"Angela, could you do me another favor?" Fiona sounded particularly helpless over the phone."Don't panic. Tell me what happened," Angela said anxiously, fearing something serious had occurred.Fiona explained, "Dexter has been working non-stop for two days without resting. No one can persuade him to stop, and we're really worried…"Angela paced around the room for a while, considering refusing. Fiona rarely asked for help, and if she was calling now, it must mean she had no other choice.After much deliberation, Angela decided to go. However, she didn't go alone—she asked Austin to accompany her.She didn't want to break her promise, nor could she stand by and watch Dexter push himself to the brink. Given the circumstances, this was the only option left.Austin didn't scold her this time. He silently drove her to the hospital entrance but showed no intention of getting out. "You have 30 minutes. Handle it yourself."Angela nodded and hurried inside.Austin watched her slender
In that instant, Angela felt like a deer caught in headlights, flustered and awkward. Heat rushed to her face, and her breath caught in her throat.What was she even doing here? For what reason and with what right? She was the one who suggested separating. She was the one who abandoned him. What did his well-being have to do with her? "It seems like you've gotten more ahead of yourself after just a few days apart." Dexter shot her a cold glance, his tone dripping with sarcasm. Angela was mortified. How harsh! He was the Dexter from a few years back again, his tongue laced with venom. Although he seemed harmless when silent, the moment he spoke, every word was a merciless strike. Frustration simmered within Angela. Damn it. She had already come this far. How could she let herself be humiliated by a bedridden person? "Who could possibly outdo you when it comes to getting ahead of oneself, Mr. Bamford?" Angela raised her chin, locking eyes with him. Dexter's expression da
Dexter stared at Angela's departing figure until it completely disappeared. Only after what felt like an eternity did he manage to recover, if only barely, from her cutting words.At the end of the day, Angela merely wanted to snap him out of it. She wanted to make him treat himself better and stop him from neglecting his own well-being.To him, she had already become an open book. If not for what she had said by his bedside a few days ago when she thought he was still unconscious, Dexter might have really believed her indifference.But even so, what could it change? The two of them were ultimately strangers now. A suffocating sense of pain and frustration welled up within Dexter, one he couldn't describe.Angela trudged out of the hospital, making her way toward Austin's car.He, too, preferred larger vehicles. The dark gray SUV parked by the roadside under the night sky was like a lurking beast."What's wrong?" Austin leaned against the car door, calmly studying her gloomy expr
It seemed that Erwin had chosen to live here for the convenience of commuting.When Angela and Austin arrived at the door, the latter punched in the passcode directly.Angela was taken aback. "We're just going to go in like this? Mr. Mack isn't home. We really shouldn't be doing this, should we?"Austin said indifferently, "It doesn't matter. He lives alone, and he's probably out for his morning exercise. He won't be back for a while."Sure enough, Austin's words were proven true the second they stepped inside.It was a two-bedroom unit, decorated in black, white, and gray tones. The space looked quite large, but the living room was rather empty, as only a regular couch and a round coffee table occupied the space.There wasn't even a television. The whole place gave off the vibe of a bachelor's home.After a quick tour, Austin led Angela into the kitchen, which was even more barren—not even a bag of salt could be found.Erwin's favorite food was oven-baked barbecue ribs, suppos
Erwin ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of good food and decided to give Angela's pork ribs a try.Right after he took a bite, his expression subtly changed. His pupils slightly dilated, as if he were surprised."This is nothing special," he muttered gruffly, yet he continued eating at a leisurely pace that was also somewhat hurried.In just over ten minutes, he had already devoured half of the ribs.Angela discreetly observed him, thinking that her first step had been a success. At the very least, he was willing to eat the food she made, which was already a significant change.After the meal, she didn't linger. Using the excuse that she had matters to attend to at Graham Group, she left earlier than planned."What exactly are you trying to do by bringing her here?" Patting his full belly, Erwin shot Austin a glare.Austin shrugged. "You saw it yourself—nothing at all. We just wanted to have a meal with you. In her final days, Ms. Lawson also ate Angela's cooking for a w
"I'm about to go on a blind date with Dexter. I heard that you two are already divorced. You wouldn't still be clinging to some unrealistic fantasy about him, would you? A woman as old and… scandal-ridden as you is simply not worthy of a man like him."Jennifer had originally intended to call Angela "old and ugly," but the word "ugly" simply didn't suit Angela at all. She couldn't bring herself to tell such an obvious lie."Does Ursula know you came to me?" Angela smiled faintly. "Just a few days ago, she was looking to work with me and have us design looks for the artists in her company. You all have a major awards ceremony coming up soon, don't you?""What are you trying to say?" Jennifer frowned slightly.Angela let out a light chuckle. "I'm saying that I could easily tell Ursula that her brainless niece has offended me, and I don't feel like working with her anymore. That means no more custom gowns or luxury jewelry for her. Simple as that."Angela spoke in a calm tone, not sh
