Jacob pinched the space between his brows, not intending to entertain Liesel further.The nightgown she wore at that moment cascaded to her thighs while revealing most of her back. From his angle, he could perfectly see the contour of her breasts as she sat. They looked tempting and irresistible.He had a fond memory of the time they shared a steamy encounter while she donned this exact nightgown in the study.Jacob's scrutinizing gaze went unnoticed by Liesel. Instead, she slowly said, "You know? You should have woken me up last night, Mr. Ford. That way, I could've returned to my own apartment and spared you the trouble.""Are you saying I was in the wrong?" He looked at her and said, "I'll be sure to toss you out on the streets next time so you can't get all sassy with me."Liesel stared at him for a few seconds, then asked, "Did I talk in my sleep last night?"Jacob stiffened visibly, but Liesel did not notice. He grunted lightly and said, "Maybe you did. I'm not sure."Lowe
Three years ago, when Liesel first became Jacob's secretary, a lot of people talked because of her beauty.Even though she completed her university credits in just two years with nearly perfect grades, she still faced her share of gossip and speculation.The resort project in collaboration with the authorities was supposed to end, as they had set their sights on another company, which just happened to be the Ford family's business rivals.At that time, Jacob was abroad negotiating another contract and couldn't return to the country to salvage the situation due to weather issues.Just as the authorities were about to sign the contract with the other company, Liesel seized the last opportunity.She laid out the pros and cons of both companies and leveraged public opinion to outmaneuver the rival, successfully ensuring that Ford Corporation continued its collaboration with the resort.As such, the authorities specifically assigned Liesel as one of the project managers. Of course, th
"I'll take the cab." Liesel's nausea had settled after she had drunk the orange juice."Are you sure? Even if you're gonna be late?" Jacob raised his brows at her, which to Liesel, felt like mockery.She glanced at her watch, learning she had only two hours left until the ribbon-cutting ceremony. It would take at least one hour and 30 minutes to arrive in Dove District even if she took the cab."Well, I'll gladly take up your offer then, Mr. Ford."Then, Jacob brought up the matter from last night. "Elijah called you last night. I found it too noisy, so I switched off your phone.""Oh. No wonder Chelsea didn't give me a single call after my whole night out," Liesel thought."Yeah, he can be," she replied with a random excuse.He grunted in response. "He is."Liesel looked at him in silence. She was utterly speechless.Once she finished her breakfast, Jacob headed to the door quietly without notifying her it was time to leave. Frantic, she quickly went to change her clothes, gr
At last, the car halted at the resort's entrance. Fortunately, the only people coming and going were those attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony or journalist friends, so Liesel didn't encounter anyone from the company.As she observed the company's entrance, she suddenly felt a breath of warm air grazing her ear and neck along with Jacob's scent. She turned her head and was so startled that she held her breath.Jacob's face was mere inches away from hers. When she turned her head earlier, his lips almost brushed against her cheek and the corner of her lips. The warmth radiating from his body made her freeze.They were so close, and she looked into his eyes through the side mirror.A hint of warmth was evident in his gaze, and she swore it wasn't just her imagination. It felt as if his deep eyes had captivated her and made it impossible to look away.She stared blankly into his eyes and found herself drawn in by his gaze.Their breaths intertwined, and Liesel's heart started raci
"Ms. Watson, someone mentioned that your ideal type is Mr. Ford. Are you two dating? Are you here because of him?" a journalist asked.Lara's cheeks grew red. Her dimples appeared as she smiled and said, "Mr. Ford and I are still just friends. So, stop speculating."With that said, the journalist perceptively captured the word "still.""Still friends… So, it means there is a possibility for you to explore this relationship. Is that what you mean, Ms. Watson?" the journalist probed.Lara flushed and stealthily glanced at Jacob. Beside him, she looked reserved and shy. He was tall, and she had to raise her head to see his face.She even felt he had shielded most of the cold wind coming their way just by standing beside her. Deep inside, she was elated in a way words couldn't describe.She couldn't help but recall his impressive background and looks, which rivaled those of other A-list celebrities, along with a social status that no other beautiful stars could match.Every move of
At the Sharp residence in Ashthorne, Natalie returned to her room and hadn't come out since.She was the daughter that Jeffrey loved and adored the most. Although it might not be genuine, he viewed Natalie as a stepping stone for his own advancement due to her connections with Jacob.He wanted to use her to move up the ranks.Jeffrey knew he had to do something after seeing her sad expression, so he pushed open the door and asked her about it. She sat on the bed, hugged her knees, and wore a pitiful expression."Liesel is showing up to the resort's ribbon-cutting ceremony and dinner party tonight as Jacob's plus-one." She uttered softly, "I'm his secretary, but Liesel had to tag along to the dinner party instead. The whole company is going to laugh at me!" At least Natalie was self-aware.Typically, the plus-ones accompanying the management team at the dinner were either their secretaries or assistants.Choosing Liesel over her was a loud message to her that Jacob wasn't convin
