Elijah seemed to deliberately speak these harsh words to Ophelia, perhaps to prevent her from continuing to bring Jacob up in front of Liesel.The Hardin family wasn't exactly a model of virtue, but the Ford family wasn't innocent either.What Elijah said wasn't just for Ophelia's ears. It was also meant for Vincent and Jacob.He would make sure the Hardin family stayed away from Liesel. Of course, the Fords would need to have some self-awareness as well.Ophelia, who was usually eloquent, fell silent after Elijah's words.Smiling, Matthew stepped out of the car and moved to Ophelia's side. "Ophelia's a bit childish at times," he said, attempting to smooth things over. "She didn't mean any harm. Please don't take it badly, Mr. Hardin."The Fords all had striking looks, and Matthew was no exception.Though nearing 50, he had great skin and physique, with a gentler demeanor than Jacob. No one would guess that such a man could have done the things he did.When Elijah looked at Mat
Vincent continued, "When the news of Heather's research on holography leaked, the Mallone family had already fallen from grace, and Jeffrey couldn't protect her anymore."She came to see me, handing over all the precious materials, the research institute she secretly founded, and all her years of savings. She asked me to look after them for you and make sure no one takes them away."Now, countries around the world are researching holography. There are companies in our country working on it as well. Giving this to you now should keep you out of trouble."Heather had always been clever. The only mistake she made in life was choosing Jeffrey, that ignorant and evil man. Despite this, she still tried to ensure a good future for Liesel.The materials and the large sum of money were left in Vincent's hands.With them, Liesel could either continue Heather's research or sell the materials and live comfortably for the rest of her life.Liesel's hands trembled as she took the heavy, pricel
Liesel's gaze remained fixed on the heavy stack of documents.Through them, it felt as if she were looking directly into Heather's gentle eyes across time and space.She was confused, and that overwhelming sense of discomfort surged within her again.Heather had laid out all her paths. When she was just a child, she entrusted Xavier to Liesel's care. She had been little more than a ten-year-old then.To protect Xavier, Liesel had humiliated herself by begging Jeffrey on her knees. She pleaded with the man she had always despised to ensure Xavier could live peacefully.Xavier could grow up carefree, but what about her?Liesel had lived in the shadows, with no one to care for her or love her. She had to carve out her own path with nothing but sheer courage.She had clung to the faint, lingering affection Heather had left behind, so she had long decided to avenge Heather and continue researching holography.But… did Heather truly care for her? Did she really love her?If she did,
"Get the documents back. We can't let Elijah and Liesel keep them, no matter what," Matthew growled.Panting, he continued in a lowered voice, "And send people to find Howard immediately. I don't care what it takes. You must find him. Even if you have to abduct him, I want him in front of me.""Understood, Mr. Ford," came the reply on the other end of the line.As Matthew hung up the phone, his eyes were bloodshot with frustration.He was so close to obtaining Heather's research materials. With them, his project would make significant progress. He was certain of it.Meanwhile, Elijah's car pulled up outside Liesel's apartment. As they got out of the car, Liesel handed the stack of documents over to him."Make a backup, then take it to the research institute," she instructed.Along the way, she had already told Elijah about everything Vincent had said."Don't worry. I'll take care of it." Smiling, Elijah reached out to ruffle her hair.Liesel froze for a moment. Suddenly, she f
It had only been an hour since Vincent handed her the research materials, and now Elijah was injured because of them.Who could have done this? Who had such inside information?Liesel bit her lower lip. Suddenly, Matthew's deceitful face flashed through her mind.Matthew Ford! Liesel swore to make him pay for this.Liesel's gaze deepened as she tightly gripped Elijah's cold fingers, as if her touch could somehow bring him a little warmth.The car drove straight to Denzel's Cloudspire Hospital. She had contacted Denzel earlier, so as soon as Elijah's car arrived, someone was there to meet them.She followed closely behind and stood in the corridor outside the emergency room, where the medical staff was rushing in and out.She felt a mix of irritation and exhaustion. Her hands were still stained with Elijah's blood.She looked down at her palm. As she stared at the dried bloodstains, her resentment flared up again."Ms. Sharp."Elijah's assistant, Ethan Baxter, spoke calmly, "T