Nonetheless, Jennifer wasn't satisfied with just leaving a good impression on Dexter—she had other plans. Following Ursula's directions, she arrived at Dexter's hospital room.Since Fiona was busy with work, she had specially hired a professional caregiver to take care of Dexter's daily needs around the clock.After a few days, the bandages on his head had been removed. There was nothing hiding his handsome face from view now. Though there were still scratches on the side of his face, they gave him a more rugged and resolute look, which made him just as attractive as before.Jennifer peeked through the gap in the door and caught sight of Dexter's sharply defined side profile. He was looking down at his tablet, seemingly busy with work.Despite being injured, he remained fully dedicated to his work. Jennifer was impressed, and her view of him improved even more.She knocked on the door and, after receiving permission, walked in quietly, hoping to leave a gentle and considerate firs
There was something about Jennifer's gaze that was so clear and sincere that it made it impossible to look away.Dexter smirked absentmindedly. "You seem to know quite a lot. So what? What does it have to do with you?""You deserve better, Mr. Bamford." There was a hint of nervousness in her voice as Jennifer tentatively suggested, "I took clinical medicine as part of my studies abroad and have a deep understanding of patient care. If you don't mind, Mr. Bamford, I could—""Does this hospital have no staff?" Dexter interrupted impatiently, his tone direct. "What exactly do you want? You have three seconds to answer.""Mr. Bamford, to be honest, I fell for you at first sight a year ago, at Mr. Bamford Senior's birthday banquet. I thought time would help me forget these feelings since you were a married man back then."But even after a year, my feelings haven't faded. On the contrary, they've only grown stronger. Mr. Bamford, can't you give me a chance?"Jennifer was left with no c
Angela's attitude toward Fiona was much better than it was toward Dexter. The two of them strolled across the lawn. When the morning's events came up, Fiona couldn't help but sigh. "Whatever decision you make, I'll support you." Fiona looked at Angela gently, as if she were an old, dear friend.Angela smiled sincerely, feeling touched by her kindness. "Yeah. I don't plan on getting married again. With this child, whether it's a boy or a girl, I'll never be truly alone for the rest of my life."Fiona froze for a moment, a flash of delight quickly crossing her eyes. She wondered if Dexter still had a shot.Just then, a car slowly pulled up outside the villa. Fiona spotted it from a distance and went to open the gate, letting the car drive in."They are the caretakers I hired for you. From now on, they'll be responsible for taking care of you until you give birth safely," she said casually, pointing to the eight uniformed men and women who stepped out."It's not necessary. There's
Dexter didn't answer Angela's question. Instead, he quickly pulled a card from his pocket. "This is 50 million."Angela was puzzled.Before she could even react, he stood up again and retrieved a transparent file folder from his briefcase. Inside, several property certificates were neatly arranged."These are the certificates for five of my private villas. They've already been transferred to your name."Angela propped herself up on the bed, feeling weak and drained. When her eyes landed on the items in front of her, she was utterly stunned."I don't want your assets. I can support the child on my own." She turned her head, refusing to look at him.Before she finished speaking, Dexter stood up. He stepped away from the expensive items and paced around the room with his hands on his hips. Then he muttered vaguely, "It's not for you. It's for my daughter.""It's not your daughter, it's my... How do you know it's a daughter? What if it's a son?" Angela glared at him. Dexter felt
The spacious room was cloaked in an eerie silence.Angela appeared calm and composed, seemingly unfazed. But in reality, she was in full-blown panic. After all, this was Austin, the only man she truly respected and feared."Come with me," Austin said after a moment of silence. Suddenly, he grabbed Angela's hand and started pulling her toward the door.Angela immediately sensed trouble and instinctively struggled to get free, but his grip was far too strong. There was no way she could break away.Austin had one hand on the doorknob and the other gripping Angela's wrist tightly, exuding a dangerous energy.But the moment the door swung open, a tall figure blocked their way. It was Dexter. He was dressed up and looked sharp. Yet, at that moment, he seemed clearly stiff and awkward.His hand was still hovering midair, as if he had been about to knock but kept hesitating.Their eyes met. Seeing the strange scene before him, Dexter frowned deeply. "What are you doing? Why are you pull
