"Angela, aren't you going to apologize to Mr. Hood?" Nora said coldly. Her tone was filled with reproach.Angela's response was a sneer. "What now? Will we lose the deal if I don't drink this glass of wine?"She felt a deep unease. The contract between the two companies had already been finalized by the higher-ups. It was essentially a done deal. Her presence here was merely a formality.Nora was clearly targeting her, using her as a pawn for Dave's amusement."Don't talk nonsense. I'm giving you one more chance. Apologize to Mr. Hood!" Nora suddenly stood up and glared at Angela with icy eyes.She had never encountered such a bold employee who dared to speak back to a superior like this. It was outrageous."Why should I apologize?" Instead of being angry, Angela looked at Nora calmly and said, "Ms. Rutherford, please tell me what I said or did wrong.""You—""Alright, alright. Mr. Hood, I'll drink with you, okay?" Clara quickly intervened. Not waiting for Dave's response, she
Angela's breath hitched.It was Dexter. Why was he here?Dexter's sharp gaze scanned the room. He immediately locked onto the hand on Angela's shoulder.Without a word, he strode over and pulled her aside. Then, he rolled up his sleeves and delivered a powerful punch straight to Dave's fat face.Dave hadn't seen it coming. The force of the blow nearly snapped his neck.A bruised purple imprint quickly appeared on Dave's face. It was a horrifying sight.Dexter's eyes were menacing, filled with murderous intent. He looked as if he were about to devour Dave.As he delivered punch after punch, each one seemingly with lethal force, it didn't take long before Dave's face was left unrecognizable."Mr. Bamford… Mr. Bamford, please stop!" one of Dave's lackeys pleaded, but he was kicked across the room in the next instant.Still not satisfied, Dexter grabbed a bottle from the coffee table and smashed it down on the hand that had touched Angela.With a loud crash, the bottle shattered.
Dexter had come here for business. Yet, midway through negotiations, he walked out, leaving Lucas Cullen behind without explanation or concern."Mr. Bamford, Mr. Cullen is still waiting upstairs. We—""Get out," Dexter cut Erica off coldly before she could finish her sentence.Erica froze for a moment, but she knew Dexter's commands were absolute. Without a word, she got out of the car, only to spot Angela slumped in the passenger seat, her face alarmingly flushed.She thought Angela's ability to keep a man like Dexter wrapped around her finger was remarkable. Erica needed to think of a new approach.Dexter took the wheel himself. Before long, they arrived at Bamford Estate.By that time, Angela was completely unconscious. She mumbled softly, but her words were incoherent.Looking at her pale and pitiful state, Dexter felt a surge of frustration. Yet, he still called the family doctor to check on her."M-Mr. Bamford, Mrs. Bamford has been drugged," the doctor stammered before h
The atmosphere in the room grew so thick with tension that it was hard to breathe.Dexter's expression darkened, and he glared at her. "Angela Graham!"Yesterday, he had held back and even lowered himself to help her, yet Angela was now turning on him. It was infuriating."I'm going to work, Mr. Bamford. Goodbye." Angela quickly left, closing the door behind her.That was close, but it felt satisfying. She felt like laughing as she thought of Dexter's face turning crimson. Finally, he'd had his moment. However, her smile quickly faded.As Angela entered the design department, Nora approached with a cold expression. "You've been fired. I've already informed HR. You don't meet the company's standards. The compensation will be transferred to your account shortly."Angela froze in disbelief. "You? Fired me?" she asked.Nora was merely the head of Division One in the design department. What gave her the authority to dismiss someone Callum had personally hired?"You ruined a major
Angela's anger grew with every word she uttered. She showed no shame about almost being harassed.Nora, on the other hand, seemed at a loss. "Don't you feel embarrassed? You...""Why should I be embarrassed? I'm the victim here. Is there something wrong with that?" Angela shot back. "Ms. Rutherford, shouldn't you be reflecting on your own actions?"Just as Angela finished speaking, a low voice from the corner sounded. "Exactly."The whispers around them began to grow louder."She once took me to a business meeting where I was forced to nearly drink myself to death.""Nora always takes the pretty employees to entertain men. I don't know what she's thinking.""She secured half of her deals by using female employees. She's not as clever as she thinks."The murmurs were coming from all directions now. Nora was suddenly the target of everyone's criticism.No one had expected this, not even Clara, who had been observing quietly. She was surprised by Angela's boldness, which seemed t
Nora's frustration reached its peak, and for the first time, she dared to challenge Callum's orders. As she began to speak, Callum's piercing gaze locked onto her. It was so cold and unforgiving that it silenced her in an instant.As soon as Callum left, Angela quickly followed him."Mr. Snowden," she called out.Callum turned back, his expression now as gentle as always. It reminded her of that moment on the podium, when his gaze had been just as warm and encouraging."Yes?" he asked with a smile. His gaze was akin to an older brother's as he watched his younger sister grow up."Mr. Snowden, I'm new here. I don't have the experience, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for this—" she faltered."You're more than capable," Callum interrupted. "Someone told me you're exceptional and that I should look after you. Your ability to win that award proves you're meant for more than just being an ordinary designer."With that, he turned and left, leaving Angela in a daze.She couldn't help bu
