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
Likewise, Liesel did the same this time.She gazed at Jeffrey, and her voice came out soft. "I will not and have never targeted Natalie. Jacob and I are divorced, and I won't get involved with whatever's happening between them."I was chosen to attend the ceremony and dinner party tonight because I was the head of the resort project, and he needed me to interact with the guests."Her heart clenched ever-so-slightly after delivering the next line. "After tonight, Jacob's plus-one will only ever be Natalie."For the last three years, Liesel had served as Jacob's secretary and had always been his go-to plus-one at every dinner party or auction. However, tonight would be her last time.After receiving her guarantee, Jeffrey no longer pursued the matter. He wore a duplicitous smile and said, "You could've started the conversation with that, Liesel. All I ever wanted was to be fair to Nat."Liesel was expressionless like she had no intention of entertaining him. Unperturbed by her indi
It was Jacob.Liesel froze momentarily. When she turned around, she was met with his gloomy gaze."Weren't you just entertaining the guests?" How did he get here so quickly?Jacob glanced at the glass of juice in her hand and replied flatly, "They're civilized enough to know not to pester me."Liesel would like to differ. But since he had said so, she decided to let it go.The music at the party changed, and the gentlemen started inviting socialites to the dance floor. Jacob looked at her with an extended hand and asked, "Care for a dance?"Liesel was surprised, while Elijah narrowed his eyes."Isn't your dance partner Natalie?" she asked."Since when has she become my dance partner?" Jacob replied casually."Besides, she's not fit for an occasion like this yet." He gazed longingly at her.Meanwhile, Elijah let out a chuckle. "You seem to be controlling Ms. Sharp, Mr. Ford. Although she's your plus-one, it still means she can choose who she wants to dance with, doesn’t it?"
Liesel grunted in response and felt a little warmth reach her eyes."I'll take you for a wardrobe change." Without waiting for her response, Jacob pulled her away from the dance floor.Perhaps due to his quick reflexes, few noticed anything amiss. When someone inquired why they were leaving, he simply replied that Liesel was feeling unwell and needed to rest. Those who sensed something was off didn't dare to ask further.There were backup gowns sitting in the lounge on the second floor. Before Liesel could regain her composure, Jacob had already selected a red dress for her. At that, the terror in her heart quickly diminished."I like red, but that doesn't mean I'll only ever wear red." She scanned the variety of gowns hanging in the wardrobe. "I like them as long as they're pretty."Jacob paused briefly and put the red dress back into the wardrobe before selecting an olive green gown. Its design was simple yet elegant. It highlighted the wearer's femininity and accentuated the bo
"He doesn't care about the consequences because he knows you'll back him up." Liesel revealed a gentle smile reminiscent of the days before their divorce.However, Jacob knew that underneath her calm gaze was an indistinct chill."Are you sure it was Jeffrey's doing? He looked at her and asked softly, "Why would he do that?"A faint laugh escaped from her lips as she slowly traced the silky material of the red dress. She had fallen in love with it since the moment Jacob gifted it to her. In a way, that was his first proper present to her.In three years of their marriage life, she had never once received any gifts from him. Despite occasionally hinting at him that she wanted surprises, all she received was a black credit card.Now that she had finally received her first present, it got destroyed just like that.What did that signify? Was it a hint to her that she and Jacob would never belong together?The relationship was synonymous with the red dress—luxurious, elegant, and nob
Jacob stared at Liesel in a prolonged silence, as if trying to decipher something through her eyes. Their gazes remained locked in the quietness, and the air was so still that they could hear each other's breathing.The high-end gray tablecloth, the polished tableware bathed in light, the delicate pastries on the table, and the ice bucket holding the red wine all made the room feel less like a lounge and more like a VIP room.As Jacob picked up the decanter, he slowly made his way to Liesel's side.She froze momentarily and gazed at him, only to see him pour her a glass of wine. His shadow cast over her. He cast an invisible pressure that made it almost hard to breathe.It felt as if he was imposing his will on her—yes, for Natalie's sake.The iciness in Liesel's gaze intensified. "What does this mean now, Mr. Ford?"Jacob shot her a glance. "Wine? I remember you like the ones from this particular winery. The grapes from this vintage have a wonderful flavor, giving it a much rich
Jacob's gaze landed on Liesel's face. He seemed extremely calm, and he pulled a straight face. Even in such proximity, she couldn't locate any clue of emotional fluctuations on his face.The fleeting complexity in his eyes made him even more difficult to read. Even after spending three years with him, she hadn't truly understood him."See? You chose Natalie; you chose to make me endure in silence."Jacob couldn't help but furrow his brows upon seeing her current state. The ice bucket on the table was filled to the brim, so he randomly took one and pressed it against her forehead.The sudden cold sent shivers down her body.While mumbling, Liesel released her grip on his collar but suddenly felt the invisible pressure intensifying. The ice cube melted into water streaks, gliding down her face and diminishing her tipsiness.A single glass of wine was enough to make her tipsy, but its effects faded within minutes, allowing her rationality to slowly return.Jacob's towering figure l
The red wine in the glass was no longer chilled and instead turned to room temperature.As Jacob downed the burgundy, images of Liesel's resolute departure flashed through his mind, and his thin lips pursed ever-so-slightly."Is Natalie really like that? In my memories, she's harmless and innocent while Jeffrey is the douche," he pondered.He stood up, and before he left the room, his gaze landed on the destroyed dress. Picking up the gown that Liesel had left behind, he brushed the smooth edge created by the scissors before his eyes turned gloomy.As much as he knew that Jeffrey was the perpetrator, he couldn't possibly do anything to him. He wanted to keep Natalie's family safe.Perhaps this time he would embrace the label of selfishness and offer Liesel compensation that would meet her approval.…When Liesel returned to the venue, the atmosphere grew tense. Small groups were huddled together and whispering to one another.Meanwhile, in the center of the venue were a few men
On the surface, these CEOs were respectful to Liesel and praised her. However, they merely made fun of her for being a woman behind her back.For someone as brilliant as Liesel, all her efforts were wiped away just because she was once married."Did you think I was the one who chose Lili during our time together? No. From the start until now, I've always been the one who was chosen. Lili's the one who calls the shots." Elijah chuckled lightly. "Lili's amazing. She's my lover." He sounded determined. "I think you've really gone mad," Sam muttered. His gentle expression was gone. "I'm quite lucid. You guys have always been crazy. All these years, I still never learned all your old-fashioned ways. "I've always liked to be different. To me, my ideas are correct. My lover can only be Lili." Every word Elijah said was to express his love for Liesel. Elijah didn't hide his feelings for her. He wanted Sam to know what his choice was. With how things were going, there was no need fo
Sam almost never spoke to Elijah in such a tone. Elijah almost wanted to laugh.Elijah used to act like a loser. None of the ladies from wealthy families were interested in him and would just flirt with him. Only families that weren't as well-off wanted to get close to him and rub shoulders with the Hardins.As for Liesel, although she didn't have the perfect background, everything else about her was enough to make up for it. Apart from that, Heather was Liesel's biological mother. That alone was enough for Liesel to stand out among everyone else."It's better for you to say I'm not good enough for Liesel. Someone as brilliant as her could have anyone she wants. Why do you think she chose me?" As soon as Elijah finished speaking, Sam interrupted him."Because she was once married and had Jacob's child. No matter how brilliant she is in the future, everyone else thinks she's no longer pure. "Do you actually think these sly old men in the elite circles are truly stupid? Why would
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