Angela was in an excellent mood today. Even the breeze on her way to the office felt refreshing. However, upon arriving at the company, she noticed something was off. People looked at her with a mix of sympathy and strange expressions."What's going on?" Angela called Clara over.Clara appeared a bit uncomfortable, hesitating for some time before saying, "Ms. Graham, rumors are going around that you were kidnapped in Montivale by some thugs for days, and... And those men... You know..."Angela's mind went blank for a moment, the ringing in her ears growing louder. Who would be vile enough to spread such disgusting rumors? Didn't they have any shame for creating such trouble for her?"Go back to your work," Angela said coldly. "No, come with me to the PR department."The two of them made their way to the PR department head's office. As they reached the door, they could hear voices from inside."How should we handle this? Ms. Graham is one of our company's rising stars. She hel
Fiona raised an eyebrow and shot Callum a disdainful look."I've already had someone handle this. It won't be necessary...""No need," Fiona interrupted, walking over to Angela. "My daughter-in-law is involved in a public scandal, and as her mother-in-law, of course, I need to step in. You can leave this to me."With that, she pulled Angela away."Hey, what are you doing? He's my boss!" Angela tried to pull her hand back, turning to give Callum an apologetic smile.But Fiona's grip was unyielding, and no matter how much Angela struggled, she couldn't break free.She was forcibly dragged out and shoved into a car."Where are we going?" Angela was utterly confused."To have some fun." Fiona took a deep breath. "Just treat it as keeping me company. I haven't been out for a stroll in three years, six months, and twelve days."Angela was at a loss for words.Damn, she suddenly felt an unexpected twinge of sympathy for this miserable woman.After spending most of the day out, they
The room was empty except for Zion, who was engrossed in a video game on the large screen."You're here. Take a seat. My friends left earlier. They had something to do," Zion said without looking up, his focus completely on the game.Nora sneered at his carefree behavior. "All you ever do is play games. Don't you think it's time you got a job? You can't rely on others forever, can you?"To Nora, Zion was nothing more than a lapdog who made money for her to spend. Now that he couldn't even do that, he was of no use to her.But he was handsome. He was a true pretty boy and was easy on the eyes."Alright, I get it," Zion said, setting the controller down and turning off the game.He walked over and sat before Nora, wrapping his arms around her.Nora frowned, feeling irritated. "You stink, so don't touch me.""Come on, we haven't been close in days. Let me kiss you," Zion said, taking advantage of the moment. He pulled her into an embrace, his lips moving closer to hers. "I gave
Nora was caught off guard. She collapsed to the floor, her head slamming into the ground, and blood began oozing out.Zion was beyond furious. He was enraged not only at her betrayal but also at himself for failing to see her true nature sooner.Angela had told him to bring Nora out, saying they were going to watch a good show. At first, he dismissed it as one of Angela's schemes, but he never imagined it..."Stephen, Stephen, listen to me, I swear, I was just using him. From the beginning, the only person I've ever loved is you!" Nora, no longer concerned with defending herself, hurried after Stephen as he turned to leave."We have nothing to do with each other anymore," Stephen said coldly, his gaze full of disgust as he looked down at her.He left the private room, his heart heavy with disgust, and saw Angela and Dexter standing nearby."Are you satisfied after watching me make a fool of myself?" Stephen shot a cold glance at Angela, preparing to walk away."Mr. Turner, how c
"He'll definitely come to show how much he values this cooperation," Angela said, touching up her lipstick before stepping out of the car.They arrived at 6:50 pm, just ten minutes before the scheduled time, but the private room was already full, with 11 people seated. Bill was among them, and he'd even brought Zack—clearly showing how much he cared about this cooperation."Angie, you're finally here! We've been waiting for a while. What would you like to eat?" Zack greeted her as soon as he saw her."Zack, quickly show them to their seats," Bill spoke up.Angela greeted the people from Graham Group and then noticed Nora sitting among them. Her lips twitched slightly. Did Bill still not realize what kind of person his newly hired head of the design department was?"Ms. Graham, long time no see. I heard you were kidnapped by some criminals overseas. How are you? I hope you weren't hurt?" Nora stood up with a smile that was anything but warm.Her words were veiled in concern,
Moreover, Angela was the granddaughter of the one person Bill despised the most!"Angela, what do you think?" Bill asked with a forced smile, turning his gaze toward Angela.She was sipping from a bowl of mushroom soup, and she gave a faint smile at his question. "Dad, you can make your own decisions. Why ask me?"She gave him no regard at all.Bill's heart skipped a beat.This woman must have something else in mind."However, I'm doing quite well now. Mr. Snowden values me highly, and I'd like to continue working with him."While Bill pondered whether he should reject the collaboration, Angela spoke up with a smile, "Besides, I'm already married. My husband's family has plenty for me to take care of, so I'm not thinking of anything else."What's that supposed to mean?Bill was stirred."In the future, I'll be watching closely to see which of you two siblings is truly more capable. In our company, we've always prioritized skill," he said, laughing heartily.Angela smiled as
