She had always been nothing more than a beautiful shadow, a vessel for Jacob to vent his desires. Sometimes, Liesel wondered if, when Jacob kissed her, another woman's face flashed through his mind. Over those three years, just how far had she allowed Jacob to go?To him, she was only someone to indulge his every whim. She wouldn't refuse and would let him do as he pleased. She was his perfect, living outlet. She existed solely for his satisfaction.Her clothes were always torn apart in the process. He never cared whether she was comfortable, because he didn't love her. He knew she would endure anything as long as it pleased him. There was no love between them because he never saw her as his wife, and because he always planned to leave her eventually, there was no need for tenderness. Even in those rare, fleeting moments when his eyes softened, she suspected the warmth wasn't for her but for Natalie. And yet, Jacob had the nerve to ask why she had done this to him. What a
Natalie felt a surge of relief knowing that Liesel still relied on Denzel's custom herbal medicine. Herbal remedies were ideal because no one could ever tell what might be added to them. At that moment, Natalie's mother—Rebecca Shadow—was at a beauty salon. When she received the call, she frowned. She moved to a quiet corner to pick up the phone. "What are you up to now?" Rebecca had remarried years ago, choosing a respected department head at Cloudspire Hospital. Despite the unease she felt at hearing Natalie's anxious tone, she remembered her daughter's generosity. Every time Natalie asked for help, it came with a handsome reward. That thought steadied her. "This isn't something we can discuss over the phone. Let's meet," Rebecca finally said. She suggested a nearby café. Natalie was already overwhelmed by anxiety. The moment she entered the private room, she blurted out, "Can Uncle help me?" "What's happened that's made you so worked up?" Rebecca sipped her coffee leis
Because of the financial summit, Liesel had been very busy with work. The sheer exhaustion left her dizzy, and a dull pain constantly radiated from her lower belly.She reached for a glass of warm water, but she couldn't muster the energy to lift it. The glass slipped from her grip and shattered against the floor with a loud crash, sending shards of glass flying.Feeling groggy, she collapsed in front of the desk. Even until the last moment, she kept a stubborn grip on her phone. The undialed number on her screen was the number for the hospital's emergency services.No, she couldn't pass out here.Liesel forced herself to stand. Holding the wall for support, she wobbled out of Viewpoint.The sun was so blinding that she couldn't open her eyes at all. She tried to flag down a taxi, but suddenly, a taxi came speeding in her direction.She wanted to dodge, but she was completely devoid of strength. Her legs trembled like she'd been nailed to the ground.The speeding car crashed int
Jacob's dark gaze was cold. He didn't clarify that he wasn't Elijah; instead, he reached out to pat Liesel's head. A look of heartache crossed his eyes. "You must be too fatigued. You also have a weak constitution. That's why you fell sick."He covered Liesel's bruised hand with his own. "The needle also moved out of place a few times, so we couldn't keep poking the same hand. At the time, you were deep asleep, lying on your other hand. I didn't want to startle you, so I asked the nursing staff to insert the IV needle into your arm instead. There's still half a bag of drip left to go, so hold on a little longer."At that moment, Liesel looked very faint. Her face was completely devoid of color, and pain was the only thing written on her face.Jacob felt a lump in his throat as he gazed at her with a complicated look. The emotion in his gaze was truly unreadable.Liesel's head was aching badly. She suddenly placed her hand on her belly, realizing that something wasn't right. Her bel
There had been their marriage, the car, the presents, the company, the job… Finally, there was the baby.The final tie between Liesel and Jacob was completely gone.A cold yet wry laugh escaped Liesel's throat. "That wasn't the bond tying me and Elijah together. Jacob, you wouldn't understand.""I don't care about these things!" Jacob gripped her hand tightly while gazing at her fixedly. Right now, he'd completely shredded the calmness and emotional regulation that he prided himself on. He seemed to be struggling to make the final decision. "Liesel, I'm giving you a chance. I'm giving you a chance to return to my side."He thought to himself, "If you make the right choice this time, I'll let you off the hook. You'll live a comfortable life, and you'll marry me and become my wife once again. I can put aside everything that happened between you and Elijah."Return to his side?Liesel's expression suddenly changed. Her face turned ashen, and her lips were even trembling lightly. S
However, Liesel didn't even look at the food. All she felt were chills from the ice running through her body. Even looking at food made her want to throw up."Where's my phone?" she asked quietly. She hung her head without looking at Drew.Right now, she couldn't even tell whom she was angry at.Drew froze for a moment. "It was crushed in the accident."Without saying a word, she got out of bed. However, she was so frail that she immediately crumpled to the floor.Drew tried to help her up, but she stubbornly avoided his touch. Instead, she continued to sit on the cold floor. "Don't touch me."She was so powerless that she couldn't even hold onto anything."I feel sick when I look at you all," she spat icily. She couldn't care less how Drew would feel hearing those words.She looked up, meeting Drew's hurt eyes. "Jacob did this, didn't he?" she asked intensely. Her voice made it sound like this was an interrogation.Earlier, her mind had been a mess. She had been so overcome w
