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Chapter 299

Author: Dream Fish
Angela was shocked. Her mind went blank for several seconds, and all she could hear was a discordant hum of static.

It was terrifying—ever since she had fallen into the water, her hearing hadn't been working properly.

"What?" Dexter asked in a cold, measured tone. "What baby?"

He immediately reached out to hold Angela, afraid that the shock might cause her further harm.

Amber sobbed incoherently, her tears tugging at one's heart. "We… We had done it before… And we didn't…"

"Shut your mouth!" Zack shouted, his face ashen and his voice trembling uncontrollably. "I was so drunk that night that I could barely stand. How could anything have happened?"

That incident had occurred two months ago at a birthday party in their mutual circle. Both of them had attended, and the alcohol that night had been unusually strong.

Zack had only had three drinks before he'd started feeling dizzy, and his buddies had mocked him for his poor tolerance.

Thereafter, a waiter had helped him into a hotel
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  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 300

    "Elena, I'm scared. What if things don't go as we planned? I'm really afraid…"The moment Amber got into the car, her fear immediately showed on her face. Her shoulders shook, and her face was ghostly pale as if she was tormented by inner demons."What are you afraid of? What's done is done, and what was meant to happen has happened. If you like him, then just pursue him," Elena said coldly as she drove, her tone hinting at impatience.If only Elena had known Amber was so timid, she'd never have chosen the latter.Amber's face fell. "B-but…""No buts." Elena suppressed her growing frustration before continuing slowly, "Amber, your performance over these next two days will determine whether she can secure her position. You got that?"The color drained from Amber's face completely. She understood exactly what Elena meant.When they had planned this from the start, that had been the exact arrangement. But now that things had unfolded this way, she suddenly felt extremely uneasy, as

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 301

    There had to be something fishy going on.Even Dexter couldn't find Sally for now. Just how far was the mastermind willing to go to make Amber Zack's problem?The helpless Zack figured that more help meant better odds of finding Sally, so he told Finn about it the second the latter arrived to ask Angela out for a meal.Finn immediately went to Callum, and the two of them teamed up to help Dexter search for Sally.But just then, someone leaked the matter online, and it started to spread. In just a few hours, it dominated the trending searches.Before long, the topic of Zack sexually assaulting a female college student became the hottest news among major media outlets.Angela never expected something like this to happen. She scrolled through the trending topics, reading the gossip, and almost fainted from rage."Angela? Isn't she supposed to be amazing? Was it her guidance that led her brother to be like this? How embarrassing!""That poor college student! For her to be toyed wit

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 302

    It made sense that Dexter could easily stop them. He was indeed strong, being a well-built man who was over six feet tall.However, Angela was just a weak woman weighing less than 100 pounds. How could she have such immense strength that the man couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried?"Gentlemen," Angela said in a cold voice. "We have already made our stance clear. If this is indeed our fault, we will do what we can to handle the matter for the Sheppard family. But right now, we don't know all of the facts yet, and you're already resorting to violence? That's a bit excessive, don't you think?"Her gaze was sharp, and every word was firm and assertive, dramatically changing the two men's expressions.The main problem, however, was that they were at Dexter and Angela's mercy since they were unable to move.At that moment, Amber's father, Russell Sheppard, walked over, his face dark with anger. He scolded his two younger brothers, "Do not be rude toward Mr. Bamford and Ms. G

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 303

    Zack had begun livestreaming in his room."Listen up, you damn haters! I, Zack Graham, have a clear conscience. I didn't do what you are accusing me of! What the hell did I do to deserve this? If anyone keeps coming at me, I'll just end it all right here! Are you satisfied now, you bunch of bastards?"In just a minute or two, a huge crowd of online spectators flooded his live stream, and his chat went crazy.The audience was stunned by Zack's bloodshot eyes and furious expression."Isn't raging like this useless?""What is he even doing? Is he just getting angry? What's the point? Why not say that to the police instead?""He's clearly the one responsible. The woman was pushed to the point of attempting suicide."Zack kept going for nearly ten minutes, furiously lashing out at his haters and swearing like he had nothing to lose.Outside his room, Angela and the others stood in silence, thinking that it was better to let him vent for now. Once they found out who was really behind