Angela read attentively, and before she knew it, the morning had passed by in a flash.Her presence hadn't caused any ripples in the design department. Clearly, no one was paying her much attention.Angela didn't mind at all. On the third morning, she began packing up as soon as she arrived at the company, looking ready to resign.Some people whispered behind her back, and others rushed to inform Nora, but none of it slowed her down as she packed.When Nora emerged and saw her eager-to-leave demeanor, she felt a certain satisfaction."Hm, what's going on here? You've only been here for two days and already can't stand it? I thought Ms. Graham was supposed to be capable and impressive. "How come you couldn't even last two quiet days?" Nora's voice wasn't loud but clear enough for everyone nearby to hear.Angela didn't even spare her a glance, calmly replying, "Your company lacks sincerity. If that's the case, there's no point in continuing this collaboration."As she spoke, she
Angela's voice was calm, but her words carried such weight that they stunned everyone present.The onlookers around them immediately began whispering and exchanging astonished glances.Could someone actually be standing up for them and fighting for their benefits? Could this person possibly be an angel?"You're talking nonsense. There's no such thing as compensation or overtime pay. I think you're just trying to stir up trouble." Nora shot Angela a cold glare. "Don't get too full of yourself. Don't think this is your territory."Bill quietly observed the exchange between the two women, not intervening. He looked troubled, as if he were deep in thought."Ah." Angela seemed to laugh in frustration. She looked at Nora with disbelief. "I didn't expect someone as lowly as you, a mere department head, to have taken over the duties of the HR and finance departments as well. Ms. Rutherford, you really are something.""Angela, stop slandering me," Nora snapped, her anger evident in her
Good looks really did have their perks. Frederick's face, paired with a seemingly sincere attitude, managed to soften the tide of criticism in the live stream chat once he started speaking.Some viewers even began defending him, saying things like, "With a face like that, no wonder people go crazy for him and would even be willing to risk it all."While Frederick was still giving his public apology, Austin handed Angela his phone, showing her the live stream chat.Angela casually used her nameplate to shield the screen from view, then glanced down to scan the comments."What were those two rich women thinking? How did they fall for some baby-faced young man who probably hasn't even grown a single chest hair? Can he even satisfy anyone? I'm way better than him.""Why hasn't a classy sugar mama picked me up yet? I'm so good-looking that I'm charmed by my own reflection.""Frederick is definitely hot. These salty guys in the comments are just bitter. They always trash-talk women who
Meanwhile, in the live stream chatroom, someone commented, "Damn, she's got such presence now. She even looks different somehow.""You can question her personal life, but don't you dare question her looks. That face is a masterpiece—like God's magnum opus.""She's just exuding power now. No wonder she used to be with a big shot."At that moment, Dexter was sitting quietly in a conference room adjacent to the venue of the press conference, watching the live stream on his phone.Royce looked puzzled. "Mr. Bamford, you're literally next door. Why not just go over and watch it live?"Dexter had a faint, unreadable smile on his lips. He was completely focused on the live stream comments and didn't even hear Royce's question.It seemed as though people still liked him and Angela as a couple.That was great."Mr. Bamford? Mr. Bamford?" Royce waved his hand in front of Dexter. "Should we head inside to watch?""Where?" Dexter's smile dropped instantly, his face turning cold.The conf
To avoid any long-term repercussions from Frederick's scandal, Angela decided to put an end to it once and for all.She arranged for the PR department to hold a press conference, where she would personally represent the company and address the situation in public."Are you serious? You're actually going to do it yourself? Isn't that a little unnecessary?" Ingrid was surprised when she heard Angela's plan. "We can handle this ourselves. There's no need for you to make an appearance."Ingrid had a hunch about Angela's reasoning. Angela was currently the talk of the town, with discussions about her wherever she went.If she appeared in the public eye to bear the brunt of the criticism or insults, it would take much of the pressure off Horizon.It was a calculated risk."There's no need to dissuade me." Angela added indifferently while packing up her things, "I've already made up my mind. If I can't take responsibility for something like this, then what kind of CEO am I? What kind of
