Semua Bab No Longer Theirs: The One They Can't Replace: Bab 11 - Bab 20

The paper fluttered lightly, landing on Joshua's polished leather shoes. The bold words on it stood out."Resignation LetterWinter Everhart"Everyone gasped. They couldn't believe Winter had the guts to challenge Joshua to his face. She was fearless!A vein pulsed at Joshua's temple."Thanks to Ms. Lynch, a nobody like me somehow caught the attention of so many big shots at the company. My time here wasn't wasted after all." Winter's stunning eyes burned with a cold fire as she met Joshua's clearly stunned gaze.She smiled radiantly and said, "Farewell. May we never meet again!"With that, she turned and strode away, her back as straight as a lone tree. She didn't look back."That woman is out of line! How dare she act so high and mighty just because she got in through connections? Who does she think is backing her up?" Connie fumed. She gritted her teeth and snarled, "Mr. Stroud, she's practically spitting in your face! I'll make sure she's punished for that!"Even if she lea

As the sports car sped away, Winter kept her gaze fixed on Stroud Group's building. She'd poured two years of hard work into that place. Only when it vanished from view did she lower her eyes and look away."This is for you, Win." Elijah kept his eyes on the road as he steered with his left hand and passed the Ferrari's keys to her with his right. "I was abroad a few days ago and wasn't in time to get you a birthday gift, so this is for that. Happy belated birthday."Winter's eyes widened. "This is too much, Eli. I can't take it.""And why not? If anything, it's not nearly good enough for you." His warm eyes met hers with sincerity. "I figured you'd refuse even this, so I didn't dare go for anything pricier. I ordered it for you ages ago. If you really see me as your brother, take it. Don't say no."Winter felt conflicted. "But…""What I'm doing for you now is nothing compared to what your mother, Madam Everhart, did for me back then." He glanced at her again, his voice catching s

Jessica watched Winter and Elijah chatting animatedly. She noticed radiance and confidence on Winter's usually meek face, which she'd never seen before.Her brows furrowed tightly, and her pink manicured nails dug into her palms. She knew Elijah—he was a legal prodigy who'd just returned to the country. He'd earned millions abroad.Last year, when Cloudeast Tech had gotten tangled in a financial dispute, Steven had offered to pay Elijah a fortune if he would take up their case. However, Elijah had rejected them coldly without even bothering to give Steven, the chairman of the company, a meeting. The mere thought of it stung.Yet, there was Winter, sitting across from Elijah. They looked like they were old friends.Jessica took a deep breath and looked at Joshua, saying softly, "Josh, since Winter is here, you three should have dinner together as a family. I'll head home."His sharp profile remained rigid and unmoving."No way, Aunt Jessie!" Terence pouted and clutched her hand ti

On the drive back to Rippleview Court, Joshua's expression remained dark. The inside of the luxury car felt as cold as an ice cellar.Terence huddled in his seat, barely daring to breathe."Josh, are you still mad at Winter?" Jessica asked softly, testing the waters. "I never would've guessed she knew Mr. Iverson. I guess her social circle's a lot wider than you might think.""Terence Stroud." Joshua fixed Terence's pale face with a stern glare, his voice sharp. "Who taught you a word as filthy as 'cheating'?"Terence trembled at the steely look on Joshua's face. He stammered, "D-Dad, I…""Josh, with today's media, it's not hard for kids to pick up on things like that. I don't think anyone deliberately taught him." Jessica gently stroked Terence's head and sighed. "Children have wild imaginations. He probably felt neglected and got the wrong idea when he saw Winter with a strange man. Her absence from home lately also contributed to that. Don't be mad at him. He's usually such a g

Inside the office, Winter and Connie faced off. The tension was so thick that a knife could slice through it. Outside, a crowd of employees gathered, their gossip-fueled curiosity surging.Connie, furious and humiliated, screamed at the door, "Get back to work, all of you!"The onlookers scattered."Hah! You think this little video's enough to take me down?" Connie seemed to think of something as she leaned back and crossed her legs, seemingly having calmed down. "Where's your proof that I started those rumors? I just heard them from someone else and passed them on."I didn't go shouting it from the rooftops with a megaphone. It was just a casual chat with a colleague. What can you do about it?"The cunning, smug look on her face made her look uglier than ever."You're right. All you did was gossip about me behind my back. I'm nobody, and I'm powerless. I can't do anything to you for that." Winter lowered her lashes, half-shutting her eyes as her lips slowly curved into a smile.