Angela hesitated. She wanted to avoid it.But Mia firmly pressed the coin into her hand. "You flip it. If it lands on heads, you keep it. If it's tails, you let it go."Then she gently nudged Angela forward.Ultimately, Angela compromised. It was better to resolve the situation quickly rather than be overwhelmed by indecision and fatigue.She closed her eyes, tossed the coin high into the air, and waited for fate to deliver her verdict. A crisp clink rang out as the coin landed, and her heart seemed to stop for a beat.Zack sprawled on the floor and shouted in surprise, "Heads. It's heads!"Angela's heart raced as she opened her eyes. The coin rested on the coffee table, clearly displaying it was heads. Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.It wasn't because she was overjoyed by the result. Rather, at the precise moment the coin was tossed, she had already known her answer. She wanted to keep the baby.Despite having countless reasons to give the baby up, she found herself un
During the press conference, despite being the only C-list celebrity, Jennifer captured everyone's attention. Just days prior, she had revealed that she'd signed with the entertainment division of Bamford Co., a move that dramatically boosted her profile. After the event, Jennifer even sat with Dexter. Though most maintained a neutral expression, many were already speculating about their relationship.When paired with Angela's cold and distant demeanor on stage, the rumors seemed all the more convincing."What's going on with you? You've been so out of it lately. Still not fully recovered?" Austin stopped Angela before she could leave, his tone laced with concern.At that moment, the rest of the company staff were trickling out in small groups, making the two of them stand out in the middle of the walkway.Angela forced a faint smile. "It's nothing. I just haven't been sleeping well."As they walked out side by side, Austin reminded her gently that her health should always come
Angela trembled violently as she stood frozen in place. Her already pale face instantly lost all color.Sure enough, what was meant to come would come, no matter how hard she tried to avoid it."Grandma, this has nothing to do with you." Dexter suddenly stepped forward in three quick strides, planting himself firmly in front of Angela. Every word he spoke was powerful and resolute.Angela was slightly stunned. His back was like an unbreakable wall—solid and unyielding.Natalie, however, was utterly shocked. She stared at Dexter in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? Isn't the child she's carrying yours? You two have only been divorced for a while. Don't tell me she already has someone else's—""Grandma!" Dexter cut her off sharply before she could say anything more offensive. "I said this has nothing to do with you."With that, he turned around, grabbed Angela's arm, and led her out the door. "Where do you want to go? I'll take you.""Home," Angela replied hoarsely. She looked
Dexter stood motionless outside the room for what felt like forever until Natalie approached with the help of Ursula."Dexter, is it true that that woman is pregnant? Is it your child? Is it a child of the Bamford family?" Natalie was unusually excited. There was even a hopeful glow in her once lifeless eyes.Dexter's mind was in chaos. He nodded vaguely, not wanting to say anything more.Alas, Natalie wouldn't stop asking questions, like whether Angela's previously poor health would make the pregnancy risky or who would get custody of the child now that the two of them were divorced."Grandma, you should go get some rest. We haven't even discussed all of this yet." Dexter finally couldn't take it anymore and gently persuaded her to leave.But just then, someone from Joseph's side came to call him. Dexter had no choice but to get Fiona to stay with Angela while he hurried off.Joseph had also heard about the pregnancy. In fact, the moment the result was confirmed, the news spread
"Why are you stammering like this? Are you even a man?" Fiona gave Dexter a disapproving smack on the back before bluntly revealing the truth. "Angela, you're pregnant."Angela was speechless. What did Fiona just say?She genuinely thought something was wrong with her ears. How could she have heard something so absurd? How could she possibly be pregnant? Hadn't she become infertile after her body had been exposed to something harmful?Even though Dexter had forced her to undergo treatment for a while, it shouldn't have worked that well.Angela's face shifted between pale and flushed a few times. After a minute or two, she finally came back to her senses. "Madam Fiona, are you joking?"She gave an incredulous laugh, suspecting that Fiona didn't want her to be just a friend anymore and wanted her to be her daughter-in-law instead.With a heavy sigh, Fiona pulled out a blood test report. Angela stiffly accepted the undeniable proof and gave it a quick scan, only to be instantly dumb
Joseph's eyes were filled with worry, as if he feared Angela would be left without support in the future.She was about to speak when she suddenly felt a wave of nausea rise in her stomach, causing her to nearly gag. She quickly got up and poured herself a glass of water, barely managing to suppress the discomfort.It seemed like her body hadn't fully recovered yet, as even a little fatigue made her feel unwell."Grandpa, I've been swamped with work recently. I have no energy to focus on anything else," Angela said with a bitter smile before letting out a long sigh.The weight on her shoulders was just too heavy, so heavy that she could barely catch her breath.Joseph looked at her meaningfully, a trace of regret and helplessness crossing his eyes.…It was past 11:00 pm when Angela finally went to the guest room after her conversation with Joseph.By then, she was already physically and mentally exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the