These old-fashioned, narrow-minded fossils! When would they finally evolve some new brain cells?Angela kept that thought to herself, forcing down a sigh. Just as another board member was about to voice their doubts again, Ingrid stood up."I support Ms. Graham's proposal." With a voice full of resolve, she made her point and made sure it stuck."Ms. Graham's capabilities are evident to all of us. I trust she can balance her health and responsibilities, and I have full confidence in her sharp insight and sound judgment."She has a keener sense of market trends and consumer demand than most people here. And if this policy is implemented, it will undoubtedly elevate our company's image and increase public goodwill—a form of hidden capital that's hard to quantify."Without using grand words or fanfare, she expressed herself calmly, but her energy and passion were impossible to miss.Angela was honestly taken aback. She hadn't expected Ingrid to speak up for her at such a crucial m
With Angela already feeling incredibly unwell, this naturally was the last straw for her."Yes, I am pregnant, and I'm indeed experiencing morning sickness, but I haven't let it interfere with my work. So why should I be criticized for it?"She was pretty composed as she calmly yet firmly directed her powerful question at the board member who had expressed his displeasure.The man scratched his bald head awkwardly."Ms. Graham, since you're unwell, you should hand over your responsibilities to the COO for the time being and go home to rest. It's only natural for women to take time off during pregnancy. As such, someone else should temporarily fill your position."Oh, heck no. This was a disguised attempt at a coup if she had ever heard one.If she showed weakness now—if she gave in to this veiled attempt to push her out—then what hope would any other pregnant employee in the company have?"Tell me, has my existence inconvenienced you personally in any way?" Her brow raised, she
"Currently, people online are speculating that you'll get back together with Mr. Bamford and that he still has feelings for you and is trying to win you back," Joanne added bluntly, conveying her thoughts just as she had been asked to.Angela was so speechless that she nearly choked on her water.She grabbed her phone to check out the trending topics herself. She'd been so busy lately—rushing around nonstop, working through even her worst morning sickness—that she hadn't had time to keep up with the gossip.A comment read, "Gotta hand it to her—she's seriously badass. We watched her go from a discarded wife to a business mogul, and now she's involved with a hot young guy.""Right? I think she made the right call by getting a divorce. Sure, Dexter's rich and handsome, but Angela's not hurting for cash. Staring at the same face every day? Anyone would get tired of that.""But does Dexter still have feelings for her or what? Why is he always showing up wherever she is? The paparazzi
With a sorrowful gaze, Frederick looked at Angela, clearly trying to tug at her heartstrings."Ms. Graham, I had no choice… If I hadn't done that, I would've been tormented to death…" While begging for mercy, he tried to inch closer to Angela and reach for her hand."Get lost." Before Angela could speak, Dexter snapped coldly, swatting Frederick's hand away.Frederick was then escorted out.The gossip at the company only grew more outrageous after that. Some even claimed Angela had gone too far, so much so that even her ex-husband, Dexter, couldn't bear to watch any longer and personally stepped in to handle the problem.Ingrid came to see Angela. "Ms. Graham, how would you like to handle this?"Unexpectedly, she wasn't as emotional as usual, and her eyes no longer held their usual hostility as she faced Angela.Raising an eyebrow, Angela asked instead of answering, "What can you do?" "Fire Frederick, release a formal apology, appease public opinion with some customer incentiv
Angela instinctively wanted to avoid it, but she told herself she couldn't back down. After a brief pause, she nodded firmly. "Austin, this baby is mine. I'll do everything I can to protect the baby."Austin was momentarily stunned. After a long silence, he finally said, "If you've already made up your mind..."But halfway through, he suddenly stood up. He placed his hands on his hips and paced around the office.It was clear he couldn't bring himself to accept the reality. He was visibly upset. "You could have another baby anytime. Why are you so hung up on this one? You still can't let go of him, can you?""That's right," Angela answered without hesitation, speaking her mind bluntly.Both of them froze for a moment.Austin frowned deeply. He stared at her for a long time, a trace of self-mockery flashing in his eyes. He already knew the answer. Why had he even bothered to ask? "Austin, stop pushing me. This baby is my bottom line. As long as I have the baby, I can keep myse
Angela asked, "Who is your current partner? Do you know who spread this rumor?"Frederick scratched his head, looking completely at a loss. "Ms. Serrano and I are in a normal relationship. As for who dug up my past, I really have no idea. I swear I'm innocent."Kara Serrano was an A-list celebrity. Though she was already 40, she was known in the entertainment world for her youthful appearance. Her skin was flawless and radiant—the kind that countless people envied.Angela wondered if she could also date a fresh graduate when she turned 40. She could take good care of herself and make a lot of money. She would be more than willing to spend lavishly on a young boyfriend.Dexter cleared his throat again, giving her a resentful look tinged with anger. It was as if he could see right through her and knew what she was thinking. Angela suddenly felt guilty for no reason and quickly looked away.But to Austin, who caught that brief exchange of glances, it looked like a sign that the two