That kind of person would be the best candidate for an executive secretary serving Ford Corporation. So… What the hell was Natalie?Alex swirled his wine glass. The red liquid seeped into his faint smile before he slowly diverted his attention to the entrance. At last, Elijah arrived fashionably late, followed by Jeffrey and Natalie.He had a feeling a good show would unfold soon."Mr. Ford, we meet again." Jeffrey smiled as he led Natalie before Jacob, not daring to act like his father-in-law.Jacob swept his cold eyes across Natalie, whose eyes were somewhat teary and carried hints of anguish. Tightening his brows, he subsequently heard her softly calling out, "Jake."With furrowed brows, Liesel shielded Jacob and confronted Jeffrey coldly. "Dad, this is the dinner party Ford Corporation organized for the resort. This isn't the right place and time for you to do your thing."Of course, she knew why Jeffrey had come. He wanted to show off his connection with Jacob so he could sc
Jeffrey finally revealed his intention—to stand up for Natalie.Liesel burst into a laugh. "Having Natalie as Jacob's plus-one tonight? At this party? You might not know my abilities well, but you should know hers."How many languages can she speak? How many people does she know that are present today? Does she know about the finance or business market? Or do you want me to be honest about how incapable she is?"She can't even do the most basic thing as a secretary, which is to understand a business contract. Time after time, she nearly jeopardized all the partnership invitations offered to Ford Corporation."Throwing the inexperienced Natalie into a pool of elites and business moguls tonight will humiliate not just her but the entire Ford Corporation."Her smile faded as she idly knocked on the table. "Have you thought about the consequences of humiliating the Fords?"Liesel's words successfully rendered Jeffrey speechless. No matter how biased he was toward Natalie, he couldn't
Ophelia snatched the junk food box in a huff to fill the gift boxes with snacks."You! Stop causing trouble!""Okay, okay! I'll stop messing around." With that, Joseph muttered, "It was just a few sweets…"Ophelia glared at him. Joseph immediately cleared his throat and no longer uttered a word. Instead of teasing her, he also began helping her pack the boxes. Not trusting him, Ophelia intentionally inspected each box. She only felt assured to hand him the boxes once she was certain none of the chocolates or snacks were missing.Not long after Joseph started packing, he began looking around absentmindedly. He looked down and noticed many private messages on Ophelia's phone. Those still part of Yvonne's fandom had sent those messages. They were scolding Ophelia.Ophelia merely glanced at the messages before nonchalantly turning off the phone screen. Not only were she and Joseph done wrapping the boxes, but Edward had finished preparing breakfast as well. Edward prepared all of
"Oh!" Joseph exclaimed. He whirled around and took a step back before patting Edward's palm. "Shouldn't you give me something in return for my advice? A present or something, right?"Edward came off as rather domineering as he asked icily, "Tell me which car you want. What model and series? When do you want it?"Yes, Edward had brought up cars. Joseph's eyes lit up. "I want the latest SUV from Land Rover within the next three days."It wasn't as if Joseph couldn't afford the car. He simply liked messing with his friends. After all, free things were the best. "Sure." Joseph continued flatteringly, "Bro, this is how it works. Women are usually more soft-hearted, especially someone like Ophelia at her age. You should give in sometimes."Be shameless if she ever tries to drive you away. Hug her and act pitiful by saying that you don't want to leave her. Say that you can't sleep or will have nightmares if you don't see her. You can even be more dramatic."Joseph was quick-witted enou
Ophelia was left dumbfounded after hearing Joseph's advice. What nonsense was he talking about? He was supposed to be on her side, not sabotage her. Edward shoved Ophelia out of the kitchen. "Something's wrong with his brain, so just ignore him. Go and rest."Ophelia was still perplexed as Edward pushed her out of the kitchen. However, she didn't probe further since she refused to speak to him for now. Once Ophelia was gone, Joseph immediately cursed. "You're such a beast. 28cm, 28cm. Why don't you cut off that thing of yours? Did you think your sweetheart is someone who appears in those adult films?" Edward's eyes twitched. He finally understood what Joseph had been blabbering about. Joseph was such a pervert through and through. Edward slammed the knife onto the chopping board. "I'm talking about my age. What's gotten into you?""Oh, it's your age." Joseph sighed in relief. He had been worried about how Draskia could have such a pervert like Edward.After a while, Joseph e
