Nora's face was a kaleidoscope of emotions. Just moments ago, she had been vehemently defending herself, but now her mouth seemed glued shut, unable to form a single word.In the end, the matter escalated to Callum.Angela's proposed resolution was straightforward: terminate Nora's employment."This woman has nothing but ill intentions and is a constant source of trouble," Angela said coldly."I've already agreed to apologize, and you…""I don't accept it," Angela interrupted, her icy gaze cutting through Nora. "Someone as selfish as you, who is willing to jeopardize the company's interests for your own gain, is a liability. Keeping you around will only lead to bigger problems."Nora fell silent, instinctively looking to Stephen for help. He was the only one she could count on now."Mr. Snowden, Nora is under my supervision. I take responsibility for her actions," Stephen said, his voice hoarse and heavy."Then let her work at reception," Callum replied without looking up. "If
By the time they arrived at the hospital, Angela was trembling all over, unable to speak due to the pain."Acute appendicitis. It needs to be removed," the doctor said bluntly.Angela flinched, instinctively grabbing Dexter's large hand, her eyes filled with fear.Surgery? She was terrified of the pain."There's no other way. Leaving it untreated will hurt even more." Dexter sighed.It wasn't a major surgery, but Angela's fear was palpable. She was taken into the operating room and came out about three hours later. The night passed in a haze of antiseptic smells as she dozed on and off in the ward.Dexter stayed by her side the entire time, refusing to rest."What's going on with you and Angela? Are you two sleeping in separate rooms?" Fiona asked as she entered the room, scrutinizing Dexter.He froze for a moment."We've been arguing lately," he admitted. "She doesn't want to share a room with me."Fiona scoffed. "You're constantly seen with other women. No wonder she's fed
"Since you know your place, stop chasing after men who don't want you. Understand?" Fiona's voice cut through the tension as she entered the room, carrying several containers of food.Clad in a sharp business suit, Fiona exuded a cold and commanding presence that sent a chill through the room.Elena froze, her face stiff with embarrassment. "Aunt Fiona, I… I was just…""Dexter and Angela are a proper married couple. They have the right and duty to care for each other," Fiona said calmly, her expression unreadable. "As an outsider, a polite inquiry is more than enough. There's no need to go out of your way, and certainly no need to show up looking so elaborately dressed when Angela is sick and unwell."Elena's eyes reddened like a scolded child's. She stammered, "Aunt Fiona, you've misunderstood. I only think of Dexter as a close friend. I… I…"Halfway through, her voice faltered.Back when Dexter and Angela's relationship was on rocky ground, rumors about Elena and Dexter had cir
Angela was nearly choked by Fiona's words.Good grief, Fiona's way of thinking was way too bold."Mom, do you have to be this blunt? Could you at least pretend to say something comforting?" Angela said, caught between laughter and exasperation."What's the point of that?" Fiona replied, unbothered. "Feelings are what they are. If they're gone, they're gone. No use clinging to something that's already lost. Look at me and Dexter's father—we haven't spoken in over a year. The last time we exchanged words was during last year's Christmas dinner, when we said 'Merry Christmas.' And yet, here I am, living just fine."Fiona's tone carried the air of someone who had already planned out Angela's future. She spoke like a seasoned veteran of life's harsh realities."How can two people live under the same roof without any affection?" Angela forced a weak smile. The thought alone left her heart feeling heavy and dull.She had only ever loved one person in her life, only to be discarded like
Using her position, Talia had entered the room once occupied by the late Natalie, stolen valuables, and taken a few small antique vases from storage, hiding them beneath the floorboards in her room. The stolen items were discovered during the search, leaving no room for denial."She's the one, Dad," Fiona said coldly, her tone laced with anger.The servant, Talia, immediately showed fear, casting a quick, terrified glance at Fiona before lowering her head and trembling.Angela observed the scene, an uneasy feeling settling in her chest."Talia, you've worked here for over eight years. You're practically a veteran in this household. What made you do something so reckless?" Joseph asked with a heavy sigh.Talia, in her early 30s, had been working for the Bamford family alongside her husband, drawn by the generous benefits."Sir, I had no choice," Talia began, her voice breaking. "My son was diagnosed with acute leukemia. He needs money for treatment. I tried asking Madam Fiona for
Angela instinctively glanced at Fiona."Wrongdoings deserve punishment," Fiona said with a faintly grim expression, casting a cold look at the flustered Talia. "You have three days to recover all the stolen items. If not, don't expect me to show any leniency."Talia's tears flowed like a river. The stolen items had already been sold; how could she possibly get them back?"Fiona, isn't this too harsh? If her family had the money, would she have resorted to this? It's clear you have no intention of letting them off." Ursula's voice carried a cold edge, her growing frustration with Fiona evident."And if you were handling this, what would you do?" Fiona replied, her tone sharp yet faintly amused. She fixed her gaze on Ursula, her eyes unyielding. "Since you're so kind-hearted, why not pay for their medical expenses and redeem Natalie's valuables yourself?"Ursula's expression darkened, and she retorted coolly, "What does this have to do with me?"She had only come to watch the drama
