"Yes. Just as Elijah said, I won't be returning to Ford Corporation." Liesel smiled gently. Her answer was clear and decisive as if no further consideration was needed. She turned to Elijah and asked, "I turned down Mr. Ford's invitation for your sake. Does that make you happy?" Elijah paused mid-bite into his apple, then resumed after a moment. Yet somehow, the apple now felt overwhelmingly sweet.All the restless waiting, the anxiety, and the uncertainty dissolved in an instant. It was all replaced by a deep sense of satisfaction and joy. He had won the bet.Jacob's hand clenched around the cigarette box. When he lifted his gaze to Liesel, the faint spark in his eyes extinguished completely.An oppressive mix of emotions—heaviness, gloom, pain, and even despair—poured from the cracks in his heart. He had lost.For a moment, he stood rigidly by the hospital bed, then silently pulled out a chair and sat down. Outwardly, he still looked as cold and unyielding as ever, but Elija
Elijah was the type of person who always knew how to take advantage of a situation.Liesel was kind enough to cut fruit for him, so he pushed his luck and asked her to feed him as well. His eyes even glimmered with a hint of fawning. Though he was clearly as sly as a fox, in that moment, he looked more like a cute, mischievous kitten or puppy—one you'd want to ruffle and pinch its cheeks.Liesel felt a slight warmth and tingling sensation in her fingertips. She kept her expression neutral as she continued to cut the apple into pieces. Then, she pierced the apple with a toothpick and brought it to his mouth.Elijah smiled as he bit into the fruit, not forgetting to hold her hand as he flirted, "Lili, you feeding me makes it taste even sweeter."Jacob watched the scene with a blank expression. Elijah, who was still smiling, said, "Mr. Ford, if you also enjoy apples, you're welcome to peel one for yourself. Or… since you have another Ms. Sharp to take care of you, there's no need fo
Regret.Did Jacob regret it?"I don't know," he said. His throat was dry.He rubbed his aching chest. It felt like someone had slashed his chest open with a knife and left behind thousands of tiny little cuts. The tiny pricks of pain didn't hit him all at once like a tidal wave. Instead, it felt like a million ants eating away at his heart.He really didn't know.Denzel rubbed his tired eyes. "Right, you've never known that emotion. Well, does it hurt? Does it hurt to see Liesel and Elijah together? Does it hurt to see them kiss?"Looking at Jacob, he pushed his glasses up his nose. "If it hurts, then you love her."Love?Jacob seemed confused. He didn't know whether this strange feeling was love. Wasn't it just his possessiveness acting up?His gaze was still directed at the hospital room. Liesel always smiled when she looked at Elijah. They got along peacefully and harmoniously. Even he had to admit that they were a great match.However, she should have been his woman inste
Liesel raised an eyebrow like she was considering Elijah's game. Even the corner of her eye seemed to be raised.She slapped his hand away and then turned her head to continue reading. "Why do you think I'm still thinking about him?"This time, the world-class financial summit was centered around Ashthorne. All the attendees were renowned businesses from all over the world who were coming in search of partnership opportunities. Naturally, Liesel had her eye on a few projects that she wanted to bid for."The auction is in two days, after which the financial summit will be around the corner. The college entrance exam is starting in a month, and I have plans to drop by Ashthorne First High School. With so much happening at once, where would I find the time to think about him?"It's not like I have a lot of spare time," she said lightly.Although Elijah felt exhilarated to hear Liesel say that, he couldn't stop himself from saying, "Doesn't that mean you also don't have the time to th
Elijah's amusement deepened. He played with Liesel's hands, interlacing their fingers together. "That's not too bad. As the big bad villain, I defeat the main character and steal his princess away. It's the perfect ending. The villain likes it."Even at this time, he's still capable of sweet-talking her.Of course, she could hear the placating tone in his voice, like he was talking to a child. Seeing Elijah lean down to kiss her, she turned her face to the side and covered his mouth. "Elijah, why do you never get enough kisses?"Even with her hand covering his mouth, there was still a smile in Elijah's eyes. He bit her fingers gently and said, "When I look at you, I can't help it."Liesel was a little exasperated. Actually, she felt like Elijah was a bit clingy. Nonetheless, it wasn't a bad feeling. It gave her the misconception that someone actually did care about her wholly."Alright, let's get down to business. What game do you want to play?"Arching an eyebrow, Elijah said, "
It pointed to Liesel as the culprit?This was really ruthless.If this was really the work of Matthew, perhaps he never had the intention of letting Liesel off in the first place. Or maybe, he'd anticipated that they would protect Liesel and not let this incident blow up.No matter whether it was Matthew or Liesel, Jacob didn't want either side to get hurt."Cover this up. The official story is that there was a car accident, and he died after a resuscitation attempt."Henry had gotten hurt quite seriously in the accident. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that he'd died from his injuries.Charles was silent for a moment. Then, he turned around to work on cleaning up the evidence for Matthew.Although he said that he was doing this for Liesel, it was actually also for Matthew.Liesel had no idea about what Matthew had just done. While she was in the hospital, Denzel did a thorough check-up on her health.Her body was recovering slowly. Denzel flipped through her patient chart w
