Jessica did not take the episode with Madeline to heart.

There bwere /bbfive /bbdays /bleft on the countdown to her divorce. That same day, bJessica /bofficially started her work at Grant Group.

bDereck /bpersonally btook /bher around thepany and introduced bher /bbto /bthe board members in a brief introductory meeting.

Initially, Dereck had intended bto /bguide Jessica bclosely /band bwork /bwith her side by side, which would balso /bmake bit /bbeasier /bto transition her into the role. bBut /bJessica turned him bdown/b.

“Those old bfoxes /bare not beasy /bto handle. If they don’t try bto /bbsabotage /byou, that’s already ba /bbmercy/bb,/b” Dereck said with concern.

He couldn’t bear bto /bsee bJessica /bsuffer bor /bbe bmistreated/b, bespecially /bnot within his ownpany.

“Actually, bI /bwant to hand bover /ba bfew /bof thepany’s long–running, high–yield projects to you. With achievements in hand, those old bgeezers /bwon’t bhave /bba /bbword /bbto /bbsay/bb,/bb” /bhe added.

bDereck /bclearly intended to bpave /bthe bway /bfor bJessica /band bgave /bher b“/baplishmentsb” /bthat would earn her a firm footing.

b“/bDad, do you really bhave /bbso /blittle confidence in me? Are you bso /bbcertain /bthe board members will take advantage of me?” bJessica /bsaid.

Seeing bDereck’s /bbuncase/bb, /bshe could not reject him outright, bso /bshe bused /bbreverse /bpsychology.

Dereck understood her game and agreed to let her prove herself.

Since he bwas /bbacking her from behind the scenesb, /bany trouble bJessica /bencountered would bserve /bbas /bbexperience/b.

On her first bday/b, Jessica made herself known to the upper management. In the afternoon, she had a brief meeting with the board members.

One of the board membersined, “bDereck’s /bdaughter majored in art. How can she manage business hereb?/bb” /b

Someone else added, “She’s supposed to lead thispany forwardb? /bAt this rate, we’ll be bankrupt before we retire.”

Another guy said, “So we shouldn’t be nice to her. bLet’s /bbact /bfast. Drive her out and let her go find a man to marry or whatever she’s supposed to do.”

bJessica /bstood outside the meeting room with a thick stack of folders in her arms.

Inside, the board members were passionately discussing how to force her out of thepany.

bJessica /bknocked on the door and pushed it open without waiting bfor /bba /bbresponse/b.

Seeing her standing there, those who had just been speaking ill of her showed not a hint of embarrassment or guilt.

One of them said with a sneer, “Well, Ms. Grant, you’ve only been at thepany for half a day, and you’re already calling a meeting with us, huh? What kind of guidance do you n to give?”

The speaker bwas /bPierre Davidson, a man nearing sixty. He leaned back in his chair and turned his body sidewaysb, /bbas /bbif /bJessica wasn’t even worth a nce from him.

The other board members watched Jessica like she bwas /bsome sort of spectacle. To them, she bwas /bjust a pampered heiress who happened to be the CEO’s daughter.

“Mr. Davidson, you must be joking. I definitely can’t give guidance,” bJessica /bsaid calmly, looking friendly. “But if some people insist on wielding their age like a weapon, I do feel obliged to speak up.”

Her words were soft but sharp, and her polite tone carried a barbed undertone that made Pierre and the others’s bfaces /bgo gloomy.

This was not what they had expected. bJessica /bremainedpletelyposed in the face of their open hostility, bas /bif she didn’t consider them a threat at all. They even deliberately said those words to make Jessica overhear.

Jessica walked calmly to the head of the table, still holding her folders, her gaze scanning each face.

She had memorized the profiles of every board member. She knew who liked to stir up trouble and who focused on real work.

As her eyes moved across the tableb, /bsome of the board members looked bat /bher with disdain, some with faint approval, and others remained unreadable.

Jessica said, “Now, please set your phones bto /bsilent.”

The moment she finished speaking, bPierre /blet out a derisive bugh/b.

Jessica frowned and looked over bat /bbhim/b.

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