"You're in the mood, aren't you?"Liesel crossed her arms and looked at Elijah, who stretched lazily. He didn't seem all that alert. She added, "Don't tell me you stayed up all night waiting for me. I wouldn't believe that for a second."Elijah tilted his head slightly. There was a document box inside the car. The top file was marked with his notes. He had only recently taken over the Hardin family business and still had a lot to learn."You know me too well," Elijah replied while drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He had been here going over documents and waiting for Liesel, it seemed.His face softened into a smile, but just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of the exposed faint marks on her neck out of the corner of his eye.He could sense her unease and, after a brief moment of thought, understood why.Elijah discreetly looked away while maintaining his smile. He changed the subject. "You wanted to watch the sunrise, right? I know the perfect spot. Let me tak
Liesel had left Ford Manor not long ago, and this was Elijah's secret hideout. How had Jacob found her so quickly? If he hadn't spied on her, then what else could it be?Liesel's eyes darkened as the thought took root.No. Perhaps there was a tracker planted on her all along. And the only thing that could hold a tracker and that she carried with her regularly... was her phone.Liesel pulled out her phone and looked Jacob in the eyes. "The tracker is in here, isn't it?"While Jacob remained silent, Elijah smiled as he took the phone from Liesel. He asked, "Ms. Sharp, would you mind if I disassembled your phone?"Liesel shook her head and handed it over.With quick, practiced movements, Elijah disassembled the phone. Sure enough, there was a tracking device inside. He removed it, weighed it lightly in his hand, and toyed with it."It's a two-year-old brand. Looks like this tracker has been in here for quite some time."Elijah's smile lingered, but it was laced with coldness. "Mr.
Denzel's hands were elegant, with neatly trimmed nails and distinct knuckles. He moved with grace and poured tea into a glazed teacup. The delicate aroma of the tea quickly filled the room."I heard from Alex..."He looked up at Jacob and Liesel. Noticing the considerable distance between them, he couldn't help but smile. "Have you two gotten a divorce?"Liesel clenched her hands tightly. She said, "Our marriage was always more of a business arrangement. It was only a matter of time before we would part ways.""I see." Denzel sipped his tea with ease."Your decision is your own. I won't interfere, but I hope you don't regret it in the future."Denzel maintained a soft smile throughout. By the time he finished his cup of tea, he seemed to have shed the fatigue from earlier. "Ms. Sharp, let's go."Jacob was about to follow, but Denzel stopped him. "Jake, stay here. Since you two are divorced, you should keep some distance. I'll have a female doctor handle the examination. Once the
Liesel looked down, and her voice was barely audible when she said, "Actually, Jacob is also quite innocent. That night was truly an accident. He has done a lot for me by marrying me."On the first day of our marriage, he told me he had feelings for someone else and that we would eventually divorce." Denzel stared at her. "I understand Jake is innocent, but from the perspective of your marriage, everything he did as a husband was wrong. You're now carrying his child."Ms. Sharp, whether to keep the child or not is entirely your choice. You are the one who carries his child. You need to make a decision that you won't regret."Denzel was known for his deep aversion to wrongdoing. He had once acted impulsively, which led him to study psychology to calm himself.As the heir of the Johanson family, he was a genius physician capable of performing surgeries across various specialties. Even abroad, he had been involved in rescue missions and had helped many women give birth.He had wit
"Jake, my dad asked if Liesel was close to Elijah. He wants to discuss a collaboration with him."The mention of Elijah's name irritated Jacob. He replied indifferently, "What kind of collaboration could require your father to approach Elijah? Is Ford Corporation not on par with Hardin Group?""It's not that… My dad just doesn't want to bother you, Jake." Natalie sighed lightly and said, "Actually, Liesel should be close to Elijah, right?"Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken her to see fireworks and sunrise. He even targeted you, Jake," Natalie continued with a concerned look."I'm quite upset. Doesn't this seem like Liesel is cheating on you? I'm worried they might have been together before your divorce. Isn't this betrayal?"She pouted, appearing genuinely upset on Jacob's behalf."Are you angry for me?" Jacob asked. His gaze was cool.Natalie nodded vigorously as if she truly was upset.Jacob looked at the computer screen, where Liesel's medical examination report was displaye
"Ms. Sharp, you missed it yesterday. That new secretary, Natalie, made another mistake. This time, she messed up the decimal points on the financial report. Thankfully, our review was thorough enough to catch it; otherwise, that contract would have cost Ford Corporation a fortune."A secretary who had worked with Liesel before remarked when she saw Liesel entering the CEO's office. She was clearly not holding back her disdain for Natalie.She didn't address Natalie formally since Liesel shared the same surname, and it might sound like she was jeering at Liesel instead of Natalie."Exactly. She thinks everyone here has to clean up her mess. Ms. Sharp, you can't keep helping her out every time she makes a mistake," another secretary with glasses added with a hint of impatience."If she doesn't have the capability, she shouldn't be in that position. She's delusional to think she can match up to you. She's better off just sitting in the office and stamping papers."Those in the secret
