Judy's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for Zack to catch every word outside the door.This was clearly her first time doing something like this, as she had forgotten to check if the door was locked in her panic, which was a foolish mistake.Zack was utterly horrified by what he overheard. He couldn't believe that his mother, who wouldn't even dare slaughter a chicken, was capable of doing something so terrifying.Even though she was doing it for his benefit, Zack knew better than anyone that even if he got the shares, Bill would surely come after him.He was just a clueless young man. Even if he held onto those shares, what could he do with them?He'd still end up being manipulated by his father. Besides, if he took the shares, Angela would undoubtedly target him. He wanted to stay on her good side so that she would support him, not become her enemy. And most importantly, what Judy was doing was a crime!How could he stand by and watch his own mother commit such a mist
Through gritted teeth, Bill said, "I confronted that vicious woman and questioned her whether or not she abducted Linda and her daughter, but she denied it completely! How utterly despicable! And now, she even poisoned me to try to kill me. That woman is just…"He coughed violently, unable to finish his words.Angela froze, instinctively glancing at Dexter. So, that was the reason.Dexter, equally stunned, realized he had inadvertently become the trigger for the couple's fallout. However, he had no intention of apologizing or explaining himself."So, what do you plan to do now?" Angela asked calmly, her tone betraying no emotion.The pale Bill replied weakly, "Of course, get me the antidote and save my life first. Everything else can wait.""I can get someone to neutralize the poison, but you have to agree to one condition—give her another 10% of the shares," Dexter said coolly.Bill felt like he could cough up blood from rage at this point. Once again, they were making outrageo
Zack then approached Bill's bedside. In a hushed voice, he said, "Think about it—even if you leave all your shares to me, what can someone like me achieve? Eventually, I'd still hand them over to Angie. You might as well agree now and save your life."Besides, even if you don't give them to her, she'll still inherit a share of your estate anyway when you kick the bucket. With her abilities, who's to say she won't target me after that? She might even kill me to get rid of any obstacles."His words, though blunt, carried undeniable logic.Bill shot Zack a glare so sharp it seemed he wanted to smack the foolish young man right then and there. Yet, upon reflection, Bill grudgingly admitted that the ignorant Zack had a point.With Zack's spineless nature, he'd sooner worship Angela than oppose her.Bill felt like crying.Staring hopelessly at the ceiling, he felt an overwhelming sense of futility—his life's struggles had amounted to nothing. Now, even his life was on the line.Defeat
Unfortunately for Judy, Bill spat at her before she could finish speaking.The spit landed squarely on her face, leaving her stunned and her cheeks burning hot. When she realized it was saliva, the revulsion nearly drove her insane."Go… Get out!" Bill roared, his voice hoarse from rage. He was utterly infuriated. These people were already ready to tear him apart when he wasn't even dead yet.He wasn't some rotting carcass, yet they were acting like a flock of damned vultures!"What's with your attitude? Don't forget—your life is in my hands. If you don't want to cooperate, fine, go rot in your grave!" Judy sneered, any lingering feelings she might've had for Bill now entirely gone."Mom, what are you shouting for? You haven't even asked me about the current situation. Dad's already been detoxed—thanks to my brother-in-law! You really are being too much right now." Zack finally spoke up from outside, unable to listen any longer."What?" Judy froze, her body stiffening as she turn
However, when Angela recalled the last time she delivered food to him, she remembered that it didn't end well as Elena was there.She then thought of Erica and had a feeling that she hadn't seen her in quite a while."Where's that secretary of yours named Ms. Carrey?" Angela asked."She's been transferred. Why? Is there a problem?" Dexter replied.Of course, there was no problem—it had nothing to do with her anyway.…When Angela reached DawnStar Co., the first thing she did upon arriving was head to Callum's office, where she presented a bouquet of flowers to her dear boss."What's this?" Callum put down his work and smiled. "Good news? Or have you reached your goal ahead of schedule and are ready to rejoin our company?"Angela had never seen such an open and cheerful Callum before. She couldn't help but laugh at his response."You're a genius—you guessed it." Angela gave him a respectful bow. "Thank you, my dearest boss. Please accept this bouquet as a token of my gratitude.
"Were you thinking about something? Your expression is hilarious!" Angela couldn't stop laughing.Finn finally walked over, saw the photo, and couldn't help but smile wryly. "This will do. It's fine like this."Angela's smile was especially radiant in the photo, reminding him of how she looked in his childhood memories.As they walked out of the photography studio, Finn kept staring at the picture as if he couldn't get enough of it.Angela was a little exasperated. "What now? Should we head to the pedestrian street for a walk?"Finn agreed, and after their stroll, they made plans to go hiking together over the weekend.On her way home, Angela bought food for Fiona."I'm back," Angela called out, pushing the door open with one hand. She assumed Fiona or Dexter would be there, but to her dismay, the only people in the living room were the two people she absolutely didn't want to see—Natalie and Trevor."Grandma." Angela set down her things before politely asking, "What brings you
What needed to be said must be said.This was Angela's home. If she couldn't even say a few harsh words or send unwelcome guests away, then what was the point?"You ungrateful woman!" Natalie shot to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at Angela. "How dare you try to kick me out? I'm your grandmother!""You are Dexter and Trevor's grandmother, not mine. You didn't raise me or do anything for me, yet you demand my unwavering respect and obedience? And worse, obedience that is unreasonable? How does that work?" Angela retorted with a calm smile.She was not in a good mood today. Anyone who crossed her would get an earful—even if it meant offending this old hag."Don't say that, Angela. Grandma only wants what's best for us, for the family to be united and harmonious." Trevor quickly stepped in, supporting Natalie by the arm. His voice even carried a slight rasp, as if he were truly heartbroken."Hah!" Angela laughed instead of getting mad.Placing her hands on her hips, she lean
Joseph also asked, "Angela, what exactly happened?""Grandpa, Aunt Ursula, I am to blame. This is all my fault." Trevor came out of the hospital room, looking like he was ready to accept all blame.It was genuinely disgusting."If you must blame someone, blame me. This has nothing to do with Angela," Trevor added, giving Angela a meaningful look.Angela could no longer tolerate it. "Yes. It is all your fault. Who told you to stir up trouble? Grandma and I used to have a great relationship. If it weren't for you, how could she have hit me to the point that I look like this? You're the jinx!"She had so much frustration bottled up that she couldn't hold it in anymore.Trevor was just too disgusting.Everyone soon noticed her face.Even Ursula froze for a moment and said nothing else."Angie, tell me what happened." Joseph gestured for Angela to come closer.His voice was as gentle as always. He was always patient with Angela and would side with her.Angela suddenly teared up,
"Ms. Graham, is there any chance you and Mr. Bamford might get back together?""Ms. Graham, once your child is born, will you be raising them as a member of the Bamford family?"Good grief, what kind of questions were these?The press conference had completely flipped the script. Angela wasn't even supposed to be in the spotlight that day, so why was she the one getting bombarded with questions?She was close to showing her displeasure, but she held firm. She couldn't afford to lose composure now. One slip, and everything would fall apart.Taking a deep breath, she stood and addressed the crowd, mic in hand."Thank you for your interest in my personal life, but please allow me to maintain a touch of mystery. Horizon will continue to serve our customers. Thank you all for attending today's event. Goodbye."With that, she gave a polite smile and turned to leave.She was done. It was time to go.Several reporters tried to follow her, but Austin's people quickly stepped in to bloc
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