"Will Ms. Ford really ever be protective of me? I think she hates me," Natalie said timidly. Her voice was choked up.Liesel did not continue eavesdropping. She closed the door, ignoring the both of them.As soon as the door closed, Natalie sat down on the armrest of Jacob's chair. Her fingers fiddled with the collar of his shirt as she asked timidly, "Jake, can I attend the Homecoming Day Ms. Ford mentioned as well? I'm an alumni of Alden University too, and I haven't been back to visit the campus for quite some time."She pressed her face close to Jacob's. "Plus, I don't want you to go with Liesel. That makes it look like you two are a couple. I don't like it."Her voice was soft and coquettish. She sounded like she was fully dependent on Jacob.Jacob ruffled her hair and changed the subject. "The Royale Restaurant's new menu has some desserts that you like. I'll take you there to try them."Natalie clung to Jacob's arm while gently swaying. "Will you bring me to Alden's Home
"It's me." Ophelia looked at Natalie coldly with a haughty attitude. Natalie put down her fork and straightened her back. She smiled kindly. "Fancy meeting you here, Ms. Ford.""It wasn't a coincidence," Ophelia smiled coldly. "I'm here to talk to you."Natalie was surprised. She didn't say anything, as she didn't know why Ophelia wanted to talk to her."I just wanted to see what kind of woman would follow in her mother's footsteps and knowingly be a homewrecker by ruining a perfectly good marriage," Ophelia said scathingly. Her smile had dropped.Natalie's smile remained, but she was also staring at Ophelia consideringly.Ophelia dressed lavishly, which fit her role as the daughter of the Ford family.From the way she dressed to the way she carried herself, she looked like the emblem of a socialite.Before Natalie could say anything, Ophelia plowed on. "I want to talk to you so that I can check you out properly. You're not much, aren't you? I don't know what Jacob sees in you
Natalie stumbled out of the Royale Restaurant. Outside, the cold wind chilled her.Her hair and clothes were wet. The wet fabric clung to her skin, making her shiver as the wind swept over her.Natalie hurried over to the curb. She wanted to call a cab.Head lowered, she did not dare to look at anyone, so she ran straight into a firm chest."Natalie?"Hearing her name, Natalie looked up and saw Jacob's frowning face.Apart from his scowl, there was no discernible expression on his face. He towered over her and was blocking the harsh wind.Standing in front of her, with his arms supporting her, Jacob felt safe and sturdy.The warmth from his hands transferred to her skin.Natalie's tears suddenly began flowing as she looked up at Jacob.She couldn't bring herself to say anything. All she could do was cry.Jacob paused for a moment before saying, "Let's get you into the car."Natalie got into Jacob's car. She noticed that he'd really gotten a new car. He wasn't driving Liesel
Liesel’s voice was nonchalant. She wasn't scared of him at all.The look she gave Jacob was also blank and impassive.She pushed down the pang in her heart forcefully.How could she not be upset?They'd been married for three years. Jacob knew exactly what kind of person she was.She'd never bothered with such despicable tactics. However, it seemed like that was what Jacob thought of her.What a joke.Jacob's expression was cold. He clearly did not feel anything for her anymore. "You're close with Ophelia. She did that to Natalie because of you."Liesel poked at the strawberry on her plate. It had almost been reduced to a mash. "Have you considered the fact that maybe Ophelia just doesn't like cheaters and illegitimate children?"Liesel's gaze was firm and steadfast."Ophelia hates them because her best friend in school committed suicide because of her stepmother and her stepmother's daughter."You should know why she hates them. You can't blame me for this." "Then why are
Liesel laughed. "Then again, you did the same thing too."For Natalie, you made me leave the secretary department and told me to be the manager of the project department."The victim should be the one to avoid the abuser. The victim should forgive the abuser, and should not take revenge on them…"As she spoke, her smile widened. "Do you hear how ridiculous you sound right now, Mr. Ford?"Jacob stared at her silently.Liesel did not continue to press on. She laughed again and poured herself a glass of water to wash down the sweetness of the dessert.There was sweetness on her tongue, but bitterness in her heart."I'm sorry. I misjudged you. I see now that Ophelia had acted on her own accord today," he said. His voice softened.Seeing that he was about to leave, Liesel put down her glass on the table with a loud thud. "Wait. Don't confront Ophelia," she said. Jacob turned. "Don't make her relive her trauma."Ophelia had been traumatized by the suicide of her best friend, which
Jacob told Drew to park the car. Then, he led Liesel into the food market.There were plenty of food stalls lining the street in the market. Due to its proximity to Alden University, the stalls were mostly clean and hygienic, and they sold a wide variety of food.The street was narrow and crowded.Jacob was dressed in an expensive suit. Combined with his cold expression and tall stature, he stood out amongst the crowd at the food market.Liesel stood behind him. She was slender and graceful, and her beautiful face was striking. The people around them couldn't help but stare.Thankfully, Jacob and Liesel were perceived to be a couple, so no one came up to them to ask for their contact information, which was fine with them.Meanwhile, Drew was bombarded by young women asking for his number as soon as he parked the car and entered the food market. There were even some men who did the same.Even though he had seen quite a lot in his life, at that moment, he had the urge to run away.
