"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…
"I'm not interested in getting revenge on a celebrity I used to be a fan of. If your daughter received any retribution, it's only because even God couldn't let it continue."If you have so much free time, it would benefit you more to come to church with me instead."Ophelia was about to walk off when Veronica leaped forward. She held onto Ophelia's leg again and refused to allow her to leave. "No, you can't walk away! Yvonne said that she doesn't have a future in the industry anymore after making you angry."You have to forgive her! Aren't you a fan? You can't just stop supporting her. You have to keep liking her. As the daughter of the Ford family, you can give her more opportunities, and she will definitely be able to rise again!" Veronica roared maniacally.Ophelia let out an exasperated chuckle. All of a sudden, she felt like the entire Zima family was full of lunatics.Unable to hold back anymore, she said angrily, "Yvonne has committed a crime. Do you think I'm moronic enoug
Understanding dawned on Ophelia's face. She seemed to have guessed the reason Veronica was here.She found the latter extremely ridiculous and disgusting."Yvonne Zima must be your daughter." Ophelia directly dropped Yvonne's full name. As soon as she uttered that, some of the spectator's expressions changed. Their eyes appeared disdainful and contemptuous as they regarded Veronica."What's the matter? What's the deal with Yvonne?" someone asked hurriedly when he noticed the shift in the others' expressions.A female student with glasses named Monica Stein was carrying a backpack with a Giselle keychain. Clearly, she was a hardcore fan of Giselle.Giselle was one of the women whom Yvonne had schemed against at the training camp. By chance, she was also this student's favorite celebrity.Monica immediately said, "What do you mean, what's the deal with Yvonne? If you don't know this story, then listen up."Yvonne is a manipulative bitch! During the filming of the variety show, it
"Shut up!" Ophelia yelled in a rage.She immediately asked the food truck owner to give her another cup of coffee before pouring it all over Veronica's calf. She was paying her back an eye for an eye.Agonized, Veronica swayed on her feet. Then, she collapsed onto the ground while gnashing her teeth in pain.Ophelia had been raised by none other than the demon himself, Edward. Since she was little, he would always stand in front of her to protect her. Ophelia knew better than anyone how he liked to deal with matters.After Edward left, she had picked up a few things from him. Naturally, she would never let herself get bullied by others."Give me a serving of fries, a taco, some churros, and a hotdog." Ophelia pointed at the menu items on the food truck and rattled on about her order to the owner, who was gaping at her.Ignoring the probing gazes of the people around her, she minded her own business and brought some fries to her mouth. Only then did she feel herself come back to l
Ophelia was so angry that she wanted to cuss at Edward. However, before she could even get mad, she heard Edward's disappointed voice. "Are you regretting this already?"Ophelia was dumbfounded. However, Edward continued slowly, "After giving it a lot of thought, you decided to abandon me. Is that it? I know I'm not good enough… I don't blame you…"Ophelia felt a headache coming on, but the anger had vanished. "No, I'm not thinking of abandoning you."The kiss yesterday had left her so excited that she hadn't slept a wink the entire night.She thought to herself, "If I don't set the record straight, Edward's going to overthink and paint me as a playgirl."She took a deep breath. "After you kissed me… I was really happy, so I only went to bed very late."Edward was obviously also caught off-guard. He hadn't expected to hear that. With delight in his eyes, he said, "I was also really happy that you let me kiss you."Ophelia hummed, and her face flushed red. "I'm really tired," she
Brandon didn't respond right away. Fred continued, "No one taught your mother and sister how to act appropriately in society. Mr. Ford is spending his precious time teaching them what to do and what not to do. Thus, they will have to suffer a bit for this."Mr. Zima, if you really want to help them, then just give your parents the bare minimum financial aid from time to time. As for your sister… you have no obligation to provide for her. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"Brandon couldn't accept it. "My sister's reputation in the industry isn't great right now. If I don't help her, then she really won't be able to survive. Mr. Ford is also an older brother. He should understand what I'm going through."Jacob loved Ophelia, and Brandon also naturally loved Yvonne. It was because of this that he wanted to try getting forgiveness from Ophelia.Fred raised his voice. "Ms. Ford is very warm and never treats people haughtily. She has never used her family background to bully oth
With a serious expression, Brandon rattled on about the various compensations for Ophelia. Fred nearly couldn't keep his facial expression under control.It seemed like everyone already knew that Ophelia was a huge fan of Chelsea's. It couldn't have been easy to think of such a compensation.The elevator arrived on the top floor, but Jacob still hadn't given his response. Therefore, Brandon hurried into his office behind Jacob and Fred. Finally, Jacob looked at him. "There is some sincerity to it."Firstly, a public apology to Ophelia on his company's Twitter account would clear her name. Secondly, the shares would be considered as financial compensation for the mental distress caused.The third form of compensation was the key point that convinced Jacob to look up. He thought that it was too difficult for Ophelia to fight for concert tickets and produce fan merchandise herself. Now that there was someone readily available to do it, Ophelia wouldn't have to work so hard.This pers
Jacob could really be heinous.Who wanted to listen to Veronica's blabbering?Most people thought that Tobey was sly, cold, and heartless. However, they didn't know that Jacob was the one who was truly wicked.In his youth, he had once been kidnapped because one of the medicines that the Ford family manufactured had threatened to undermine the profits of others. During that time, he'd suffered through endless torment.When he was rescued, his personality had turned ruthless.Although he could be monstrous, he placed great importance on his family and friends. And, Ophelia was his beloved little sister.How could he let Yvonne off the hook for scheming against Ophelia? He had to teach Yvonne that the world could be a harsh place.Not only was Yvonne stupid, but she was also very unfortunate.At first, Jacob could still tolerate how Yvonne had used Ophelia. He had just planned to give her a small taste of her medicine and stop there. However, Veronica had decided on her own accor
Vincent's expression turned cold. He wanted to kick her out of the house, but suddenly, Jacob's cold voice sounded from afar."Since our family is powerful and influential, why should we swallow our anger and surfer in silence?"Jacob had left a document at home, but because his assistant, Fred Foreman, didn't know where it was kept, he had to come home himself to get it. Unexpectedly, he overheard Veronica's haughty words when he returned.Well, a woman who was only pretending to be wealthy in a remote place was now acting superior in his home. Who would allow that to happen?All these years, Veronica had never been defied by someone younger than her before. Because she was much older, she considered herself superior. She didn't care if one was the heir to the family or the eldest son of the main family. At that moment, Jacob's words had made her rage boil over."Look! Look at the children that the Ford family has produced!"Jacob raised an eyebrow. He massaged the spot betwee
Edward chuckled quietly in her ear. "Where do you want to go tomorrow, Ophelia? Should I take you on an overseas getaway? Or perhaps, we could take a stroll nearby and watch a movie.""I can't go overseas; I'm not on break yet. Let's go watch a movie," Ophelia replied. "I've only watched a movie with you as my brother. This time, I want to try watching a movie with you as my boyfriend."Although Edward was still the same person, his identity had changed.She could now touch Edward openly. She could hold his hand, hug him, and kiss him.It was… really great."Alright, get some rest today. I'll come pick you up tomorrow," Edward said.Ophelia nodded and walked him to the door. As soon as she shut the door, she pressed her hand to her chest, feeling her heart thudding rapidly from the kiss earlier.She hopped into bed and rolled from side to side.After Edward got into his car, he finally let out a loud laugh. He pressed his fingers to his lips, reminiscing about the aftertaste sh