Joseph was rushed back to the emergency room."Why did we bring this topic up all of a sudden?" Angela sat dejectedly in the corridor, her frustration evident.Dexter felt the same way. He stood silently against the white wall, his gaze dark. At that moment, they were both more worried about Joseph and didn't blame each other, resulting in an unexpected calm."What if Grandpa doesn't forgive us? He's always been kind to me. He was the only one in the Bamford family who treated me well, yet I kept him in the dark for far too long." Angela's bittersweet smile faded as a wave of regret washed over her, filling her with sadness and disappointment."There's no point in discussing this now. Or are you willing to marry me again just to please him?" Dexter shot her a cold glance.Angela remained quiet, her reluctance evident. While she deeply appreciated Joseph and considered him family, she refused to compromise her lifelong happiness by feigning a harmonious relationship with Dexter s
There was a knock on the door. "Are you awake? We need to talk."It was Dexter.Angela put on a jacket and went to the study on the second floor.Something seemed off about Dexter; his handsome face was flushed, as if he were ill."What's wrong with you?" Angela looked at him. She thought he was really sick, so she got up and poured him a glass of water.He took the water and drank it all. "I don't know either. I think I might have caught a cold and have fever."Fever? Seriously?Angela said, "What do you plan to do about Grandpa? I feel really guilty toward him." Dexter raised an eyebrow. "Then why don't you go tell him that we're actually not divorced and are still living a good life together? If he gets excited, maybe he'll recover faster." Angela glared at him and was about to speak when she suddenly felt a slight warmth spreading across her back. She felt an indescribable sensation stir within her body. Damn it! She'd been drugged! At this moment, Dexter had alrea
"Are you up?" Dexter's cold voice came from the armchair not far away, at least five or six steps away from her. There was a certain chill in his tone, making her heart feel inexplicably uneasy. "You're undergoing acupuncture. Don't move," he explained.Angela understood now. No wonder her entire body felt uncomfortable. Still, this was fine. At least her personal boundaries had been maintained."You hate me so much that you'd rather risk harming yourself than…" Dexter's voice trailed off, his words tinged with confusion.Angela froze for a moment, but she didn't respond. Her silence spoke for itself."As for Grandpa, I'll explain everything to him. Don't worry, this kind of thing won't happen again," Dexter said after waiting a while for her answer that never came. Then, he stood and left.The spacious room quickly fell into silence.Angela felt a faint sense of loss, but it didn't matter. She told herself there were plenty of fish in the sea; she didn't have anything to fear.
Angela hurriedly called for the doctor to come and help Bill. Outside the emergency room, Zack mimicked the gossip he had overheard to Angela. "What's going on here? The daughter is so ruthless to go as far as harming her own father just to take over the company! This is just too cruel.""I know, right? She's such a horrible daughter! Does she think she truly deserves to get the company?""The world would be doomed if there were more people like her. She's too evil!"Zack was a natural when it came to acting; not only did he mimic those people's attitudes and tones, but he also mimicked their expressions. "Angie, are you not mad? They are slandering you!" Zack was stunned to see that Angela wasn't even fazed. He found it amazing that she could still remain so unaffected when faced with such accusations and slander."What is there to be mad about?" Angela replied casually.She had indeed done something to Bill, albeit something a little different."How come Dad suddenly coughe
After informing the receptionists in the lobby, Angela and Zack waited at the lounge.Zack couldn't sit still and kept looking around. "Angie, the lounge is so big—even bigger than our living room! But where is she? How long are we going to have to wait?"Angela replied casually, "She's waiting for all the employees to see how embarrassed we are first. Then, she'll come down."Zack looked shocked. "What? Why would she do that?""How did two sharp and capable people like Bill and Judy end up having a son as foolish as you?" Angela asked while looking at the goofy man in front of her. She couldn't help but think he was endearingly silly. Zack scratched his head awkwardly. "What do you know? I'm smart but might just be playing the fool." As expected, Angela was right. Before long, a few staff members started passing by outside the meeting room. They quickly glanced at Angela and Zack, whispering among themselves before quickly moving on. Some of them spoke loudly enough for the
Angela raised an eyebrow. "We're just here to inquire about the situation. Of course, Zack and I are more or less on the same page. We're both suspicious of you and hope you can provide an explanation."Her tone was very calm, far from accusatory. It felt more like a casual conversation between close friends over tea. On the other hand, Zack was like a rebellious guard dog, jumping around and snapping at anyone who came near.Elena was annoyed by Angela's calm demeanor, but she didn't mind too much. She thought to herself that as long as one of the siblings could pin this on her, that would be enough."Such a shame. I didn't do anything, and besides, why would I possibly do such a thing?" Elena spoke indifferently, observing Angela's expression, almost as if trying to predict her next move.Angela's expression shifted slightly. "Oh, really?"Elena pressed her lips together. "If you suspect me, then please, Ms. Graham, provide some evidence.""What evidence? Give me the antidote!"
Zack let out a hearty laugh, his demeanor changing astonishingly quickly. "Why should my sister be responsible for what I say? She's not my mom." "You…" Elena's eyes turned red with anger, and tears welled up in them as she cried out, "Dexter, look at them! The two of them are clearly working together just to provoke me."That was exactly the effect she was aiming for. She wanted Dexter to see what kind of person Angela truly was."You know best whether I'm provoking you or falsely accusing you. While I don't know what sort of dealings you have with Bill, I advise you to stay away from him. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences." Angela smiled faintly, leading Zack out of the room without sparing Dexter a single glance.Elena's face turned pale. "Dexter, they… They're simply too much…"If there had been any way to avoid such humiliation, of course, she wouldn't have chosen to appear so pathetic. But there was no other choice. Men fell for this act, and Dexter was no exception.
Angela and Dexter bought supplements at a supermarket near the hospital before heading straight to Joseph's ward.Joseph was already awake. He was sitting by the window, looking out.When he heard footsteps, he turned around. His eyes lit up when he saw who it was. "Angela, you're here. Zack, you're here too! Come have a seat. I'll have someone send some food over."As soon as Joseph finished speaking, the nurse who was taking care of him brought in tea and fruit. Zack sweetly exchanged a few polite words with Joseph and then sat quietly on the couch, pretending to be a well-behaved child.Joseph held Angela's hand, his gaze complicated. Angela avoided his eyes, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. The atmosphere in the hospital room grew tense."Angie, are you still upset with me? I truly feel regretful. I never thought things would end up this way," Joseph said, his eyes filled with remorse as he looked at her.Angela sighed. "Grandpa, these things can't be forced. My relat
"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