Matthew was about to lash out in fury when a notification popped up on his phone.Posts about the auction were already trending. "Auction Announced for the Research Materials of Heather Mallone, Pioneer of Holography in Draskia."The post had gone viral on Twitter, sparking a frenzy like a drop of ice-cold water hitting boiling oil. The whole tech world was ablaze.Anyone with half a brain knew that once holography technology became a reality, existing smart systems would be rendered obsolete. Connecting to holography would usher in a new technological revolution.The news spread fast. Not only had it reached the elites of Ashthorne's high society, but even researchers abroad were abuzz. Some publicly declared their intention to win the auction at all costs.Even though the data was from ten years ago, it was incredibly valuable to them and held significant worth."Liesel's lost her damn mind," Matthew growled, barely containing his anger. Who else but a lunatic would put Heather
Liesel's eyes remained cold and impassive as she watched Henry thrash and shout from his spot on the floor. She pulled out her phone and noticed there was still no response from Jordan. Her cold gaze deepened slightly.It didn't matter. She planned to use this worthless man for an experiment.Her eyes flickered to Henry, who was still spewing curses. "I'm not going to force you to talk," she said.Liesel clapped her hands, and a faint laugh escaped her throat. It was the kind of laugh that sent a chill down one's spine."I recently developed a prototype for a new vehicle model. It hasn't undergone any proper testing yet and probably won't be ready for years."She looked at Henry with a cold gaze. "But since you're a driver, why not help me test if the car is roadworthy?"Henry's eyes widened in shock. The curse words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.He stared at Liesel in disbelief, almost thinking he was hearing things.What did she mean by "test if the car is road
"Calm down, Lili." Neal could no longer remain composed. He felt like Liesel had lost her mind.The car seemed to jerk for a moment, as though it had heard Neal's voice. But after a brief pause, it shot forward at an even faster speed.Neal could feel the sweat pouring down his back. Liesel had truly lost it. She had gone mad for Elijah!"Neal, I'm not joking. Trust my control." Liesel pointed to her temple as she continued to manipulate the car at an insane speed.Neal's face darkened, but he said nothing. He simply watched helplessly as the car sped on.Suddenly, a large screen next to the track flickered on, revealing a live feed of Henry inside the car. He was crying and begging for mercy.The camera inside the car showed his frantic state.Liesel had already suspected that Henry agreed to stage the accident either because he was gravely ill or didn't fear death. Still, she had chosen to make him suffer.She wanted him to be engulfed by fear and experience the terror of a c
Austin didn't get to witness Liesel's downfall, but instead, he found himself in trouble. His overwhelming desire to bring her down had made him reckless.Investigators from White-Collar Crime Division arrived at Hardin Group. They wasted no time as they launched an in-depth investigation. The theft of such a groundbreaking research project by foreign competitors was a severe blow to the nation's industry and had drawn top-level attention.No one was allowed to leave the premises, and all employees of the research department were under scrutiny.Austin's gaze was cold and venomous. He felt nothing but contempt for Elijah and the others. To him, these men were pathetic fools for degrading themselves for a woman. How could they still call themselves men?He didn't mind the investigation. They wouldn't find anything on him anyway.His dealings with Alisha had been carried out discreetly, leaving no trace. Alisha had handled everything. None of it could be tied back to him.He was in
"Mr. Hardin has always protected Ms. Sharp," someone whispered. "He left a will that stated he would give everything to her. But as long as he's alive, that will doesn't matter. No man could tolerate such betrayal. Ms. Sharp will definitely be kicked out of Hardin Group."By the end of her words, her voice had begun to tremble. Sobs broke out of her chest. She sounded utterly pitiful.Austin wiped his face again and heaved a heavy sigh to blend in. No one knew about the chilling malice and deep satisfaction hiding in his eyes.Just then, slow, deliberate footsteps echoed down the hallway, followed by the sound of the glass door being pushed open.Everyone's heads turned. The murmured discussions fell silent, and the tense air became heavy with a solemn weight.Austin lowered his hand from his mouth and arranged his face into an expression of anxious unease.The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived. He wanted to see for himself just how far Liesel would fall and how
Austin's face was pale, and he looked down, seemingly like everyone else in the room. But a closer look would reveal that he was the most different of all.A sly smile tugged at his lips. There was even a flicker of light in his eyes, showing an air of ease and satisfaction. He was disconnected from the sorrows of those around him.How was Liesel doing now?The thought crossed Austin's mind, and he couldn't help but blink with interest.The peak of her life was just ahead. With one step, Liesel could have everything everyone dreamed of—applause, wealth, status, and a bright future.But at the closest moment to success, her outstretched hand was brutally severed, and her foot fell into an empty void.The pain must have been excruciating.Austin shook his head and sighed inwardly. Liesel was so pitiful.He put his freshly cleaned glasses back on his high nose bridge. Avoiding the gazes of others, he wore a most comfortable smile.He thought with satisfaction, "I climbed over you
