"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
"Be good and get some rest."Liesel hummed in agreement, but her eyes kept tracking Elijah's movements.Elijah sat down by her bed and squeezed her fingers which were still slightly cold. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here with you."Liesel continued to stare at him without saying a word."I really am not going anywhere. In the future, no matter where I go, I'll make sure to bring you along, Lili."Only then did Liesel close her eyes to rest.Drew, who had never left the room, saw everything. His heart clenched.In public, Liesel always appeared decisive and efficient. When she was with Jacob, she'd been nothing but elegant and considerate.In his mind, she had always been perfect.But today, he finally realized that she actually wasn't perfect. She also got hurt and upset, and she also felt fear. This version of her was actually closer to her true self.The Liesel from the past seemed to be shrouded in a deceptive veil now. The Liesel that he was looking at now was
"Liesel, are you crazy?" Drew asked. His voice was laced with anger.Liesel regarded him calmly. "This is my business. It has nothing to do with you."With that, she wiped the blood off her arm.With the door shut, the hospital room was pin-drop silent. She could hear the faint rush of the blood in her ears. It felt like the blood was about to surge through her skin and destroy her.Leaning against the wall for support, she shakily got to her feet. Her head swam.Even though she couldn't even stand without swaying, she still pushed Drew's hand away. She opened the door slightly, hoping to hear what was being discussed outside.Elijah had flown abroad for a partnership project for the financial summit, but as soon as he landed, he'd caught the next flight home because of what happened to Liesel. The potential business partner had most likely never even seen him.Foreigners placed high importance on keeping promises. No matter what happened, one had to hold up their end of a promi
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
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
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
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
Toby froze. His legs nearly gave out when he heard who it was on the phone."Had enough pictures?" It was Liesel.Toby's heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears. The rush of adrenaline left him lightheaded. "Ms. Sharp… you knew?""I know Jacob sent you. Go ahead and upload tonight's photos and videos online. Don't worry about me."Toby was speechless."Are you sure about this, Ms. Sharp?" He was asking if Liesel was truly choosing Elijah."Did I stutter?"Toby let out an awkward chuckle, and Liesel hung up without another word."What the hell just happened? Who called you and scared you so bad?""Don't tell me you got served court papers or something.""You're being too quiet. What's going on? What shook you so badly?"The group crowded around Toby. He swallowed hard and recounted what Liesel had said. The room fell silent. After what felt like an eternity, someone murmured, "Was that Liesel's way of confessing to Elijah?"It was. She unapologetically used that f
"Would they love me like you do? Or would they just drain me of everything I'm worth?" Liesel was genuinely curious. "If you love me, then stay with me forever. Don't ever give anyone the chance to hurt me again."If you care so much about your legs, I'll contact the best medical team. I'll build a research institute if I have to. I can do so much for you, just like Heather did for Jason. So, please, stop saying we're not a good match. We're the perfect match."Liesel stood up and braced her hand against the nearby furniture. At this moment, she seemed taller and more commanding."Look into my eyes, Elijah. Tell me. What do you see?"Elijah froze. His gaze locked onto hers. In those usually calm eyes, he saw an overwhelming depth of emotion that made his throat tighten."I think you can tell the difference between love and indifference. So, what's your answer?"Before he could respond, Liesel pressed on, "Never mind. Even if you want to hide, I won't let you retreat any further."