Liesel lowered her head, fiddling with her phone. She seemed to find those words quite interesting."Dr. Johanson, have you considered the possibility that this is something we enjoy? I really want to take care of him, and I also really like to watch him act."Finally, do you still remember what kind of relationship Elijah and I have?"Denzel was silent. Elijah was now her lover, so those words had actually been unnecessary."You shouldn't have said that.""I'm sorry," Denzel said. His calm voice was laced with guilt."There's no need to apologize. I know you said it for my sake."The reason Denzel mentioned it was also because he was worried that she'd fall head over heels in love again and become unable to extricate herself from her new relationship.Liesel's gaze dimmed slightly. Seeing that Denzel didn't have anything else to say, she walked away.When she returned to the hospital room, she found Elijah already going through the documents about the auction.The organizer
The lanterns outside the auction were decorated with intricate drawings. The drawings swayed gently in the slight breeze, adding an artistic flair to the path.The guests slowly began to arrive. This time, most of them were here for Heather's research materials. They gathered in small groups of twos and threes and started discussing it. Even though they all wore amicable smiles, they knew that everyone in the room was going to be their rival at the auction.Beneath the night sky, the auction seemed like a glowing pearl, emitting a gentle yet enrapturing light.When the guests stepped through the doors, they were immediately stunned by the sight before their eyes. Murals adorned the curved ceilings in the spacious and brightly lit hall. Light spilled from hidden corners in the room, blending with the murals on the ceilings to form a mysterious yet solemn atmosphere.The floor was lined with a thick carpet. Its colors and complex patterns seemed to bring out the echoes of history.
If Xavier really made any mistakes, Liesel would definitely back him up since she was powerful and reliable. He was very confident about that at the moment.In the past, Xavier came off as steady since he had matured early, but he was slightly immature now. It was as if he could afford to be stubborn and childish since he had Liesel as his older sister. Liesel mentioned that she could support Xavier since she was wealthy and powerful. What else did Xavier have to worry about? She was his elder sister.Liesel gazed at Xavier and spoke earnestly. "Xavier, I won't force you to make a decision, but have you truly made up your mind to major in performing arts?"No need to get nervous and change your decision because of me. I just want to know what path you want to take for your future.""I'll choose a performance major, but not immediately." Xavier continued to explain, "I'll go for a physics major first and produce some results. Then, I'll choose what I like later."Howard chuckled.
Liesel couldn't help but advise Howard. "Mr. Durham, you said Xavier should decide his own future. You've gone too far.""Have I gone too far? Not only did you not discipline him, but you're lecturing me now?" Howard pointed at himself. "I can do much worse! Xavier, you listen to me. If you dare choose to enroll in a performance major, I'll break your legs! I'll break both of them!" Howard was being completely unreasonable. Liesel massaged her temples while thinking about how things were in disarray. Although she never expected Xavier to choose a performance major, it wasn't as if he wasn't allowed to. She retorted. "Didn't you just say that I can support him since I'm his older sister? That's why he won't have a hard time making a decision since I'll be his financial backer."Howard wasn't pleased. "But he has a super high IQ.""But I'm rich.""But he has a super high IQ." Howard refused to let go of the fact that Xavier was intelligent.Most importantly, Xavier was Heather
Howard had considered everything. Heather and Jason's children definitely had the best genes. Liesel and Xavier had the power to change everything, so why did they insist on learning finance just to earn money?"Like you said, you chose finance because you had no other choice, nor the money. You didn't want to be controlled, so you took that path. "But what about Xavier? Since he has you as his sister, would he even be short of money? You'll always donate money to the laboratory if he lacks any research materials, right?"Since you'll be supporting him, that kid can decide on his own future." Howard saw through it all, and he was also worried that a promising talent like Xavier would be ruined. Liesel glanced at Xavier and paused before asking, "What do you think?"Xavier was startled. He never considered all that. In the past, his biggest dream was to escape the Scotts. Even after getting away from the Scott family, Xavier faced many issues as well and didn't have the time to