"Ophelia." As soon as Edward spoke, Ophelia glanced at him nonchalantly. "I'm starving."Edward was relieved that she was still willing to talk to him. "I'll prepare breakfast." With that, he cast a glance at Joseph. "Come and help me."Joseph scoffed. He got to his feet before stretching lazily. He hadn't slept for the whole night as he accompanied Ophelia playing video games and doing other things. He was indeed slightly exhausted.But Joseph was well aware that Edward did not want him to be alone with Ophelia. Regardless, Joseph was fine with helping Edward with preparing breakfast. After all, he was there for the drama.Every three days, a housekeeper would drop by Ophelia's condominium and replenish her fridge with all kinds of fresh vegetables and fruits. While studying abroad, Edward wasn't used to the local fast food. Hence, he became independent and learned how to prepare meals on his own. Now, he was an excellent cook.However, Edward was still at a loss on how to
Ophelia took a picture of the fan merchandise she had wrapped before posting it on Twitter, where Chelsians were still waiting for the giveaway. No one could be bothered with Yvonne, who was trying to stay relevant.Ophelia was still preparing the fan merchandise when she heard the doorbell ring in the middle of the night. Within the next second, she received a WhatsApp call from Joseph, which she answered."Ophelia, open the door for me."Ophelia was surprised. She wondered what was wrong with Joseph. Shouldn't he be sleeping now? Why had he dropped by in the middle of the night?She was no longer worried, knowing that Joseph was at the door. She opened it and watched Joseph squeeze through the door while holding a large bag of what seemed to be snacks."Shouldn't you be sleeping now? Why are you here?" Ophelia couldn't help but roll her eyes."You're not asleep either." Joseph went through the large bag before finally fishing out a game controller, which was also a limited-edit
Sebastian's face had turned ashen, having understood how grave the situation was. "I'll go and apologize to the Fords tomorrow. This matter mustn't drag down our family."Although Brandon doted on Yvonne, he refused to let her have her own way. "Dad, she should apologize for what she did, so you don't have to go. I'll take her to apologize to the Fords tomorrow to show our sincerity."Veronica refused to give in. She continued protecting Yvonne, feeling rather upset. "No! We should never allow our Yvonne to apologize!"Who did they take Yvonne for? Why should she apologize in person? The Fords are really misusing their power over these small squabbles. "If they want an apology, I'll go! No matter what, Yvonne's not allowed to go! She's a celebrity. If someone takes her picture, her journey to becoming a star is completely ruined!""Her journey to becoming a star is definitely ruined if she doesn't apologize in person! Mom, you need to understand. Without anyone's orders, would pe
"Dad, Mom. Yvonne has always been filming on set this whole time. How could she have offended Chelsea? It probably has nothing to do with Chelsea."As soon as Brandon finished speaking, Sebastian and Veronica thought his words made sense. However, Yvonne became sheepish and didn't say a word.She had sought out Sebastian, Veronica, and Brandon to seek justice for her, yet she felt extremely embarrassed. She continued sobbing, sounding sadder than ever."Yvonne, what's going on? Say something! I won't know what actually happened if you keep crying!" Veronica was so upset that she began tearing up.Yvonne threw herself into Veronica's arms. "Mom! What am I going to do? They're going to blacklist me from the industry. What should I do…"Brandon's eyes twitched. He felt that something wasn't right. He wondered if Yvonne had gone viral after offending someone in the entertainment industry.Brandon's heart raced as he scrolled through the Twitter trends. His heart sank instantly, and h
Yvonne had fallen to that point. She couldn't continue falling any further and get embroiled in more scandals. She averted her gaze as she took off in a hurry. Even at a distance, she could still hear the crew members mocking her name loudly while insulting her. As soon as Yvonne entered the elevator, she could no longer hold back her tears. By the time she left the elevator and reached the car, she was already a crying mess. She leaned against the steering wheel and sobbed nonstop. Once she had cried enough, she drove back to Zima Villa as her last hope. At that point, she was forced to return to beg her parents, Sebastian Zima and Veronica Pole. Meanwhile, Joseph had kept an eye on Ophelia's situation. He always had been one to keep up with the gossip and not interfere no matter how bad things got. He even intentionally messaged Edward, leaving him uneasy after learning what happened to Ophelia. Joseph: "Are you aware that Ophelia has been bullied?"Joseph: "Do you remembe
How could Yvonne say that her fans were for her to exploit? That was one way to drive her fans away completely. They weren't pathetic for wanting to idolize someone.Yvonne's remaining fans tagged her on Twitter to demand answers, but she dared not respond at all. A few of her die-hard fans were left dismayed and completely disappointed in her. This prompted them to announce their departure from the fandom. Meanwhile, her remaining fans were clueless and couldn't make much impact.The video exposing Yvonne's true colors triggered a new trend "A Discussion About The Relationship Between Idols And Their Fans". Many inevitably brought up Chelsea, and Damian's fans chimed in that he was even more gentle and considerate. He even beat up a worker for stalking his fans, and that revelation earned Damian more fans.The fiasco this time had caused a wave of discussion about fans in the entertainment industry. Fans were made aware of their status so they would understand that they weren't