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
No, this wasn't enough. Liesel's fingers tightened around the remote as she guided the car back onto the track.Henry was trembling with fear as he shouted desperately, "Let me go! Please, let me go!"Liesel remained indifferent to his pleas."Enough, Lili." Neal gripped her wrist, trying to pull her back from the edge."No, how could it be enough?" Liesel tightened her hold on the remote."He dared to do such a thing, which means he didn't value Elijah's life. If that's the case, why should I care about his? Since he doesn't care about his life, then I'll let him die."Liesel's gaze fixed on Henry's panicked face as she pressed the button again and again. His screams echoed as the car hurtled down the track."Stop, Lili. Just stop." Neal wanted her to stop this madness.But Liesel withdrew her hand from his grip and said flatly, "This is just the beginning. You know me the best. I've always been this way."Yes, Liesel had always been like this. She could be gentle, but only t
Ethan began to clap. His eyes sparkled with admiration and awe. "This car was only built to test the model's performance. It still needs more optimization later on," Liesel said coolly. She walked toward the mangled vehicle, her heels clicking sharply against the ground. A breeze swept by, causing the hem of her loose dress to flutter. Her lips still held the faint curve of a smile, but it was cold."How does it feel, Henry?" Liesel stared down at the man bleeding from his forehead. She didn't bother kicking him out of revulsion for how dirty she thought he was.Henry huddled on the ground. The fear in his chest had reached its peak.Knowing he wouldn't live much longer due to his terminal illness, he had targeted Elijah. He accepted a hefty payout from Matthew as he thought it would secure his family's future after his death.The sensation of being repeatedly hurled toward death but never quite reaching it was unbearable. His body felt like it was being suspended mid-air and
Liesel stepped into Neal's car without another word. Neal followed closely behind, his gaze lingering on her the entire time. Neal rolled the windows up, and only the two were left in the car. "Lili, that was extreme." Neal started the car as he spoke. Neal didn't need Liesel to say a word. He knew she wanted to visit Elijah at the hospital.Liesel toyed with the strands of hair falling across her forehead. She remembered how Elijah always used to smooth those stray locks whenever they were together. The memory sent a faint shiver through her, her chest tightening at the thought of him lying in a pool of blood.She pressed her hand to her chest, her heartbeat thundering against her palm. "Neal," she said softly. "If it were you or Jordan that these people tried to kill, I would've lost it. They wouldn't simply suffer a few crashes. They'd vanish without a trace—abducted, sold to work camps, or lost at sea, swallowed by the depths of the roaring waves, their bones devoured
Elijah was making Liesel feel guilty on purpose, knowing that guilt would bind her closer to him with an unshakable sense of affection. He chuckled softly, but his amusement was cut short when Liesel cupped his face in her hands and kissed the corner of his mouth. The hospital room's harsh fluorescent light seemed to soften at that moment. They cast a gentle glow over them. His lips were dry and soft. As she leaned in, Liesel caught a whiff of blood mixed with antiseptic. "Liesel, the anesthesia hasn't completely worn off yet." Elijah tried to grab her hand, but he didn't have the strength to do so. With a hint of helplessness in his voice, he continued, "Maybe you should wait until tomorrow to kiss me." "Keep dreaming." Liesel pursed her lips before she suddenly rested her head on his shoulder. Her warm breath brushed against his neck, the closeness more tender than romantic. "Elijah, I was so scared. Even now, I can't stop shaking. Look." Liesel lifted her arm as if
Elijah still had the nerve to play games even in his current state.Neal glanced over at Liesel with a look of mild helplessness, as if silently telling her to control her man.Just then, Elijah's phone buzzed. It was a message from Ethan, informing him that Liesel would be auctioning off Heather's holography research materials in three days.Elijah looked up at Liesel, his tone calm and gentle. "You're going to sell your mother's research materials?"Liesel wasn't surprised Elijah knew about it. She had told Ethan herself, and Ethan, loyal as ever, would naturally pass the information on to Elijah."That research only brings misfortune. Why keep it?" she answered candidly, a smile still lingering at the corners of her lips.It was true that it had only brought misfortune. If it wasn't for the file, Elijah wouldn't have been targeted by Matthew so quickly, causing the accident that landed him in the hospital."That's different. It's a gift Ms. Mallone left for you. You should ke
Although Neal didn't quite approve of someone playful and with a slightly needy nature, if Liesel was happy, that was all that mattered. It was all just a game between young lovers, after all. Compared to Jacob, Elijah seemed like a better match for her.At least he didn't make her feel like an outsider, with her husband acting cold and distant.Elijah didn't make Liesel stay in the hospital longer than needed. After a short conversation, he urged her to leave and get some rest. Neal didn't linger either and followed Liesel out of the hospital."Are you sure he's the one?" Neal asked.Liesel was quick to answer. "Yes. For now, he is.""That's good. I think you'll be happy with him." Earlier at the hospital, despite Elijah being exhausted, he had still been trying to make Liesel laugh, lifting her spirits in the face of the car accident. It seemed like he was making an effort to show that the accident hadn't affected him at all.The reason he had urged Liesel to go back and rest
"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