Love and Devotion No Longer His to Claim by Dream Fish

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Hey, it's Angela! Long tno see. Con in!" Zayn's attention shifted immediately from the streamer to

Angela as soon as he saw her.

The others watched intently, sensing the . Compared to srandom streamer, Angela was far more

interesting.

After all, among the socialites and heiresses in Eldmere, she was the only one who had managed to marry

Dexter. It was still an incredible feat, even though her marriage was far from a fairytale.

"No, thank you,” Angela replied with a polite smile. "I'm here to take Dexter home. He said he was drunk."

Her demeanor was graceful, and her tone was gentle. She had an air of elegance about her. Dressed simply and

untouched by heavy makeup, she radiated a calm beauty that made her stand out among the other women

present in their flashy outfits.

-Zayn glanced at Dexter, feeling perplexed. He looked perfectly sober. There wasn't any

sign of drunkenness at all.

“Since you're here, cin and have something to eat before you leave, Ms. Graham,” Elena offered warmly,

standing up and attempting to lead her inside.

However, Angela subtly evaded her touch. She looked over at Dexter, who wore an expression so glum that it

seemed like someone had stolen millions from him. This irked her even more.

“Con, Angela. It's my birthday today, and the night's still young. Dexter's only had two glasses of wine at

most. How about you let him enjoy himself?

“I promise | won't stop you from taking him honce he's really had enough,” Zayn pleaded, ignoring any

protests and guiding her to the seat beside Dexter.

Suddenly, the room's ten or so guests turned their attention to them. It was as if they were watching monkeys at

a zoo.

Elena, seated on Dexter's left, was calmly slicing a peach. She then pierced a piece with a toothpick and handed

it to him.

It was a seemingly harmless gesture, but with Angela present, it took on a different tone.

Someone commented with a smirk, “Everyone knows Angela never joins us. | wonder for whose sake she came

tonight."

"There's no mystery, is there?" Angela replied, her voice laced with sarcasm while she maintained an innocent

smile.

Chapter 18

She said mockingly, "Dexter always likes to throw his family's weight around and use threats against the

insignificant Graham family to get his way. Otherwise, do you think I'd want to chere and entertain you

guys?"

Though she said everything with a smile, her words were mercilessly harsh.

She had heard their taunting remarks countless times. In the past, she had endured them for Dexter's sake, out

of misguided devotion. In the end, she had only made herself the butt of their jokes.

Now that she had decided to leave him, there was no need for her to keep up pretenses and play nice.

As her words fell, everyone's expression faltered and becstrained.

Angela had always prioritized Dexter, so she used to brush off even the harshest comments. But today, she

retorted sharply without a care.

What Angela said put Dexter on the spot. His expression soured considerably as he fixed an icy gaze on the

defiant Angela.

She merely beamed at him like she was clueless about the impact of her words. "Didn't you say you were drunk?

The car is outside. Are we leaving or not?"

Elena was still holding the toothpick with a slice of peach on it that had yet to be accepted by Dexter.

She laughed drily and said, "Ms. Graham, there's no need for such talk. Dexter only wanted to introduce his wife

to his friends. He's doing it for the sake of the Bamford family name."

Angela's eyes

eyes shifted to Elena, her smile still firmly in place. How could she have forgotten about her?

She looked at Elena and replied sincerely, “Ms. Carrey, so you do know that the Bamford family nis

something to be maintained? If I'm here as Dexter's wife, then what's your role here exactly? Are you just a

friend? I've never seen friends who feed each other like this before."

She paused, and then pretended to realize something. “Oh, this must be that kind of close friendship that people

talk about, right? You know—the kind where everything's off the table besides kissing.”

Her taunting words left Elena biting her lip in embarrassment. Even her eyes reddened involuntarily at the

humiliation.

“Enough!” Dexter reprimanded coldly.

He looked at Angela, fury simmering behind his gaze.

Chapter 18

But Angela didn't back down. She met his gaze boldly and said, "The car is outside. If you want to go home,

cwith me. If not, my job here is done. I'm leaving."

No longer would she feign smiles and endure their jabs. She would not put her dignity on a silver platter for

Dexter's friends to make fun of her for their amusement anymore.

After a tense moment, Dexter's face hardened as he got up and walked toward the door. Behind him, Elena's

eyes flashed with bitterness. Her nails dug sharply into her palms.

Once they returned home, Angela immediately headed upstairs.

However, Dexter stopped her with a low growl. “Hold on."

Angela halted and turned to face him. "What now?"

Just hearing his voice filled her with irritation now. All she wanted was to get away from

him.

"What now, indeed." Dexter pushed himself up from the couch. His slightly drunken state made his stare even

more piercing. Still, he was maddeningly handsome.

“That's what you should be asking yourself!” His tall figure loomed over her, intense and imposing.

Angela instinctively stepped back but was caught by the wrist.

His hand was warm, but his gaze was as cold as ice. "Have | been too lenient with you. lately? How have you

becso out of control?"

“I've always been this way. If you can't handle it, then replace me. There are plenty of people eager to fawn over

you," Angela retorted.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him tauntingly. There was an air of vibrancy that was unique to her.

Dexter felt a strange urge to teach her a lesson. Without another word, he bent down and scooped her up.

Ignoring her protests, he carried her up the winding staircase.

He then kicked open the door to his room and dropped her on the bed.

Angela tried to scramble back up, but he loosened his tie and leaned over her.

"Looks like you need a proper lesson to remind you who you are!" Dexter's voice was cold and menacing.

Before Angela could protest, he tore her dress.

The chill of the room hit her exposed back, and she attempted to flee. Dexter seized her

Chapter

ankle and yanked her back. His sheer strength overpowered her every attempt.

"Letgo!" she cried, desperate to get away.

"still playing hard to get? Stop pretending, Angela!" Dexter's expression was smug as he leaned in, intending

to savor her body.

But then, a sudden, sharp pain shot up from his nether region.

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