It felt like the oppressive presence of someone who had long stood at the pinnacle of power and prestige. This was almost the exact same feeling Vivian got from Jacob.So, this was… his secretary? Vivian felt a lump in her throat. For a moment, she deeply regretted acting recklessly without much thought."Ms. Secretary…" Her voice was dry.Before Vivian could utter an apology, Liesel gently tapped the wooden railing beside her. On the railing sat a stunning bouquet of irises, which accentuated her beauty.Liesel's voice carried a faint hint of amusement. "I'm not his secretary anymore."It felt that she had deliberately chosen this moment to speak. "I'm just the manager. You can call me Ms. Sharp."So, Liesel was not his secretary. Her words seemed to draw clear boundaries between herself and Jacob.Vivian was stunned by her words. Yet, Liesel remained composed. She smiled calmly."Ms. Sharp, I didn't mean to bump into you on purpose. I just got too excited when I saw Mr. Ford.
Vivian's face turned pale at his words. Her lips trembled, and for a long moment, she couldn't find the words to respond.She couldn't blame Lucian for this.Lucian held a deep admiration for both Jacob and Liesel, and he was Liesel's mentor. He had often said that Jacob and Liesel were the most outstanding, intelligent, and courageous entrepreneurs he had ever taught.Lucian held Liesel in such high regard. If he knew she was twisting the truth to flatter Jacob, he would surely be upset.Vivian was at a loss for words.Her every thought seemed laid bare under their sharp gazes. Panic and fear flashed across her face as everyone watched her.She knew well that from the moment she tried to use her cleverness to get ahead, everyone had been waiting for her to fail.They were all jealous and envious, hoping to see her humiliated. No one wanted her to truly succeed and climb the social ladder.At this moment, Vivian was so nervous and frightened that she wanted to cry.Liesel look
Liesel gently sought her opinion.Vivian's heart fluttered.How could someone who had been admitted to Alden University and was valued by Lucian be anything but intelligent? Liesel certainly wasn't foolish.Liesel understood her situation. She knew that everyone was watching her. Those people were waiting for her to fail. They were hoping to see her embarrassed and humiliated. However, Liesel offered her an out and even lifted her up with praise.Liesel was like a living legend in the finance faculty at Alden University. The charity organizations she founded for disabled individuals and women who had lost the chance to attend school were still operating, and they were even profitable enough to help more people each year.That was her gift to Alden University, and also the greatest contribution to those in need.For this reason, she was seen almost as a figure of reverence among some students in the finance faculty. She was the example Lucian always spoke of, an outstanding gradua
"She admires you and has feelings for you. It's natural for her to feel hostility toward me. She simply bumped into me when she rushed over and said some half-hearted words. She ignored my contributions just to get closer to you in front of me. She has no real impact on me," Liesel continued."She's just a naive student. How could she possibly insult me? You're the one who's gone too far."A sharp glint flashed in Liesel's cold eyes as she fixed her dissatisfied gaze on Jacob.Jacob looked at her impassively and gave her space to explain. Liesel seized the opportunity and calmly said, "You know everyone was watching her. They were waiting for her to be humiliated and forced to flee. They were waiting for her to be crushed by your disdain. Just as they expected, you responded with cold, harsh words. Maybe you don't care, and maybe she won't affect you, but your actions could ruin her life."Vivian hadn't actually done anything wrong. She was bolder and more calculating than the ot
Knowing that Jacob would keep his word, Liesel finally turned and left. After everything that had just happened, she didn't want to be near him. The very thought made her feel suffocated.As Liesel walked away, Jacob remained on the balcony. He was staring at the few faint lights glowing on the lawn.The warm yellow glow spilled from the grass, casting a subtle green hue around it. It shimmered like hidden fireflies in the night. To him, it was just another beautiful scene, one that only felt meaningful when Liesel was there.Shaking his head, Jacob pushed his swirling thoughts aside and returned to his indifferent state.He set his empty glass down and turned to leave. As he walked through the crowd, he passed well-dressed guests, tables laden with elegant dishes, and floral arrangements thoughtfully placed around the room.Everyone's gaze was fixed on him, each one brimming with a variety of desires—desires to attach themselves to him, manipulate him, or possess him. At the core
The night sky was empty, yet it seemed the whole universe was shining in Liesel's eyes.Jacob watched her.Liesel only cast a brief glance at him before shifting her gaze elsewhere.Jacob had always known that she was extraordinary.Since marrying him, she had gone out of her way to prove herself. She was always buried in complex plans and a packed schedule. Their interactions were mostly limited to work and the bedroom.He knew Liesel could play the piano, but he had never truly seen her play.Dressed in a fiery red evening gown, she radiated a brilliance so dazzling it seemed to light up the room.In his eyes, everything else faded into the background the moment Liesel entered.Her slender, graceful fingers flew across the piano keys, filling the room with a powerful and passionate melody. The music wasn't just beautiful. It was commanding. It added a striking strength to her already captivating charm.She was breathtaking.Not far from the stage stood a grove of locust tre
