Upon hearing the news, Angela's frustration intensified further.She stood up abruptly and rushed to the nursing room. "There's no point in crying now, Celine! The data is all gone, and you were the only one here just now. How do you expect me to believe you?" Nora stood at the door of the nursing room in a commanding stance."It wasn't me! I was just here to feed my baby. My baby is still crying right now. I don't have the time or intention to touch your laptop. You're accusing me for no reason!"Celine Howe, an employee at DawnStar Design, had gotten married last year and given birth a few months ago. Due to her family's financial situation, she had chosen to breastfeed her baby. Earlier this afternoon, her mother-in-law had brought her baby over for feeding. However, a few minutes after she entered the nursing room, the door was kicked open, and Nora came barging in. She took a brief glance at her laptop and immediately accused Celine of deleting her confidential files."I
"Don't worry. We can't just let this slide." Angela reassured Celine, patting her on the back gently. Then, she turned to Nora and said, "If you think I'm being biased, let's investigate this issue together and see what really happened."Nora's expression darkened; the displeasure in her eyes grew even more evident. Her fury was at its peak, yet she could do nothing but swallow it down.Angela quickly called in the IT staff to restore the data on Nora's laptop. To everyone's surprise, Nora immediately objected. "My laptop contains confidential information. How could they look at it?"Angela was speechless. "We can have them sign a non-disclosure agreement. If anything leaks, they'll be held responsible. Do you still have a problem with that?" She shot Nora a brief glance, her gaze carried a hint of disdain. Soon, Clara brought over the non-disclosure agreement prepared by the company's legal department and politely handed them to the two technicians. The two technicians
Before Stephen came in, Angela had just sat back down at her desk. She was deep in thought about how to get tickets to Bamford Co.'s industry training event from Dexter.Suddenly, Stephen knocked on her door and entered her office. "What are you up to, Ms. Graham?"Stephen was a man in his early 30s. He was tall and slim with a calm and composed personality. He had a close relationship with Callum. Angela had a good impression of him so far. She got up from her seat and poured him some tea. "Nothing much; just thinking about a few things. What brings you here, Mr. Turner?""Ms. Graham, I came to talk about what happened earlier today. Nora acted recklessly today—it was indeed her fault. I wanted to apologize on her behalf."As soon as he started speaking, Angela immediately understood what he was there for."Don't worry about it," she said, keeping her response short. Stephen continued, "When Mr. Snowden appointed you as the head of the design department, many of us made a b
Angela was taken aback. She hadn't realized that a doctor could pick up on her emotions just by checking her pulse. She couldn't help but wonder if Kenneth was trying to hint at something.She cleared her throat softly and took a quick glance at Fiona. Then, she lowered her head and remained silent. Kenneth seemed to catch on. He quickly said, "Don't worry, Angie. There's no need to hold back with me. Besides, this is about something that could directly impact your ability to have children—we need to address the problem, no matter how small it is. Understand?""That's right. Tell us what's wrong, Angie." As if she realized something, Fiona frowned slightly. Angela lifted her head, her eyes filling with tears. "Mom, I didn't want to say this at first… but for the sake of having a child with Dexter, could you please stop criticizing me and threatening divorce? As for the matter of not being good enough for him… I understand. After all, there's no one worthy enough of him in y
The next morning, Angela arrived at the office in a great mood. She couldn't wait to share the exciting news with Division One of the Design Department."In three days, we'll be heading to Bamford Co. to attend their industry training event. Let's go see for ourselves what it is that makes the event so special."With just a few words, the room went silent as everyone processed the news in disbelief.Within minutes, the announcement spread throughout the design department, and soon, even other departments in the company caught wind of it.Callum also heard about the news and called Angela into his office to confirm the details.Upon discovering that Angela had secured the opportunity through Fiona, Callum couldn't help but shake his head with a wry smile."Attending such a prestigious event is great news, but could you perhaps take a few from Division Two along as well, Ms. Graham? Otherwise, I'm afraid it might stir up some tension within the team."Since Callum had now brought
"Don't worry about it," Angela replied with a faint smile. She seemed entirely unbothered.The group walked past them with a mocking expression, further infuriating everyone from Division One. "What's there to be smug about?" Clara huffed. She glared at their retreating figures, too angry to say anything else.The others felt the same—frustrated but utterly powerless.After a while, Alan chucked awkwardly to break the silence. "Ms. Graham, maybe we should just head back?""I agree. This event doesn't even seem worth attending, "George added dismissively."Exactly. What's so great about it anyway? Why do they have to be so particular about a ticket? We shouldn't have to tolerate that!" Alicia Sloan, another employee under Division One, chimed in.Angela chuckled helplessly. "Don't worry, everyone. She'll be here soon."The team exchanged puzzled looks. Although they were disheartened, they couldn't bring themselves to leave and make things difficult for Angela.Soon, the secur
As she finished speaking, Fiona shot a quick glance at the woman sitting beside Dexter. She added coldly, "You'd better keep your distance from women like her. Don't say I didn't warn you."Dexter was taken aback. What was going on?He couldn't help but wonder if Angela had cast some spell on Fiona.How did she manage to change Fiona's opinion of her so quickly?Dexter was irritated. It wasn't just Angela cozying up to Fiona—she was also working for DawnStar Design, his rival company. The owner of DawnStar Design, Callum Snowden, was the only person he truly considered a competitor in the industry. The design industry was relatively niche. Therefore, every time their names were mentioned together, it was always in a way compared against each other—one being praised at the expense of the other.So, how could he allow Angela to bring DawnStar's employees into his event? How could they sit on his turf, grinning as if they belonged?Meanwhile, Angela cleared her throat, signali
Simon called on a few participants. However, most of the answers he received were vague and filled with empty cliches.His expression gradually darkened with disappointment, and the atmosphere in the hall grew tense.Just then, Elena stood up on her own and said confidently, "Mr. Rutherford, in my opinion, design is my life." Her words were vague, sounding somewhat impressive but lacking clear substance. However, Simon only paused momentarily before giving her a faint nod.Then, he pointed at Angela, signaling for her to share her thoughts.Everyone's gaze landed on her, including Dexter, who was sitting front and center in the first row.Angela was slightly taken aback but quickly composed herself. She stood up confidently and said, "I believe design is about turning challenging circumstances into something beautiful, better, and meaningful; it's about finding the beauty in life even in the toughest of times." Her description was concise yet carried a depth that left room for
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