"You've all seen the rules," Angela began, her sharp, unwavering gaze sweeping across the room. "Mr. Snowden has only given us two days. This time, we must shine for ourselves! Are you confident you can do that?"The 20 people in the room exchanged hesitant glances, but none dared to voice absolute confidence.They were still haunted by the oppression they had endured under Nora's leadership.Seeing the bowed heads of her team, Angela felt a wave of frustration but tempered it with an understanding of their struggles."Angela, we do want to win for Division One, but Division Two has more than 80 people, and we're only a quarter of their size. Plus…""Plus what?" Angela interrupted before Clara could finish. "Numbers don't matter if you've got the right people. So what if they have more people? Only one in eight of their members might make it. For us, it's one in every two. What's there to fear?"Her fierce gaze swept across the room, and after a brief pause, she declared boldly,
"How do you know that?" Angela was so stunned that she forgot to speak politely.Fiona's face fell even further, and her breathing became unsteady. "You... you really got divorced and didn't tell me!"Angela wished she could slap herself a few times.She was done for. She had slipped up without thinking, and now she wasn't sure if it counted as leaking the terms of the agreement.It probably didn't. After all, Fiona could be considered one of their own."Well... Madam Fiona, please calm down. There's still a chance we can smooth things over. If you keep quiet, it won't affect Dexter in any way," Angela said cautiously, worried Fiona would explode on the spot."Give me your agreement right now!" Fiona's voice was cold and sharp, each word striking like thunder.Angela felt helpless. "I can't. It's with Dexter.""Fine, fine. No wonder you've been acting so boldly lately. Without that marriage certificate holding you back, you've really set yourself free. Both of you are way out o
The doubt in Harvey's eyes vanished, replaced entirely by admiration and praise. "I didn't expect that you would have such an opportunity. I'm looking forward to it.""I won't let you down."...After Harvey left, Angela asked everyone to start buying leather again. She then held a meeting with the factory employees, urging them to work overtime and stay focused on their goals."It's impossible to finish the order. We put in so much effort, but everything ended up in ashes. Is this deal still on?""That's right. There was a big fire just now, and everyone is still panicking. How can we stay positive?""Ms. Graham is ridiculous. Does she think we're all magicians?"While Angela spoke on stage, the workers below whispered, visibly dissatisfied. Noticing this, Clara waited for Angela to pause and then informed her about their comments.Angela offered a faint smile, having fully anticipated this. It was simply a part of human nature. As she prepared to speak again, she began wit
By this time, the media had caught wind of the news and quickly gathered at the factory to capture photos. Angela took it upon herself to release a public notice detailing the incident's causes and consequences, as well as the disciplinary actions taken against those involved and the measures being implemented to support the injured.Fortunately, she acted swiftly by arriving promptly to assess the situation. She communicated clearly to the public, took responsibility for her mistakes, and committed to rebuilding the warehouse while enhancing management regulations. Her fast response effectively cut the backlash she faced by at least half.The following morning, the senior executives of Graham Group began to arrive one by one, greeted by the sight of the warehouse in ruins. They were shocked by the strange odor in the air and saw Angela efficiently directing the team in a well-organized response to the aftermath of the disaster."Ms. Graham, are you alright?" Wilbert, the head o
"Why didn't I notice you worked so hard before?" Dexter joked, enjoying a delicious dessert in the hospital.While he remained relaxed, Angela was overwhelmed by anxiety. With just five days until the deadline, they had only managed to complete 60% of the production."I never really had the opportunity to be busy before," Angela replied casually, setting her phone aside. She then rubbed her face hard, trying to dispel the fatigue that lingered.She felt unusually irritable and uneasy today, as though something was about to happen. Ultimately, she attributed it to the uncomfortable hospital bed.Outside the window, a gentle night breeze blew, making the curtains dance around. Angela awoke to her racing thoughts and sat up in bed. Just then, her phone rang. It was Clara calling. "Ms. Graham, our factory is on fire."The simple sentence shocked Angela, leaving her numb. "What's going on?"As soon as she posed the question, she tossed aside the quilt and instantly got out of bed. S