Why did Jacob say it like Liesel and Ophelia were the victims?Resentment brewed within Natalie, and her hands clenched into fists. Her eyes turned cold, and she swore she would never let Liesel win again!…Jacob was naturally unaware of Natalie's thoughts. When he returned to their table, he found Liesel plopped on the table, dead asleep.She had always been pretty, and her exquisite features could even be seen from her side profile. When she closed her eyes, her originally intimidating demeanor diminished greatly and left her looking gentle and harmless."Bill," Jacob said expressionlessly. His somber gaze was focused on Liesel.Once he paid the bill, he gazed at the sound-asleep woman and furrowed his brows slightly. Then, he carried her in his arms and brought her into the car.With a chicken skewer in his hand, Drew almost choked on his food at that sight.Jacob shot him a glance. "Back to Viewpoint.""Yes, Mr. Ford."During the car ride, Liesel would occasionally mumbl
"Mrs. Ford. Mrs. Ford?"Deep in slumber, Liesel could feel someone shaking her.She slowly opened her eyes and saw the amicable-looking woman in her 40s—Eloise. Since she became Jacob's wife, Eloise had been looking after her.Liesel frowned and propped herself up. "What's up, Eloise?""Mr. Ford has told me to wake you up, or you'll be late to work, Mrs. Ford," Eloise informed politely.Taken aback, Liesel nodded and then realized she was in a nightgown.Before she could react, Eloise explained, "When Mr. Ford took you home last night, you were already in a deep sleep. He didn't want to wake you up, so he changed your clothes for you."Liesel's body froze. Before the divorce, she would often fall asleep on the desk whenever she stayed up late to finish writing her proposal in the study.At that time, Jacob would carry her back to the bedroom and change her into a nightgown. If she woke up in the middle of that process, he would bring her into the bathroom and do other things…
Richard was even more delighted. "While Elijah was studying at Alden University back then, his lecturers kept his grades down. At that time, he was considered their genius student."Ms. Miller also participated in several projects with Elijah, so she truly understands what he's capable of. In fact, she brought up the marriage first. "Since she suggested marriage, it would be far too rude of us to reject her. That's why we need you to step aside."Richard didn't actually mean for Liesel to simply step aside. He wanted her to get lost. Liesel's gaze remained calm. She looked downward while estimating the time in silence. A faint smile formed on her lips."It's no use talking about all this with me. Why don't you wait for a few more minutes? He'll talk this out with you personally."Liesel was clearly seated in the wheelchair but did not seem like a victim at all. She looked up at Richard while speaking sarcastically. "If Elijah agrees to the breakup, I definitely won't bother h
"Since Elijah is the heir of the Hardin family, the woman standing beside him must be pure enough. She should be of high status, elegant, pure, and outstanding. Not some woman who was once married and had a miscarriage."His blunt words pierced into Liesel's heart. She looked up at Richard with a darkened gaze before letting out a mocking laugh. "You truly did your homework, Mr. Hardin, but you don't represent Elijah's stance. If he cared about all this, he wouldn't have pursued me from the start."Of course, Liesel did not reveal who she truly was. She was rather sensitive and suspicious at the moment. She remembered very clearly that she and Elijah started off with him being interested in her. He only truly pursued her because she was the one leading Shifter Corporation. Her identity was also the reason why Elijah slowly got close to her and began to understand her. Indeed, she had agreed to Elijah's pursuit because he was heir to Hardin Group. Both of them had ulterior mot
Liesel had never called Elijah "Eli" before.However, she didn't mind purposely using an intimate nickname in front of Richard now. She wanted him to feel the closeness between her and Elijah.Richard's expression fell.That disobedient son!Of course, he had handpicked a woman that suited Elijah more. She came from a noble and spotless background, and she was also good-looking. Of course, she couldn't compare to Liesel when it came to beauty, but her background was enough to defeat Liesel completely.What did Liesel have?If Heather were still alive, then she would have been Liesel's biggest crutch! Everyone would have to worship the ground she walked on.But Heather was dead, so what was Liesel worth now?She was a rising star in the financial circle known for her intelligence, but she was still just a woman. Unless she stood at the very peak, she was bound to get dragged back down into the mud one day.The young lady he'd picked was better suited for Elijah. She could easil
Richard had met Heather before.At the time, when Heather's reputation was at its peak, Richard had been a renowned playboy in their circle. He'd had many paramours and lovers, but the only one he wasn't able to forget was Heather.Heather's beauty wasn't just surface-level. Her beauty was capable of making people aware of her strength. Her elegance was akin to a highly valuable brocade. Whether one was seeing it from afar or up close, one would still get lost in the intricacy of its beauty.However, only when one held up a magnifying glass or an even more precise tool would they be able to see past the ornate patterns on the brocade. Only then would they be able to see the tiny encoded numbers below.Her stunning beauty coupled with her astounding intelligence could crush anyone around her.Liesel only resembled her by 70 percent or so, but both of them radiated the same aura.Heather had been more gentle, but there was a hidden danger lurking beneath the gentleness. A small smi