Jeffrey only officially acknowledged two daughters—Liesel and Natalie. The upper class already picked Liesel's identity apart a long time ago. Yet she was calmly informing the onlookers that she had a younger brother. Since when did she have a little brother?However, no one asked on the spot. Despite feeling suspicious of Liesel and Xavier's identities, the crowd still smiled hypocritically. Liesel must have brought up Xavier at that moment to show her support for him.Zack and Sky rushed to the party, intending to make a fuss by ruining Liesel and Xavier's reputation. Yet she acknowledged her relationship with Xavier by letting everyone know that they were siblings. Liesel had a younger brother, and his name was Xavier.Xavier stood under the light, which cast a glow on his side profile and made him seem very tall. He most likely experienced a growth spurt when he was younger, so he had a tall and frail figure. Xavier was quite handsome. Despite his gentle demeanor, he cam
Exactly. Why did the Fords have to target Liesel?Howard was never a good person. If he were the king during the olden days, he would definitely favor ministers who flattered him instead of the decent ones. He would be driven by self-interest and only appoint those who were close to him as ministers.There was nothing Howard didn't know. Besides, Howard was on good terms with Heather and wasn't close with anyone from the crowd. They weren't even worthy when compared to Liesel. Liesel was Heather's daughter, and Liesel could even be Howard's future business partner. If Howard didn't take Liesel's side, who else would he side with?Edward's gaze remained calm. "Mr. Durham, you've spoken so bluntly. Don't you know what kind of rumors might spread among the upper class? They might end up hurting her badly.""Hurt her badly?" Howard chuckled. "I'm watching over her on behalf of my old friend, Heather. If any of these rumors start flying, I'll let those people have a taste of what it's
Despite being insulted, Howard's expression remained unchanged. "Look at how pitiful Zack and Sky are. They're covered in injuries all over. "Why didn't you take them to the hospital for treatment? Instead, they're dressed in luxury clothes that don't belong to them so they can attend the dinner party."Howard cocked his head before adjusting his glasses. His gaze remained sharp. "Can't you tell that your father and brother are trying to ruin Liesel and Xavier's reputations?"If you did, you're being malicious by acting innocent and standing up for your father and brother. If you can't tell what's going on, then you're really stupid. Ms. Ford. May I know which one you are?" Howard did not show mercy to Ophelia.A few people at the dinner party could no longer take it. They began massaging their temples while muttering under their breaths. "No one kicked you out yet, so why are you speaking up for them? Why are you triggering him? Serve you right for being humiliated." Others b
Edward said with a warm expression, "Aren't you being too authoritarian, Mr. Durham? Perhaps they had only come to the banquet because they had no other choice. Why don't you hear them out? I don't think you're a stone-cold person.""Oh, you Fords were the ones who brought them here."From just Edward's words, Howard had reached a conclusion.Edward was speechless. Even though Howard had said that, how was he so certain?The smile on Edward's face froze momentarily. "Mr. Durham, my father just thought that they were very pitiful, so he wanted to help them out.""Matthew is already in a wheelchair. No matter how you look at it, he's more pitiful than they are. He should help himself first," Howard said with a sneer. He was mocking them without mercy.The calm expression on Matthew's face turned rigid. "Do you know that this banquet is for the upper class as well as researchers?" Howard directed his aloof gaze toward Edward. "Which category do you think these two fall under? Do t
Howard was confused. "What? Is he a dog? He's so quiet and boring, but if I try to initiate conversation, he doesn't like it. On the contrary, you stay silent, and your favor rating goes up. Is he stupid?"Liesel opened the screen containing the characters' personal attributes and practically shoved the phone in Howard's face.The male character's bio was displayed.There, it clearly stated that until he introduced someone into his protective circle that he considered his people, he would not open his heart to them. He also hated people who didn't have boundaries, and he also detested strangers prying into his life. He also disliked talking about work or family during rest time.However, if he was in love with the player, then it'd been a different story. He would become obsessive to the point of possessiveness and lay everything bare for her on his own accord.Howard's blabbering mouth instantly formed a circle. "Oh, I didn't have boundaries."Finally, they finished the first ph
Howard continued his vulnerable rant. "Come, help me run through the plot. I want to see what choices you make and what ending you'll get. Damn it." He let out another string of curses."Why in the world do you think that I would be able to clear this kind of game?" Liesel really didn't want to deal with this.Howard crossed his arms while looking Liesel up and down. Then, he harrumphed. "Probably because you're the most desired romantic partner in the entire upper class of Ashthorne, Ms. Sharp."Liesel didn't want to hold that title, but she was in an alliance with Howard. It wasn't like she couldn't play a game for him.Thus, under everyone's gaze, Liesel and Howard began to play a dating simulator at a banquet thrown for the upper class.This should have been their turf where they were the most powerful, yet they were playing a trivial game.Howard's assistant, James Pund, was also dumbfounded. After a long pause, he stammered, "Mr. Durham, what about the Scotts—""Be quiet