An elderly man sitting next to Richard said, "One month. Liesel has to go if things aren't settled in a month."Felix looked at Liesel, who nodded.And just like that, it was decided.Richard, along with his subordinates, left the meeting room. As they passed Liesel, Richard shot her a look full of disdain.Liesel stood there with a faint smile. She was completely indifferent to the situation.As the group walked by, Howard subtly extended his long leg.Richard tripped and went tumbling to the ground, landing face-first. As he scrambled up, he glared back with a grim expression.He could deal with Liesel and plot against Felix, but Howard was a different story. He couldn't do a thing to him."Let's go, Ms. Sharp." Howard stood up leisurely while casually adjusting his silver-gray tie. His Adam's apple sat perfectly at the collar of his shirt.Howard had once again reached new heights of attractiveness today.In the elevator, Liesel asked curiously, "You didn't even use a remo
Felix nodded at Liesel, who was standing on stage. Just as he was about to speak, his phone began buzzing loudly.Every phone call was crucial during such a critical moment. Felix waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to wait for a moment. He checked his phone and saw that he had received more than ten of the same videos over and over again. On the video thumbnail was a silhouette of Liesel embracing Thomas.Felix's fingers twitched as he looked up at Liesel, who was still waiting for his response. At the same time, all the other executives' phones vibrated. Everyone had received the same videos. The crowd stared in shock at the sight of Liesel and Thomas in those videos. She had cheated on Elijah by hooking up with Thomas. Didn't that imply it was actually possible for her to betray Hardin Group? That was the crucial moment Richard had been waiting for. He couldn't help but give some sarcastic remarks. "How exciting for you, Ms. Sharp. You've used my son to take everything aw
Howard paused, but he wasn't surprised that Richard was trying to cast the blame on Liesel at that moment. Felix also instantly looked up with a fiery gaze. He really didn't understand why they weren't coming up with a solution at that moment. Instead, Richard wanted to continue the internal conflict and fight for some power that outsiders would consider insignificant.Dakota hurriedly placed a hand on Felix's shoulder and hinted for him to calm down. Dakota continued, "Mr. Donner, the same technology with the exact specifications happened to be released before we could even launch it."Things can't be that coincidental. We must get to the bottom of this, but we shouldn't panic and lose our composure either."The turbulent emotions within Felix faded away instantly as he ordered, "As long as the matter isn't clear yet, no one is allowed to make any statements that would negatively impact the company or their colleagues!" The first order of business was to keep everyone's mouths
"No. Ms. Sharp wants to achieve a global market share of 35%.""Wow! That target is insane! If Ms. Sharp succeeds, won't our company be making a fortune? Those two are our most profitable projects!""We can't be sure how much our company will earn since those amounts are way beyond our imagination. We might as well think about how much bonuses we'll receive this year.""I think I can use my bonuses this time to pay a down payment for a house in Ashthorne. I might even be able to get a nice car."Everyone's excited voices drifted across the spacious office. Their eyes lit up with excitement and hope. Austin tossed the files aside before reaching for his phone to send a text. "It's time." After sending the message, he deleted it instantly, and the chat vanished as well.A moment later, an overseas car manufacturer suddenly announced some earth-shattering news, causing a stir across the automotive industry.At the same time, Augustine's family also revealed their cancer treatment
These new projects were worth hundreds of millions in the market, and Liesel was the reason everyone could enjoy the profits. Before the announcement was even over, rounds of applause echoed across the meeting room several times.The optimized cancer treatment medication was enough to surpass the related treatments that foreign countries had always dominated. The medication had outperformed those of the Bergs' family company, which led to Hardin Group capturing their market share.Everyone in the meeting room beamed at Liesel on stage. Even Richard was amazed by how profitable these projects were.Howard held a remote as he leisurely controlled a colorful drone. Despite being present at such a crucial meeting, he remained carefree and indifferent. However, no one dared to criticize him. He was the only one who could develop the blueprint Liesel had drafted. Hardin Group could only go as far as Howard's strong capabilities.The executives' faces had gone red from excitement, and s
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