"Should I call Elijah? Can I call him? If he's busy with the Hardin Group's partnership…" Liesel trailed off dazedly.Under these circumstances, she wouldn't call Elijah. She quietly bowed her head and slowly shuffled back to bed.Lying down, she pulled the sheets over her head, shrouding herself in complete darkness. Tears kept streaming down her face and wetting the pillowcase. The damp chill pressed against the side of her face.She couldn't close her eyes. As soon as her eyelids shut, all she could see was the child walking away resolutely. She covered her mouth, not allowing herself to sob out loud. This was humiliating.After some time passed, she could hear hurried footsteps approaching her bed."Elijah, how are you—" Drew exclaimed in shock.At this time, Elijah should be starting the partnership talks with Fruece. Why was he back now?Was he willing to throw away the partnership to be by Liesel's side?That was a several billion-dollar deal. He was truly crazy!Befo
Liesel said nothing. She didn't want to push all the blame on Elijah. After all, Elijah was the most innocent one in this situation."I just can't accept reality. We were so excited to meet our baby. I was even thinking about how we'd make handicrafts and watch his favorite cartoons together. I was looking forward to being by his side as he slowly transitioned to adulthood. I wanted to give him everything, but…"The grief overcame her once again, and she couldn't stop herself from tearing up."Lili, don't try to run from this. You have to accept what happened," Elijah said. His gaze was warm but firm. "We never wanted this to happen. You already did everything you could, but it's not fated to be. It's neither my fault nor yours; it's the fault of the accident."He hasn't arrived in this world yet, so he gets a chance to choose differently. Perhaps he'll be reincarnated into a better family and live a better life."While he was inside your belly, he was always a good boy. Therefore
"I'll never leave him." Not ditching Elijah meant Liesel was rejecting Jacob. After speaking, Liesel refused to talk to Jacob any longer. She didn't even see the struggle and pain in Jacob's eyes as she turned to leave. Even if she noticed, she probably didn't care anymore. Elijah and Liesel got into the car. Xavier didn't get into the same car with them, but he was still tactful enough to hitch a ride in Reuben's car.Liesel drove in silence toward the apartment lobby. "Stop being angry, okay? I apologize." Elijah drew Liesel into his embrace.Although she didn't struggle, she didn't return his hug either. Without a word, she held the remote and drone Howard had given her.Although Elijah held Liesel in his arms, seeing her current expression made him feel terribly empty inside. He kept kissing Liesel's cheeks and ears while murmuring his apologies. "I like you." His hoarse voice sounded pleading. "I said all that because… Lili, I don't want to manipulate you into staying w
Jacob remained standing from a distance while watching Liesel and Elijah's interaction in silence. Jacob became lost in his memories as he recalled that Liesel had never been that affectionate with him before.She wanted to get close to Jacob, but he never opened up to her. Whenever Liesel got close to Jacob, he would handle things with her in a professional manner. They had an employer-employee relationship at Ford Corporation, but they acted more like strangers back at their apartment.Liesel and Jacob couldn't even be considered friends. They would only communicate whenever they needed to satisfy their physical needs.Jacob had seen the most charming side of Liesel, and she only showed him her gentle side. However, Liesel was only ever that carefree with Elijah. In the future, they might be much more affectionate with each other. Elijah… Why didn't he die in the car accident? Why did he survive?Jacob's gaze darkened. His eyes were filled with obvious disdain. "Elijah,"
"I'm willing since it's you." Liesel leaned forward, drawing her lips close to his ear. Her warm breath lingered seductively. It was almost as if she were about to lean into his embrace."Do you really like me controlling you?" Liesel asked Elijah, who hummed in response. "Do you really like being possessed? You've loved freedom for your whole life, but could you give it up for a specific person at certain moments?" Liesel asked. Elijah gazed at her. His expression was unchanged. "Yes, if it's for you."Liesel brushed her lips against his ear before asking in a low voice, "Did you pursue me back then because I didn't like you, and you enjoyed the feeling of not getting what you wanted?"Elijah paused after hearing her question. He scratched his nose and felt slightly guilty. He already had an idea of what Liesel was about to ask. Elijah had clearly gone quiet. Liesel also had an idea why he remained silent. She couldn't help but click her tongue."You lied to me that your b
Liesel's gaze was calm as she stared at Jacob, who was a few feet away. After a mere glance, she turned to leave. "Liesel," Jacob called out her name. "I had nothing to do with what happened today." Jacob had waited there so he could tell her that."What do you want me to say?" Liesel wasn't interested in saying anything at all. She merely found what he said ridiculous after hearing him out."You said you had nothing to do with what happened today. Which part had nothing to do with you?"Liesel's gaze remained nonchalant. "You said you care about me. You mentioned that you want a fresh start with me. "You said you want to marry me again and make me Mrs. Ford once more. Let me ask you. Do you know what it means when Natalie and Matthew are still around?"You're indulging Natalie by letting her hurt me without any restraint. You'll be permitting Matthew to do anything he wants and commit all sorts of crimes. "While Matthew has learned his lesson, he might still dream of takin
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