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 304

    Angela stared intently into Sally's eyes as if afraid she'd miss even the slightest flicker of emotion. Sally clutched the hem of her shirt tightly, unable to utter a word for a long time."Talk!" Angela snapped impatiently.Sally's body stiffened, and she instinctively blurted out, "Amber… She had someone give me 500 thousand dollars to pull this off. I had no choice!"No wonder she took the risk. Money truly could make the world go round.Her answer was unexpected yet completely logical.However, Angela couldn't help but wonder—was Amber really that good of an actress? Was she truly this relentless?Even after committing such a grave act, she managed to play her role flawlessly, with every outburst and every defense so convincing that no one doubted her.Was she really the mastermind behind this entire scheme? It was pretty hard to believe."Can you take responsibility for your words?" Angela pressed further.With her psychological defenses completely shattered, Sally nodd

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 305

    "Dad, I never intended to go through with this. I wanted to come clean long ago. It was Elena—she told me to see it through. She said that since things had already come this far, I might as well go all the way. It was her—""Amber." Just then, Elena entered.She had clearly heard Amber's accusations, yet her expression remained unchanged."Elena, you came just in time! Tell everyone whose idea this was! I'm not usually like this, right?"Amber walked forward to grab Elena's hand, her eyes filled with hope. "I never planned to take my own life. You told me that whether it was slitting my wrist or exposing the situation, it was all to help me fight for my true love. You told me to do it!"Everyone looked at her with complicated expressions.Angela also watched her with a helpless look. So what if it was Elena? Elena valued her own reputation too much—there was no way she would admit to it.That was what everyone else believed, too, but they were all wrong.With a gentle look, Ele

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 306

    Back then, wasn't Angela herself the same? She was willing to do anything for Dexter to the point where she completely lost her dignity and became someone unrecognizable.Now, wasn't Elena doing the same thing?"Angela, you're a woman too. You know women always suffer more in situations like this. Besides, she really is pregnant, and she truly loves your brother—""That's a separate matter. You guys could just announce publicly that there was never a pregnancy and that it was all a misunderstanding." As Angela spoke, she felt a moment of uncertainty.She wondered how that foolish woman, Amber, planned to handle the issue of the baby. If she insisted on giving birth to the baby, it would really be an issue."Dexter, please, no." Seeing that Angela wouldn't change her mind, Elena turned to persuade Dexter instead. "Have some mercy on Amber just this once. She knows she was wrong. She's just young and immature. If anyone finds out what she did—""She's only 20, indeed still young an

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 307

    They soon found Zack, who had been drinking at a bar. He reeked of alcohol, smelling particularly awful.When he finally learned that he had been proven innocent, he burst into tears like a 200-pound child."Angie, I'm upset. Now that my innocence has finally been proven, let me tell you that I'm never dating women again. I'd rather find a nice guy—""Stop right there!" Angela was so shocked that she immediately covered Zack's mouth.Zack kept crying, his tears and snot smearing all over her hand. Disgusted, Angela wiped her hand on his shoulder. "Alright, alright, quit crying. You're a grown man!""Angie, I haven't even dared to step outside lately. Those damn haters nearly drowned me in their hate. They wanted me dead!"Zack's face was twisted in pure misery as he practically cried himself into a puddle."But… she really is pregnant with your child," Angela said.Dexter shot her a disapproving look. Wasn't she just stabbing Zack in the heart by bringing this up now?"What'

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    "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

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    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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 524

    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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 523

    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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 522

    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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 521

    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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 520

    "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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 519

    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

  • Love and Devotion: No Longer His to Claim   Chapter 518

    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

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