Liesel's irritation was growing."Ophelia, this is no longer his decision to make."Her smile widened. "Even if he gave me a choice, I wouldn't choose him. What we had is really over."Her voice carried a lightness. It was as if she had finally been freed.Ophelia sighed heavily, knowing there was no point in trying to convince her further. Still, she couldn't help but privately resent Natalie."When you met Natalie at Heritage Hotel, I happened to be there too. Ophelia, don't make it hard for her anymore. She's the kind of person who doesn't deserve your attention."Ophelia mumbled under her breath, "I just can't stand her arrogant attitude. She's a mistress and an illegitimate child, yet she acts so cocky. It's disgusting."Liesel couldn't help but shake her head slightly.Ophelia noticed and grunted. "Fine, I'll stop. I won't let that woman come near me again. If she does, I won't let her off easily. Liesel, I've got a dance to get to, so I'm leaving now."With that, Opheli
"Ms. Sharp not only looked at my notes but also borrowed them. She gave me her business card and offered me the chance for an internship. You all saw it from such a distance, didn't you?"Vivian felt even more grateful to Liesel now.Liesel must have known exactly what she would face when she returned, which is why she stepped in to help her beforehand. If not, things would have been much harder for her.Sheyna laughed mockingly."Now you're saying all that? Do you really think we didn't notice you were originally trying to get Mr. Ford's attention? In fact, Ms. Sharp nearly tripped over you when you bumped into her."Vivian's expression darkened. She felt a pang of guilt. Before she could respond, a soft laugh came from behind her."She came to find me. Do we really need to overcomplicate something so simple?"Liesel stood behind Vivian. Her gaze was firm and authoritative.Sheyna was stunned into silence for a moment before stammering, "She was clearly after Mr. Ford...""I
"That's because they couldn't find any proof. You'd best be careful from now on. Who knows, you might end up going down the wrong path and go missing!"Austin took out his phone and swiped the screen a few times. Then, he smiled and said, "Mr. Hardin, I'd recorded what you said on my phone and just uploaded the clip to the cloud. If something ever happened to me, my friend would help me call the police, and you'd be the prime suspect.""You're fucking asking for it!" Richard raised his fist while snarling."Enough!" Felix said coldly. "Let's watch the live stream!"Richard pointed his finger at Austin's nose threateningly. Then, turning to Liesel, he said, "Liesel, I believe that you were the one who recruited Austin into the company."Liesel ignored him and just looked up at the big screen.Richard added, "The tweet you posted gave Dash the inspiration to do this. Now, they're holding the test drive event three days earlier than us. Are you happy now? Have you realized that ever
"What can I help you with, Austin?""Ms. Sharp, I wanted to clarify that I really didn't steal any company secrets. Alisha and I are just dating," Austin said, and his cheeks turned slightly red. He continued shyly, "Those emails I sent her were love letters, not Trojan viruses. The police have also investigated and found nothing wrong. Please believe us, Ms. Sharp."It was a good act. Those who weren't in the know might really think that Austin was just an innocent young man in love.Liesel narrowed her eyes but said nothing.Howard chuckled quietly, and his gaze was icy.A strange atmosphere fell over the trio.Liesel knew that Austin was putting on a show, and Austin himself knew that Liesel knew.But so what? In Austin's view, the winner could put on a show, fabricate lies, and do whatever to destroy the other party. Meanwhile, the party getting destroyed would just be forced to accept it.Hardin Group was powerless to make a comeback, so there was no way that Liesel coul
The reason Blair had reached out to Liesel was to tell her that Rayden Enterprises was going to hold a test drive event at Silvermist Peak this afternoon. The entire event would be broadcast live, and the news had already spread far and wide.Howard's new smart technology could free mankind from the shackles of conventional energy and help them move toward a new era.Draskians were paying close attention to this, and Rayden Enterprises was rejoicing. The whole world was watching this small test drive event.Liesel wasn't the least bit surprised.When she had the PR department share the promotion plan, she had already guessed that Rayden Enterprises would try to take control of the situation first.Until they managed to squash Hardin Group, they were not going to stop.This technology could only be completely owned by one company, just like how two tigers couldn't coexist in the same mountain. After this, Rayden's Enterprises would definitely try their hardest to bankrupt Hardin G