What a joke.Liesel had always been polite and soft-spoken before Jacob, but right now, her anger made her appear animated.Jacob ran his fingers over the paper. "I just want Natalie to learn and grow from this. After what happened with Elijah, I'll get the other secretaries to review every contract she is in charge of before sending it out to ensure that there won't be any mistakes.""I hope you know what you're doing, Mr. Ford," Liesel said. Her eyes flashed.Just as she was about to leave, Jacob's low voice sounded from behind. "I saw your medical report. You should get some rest."Liesel did not turn around. She just nodded slightly before walking toward the door.Just then, someone knocked sharply on the door.Liesel opened the door. A young woman stood outside. She was tall and had a great figure. Unlike Liesel, whose beauty was hidden under a cold demeanor, the woman carried herself with grace and gentleness.When she saw Liesel, joy appeared on her face. "Oh, you're her
Ophelia was the only one who could speak to Jacob so rudely. "Jacob, you're married. Are you having an extramarital affair? Have you been corrupted by high society as well?"She was shocked beyond coherence. "How can you be so immoral? The Ford family taught you better than that!" she continued babbling without giving Jacob a chance to reply. She looked shocked.The word "immoral" made Jacob laugh out of sheer anger. Lowly, he said, "Ophelia Ford, stop spouting nonsense.""I'm not spouting nonsense! You are having an affair. I'm just telling the truth!" Ophelia clenched her fists. "Don't worry, Liesel. I'll tell Grandpa when I get home. He'll teach his jerk a lesson!""Ophelia, Jacob and I got a divorce," Liesel said. She stopped Ophelia before she could do anything rash. Her voice was calm as if she was telling a story that she wasn't involved in. "Don't tell Grandpa. He's getting on in age and won't be able to take the shock."Ophelia stopped. She turned to stare at Liesel in sh
Of course, Thomas heard of Elijah before and became indignant instantly. "I can definitely achieve whatever Elijah has! He always spends his time flirting with women. How could I not be better than him?" Thomas was disdainful. To him, Elijah was a spoiled heir just like himself. "You've not kept up with Elijah for so long." Cameron seemed to have aged a lot in a moment. "He's been pretending all this while. Have a look for yourself."Cameron had ordered someone to organize all information related to Elijah last night so Thomas could have a look once he was awake. Thomas looked through every page. The more he read, the more despondent he grew.Elijah pretended to be useless, but Thomas was truly incompetent. If Thomas had to make a point, the Kellers were far wealthier than the Hardins. In terms of looks, Elijah was known for being attractive. Thomas was even once worried that Liesel might find him too muscular.Thomas' eyes lit up as he read the last part of the files. It deta
"I want rewards as I did last time." Howard really wanted to meet Heather, so he began asking for more rewards this time. "I'll give you the latest codes." Liesel forwarded the codes to Howard's computer with a glint in her eyes. "I've rewarded you, Mr. Durham. Time for you to work. You might have to work overtime tonight since there's plenty to do." Liesel rested her chin on her hand with a lazy smile.Howard already started typing to work on the series of codes. After some time, he fastened his white coat with stiff fingers. "I only need to work overtime for one night? I don't mind working overtime for another ten more nights." Howard simply wanted more codes. He looked at Liesel with a darkened gaze before adding, "As long as you reward me."Liesel couldn't help but laugh. "One night will do. If it's not enough, I'll reward you accordingly."Her words caused Howard's eyes to light up. She then stood up and walked around to the back of the chair before placing her hands on h
"Let me explain things properly. The other person might forgive your deceit or even give you another chance."Even if the other person refused, Cameron would still pay for her to give Thomas another chance. Cameron had everything planned out.Thomas gazed at Cameron for a long time before finally saying, "It's Liesel Sharp.""Liesel Sharp. Ms. Sharp, right? Let me get ready before visiting her... Hold up! Who did you say you're in love with? Did you just say that you like Liesel?"I asked you to work at Hardin Group so she can mentor you. I never thought you'd actually fall for her! Have you lost your mind?"If Thomas had fallen for any other woman, Cameron might have been confident enough to use his own money or other methods to convince her to be with Thomas. But things were tricky if the woman Thomas had fallen for was Liesel.Cameron was wealthy, and so was Liesel. The Kellers were indeed the wealthiest family in Bloomfield and also somewhat influential. However, their influe