The pressure on Angela's shoulder vanished instantly. Dexter's face turned as dark as a storm cloud. After a long pause, he turned and walked out of the room. Only then did Angela breathe a sigh of relief.As soon as Dexter left the house, Erica got out of the car and respectfully handed him the phone."Mr. Bamford, Callum's calling."Dexter's face grew even darker at that. He took the phone without saying a word.Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.Finally, Callum broke the silence. "Mr. Bamford, our past issues don't need to involve an innocent woman."His voice wasn't loud but carried an inexplicable lazy tone that was somehow infuriating.Dexter let out a cold laugh. Angela was anything but innocent. "She's my wife.""I know," Callum replied calmly. "I'm not interested in her. I admire her talent. I can't stand to see it go to waste. If you truly care about her, you wouldn't be so petty and make a fool of yourself."Callum was known for his m
"If I leave, who else will stick around to help you?" Clara shot Angela a glare. "Stop talking and hurry up!"By the time they arrived at Division One, nearly half of the 50 employees were packing up their desks. Some others were just standing by, observing the situation.The ones who stayed put were mostly junior employees that Division Two hadn't bothered recruiting.As soon as Angela and Clara entered, Nora's eyes narrowed sharply."Well, isn't this our lucky Ms. Graham?" she sneered. "I was planning to work hard here in Division One, bring in more projects, and help everyone make money. Thanks to you, Ms. Graham, we'll all just have to survive on scraps now."Her words made it sound like they couldn't land projects because of Angela."Nora, stop talking nonsense. That incident was entirely your fault. Mr. Snowden was already generous enough to let you stay. You're being completely unreasonable!" Clara snapped.Angela was taken aback but felt a warm sense of gratitude. After
Dexter immediately rushed out, slamming the door. "What happened?" Fiona asked. Angela remained perplexed. "No idea. I only said my wound hurt. I didn't say anything else or offend him."She wondered if he had caught the alpha male syndrome. She hoped not—otherwise, Fiona would be in for a nightmare.After that, the doctor carefully examined her and assessed her wounds, explaining that her reactions were typical once the anesthetic wore off. He assured her that as long as she took her medication as prescribed and allowed herself adequate rest, there would be no cause for concern.Angela repeatedly thanked him. Despite the pain, she felt uplifted by her ability to control her fate and make a difference through hard work. She preferred to keep striving rather than seek others' approval through flattery.In the afternoon, Clara called to say that everyone wanted to visit her. They had bought gifts, and Clara hoped she wouldn't refuse them. Naturally, Angela would not decline. S
Dexter felt an overwhelming urge to rush in and carry Angela away. He considered that it would be better to pressure the Crawford family than to allow her to use this foolish approach.However, he still waited for her silently, knowing that she didn't want to be disturbed.Joel felt helpless. He wiped the blood from his nose and helped Angela up. "I promise you. Go and see a doctor now. Why are you so stubborn?"Angela's eyes sparkled with excitement, and her voice quivered with joy. "Thank you, thank you..."Before she finished speaking, she collapsed. Dexter quickly lifted her up. "Angela!"Fiona rushed over to assist, urging, "Quick! We need to get her to the hospital now!"…Dexter and Fiona waited anxiously outside the emergency department until the doctor reassured them that Angela's injuries were minor and mostly superficial. Meanwhile, Angela slept with an IV drip, unaware of their concern."Why did she keep pushing herself? It's like she's got some sort of superpower o
Angela clenched her jaw, her every move radiating intense hostility with every move, embodying the wrath of a vengeful queen. Joel was briefly distracted before receiving a strong punch to the nose. The metallic scent of blood overwhelmed him as he collapsed to the ground.Angela was astonished by what she saw.Joel struggled to stand. His nose was bleeding, making it hard for him to breathe. He felt dizzy and lost his initial fighting spirit. On the other hand, Angela was incredibly strong, seemingly pushing beyond her limits in a frenzied state.Then, the two fought again, resulting in an unexpected draw. Angela realized she couldn't compete with Joel for long, so she put all her strength into each attack. She noticed that Joel's strength was diminishing as he bled.A few minutes later, the standoff ended when Angela knocked Joel down with a punch. As he rose, blood streamed from his nose, distorting his vision and leaving him unable to continue the fight. The team arriv
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