Love and Devotion No Longer His to Claim (Angela and Dexter) novel Chapter 345

Everyone remained silent, staring straight at the person in the center of the stage.

As if nothing had happened before, Angela calmly took the trophy from the event hostess, maintaining her smile and handing it to each award recipient in an orderly manner.

Clara, one of the outstanding employees, stood at the front of the line. The moment she received the award from Angela, she could no longer hold back. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down uncontrollably.

"Does… does it hurt?" Her voice was choked with emotion, heartache evident in every word.

Curving her lips into a reassuring smile, Angela wiped away Clara's tears. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Then, she continued presenting the awards to the rest of the employees. All ten employees looked at her with admiration.

Meanwhile, the livestream chat was going wild.

"Oh my god, this woman is incredible! Wasn't she the one who got hurt earlier? How is she so strong when she looks so delicate?"

"I swear I saw a huge gash on her back earlier. She should be bedridden right now. How is she this tough?"

"Okay, I admit it. She's really something. I used to criticize her, but I take it all back. I was wrong."

By the time the awards ceremony ended, Angela was completely drained. A cold sweat drenched her body.

"Are you okay? Hurry up and go rest!" Fiona rushed over from her seat, throwing Dexter a sharp glare. "Even if she's being reckless, do you really have to go along with it?"

Angela's legs felt weak. She collapsed onto a nearby couch, but the movement tugged at her wound, sending a sharp wave of pain through her body. Her eyes welled up instantly.

It was excruciating. Why did the anesthesia wear off so fast?

She didn't say anything. She just sat there with reddened eyes, allowing the tears to fall.

"That's enough. Take her back to the hospital to rest," Joseph instructed Dexter urgently.

With a nod, Dexter was about to scoop her up in his arms, but Angela saw through his intentions in an instant and hissed, "If you make me a public spectacle, I'll make sure you lose face too!"

Somehow, while clenching her teeth, she managed to suppress the burning pain in her back, though barely.

The pain was just unbearable.

His sharp gaze locked onto Dexter, filled with accusation.

Dexter nodded slightly, letting out a low, self-deprecating chuckle. "I didn't expect this kind of reaction either."

Unfortunately, it wasn't because of his encouragement and support that Angela had been able to find her new self.

Her transformation had come from within—from the boundless courage she found in her adversity.

…

Angela stayed in the hospital for two days before she'd had enough. She couldn't stand the sterile smell or the suffocating atmosphere anymore, so she forced her way back home.

After this incident, public opinion about her completely changed. Most of the negative criticism against her had disappeared, though odd new opinions emerged.

"Damn, he's so handsome. He looks better than celebrities. Look at that face—no wonder people call him 'The Stunningly Aloof CEO' online. As for Angela, she might just barely be worthy of him."

"Excuse me, but my queen Angela is also stunning, okay? With that perfect model-like body ratio, she overshadows any man she stands next to. Honestly, Dexter is barely good enough for her."