Denzel fell silent.He was clever enough to guess that Liesel must have lied to Jacob to provoke him.Liesel must not want Jacob to know that it was their baby. She must not want Jacob to continue to bother her, and she must not want anything else binding them together. Therefore, she'd made the decision to bluff Jacob that it was Elijah's child.Since it was Liesel's choice, he had no right to get involved.Denzel sighed heavily. "If you let her go, you would also be letting yourself go."Jacob's gaze darkened, and a snide laugh escaped his throat.Denzel knew that it would be futile to try to talk sense into Jacob, so he didn't bother.Before he left, he saw the danger lurking in Jacob's dark eyes. He couldn't help but feel worried for Liesel.He felt like Jacob had changed too much. He didn't know what kind of crazy things Jacob would be capable of.All he could do was pray that Jacob still held onto a shred of his rational side.…Elijah was in the middle of discussing t
Jacob had never been more aware that Liesel hated him and loved Elijah.His woman had ultimately become Elijah's lover, and he'd been the one who sent her straight to him.He was the one at fault.Jacob's gaze grew darker. He stood up, and his gaze fell on the surveillance system. He saw that Liesel was already awake and reading some documents. Her side profile was still so delicate and pretty. Her sickness couldn't stifle her charm.He couldn't stop himself from reaching out to touch her face, but his fingers only came into contact with the cold digital screen. He couldn't feel her soft and warm skin.Elijah walked into the room, and Jacob saw a smile bloom on Liesel's originally calm face. She grinned cheerfully at Elijah, waving the proposal in her hand.The past Liesel had never treated him so intimately before.Jacob's gaze was ice cold. As he watched Elijah lean down to kiss her forehead, he slowly clenched his fists.They had betrayed him. They had conceived that child
A dangerous look flashed in Elijah's eyes. Amidst the danger, there was blatant ridicule."Yes, the baby was mine." He sneered. Then, catching Jacob off-guard, he smashed his fist into Jacob's face.He moved swiftly and ruthlessly, showing no mercy. He only stopped when he saw purple and green bruises bloom on Jacob's face."Jacob, you're not wrong. The baby belonged to me and Liesel. By hurting them, you've chosen to antagonize Hardin Group." Retracting his fists, Elijah stood up. He stared down at Jacob, a bone-chilling iceness radiating from his gaze. "After this partnership ends, Hardin Group will never work with Ford Corporation again." This time, he still chose Liesel over profits.This wasn't a decision that he had to ruminate over. It was really because Liesel had been hurt by Jacob that he wanted to cut the alliance between Hardin Group and Ford Corporation.At that moment, he wasn't thinking about how Shifter Corporation was backing Liesel. He wasn't thinking about p
Elijah couldn't bear to see Liesel hurt. He couldn't bear to see Liesel not taking care of her body.He really just… cared so much about her."Actually, it doesn't hurt that much." The pain in Liesel's abdomen overpowered the pain from everywhere else. She raised an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "I just wanted to help you."Elijah knew that no matter what he said now, Liesel wasn't going to listen. This was just the way their personalities were."I'm going to ask Denzel to prepare a wheelchair for you. For now, you should sit in a wheelchair when we go out."Liesel sighed faintly. "Am I going to the financial summit in a wheelchair? That's kind of embarrassing.""Lili, you're gorgeous. How could you be embarrassing?" Elijah ruffled her hair. "Even if my Lili is unwell, she's still the prettiest Sickly Beauty."When it came to her, he was never stingy with compliments.Liesel forced a smile. Elijah knew that Liesel was still feeling guilty because of the baby. There wasn't anything
Elijah was quiet for a moment. Finally, he signed and handed the phone to Liesel.Liesel dialed Alyssa's number. Alyssa's assistant, John Welkin, picked up instead. Clearly, Alyssa had no interest in talking to Elijah anymore.John had planned to brush Elijah off with a few perfunctory words, but when he realized it was Liesel, he was stunned."It's Ms Sharp!"With just that one sentence, John managed to summon Alyssa over."Ms. Sharp? Oh my God, is it really you? Why are you calling me with Mr. Hardin's phone?" Alyssa grabbed the phone back in surprise. "Ms. Sharp, why do you sound so worn out? Did something happen? Do you need me to send a doctor? You don't sound well."In stark contrast to the cold and mocking attitude she gave Elijah, Alyssa showed Liesel nothing but warmth and gentleness.It wasn't just because Liesel's face was a sight for sore eyes, but her Shifter Corporation had also raked in a lot of profits for Alyssa. Basically, any partnership with Liesel was bound