Andrew's fury was palpable. "Nonsense! You didn't even acknowledge my contribution to the company!""Didn't the company reward you appropriately? Your salary and stock dividends are the highest besides Bill's, not counting those bribes you received. "Mr. Graham, there are things I'm aware of but won't mention for the sake of your dignity. Please don't create a scene unless you want to lose what's left of your reputation."As Angela confronted Andrew, she went from seeming quiet to confident. She could even tackle problems with a sense of humor.Andrew's anger continued to grow. The harder he fought, the more he felt defeated."Uncle Andrew, Angela has been merciful. If you know what's best, leave now. If you refuse, I can take you." Zack, who had been observing the situation with amusement, chimed in.Angela remarked, "Ask Joanne to send Mr. Graham out. If he creates trouble again, don't intervene. There's no point in giving him more chances since he's being unreasonable."Afte
Angela couldn't shake off her concern for Dexter. After all, he had been injured because of her. How could she not feel anxious about it?The doctor arrived promptly and conducted a thorough checkup on Dexter. He concluded that Dexter's injury was acting up again, leading to poor blood circulation. He needed to go to the hospital for medication and injections. Angela went with him. Meanwhile, Zack stayed home to wait for Joanne."Mr. Bamford, it's best for you to stay in the hospital. Given your current health condition, it's not advisable..." the doctor advised worriedly.The nurse had assisted Dexter in changing into a hospital gown. He propped against the bed, visibly uncomfortable due to the lack of support behind him. Noticing his discomfort, Angela quickly fetched a pillow and offered him a box of tissues to wipe the cold sweat beading on his forehead. Dexter glanced at her intensely and remained silent."You should consider staying here for the next few days. There's no
The abrupt ringing of the phone shattered the stillness in the room, startling everyone present. Andrew answered impatiently, "Who is it?"On the other end of the line, Angela replied with a smirk, "It's me, Mr. Graham. The deadline I set has passed, and I still haven't heard back from you. I've asked someone to clear the COO's office for the department of supervision, which was previously cramped in the executive office."Andrew was furious. "How dare you!""Did I not inform you ahead of time? Oh, by the way, it seems you didn't select any of the options I proposed, so I've decided to take matters into my own hands. "There's a small company in Cetol that opened a few years ago. If you're okay with it, you can start working there. I've sent all the relevant information to you via email."In a moment of frustration, Andrew hurled his phone away before Angela could complete her sentence. All his life, he had enjoyed success at Graham Group, always managing to get what he desired.
Angela grabbed a glass of hot milk and went upstairs, where she noticed the study door was slightly open. She could hear Dexter's voice from inside."What would I need you for if you can't locate him?""Surely you can find either Gideon Lawson or Austin Howard, can't you?" "You're so useless."Angela stood frozen, struck by his words. She couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were and if he was helping her find them.Her mentor, Gideon, and her senior, Austin, were the two people who had once cared about her the most. Yet, she hadn't seen them in many years.She was stunned. After a moment of contemplation, she quietly turned and walked away. It struck her how little she truly knew about Dexter.She couldn't fathom how he could act in such a way, considering he was known to be a cold-hearted man. Yet, in that critical moment, he had even jumped and saved her from possible death.Angela's thoughts were chaotic. She even wondered if Dexter had been possessed.Someone kno
Angela looked at her phone and saw a photo of herself exiting the hospital. She had no idea who had shared the post, but the headline read, "Leaving Her Biological Father to Fend for Himself: Is This a Failure of the Law or a Moral Decline?"The content was very straightforward. It detailed that Angela ignored her critically ill father in the hospital, leaving him alone to fend for himself. In conclusion, her behavior was outrageous.Angela nonchalantly scrolled through the content and read through the unpleasant comments. She smiled faintly and handed the phone back to Fiona."I'm feeling a bit hungry. Shall we eat, Madam Fiona?" she asked as she headed to the kitchen for cutlery, but Fiona stopped her."Are you sure you don't need any assistance? At the very least, please try to manage the negative news. Graham Group's PR is truly rubbish," Fiona remarked.Angela snorted coldly. "The PR department works for Andrew, so they won't support me. I'm still handling it slowly. Don't
As Francis spoke, his gaze shifted from Bill to Angela. It was as if he were assessing them, contemplating his next move.Others followed suit. For a moment, Angela and Zack were celebrated as the perfect children, as if no one could be better.Zack's face flushed with embarrassment as he stumbled over his words. In contrast, Angela remained silent throughout, maintaining a perfect smile on her flawless features.She glanced at her watch calmly. "I appreciate your kind words, but I need to get back to work. The project with MK Corporation is crucial for Graham Group, and I can't afford to waste time here."She said it so bluntly that it shocked everyone."Angela, how could you consider this a waste of time? You're aware of Bill's current situation. What if something goes wrong with him again—""I've hired the best doctors, and they'll be here soon to take over. I care more about my dad's health than you do. I know your concerns too, but I suggest you don't waste your efforts."A