"Elijah.""Yes, I'm here," Elijah answered."Elijah," Liesel yelled again. "Yes, I'm listening," Elijah replied again. He stroked her soft, long hair with a warm gaze. "I assume you've thought things through," Liesel said. She assumed that he had considered everything and gave up on the idea of leaving her so someone else would take care of her. Instead, he would always be with her.Elijah understood what Liesel meant. He gazed at her gently before leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead. "Yes, I've thought things through."Elijah would not hold Liesel back. He would propose to her if she could heal him and give her everything. If she fell for someone else during that time, he also would not forbid her from leaving him.Elijah loved Liesel, but she would always have her freedom. He knew very well that he loved her, but he always wanted her to be free forever.He wanted her to stay by his side because she loved him, not because she pitied him. It was the only way he could
Liesel's gaze flickered as she waited for Elijah's response. Struggle was written all over his gaze as he looked past her. He was lost in a daze. Her words seemed to pull him into the future.Elijah watched Liesel slowly drifting away from him. He could only sit in his wheelchair as if he were a spectator and watch her run toward another man's arms from a distance.He saw how affectionate she was with the other man, doing things only lovers would do. The way she cast a charming smile at the other man…No. Absolutely not.Elijah was still unable to let Liesel go so easily. She was his lover, so he refused to let her leave. He drew her into his embrace with one arm and held her tightly. "Lili, I was wrong." The hoarseness in his voice was quite evident. "I can't accept the idea of you leaving me. I don't even want to imagine it. Please don't be with Thomas." To Liesel, the current Elijah seemed extremely fragile. A slight push could cause him to break down. She could feel his swe
Liesel couldn't hold back her laughter at Elijah's expression. "Are you angry?" She had clearly seen his eye twitching. Elijah was an extremely attractive man who did not resemble Jacob and Tobey's aloof demeanor at all. Instead, Elijah had chiseled features and stunning eyes. His intense gaze would make anyone feel like he only had eyes for them. Elijah had the looks of a troublemaker, yet he seemed strangely vulnerable at that moment. Liesel reached out and gently poked his face. "Why no response? Didn't someone say that Thomas' family and looks match me well? Didn't he even want to let me go so I could be with him? Why is this person so quiet now?"Elijah said nothing. He looked down while clearly feeling disheartened. "I remember you're always the best at explaining how life works to me. Why aren't you saying anything? Thomas has already confessed that he really loves me. Don't you want to know my answer?"Liesel leaned against Elijah. She pressed her forehead against his
Liesel was really capable of making Thomas fall for her. Had she known who he truly was and decided he could be of use? Was she planning to rise higher in the ranks?Elijah was lovesick for Liesel, but Austin still remembered how ruthless Elijah could be. If Elijah found out that Liesel had cheated on him, he might even want to ruin her completely and never protect her again.After all, how could anyone stand being cheated on? By then, not only would Austin have Elijah get back at Liesel, but Austin wanted the whole internet to know how scandalous Liesel could be. If Cameron knew how Liesel had seduced Thomas despite having a fiancé, Cameron would never let her off easily as well.As glorious as Liesel was now, she would be equally as miserable in the future. Despite being wealthy and powerful, she was still fragile no matter how capable she was. Austin wouldn't even have to do anything. All he had to do was lead her to the top before pushing her off. Liesel would crash and bur
Jacob glanced at Liesel, who looked at him with sarcasm in her eyes. There was no affection for him at all. "You refused to accept me and decided to go for Elijah. Now that he's crippled, you're choosing that man over me? Liesel, what can he even give you?"Jacob looked downward at Kitty in Liesel's arms. Kitty seemed to feel Jacob's disdain toward itself and began to tremble. "He even picked up this present from the streets."Indeed, Jacob had been keeping tabs on Liesel and was even here to spy on her. Otherwise, how else would he have known that Thomas was by her side? Liesel stopped petting Kitty. At that moment, her smirk faded away. "What does that have to do with you? Mr. Ford, have you forgotten who you are? You're merely my ex-husband, whom I've already divorced. You don't have the right to interfere in anything I do."Liesel mentioned him as her ex-husband to trigger him. Jacob couldn't help but clench his fists while staring at her icily."Must you trigger me?""I
"Can I take a day off?" Thomas asked. Liesel understood how he was feeling at that moment and smiled. "If one day isn't enough, you can take a few more days off."Liesel was still so gentle. She was so kind that Thomas felt more despair inwardly. Before leaving, he stopped to intentionally remind her. "Ms. Sharp, be careful of Austin whenever I'm not around."Although Thomas wasn't permitted to join the meeting earlier, he heard from those working at the research department that Austin was clearly harboring sinister motives."Why are you so certain that Austin's the problem and not me?""That's impossible. Ms. Sharp, you're the best person in this entire world. You would never betray the company." Thomas' words were filled with utmost confidence toward Liesel. "What if I stole company secrets and went to jail for that?" Liesel asked with an arched eyebrow. "That's not possible! Ms. Sharp, you would never do anything like that.""I said 'what if'.""There's no 'what if'."