Love and Devotion No Longer His to Claim (Angela and Dexter)

Felix was frustrated.
Once Angela stepped out of the living room, she found Cecilia waiting for her in the courtyard.
Angela barely had any interactions with her. Despite Cecilia's cheerful demeanor, she was actually just as scheming as Ursula. This made it hard for
Angela to feel any fondness toward her.
"Cecilia, is there something you need?" Angela asked with a smile as she approached.
Cecilia casually grabbed Angela's arm and led her for a walk around the courtyard. "Angela, our school is celebrating its homecoming event next
week, and many famous alumni will be attending. Could you come too? Think of it as a chance to make some new friends."
Angela was momentarily stunned.
Cecilia was currently at high school. If Angela remembered correctly, her school was Westbridge High School. The school had a long history of
producing talented individuals, including exceptionally gifted graduates like Dexter and Mateo.
"It wouldn't be very appropriate for me to attend, would it? They didn't invite me, after all." Angela refused. Yet, she was already weighing the potential
benefits of going.
Cecilia actually had a point. Events like this provided excellent opportunities for business networking. Some people struggled to even enter.
"It's fine. If anyone asks, I'll just say you're my guardian. That should be acceptable, right?" Cecilia said with a smile.
Angela was amused. "Why don't you invite Mateo instead? He's much more impressive than I am. And what about Uncle Miles and Aunt Ursula?
Aren't they your actual guardians?"
Cecilia gave an awkward smile, rubbing her nose in embarrassment. "Well... my scores on this month's exams weren't great. If they go, they'll
definitely chat with my teachers, and then I'll be put under strict supervision again. I'll lose all my freedom."
So that was the reason. Yet, Angela didn't really care why Cecilia wasn't inviting Ursula and the others. She was actually quite interested in attending
such an event since it would help expand and solidify her own network. As for everything else, that didn't matter to her.
"Alright then, just send me the time and location, and I'll pick you up." Angela agreed with a smile.
A flash of excitement crossed Cecilia's eyes. "Oh, that'd be great!"

On the way back, Angela looked up information about Westbridge High School online. The results showed that their homecoming event was in three
days.

The school's principal had invited many well-known alumni, as well as several prominent figures from Eldmere City. Many of these attendees were
shareholders of the school or influential individuals in their respective fields.
"The pianist, Sophia Blake, will be attending too." Angela was a bit surprised when she saw the name.
"It's just a publicity stunt with self-interest. Do you really think those people care about a school's homecoming?" Dexter glanced at her phone screen
with a hint of disdain.
Angela couldn't help but laugh. "So, are you going or not?"
Dexter cleared his throat and answered without hesitation, "Of course."
"Then why are you mocking others? Aren't you the same?" She rolled her eyes at him, then suddenly noticed how sharp his side profile was. He was
simply handsome in a rugged, striking way.
Dexter chuckled. "I'm different from them. I'm going for you."
Angela didn't say anything. She felt that the atmosphere between them finally felt right. At least, there was no longer that subtle, suffocating tension.
As expected, she was the distant, aloof type and unable to handle overly enthusiastic affection.
After a moment of silence, curiosity got the better of her. "Why the sudden change? You've always been proud and looked down on everyone else.
What made you lower that noble head of yours all of a sudden?"
Dexter let out a long, quiet sigh. "I don't know. Maybe someone put a spell on me."
She couldn't believe he was explaining so thoughtlessly. He was becoming increasingly shameless with the nonsense he spouted.
"Oh, right. Since Felix's issue has been settled, have your lawyer draft a new share transfer agreement sometime soon. I'll return my shares of
Emerelda Jewelries to you." The thought suddenly crossed Angela's mind, so she brought it up casually.
But Dexter didn't even hesitate before replying, "Just keep them. We're family. No need to go back and forth. It's too much hassle."
"That company generates tens of millions in revenue annually, and you're just handing it over to me? Aren't you worried the hardworking employees
will have something to say about it? Besides, I don't accept charity. I believe in the virtue of not receiving rewards without merit."
Angela scoffed and looked out the window, inexplicably feeling much better.

Dexter replied nonchalantly, "It's just tens of millions. It's nothing. Just consider it compensation for your efforts these past few months. You deserve it.
As for everything else, there's no need for you to handle it."
Angela didn't bother saying anything more. A good deal was a good deal. There was no point in turning it down. After all, she wasn't one to feign high
moral standards or pride herself on them.
...

Three days later, it was Westbridge High School's homecoming. Angela and Dexter attended together.
After picking up Cecilia, they drove to the school's entrance, which was crowded with luxury cars from international brands. They waited outside for a
long time before finally managing to find a parking spot and quickly squeezing in.
"Angela, how did you suddenly become so pretty? Did you secretly get plastic surgery, or was it some cosmetic treatment?" Cecilia circled Angela,
occasionally throwing out amusing questions.
Angela's outfit today was a silk ensemble she had casually pulled out of her wardrobe. Her stylist had given her a simple hairstyle and light makeup. It
was effortless yet elegant, perfectly highlighting her natural poise.
"It wasn't anything special, just intense workouts and pushing myself to the limit. I built up some muscle mass, and my overall condition naturally
improved. Got it?" As Angela spoke, she generously flexed her toned arm, showing off her defined muscles.
Cecilia was amazed. She carefully reached out and gave Angela's arm a tentative squeeze, as if she had just discovered something interesting.
"Wow! You're incredible. No wonder you look so much younger than people your age," she exclaimed in surprise.
Cecilia really knew how to flatter.
"Keep praising. I love hearing it." Angela mimicked the classic domineering CEO smirk, but instead of coming off as cringy, she exuded a cool and
confident vibe.
Dexter stood quietly with his arms crossed and a smile on his lips as he watched the scene.
The celebration was indeed lively. Angela hadn't even entered the venue yet, but she'd already run into several business partners and exchanged
warm greetings right at the entrance.
However, she soon noticed a pattern. Wherever Dexter was, people seemed especially eager to engage. Wherever the two of them walked, the
crowd naturally followed. So, in the end, Dexter was her biggest connection, her strongest backer.

Love and Devotion No Longer His to Claim (Angela and Dexter)
Chapter 414
When Love Becomes a Thing of the Past (Zoey)
When Love Becomes 785
CEO Broke Down and Cried After I Divorced Him
Chapter 0849
In fact, she had always understood this in theory, but reality had just reinforced the lesson. Thanks to Dexter's presence, Angela managed to secure
two potential deals before the event even officially began. Now, it was just a matter of both companies sitting down to hash out the specifics.
By the time the host finally invited everyone to take their seats, Angela was already feeling sore from standing for so long.
"There will be several celebrity speakers later. You might be interested," Cecilia whispered.
Reading History