As Alice nced at Barbara, her once respectful demeanor had shifted to one filled with resentment. She eagerly helped Mona by pouring water, still addressing her with respect.


    Sering Alice''s behavior, Barbara felt a surge of anger. Just yesterday, Alice had been so attentive to her. Now, that attention had shifted to Mona, and Barbara could only watch Alice with disdain.


    Mona nced at the cup in her hand. Initially, she hadn''t intended to ept it, but seeing Barbara''s disapproving gaze made her change her mind. Not only did she take the cup that Alice offered, but she also shared the cookies with her. As long as Barbara was unhappy. Mona felt a sense of satisfaction


    Alice looked at the cookies in her hand, feeling pleasantly surprised. She had prepared herself for the possibility of being rejected by Mona, but she didn''t expect Mona to actually share snacks with her.


    These snacks looked imported and must have been expensive. They were nothing like what Barbara casually offered, which felt more like a mere act of charity and left a bad taste in her mouth.


    Comparing the two, Alice quickly realized that Mona was much better. She wished she had chosen sides with Mona from the


    start.


    Seeing their back-and-forth interaction, Barbara, seething with anger, stormed out to the rooftop for some fresh air. She felt as if Mona was driving her mad.


    After Barbara left, Mona set the water Alice had brought aside without taking a sip..


    Others nearby saw Alice doing what they wanted to do and began to cozy up to Mona, hoping for some good fortune toe their way.


    As a group of people headed straight toward Mona''s workstation, she felt the pressure and didn''t want to deal with it. Turning to ra beside her, Mona quickly mentioned her intent and grabbed her bag to leave. Since it was almost the end of the workday, she figured leaving early wouldn''t raise any eyebrows.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Once outside, the air felt refreshing. Upon stepping out of the building, Mona spotted Maxwell waiting for her, and her heart soared with sweetness.


    Without a second thought, she rushed into Maxwell''s embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. Thinking about how he had helped her create the dress made her feel incredibly grateful Maxwell, can I kiss you?" Mona asked, surprised by her own boldness.


    Maxwell looked into-Mona''s eyes, as if contemting the sincerity of her words.


    Not giving him much time to react, Mona rose on her toes, aimed for his lips, and pressed her soft red lips against his


    She figured she had already asked, so any embarrassment was worth it.


    Perhaps it was because Maxwell had been outside in the cold for a while, his thin lips Telt slightly cool and soft. When Mona pressed her lips against his, her heart raced uncontrobly.


    After a few seconds, feeling it was enough, Mona began to pull away. But Maxwell had ced a hand at the back of her head,, holding her in ce, and she found she couldn''t move.


    What started as a simple kiss escted into something much more passionate. Maxwell''s tongue gently pried open Mona''s lips, and they engaged in a heated kiss beneath thepany''s building. Fortunately, the office hadn''t closed yet, so there weren''t many people around. However, Barbara, who was on the rooftop,


    G


    caught sight of them."


    From a distance, she couldn''t see clearly, so she zoomed in on her phone. She could see a faint blush appearing on Maxwell''s calm face, and her frustration boiled over. She felt like she was having the worst luck today. Nothing was going her way, and she was about to explode. Thinking of Teddy, Barbara thought he was useless for not having gotten Mona back yet. She thought, "What if, after some time, Mona starts liking Maxwell?''


    With that thought, she quickly dialed Teddy''s number. Meanwhile, Teddy was overwhelmed at work. Ever since the Clem family cut ties with theirpany, things had been getting tougher, especially with the pressures from the Carter Group and the Powers Group. This month, thepany''s revenue had plummeted. Seeing Barbara''s call added to his irritation, but he answered anyway.


    "Teddy, has Mona not forgiven you yet?" Barbara asked in a sweet voice as if she hadn''t just been fuming on the rooftop.


    "No, Teddy replied. If only Mona would forgive him, his family''spany wouldn''t be in this situation, and his father wouldn''t be berating him every day, ming him for everything


    Teddy regretted having an affair with Barbara. He should have waited until he had secured a marriage license with Mona before acting. His parents even nned to take him to apologize to the Clem family soon.


    "Oh, I see. Teddy, don''t waste too much time worrying. If you have the chance, maybe you could send her some small gifts at work. If you go in person, she''ll definitely be touched, Barbara suggested. She was already plotting to secure the Glem Group''s shares, and if Mona and Maxwell''s rtionship continued to grow, getting Maxwell''s affection would be much harder for her.


    Barbara wanted everything Mona had. She wanted to see Monae up short


    "Alright then, if there''s nothing else, I''ll hang up," Teddy said reluctantly. Ever since the embarrassing incident of buying a car for Mona, he hadn''t wanted to face her.


    Moreover, in the past, it was always Mona who came to make amends after their arguments. This time, despite all his efforts, she still hadn''t reconciled with him, leaving him feeling frustrated.


    As Barbara hung up, she felt uneasy and thought that Teddy was harder to control now. He used to follow her every whim, but today, even though he agreed, she could hear the reluctance in his voice.


    She clenched her phone tightly and thought, ''All of this is because of Mona. If only Mona had remained the same, everything would have been much easier. But the problem is that Mona has changed. Not only had Mona shifted her focus away from Teddy, but she was also marrying a wealthier man and starting a career in design. This time, she had even stolen the spotlight from Barbara.


    Barbara had tantly swapped Mona''s design drafts and then had Vespera ruin her dress. Yet, Mona still seeded, and her dress design was even more popr than Barbara''s. Barbara couldn''t ept