"You could at least do something to earn my respect," Liesel said. "You've injured your legs, and you acted like it's the end of the world. It's not like you've lost your manhood. And even if you did, we can always have a platonic relationship. Anything works when the person is right."Do you hear me, Elijah? Love between a man and a woman does involve physical attraction and intimacy, but that's not all of it. True love comes from the resonance between two souls, from the empathy and connection they share."Even as she spoke, her words circled back to the real issue. She was still angry at Elijah for giving up on himself.Elijah's voice was hoarse as he responded, "I just can't bear it, Lili. You're so wonderful. Have you ever seen the kind of twilight where the entire sky is bathed in warm orange hues, and stars begin to twinkle faintly at the horizon?"That kind of twilight feels like it bridges heaven and earth. I've been to many places in my life, but that twilight was the onl
"Elijah, do you know how upset I was?" Liesel asked.Elijah's injuries were severe. His entire body was battered. Even his strikingly handsome face bore scars. His right arm was broken, and his chest, back, and legs were covered in countless wounds.Anyone else would have clung to Liesel like a lifeline, terrified that she would abandon them. But Elijah just wanted to push her away."What can I say, Lili?" Elijah's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "It feels like whatever I say now will just be wrong. Do you want to judge me? You're welcome to do so.""I just don't understand." Liesel held his hand. Her grip was gentle as if afraid of causing him more pain. "What do you take me for? What do you take yourself for?"This world has so many people suffering because they lack money or power. But we have both. You're incredibly hot, and you're standing at the pinnacle of society. So what if your legs are injured? There are countless people worse off than you. Why let this drag you do
Reuben handed Liesel a red-covered envelope, but his expression was strange as he did so. Was there something hidden in the letter?Liesel opened it, and her eyes twitched as she read the few words written inside. "What is this?"The writing looked like a tangled mess of worms twisted together into a few sentences. It wasn't just ugly—it was excessively so.Reuben fell silent for a moment. "It's not that hard to read."Liesel handed the letter back to him. Her gesture clearly said, "If it's so easy, you read it."Reuben's face remained as calm as ever. "Liesel..." He simply said her name before stopping."It's not important. What matters is that the only person who can match Howard's intellect and keep up with his progress is you. Since he wants to meet you and the authorities want you to be involved, I hope you can take this collaboration seriously, Ms. Sharp."He said it wasn't important, but actually, he just couldn't read Howard's alien handwriting.Liesel clicked her tongu
Belinda's verbal attacks only made Liesel realize one thing—Belinda wasn't a particularly smart person.Once truly intelligent people understood their opponent's cards, they wouldn't provoke them so recklessly, without considering the family's reputation or the consequences of their actions.It was selfish, cold-hearted, immature, and laughable.Liesel was already pushing Elijah's wheelchair out of the Turner residence's living room when Reuben nodded slightly at Nathan. His commanding gaze swept over Belinda as he murmured, "The younger generation of the Turner family needs to be properly taught manners."With that, Reuben left with the special forces.Glaring at their retreating backs, Belinda ground her teeth, but her expression was one of desolation.She could feel the vast distance between her and Liesel. She was unwilling to accept her defeat. She wouldn't just hand Elijah over to Liesel. One day, she would take Elijah back, no matter what.Liesel remained unaware of Belin
But since Heather had chosen her lover over her children when she was forced to make that choice, she was doomed to carry that guilt for the rest of her life.She had made her choice, and it was a mistake. Maybe it would be easier if she truly believed she was heartless.Since Liesel and Xavier were her and Jason's children, they had to be exceptional. Only then could they truly live up to their brilliant bloodline.Heather arrived at the research facility and looked at the man lying quietly on the bed, who was slowly recovering. Crouching on the cold floor, she gently held his hand and softly rubbed it."Jay, do you think I've made a mistake?"There was no response.Only the soft whisper of the breeze could be heard. Though it was the height of summer, the air felt unnervingly cold.Heather gazed at Jason, who was still trapped in his deep slumber."Jay, when you wake up, we'll go back to Ashthorne. They may not accept me, but they'll accept you. We can… go home together."Sh
After Jason's incident, Reuben had once asked Heather for a chance to pursue her. Without a second thought, she rejected him and introduced him to countless rich young women.But Reuben had remained single all this time. He had no lover, no family, and only a few adopted children he had raised.Heather could tell from his gaze that he still harbored some hope.Smiling, she said, "Reuben, if you're so interested in our news, why don't you keep an eye on Liesel? She's my daughter, after all. I'll contact her eventually, won't I?"When it came to people she didn't care for, she was always ruthless.She casually shifted the problem she considered troublesome onto Liesel. Her smile returned, and she looked at Liesel intently, as if waiting for her response."Are you waiting for my reaction?" Liesel asked. "I've always found myself in so many dangerous situations with Elijah. I'm more than happy if more bodyguards sent by the authorities come along. Thank you."There was nothing aroun
The other faction, the conservatives, insisted on waiting for Jason to wake up.However, those researchers were protected by the government. Without Jason, they had no real way to communicate with these researchers.They were close to backing down.That was when Heather hacked into the surveillance system. She knew those lunatics had drawn blood from Jason, and some even went so far as to drink it, all in the name of boosting their intelligence.They were insane."When I took Jay, they'd already drawn a thousand milliliters of blood from him. How cruel can you be? You were just hoping he'd die for the sake of your research. If I hadn't taken Jay, he would've been dead. And now you have the nerve to lecture me, accusing me of committing a crime?""If that's the case, haven't those researchers and everyone who was involved in this all violated the law? Can't I sue them, too?"Heather scoffed. "Don't force me to change my nationality and take this to the international courts. If it