragment of the fixture slashed across her back, sending a searing pain through her body.She staggered and fell to the ground with a muffled groan, but she instinctively suppressed her voice, trying her best not to appear too disheveled."Angela!" Several anxious voices rang out at the same time, while Dexter and Finn rushed toward the center of the stage almost simultaneously.By then, all the other lights at the venue had been turned on, and the crowd erupted in shock.Smelling the metallic tang of blood made Angela dizzy. Yet, her first thought was that she must not let this ruin the celebration."I'm fine!" Angela grasped Dexter's wrist. "Let'
The sensation sent shivers down Angela's spine, filling her with an uncontrollable sense of fear. She could barely hold on as cold sweat dripped from her body."Why are you pushing yourself so hard? Do you really have to do this?" Dexter let out a quiet sigh.Angela clenched her teeth, saying nothing in response.About 15 minutes later, the doctor finally completed his work, rattling off a long list of precautions—one of the most important being that she must not overexert herself and should rest properly.Angela nodded absentmindedly, her gaze flicking to the exquisite wristwatch on her arm as she mentally calculated the time.Dexter, on the other hand, listened carefully and even asked about additional precautions, including diet and daily routine, making sure to cover everything.Afterward, the two stayed in the hospital for a short while to rest.Angela unlocked her phone, unsurprised to see that the incident had already gone viral. Hundreds of thousands of netizens had floc
Everyone remained silent, staring straight at the person in the center of the stage.As if nothing had happened before, Angela calmly took the trophy from the event hostess, maintaining her smile and handing it to each award recipient in an orderly manner.Clara, one of the outstanding employees, stood at the front of the line. The moment she received the award from Angela, she could no longer hold back. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down uncontrollably."Does… does it hurt?" Her voice was choked with emotion, heartache evident in every word.Curving her lips into a reassuring smile, Angela wiped away Clara's tears. "I'm fine. Don't worry."Then, she continued presenting the awards to the rest of the employees. All ten employees looked at her with admiration.Meanwhile, the livestream chat was going wild."Oh my god, this woman is incredible! Wasn't she the one who got hurt earlier? How is she so strong when she looks so delicate?""I swear I saw a huge gash on her b
Angela had already humbled herself significantly. Despite Joel's consistent indifference, he found it increasingly difficult to dismiss her completely. After all, those who came here were far from ordinary. In the end, he agreed. He would just treat it as a game to see if she was anything like Bill. Angela and Joel soon found themselves on the ring. Angela felt honored and bowed to Joel. Despite secretly looking down on her, Joel maintained a gentlemanly demeanor and smiled.After that, it was time for a heated exchange. Joel sarcastically said, "I'll draw the line somewhere and do my best not to hurt you."Angela smiled with determination, replying, "I'll give it my all until I defeat you." Joel frowned, wondering what this arrogant woman was planning. The battle began quickly. Joel was obviously different from the other contestants Angela went up against. He toyed with her, effortlessly neutralizing her attacks and waiting for her next move, like a cat playing with a mo
Jorina launched a powerful uppercut at Angela, but the latter anticipated the attack and swiftly evaded it. Then, she lowered her stance and delivered a decisive strike to Jorina's abdomen.Her strength was astonishing as well. It was truly unexpected. With another powerful strike, she forced Jorina back a few paces, causing her to lose her balance and crash to the ground. The audience was left in shock. Meanwhile, a hint of a smile graced Dexter's lips, and admiration sparkled in his eyes.In the first match, Angela won effortlessly. The second and third matches followed, and once again, she secured victory easily.She was stunned. When her opponent was knocked out in the third match, she gazed at her fist in disbelief. She couldn't believe that she possessed such strength. It was utterly shocking.The audience buzzed with excitement, captivated by her presence. "Wow, she's incredible! Not only is she stunning, but she's also an amazing fighter!" "Isn't that Angela? It's so
Not only did the male contestants boast impressive muscles, but even the female participants also showcased clearly defined physiques and strength. It appeared that Angela's muscles fell short in comparison."Could you please pass me a towel?" a female contestant requested Angela politely.This female contestant was notably larger, with shoulders that were one and a half times wider than Angela's. When she stood up, her shadow completely covered Angela, making the latter look particularly thin. Yet, she seemed completely oblivious to anything amiss, or perhaps she simply chose not to care, even if she did notice."I'm sorry. But I'm a contestant too, so I don't know where the towel is."After saying that, Angela sensed the gaze of those around her. Some expressions were a mix of shock; others hinted at disdain, while most radiated contempt. Yet, she felt self-satisfied and unfazed by their reactions. Despite her petite stature, she was proud of her hard-earned muscles and confi
