Alice was impably dressed, ending elegance down to her 200-thousand-


    dor handtop.


    Around her stood several senior technical experts from Lambert Group. Their gates toward her carried both admiration and respect.


    Most of these tech leads were in their mid-''j?n, and ama


    slightly younger omnes, many harbored feelings for Alice.


    O quickly spotted Grace and curved her lips into a smile. "Grace, you''re staying here too?"


    The tech leads were familiar with Grace. After all, the two had faced off in a live stream before. Now, their expressions were filled with undisguised disdain. "sedl have time to hang around, Mts Grace? Have those go thousand orders been shipped yet?"!


    Teah, some people aplish nothing while Ms. Alice here has already led banan-


    dor projects at


    b belt a yo


    "That weren''t that ve stream, I wouki''t


    have even kosman she was the Lambert family''s oldest daughter."


    Their taughter rang out, dripping with mockery.


    Alsce quickly intervened saying "Enmagh, don''t say that You''re all inquity employees, and my sister is technically yotir superior."


    Someone scoffed. "Does she even own any shares in thepany?


    Alice hesitated before carefully responding.


    "Mom and Dad will give thein to her sooner orter.


    "In that case, she''s not our mperior."


    More Laughter followed.


    Alice turned to Grace and gently conndested her, "Grace, don''t take it to heart. They''re all tech experts and blunt by mature. I hope you won''t mind."


    In anypany, senior tech leach were scour strength. They stayed out of power struggles, but their loyalty could make or break an executive''s position. Winning them over meant curing one''s foothold


    Right now, Alice had clearly integrated herself into their circle. Even this small agricultural le strm project had them these tech experts. It was obvious that Alicemanded real authority at Lambert Group. ly following her lead. And thepany had more than


    Grace had no interest in wasting her time on these trivialities and turned to leave, But the tech leads weren''t having iL


    They were highly respected in thepany, so how dare the so-


    called "eldest daughter" of the Lambert family walk away without even acknowledging them?


    the she not mualice they could make her life miserable if they wanted to


    "Ms. Grace, what''s that supposed to mean? You look down on us?"


    Grace paused mid-step, impatience shing in her eyes.


    "And what id i do?" the videoilly. "A bunch of grown


    men are standing around gossiping about a young woman. Does that make you feel powerful?


    "You''re so used to being dattered at work that you''vepletely lost touch with reality, haven''t you? 1 have no conflicts of interest with any of you, but to me, you''re just a bunch of smiNG. gowany middle- aged mum. Do I owe you my respect


    Smug and greary.


    The words hit like a p to the face, unuitantly igniting their fury.


    "You? Even your father, Quentin, has to treat us with respect. Who do you think you are?"


    Grace smirked. "If my father really treats you with such deference, I wonder how he''d feat knowing you all a groveling at his daughter''s feet behind his back. It might make him a little ufortable, don''t you th Their faces turned sed, then pale. The truth behind their attitude toward Alice was simple. First, she was)


    Minul. Second, she was a Lansbert. Andishicd, her own abdüries were nothing to


    i man would still be interested in their weary, apng wide waining at home?


    At their age, most of them had stay-at-


    home wires. But men had their weaknesses by nature.


    Faced with someone like Alice-young, attractive, and impably put together-


    which m


    So nutudally, they tonated Alica with eventos e admiration.


    edtothank you only slipped up ind


    i cloth, exposing theing filth underneath.


    only to run straight into Yancey as he walked in. His expression dickened further, and he had deadly heard everything.


    that your words got twisted, but I didn''t expect you to be spreading lies about Alice in person


    too. What exactly were you implying post-


    How? Are you saying she has something improper going on wird diese men? How vile can you be? She''s your sister! Who nders their own sister like this?"


    Grace was speechleus. When had she ever said Alice was involved with them? All she pointed out was that those men?vatitinde toward Alice was inappropstate. That was an enthiely different Tateny was clearly great at twisting her words


    pointless algements she still had over to thom


    ve a thousand andern waiting to be processed


    de initiuedairly yanked spent the rar door, trady to get in. There was no time for


    Buibore she could get in. Yatory cralded her wt, his anger builing over.


    And then you allowed Ale all the way to south without a word just so you could wear her


    sings people are saying about her nadine me? No wonder even your own little brother took


    side. How is he supposed to hold his head up in public


    dini for year, kang before Allor mei came into the pictu?o.


    Alize hatonly reformentis the Lambert family five years ago. Aralyet Liam deed on her unconditkamally now.