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
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
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
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
"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
"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
"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."
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
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
As their tongues intertwined, Edward could taste a sweet and sour flavor on Ophelia's tongue. It tasted like she just had a piece of strawberry candy that made her entire mouth taste sweet.Even her breath smelled like this refreshing and saccharine fruity scent. It was as if she was enticing him to take a bite of her and swallow her.The more they kissed, the more forceful Edward got. The air around them felt syrupy and intimate."Are you sure you really have never dated before? Am I really your first? If I am… then why are you so good at kissing?" she asked like it was an interrogation.She didn't know how to kiss and was very inexperienced. However, Edward had practically conquered her. He kissed her until her knees went weak.At the thought of Edward doing this to another woman, her chest began to ache terribly.Edward played with her hair, which had become messy from the kissing. "Like I said, you're all I dream about. I don't even know how many times I've kissed you in my d
"How would you know that I also didn't have the same kind of thoughts when you secretly kissed me all those years ago?"You said that I was born in a tall tower, but I didn't get to choose my background. Meanwhile, you have climbed your way up to where I am to be with me."In ancient times, we would have been innocent and carefree childhood sweethearts. We would've been considered a match made in heaven."Edward, what I'm saying is the truth." Ophelia said each word solemnly. She stared unblinkingly at Edward as she spoke. "While you were struggling with these emotions, who said I was not struggling too?"However, I just couldn't forget you. I couldn't accept a future without you. What I wanted was to have you by my side. I wish you were my lover, and I want to be with you, Edward Ford."Her response was firm and resolute. It echoed with conviction.At the same time, she seemed to be giving her answer to the Edward who had been hiding his feelings in fear and panic for many y
"If you're ever unhappy, you can come find me anytime. I'll always be here for you."This was Edward's promise.These were the moments when Ophelia had seen Edward smoking. Each time, it seemed to have something to do with her.She recalled the past. The way Edward always looked at her became even clearer in her mind. Back then, she might not have understood the struggle and yearning in his eyes.But now, she thought she understood.Her mind was filled with too many thoughts, and their embrace had lasted far too long.She wanted to push him away, but at that moment, he suddenly whispered in her ear, "Your first kiss wasn't him. It was me."What?Ophelia was stunned. She even thought that she'd heard wrong.When had she ever kissed Edward? How come she never knew about it?She pushed him away. Her doe eyes widened."You're lying. E-except just now, we've never kissed before!""The night before I left the country, you held onto my shirt and refused to let me leave. After you
Ophelia still remembered the melancholy and confusion that she'd seen in Edward's eyes. He had looked like a young boy who couldn't find his way home.The moment Edward saw her, he stubbed out his cigarette. Holding her hand, he led the bleary-eyed Ophelia back to the bedroom.Worried that she'd catch a cold from the freezing winds, he made her a cup of hot chamomile tea. She didn't like the taste, so he had to try his hardest to coax her into drinking it.Upset, she said to him accusingly, "Edward, I feel I'm turning into a chamomile plant."Edward laughed.He was handsome. Even when he laughed, he looked attractive. Amusement bloomed on his charming and elegant face.She complimented him dazedly, "Edward, you're really good-looking."Even though she was still mad that she'd been coaxed into drinking a whole mug of chamomile tea, she still found herself lost in his handsomeness. Edward's eyes were curved from his broad grin, and he reached out to rub her head."You're very goo