Nigel never expected Angela to be this determined—at the very least, her perseverance was commendable.By the time Dexter arrived, Angela was already battered and bruised. With clenched teeth, she desperately tried to fight back, but she was blocked time and time again. It was downright tragic to watch."Dexter, you have to talk some sense into her!" Fiona pleaded anxiously. Watching Angela get knocked down over and over again made her wince just from witnessing it.Dexter's face was dark with frustration. He stared intently at the bruised Angela on the training ground, unable to vent his anger and frustration.What right did he have to stop her? The more he tried to talk sense into her, the more stubborn she became, and the more she would deliberately go against him.She didn't even see herself as a woman anymore—she was acting like a lunatic."Why would I do that? Let her suffer." Dexter scoffed coldly, turning away.At first, everyone around Angela tried to dissuade her from
Yet, the way Nigel spoke was a bit strange and amusing.Feeling her blood boiling with excitement, Angela nearly laughed out loud. She barely managed to suppress it before nodding firmly. "Understood. I'll do my best not to disappoint you, coach."Her determination was unwavering. This wasn't just a fight for herself—it was another battle for Graham Group.She had to start strong, with full confidence, and give it her all to seize everything she wanted.Nigel looked at her with a complex expression, watching her for a long moment before a trace of hesitation flickered in his eyes."If you're really sure about this, then there's nothing more to say. You can start by fighting me."Angela immediately felt a chill run down her spine.She had learned everything she knew from Joanne, who had always praised her perseverance and rapid improvement. But that didn't mean she was ready to take on a state-level kickboxing coach!"What, got cold feet?" Nigel raised an eyebrow at her. "If y
"But this whole issue started because of Mr. Graham," Clara explained. "Apparently, he and Joel were love rivals in their youth, which made them particularly dislike each other."Their rivalry has lasted to this day. Even though Mr. Graham is no longer involved in company affairs, Joel still refuses to let us off."Angela was stunned. "Love rivals? Joel also liked Judy?"Clara shook her head fervently. "No, not her. I believe he liked Madam Marie."The moment those words left her mouth, Clara looked a bit uneasy, not daring to lift her head.Marie was no stranger—she was Angela's mother.Angela remained silent, flipping through the information Clara had compiled on Joel. Her gaze lingered on his picture. He was a man in his 50s who still had an air of refined elegance.Joel Crawford… Marie had never mentioned him, nor had she left behind any notes about him.Angela couldn't help but wonder whether Joel had gone against Bill all these years as a way to avenge Marie. It seemed
As Angela noticed Dexter's slightly tense face, an unexplainable thought arose in her mind.She could almost picture him awkwardly giving orders to Rocky, telling him to hire online commenters to stir up rumors about them.Rocky would probably think he had misheard and ask for confirmation, only to be scolded in a low voice before he scurried away with his tail between his legs.Clearing her throat, Angela asked casually, "Have you eaten?" Dexter didn't meet her gaze. "I have." Then, he quickly went upstairs."I genuinely think he has strong feelings for you. Are you really not going to consider being with him? It's not every day you come across a good man like him—even in a place like Eldmere City."Chuckling, Mia then added, "Besides, he's completely devoted to you. Imagine the prestige of being able to conquer a man like that!"Angela merely smiled noncommittally.The world truly didn't make sense. Since ancient times, men had always been the ones taught to pursue power,
"Can't you guys just ship them peacefully? Why do you have to compare and put others down? They're a real married couple, not some random lovebirds.""They are both gorgeous. I've never seen such a perfectly matched couple before. They need to be together forever!"What even was this?"You still don't know? You two have been trending online like crazy lately. For some reason, everyone thinks you two are a perfect match. There's even merchandise of you guys—can you believe that?"Mia came over to hang out with Angela and casually brought up the topic. The two women immediately started buzzing about it.Angela began to laugh so hard that the injury on her back got tugged, making her grimace in pain."Does no one care about how I got hurt? Why is everyone's focus on something so weird?" She gritted her teeth.The staff from the operations and logistics department told her that the chandelier had fallen purely by accident. Apparently, there had been ongoing renovations upstairs and
Everyone remained silent, staring straight at the person in the center of the stage.As if nothing had happened before, Angela calmly took the trophy from the event hostess, maintaining her smile and handing it to each award recipient in an orderly manner.Clara, one of the outstanding employees, stood at the front of the line. The moment she received the award from Angela, she could no longer hold back. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down uncontrollably."Does… does it hurt?" Her voice was choked with emotion, heartache evident in every word.Curving her lips into a reassuring smile, Angela wiped away Clara's tears. "I'm fine. Don't worry."Then, she continued presenting the awards to the rest of the employees. All ten employees looked at her with admiration.Meanwhile, the livestream chat was going wild."Oh my god, this woman is incredible! Wasn't she the one who got hurt earlier? How is she so strong when she looks so delicate?""I swear I saw a huge gash on her b