"Who cares about Liesel's love life? I just want to know if Liesel really stole company secrets.""Didn't you see that she was determined to be not guilty and thus released? I wonder if there really was an investigation, or perhaps those in power were charmed by her."There were countless people watching the drama and throwing around snide remarks.Thomas wasn't stupid enough to make a statement right now. He knew that if he did, those people would only attack her even more.However, at that moment, Elijah logged onto his Twitter account and posted a tweet. "She's mine now."He also uploaded a photo of the two of them interlocking fingers. In the photo, pink kiss marks could be seen inside the wrist of the feminine hand, and that hand was even wearing a diamond ring.In the midst of public outcry, Elijah was just calmly and serenely showing off their love.Those who didn't understand thought that Elijah was just standing up for Liesel, but those who understood knew that he was a
To Elijah, it sounded like Liesel was saying, "Tonight, I'll become yours."She pushed his wheelchair to the master bedroom. Right now, his inability to walk made things easier for her instead. Sitting on his lap, she hooked her arms around his neck, whimpering. In the end, any movement coming from them turned into a quiet moan from the back of her throat. He listened to her syrupy voice. She was the one forcing him, but in the end, she was the one who cursed him with a sob, "Jerk."Well, he was a jerk, wasn't he? She had to practically force him into doing this.What a jerk, Elijah.However… he was really pleased to be able to so clearly feel someone love him so deeply. She knew that he was pulling away, so she tried to pull him out of his shell."Thank you," he said. His voice was husky and listless with pleasure.She propped her chin on his shoulder, gasping for breath. Her body collapsed into a heap, and her mind was spinning. However, in the next moment, Elijah wrapped his
Become Liesel's? Did she mean that she wanted to do it with him?Elijah felt a little helpless. Before he could say anything, Liesel crossed her arms and looked at him. "Are you going to say that I'm messing around again?"Elijah, I'm not. I really just want to be with you. You know I'm a carnivore. If you keep me on a vegetarian diet, I'll get upset."She was already blatantly spouting nonsense.The reason they had never gone all the way in the past was out of concern for her health.Moreover, although Elijah looked like the epitome of a playboy who wasn't serious about relationships, it couldn't be further from the truth. In actuality, he was a purist when it came to love.He felt that since he hadn't properly proposed to Liesel and taken her to be his wife yet, he couldn't go all the way with her. It was out of respect for her.However, it was clear that Liesel wanted to completely ruin his plan.Elijah had a vague idea as to why Liesel was doing this.She understood him
"I have a guess as to who was behind this. Charles wouldn't do something crazy now, so it must either be Dash or Augustine. They must want to drag me down."Let me guess how those people are cursing at me right now. Has Thomas' real identity been found out? I bet that they think I'm trying to suck up to him in order to use the Keller family's power to help Hardin Group out of tough times. "Or perhaps, they think that I've betrayed you and chosen the Keller family over you."It had to be between those possibilities. Liesel could guess as much even with her eyes closed.She couldn't help but laugh quietly. "I bet people are already feeling bad for Mr. Hardin for getting kicked to the curb by an unfaithful woman like me."Mr. Hardin, have I dumped you?" She leaned closer to him. Her seductively warm breath wafted over his face. Elijah's face was reflected in her dark, glimmering eyes. "I haven't. We were kissing, right?"With that, she pressed her lips against his again. She kissed
The door to the private room opened.Liesel wasn't surprised to see Elijah. She merely raised an eyebrow, and her gaze brushed over Thomas. She gave him a small nod and said, "Head home early."Then, she walked toward Elijah. As soon as she approached, his assistant instinctively stepped aside. Liesel took hold of Elijah's wheelchair and began pushing him out of the room. The two of them chatted and laughed as they left.Thomas remained seated on the cold, hard floor with his back pressed against the icy wall. A deep ache spread through his chest.Both of them were so comfortable with each other. The way Liesel looked at Elijah was warm and filled with joy—completely different from how she looked at him.When Liesel looked at him, her eyes held a hint of appreciation, but nothing more. Just as she had said, she admired him, but her gaze had never carried the emotions of a woman in love.To her, he was nothing more than a fleeting presence in her life. But when she looked at Elija
Thomas trembled slightly at the thought and smirked at himself mockingly.As he studied Elijah, Elijah was quietly observing him in return.This wasn't Elijah's first time meeting Thomas.On the day of the interview, Elijah had caught a glimpse of him in passing. Back then, Thomas had radiated confidence and defiance, like a proud lion ruling the prairie. But now, he looked like a rabbit with tear-streaked, bloodshot eyes.Although calling him a rabbit wasn't entirely accurate, the redness in his eyes was undeniable.Had he confessed again? It seemed he had been rejected yet another time.Elijah's hand rested on the armrest of his wheelchair as he gazed at Thomas calmly. He didn't question Thomas' relationship with Liesel because he trusted her completely. If anything, at this moment, Elijah found Thomas pitiful.Thomas didn't know what Elijah was thinking. Seeing Elijah's frail state filled him with shame. Pursuing Liesel behind Elijah's back now felt utterly disgraceful.He c