There were indeed people who paved the way for Liesel, but her rise to the top was ultimately due to her own capabilities.Everyone heard about multiple candidates inviting Howard Durham to join their companies.Liesel was exceptionally hard on herself. She had a sharp wit, was perceptive, calm, capable, and had extraordinary looks.She leveraged every one of her strengths to their absolute fullest.Regardless of whether it was with Ford Corporation or Hardin Group, it was only a matter of time before she made her mark.Liesel accepted the promotion with a polite "Thank you."Felix smiled stiffly as he clapped. He now understood that Liesel was out for blood. He was genuinely worried that Liesel wouldn't recognize his attempts to align with her and might see him as an enemy. That was why all he could muster was an awkward smile.Cold sweat dripped down his temple. For a moment, he struggled to find the right words to explain.Liesel noticed Felix's unease. "I've already drafted
Agreeing with the sentiment, everyone knew choosing Liesel was the right decision given her capabilities. She was more than ready for this.As Liesel stepped into the elevator, her destination was clear— the Research and Development Department. The display numbers rapidly decreased until they reached B5, where the doors smoothly opened.She walked out confidently, and everyone who passed her would pause to respectfully address her as "Ms. Sharp." Her expression remained gentle yet distant. She maintained a professional barrier.After dropping her belongings in her office, she headed to the Research and Development Center to meet Howard. The familiar whirring sound echoed through the brightly lit corridor, and before she could spot Howard, she noticed a red toy plane. The little aircraft's lights blinked as it circled around her a few times, then gracefully turned to lead her forward. As they passed through the corridor, they entered a vast laboratory that gleamed under brilliant l
"What do you think about it? Isn't it interesting?" Howard asked while flashing Liesel a playful smirk."Mr. Durham, you're truly a pioneer in scientific research!" Liesel chuckled softly."You're too kind, Ms. Sharp. I'm sure we'll get along splendidly." Howard stepped forward and extended his hand first."Of course," Liesel reached out to grab his hand, only to grasp at empty air once again.Liesel's expression darkened. Even with her usually pleasant temperament, she could not help but feel annoyed at being fooled twice.The red plane buzzed twice, flew forward a bit, and then turned slightly while beeping to signal Liesel to follow. The real Howard was supposedly ahead. Liesel rubbed her temple and continued forward reluctantly.Down the open corridor, Howard appeared in the distance, smiling and extending his hand. Liesel observed carefully. A knowing smile played on her lips as she continued walking without stopping."He's not real—he has no shadow," she thought as she w
Liesel had not noticed that her fingertips had brushed against Howard's Adam's apple. His throat moved as he swallowed hard. It was as if he was trying to contain something burning inside.After a long silence, Howard asked in a husky voice, "What about when we're not working?" Liesel noticed the dangerous intent in his eyes and thought he had completely lost his mind. They were both adults and knew exactly what he was implying. It was practically a confession. However, Liesel had not sensed any of this from Howard yesterday, and she found herself at a loss. Confusion was evident in her eyes. "Have you gone crazy?" she asked, genuinely believing he had."Who do you think I am?" Liesel looked up at Howard. Her tone was almost demanding.Who did he see when he looked at her? Howard stood frozen, momentarily lost in memories of a beautiful face from years ago. He remembered her gentle smile and how she had softly called his name, "Howard."Back then, he was just coming of age wh
"Liesel, we're in this together now—you can't afford to mess up! If you go down, I'm finished too!" Felix exclaimed anxiously."Don't worry. The only ones who'll be in trouble are those hiding in the shadows," Liesel assured him. Only after hearing her confidence did Felix relax enough to end the call. Even with everything going on, Liesel found herself playing with the toy plane Howard had given her. She appeared completely unconcerned about the plots against her.Just then, the office door suddenly opened, and the plane, which had been circling the doorway, collided with the newcomer's chest.Liesel's hand froze on the remote control. Her expression was momentarily blank. Neal glanced down at the plane in his arms, then up at Liesel, who was lounging in her executive chair with her feet propped on the desk, and raised an eyebrow.This relaxed demeanor was something he had never seen before. After all, Liesel was usually ruthlessly efficient in business, but here she was, secret
The meeting was about to begin when Neal and Howard finally arrived. They took their seats at opposite ends of the conference table. Their respective teams sat along the sides—Howard's researchers in white lab coats and Neal's executives in black suits.Everyone stood to greet the leaders except Liesel, who remained seated. She was quietly reviewing her presentation notes. Then, she began reporting on recent developments, using PowerPoint to showcase the research achievements that would be presented at the summit—each one promising to make significant waves in the industry.The group examined the materials with grave expressions as they discussed the implications. It was clear that Hardin Group was heading toward renewable energy research, along with developments in AI systems and pharmaceutical studies.These were all Howard's proposed initiatives. Since Hardin Group had welcomed back their prodigal genius, they could not exactly deny him research funding. This explained why th
The surveillance footage was clear and had timestamps and dates. There was no room for dispute.What should have been the end of the meeting dragged on for over twenty more minutes. Liesel, Howard, and Neal showed no signs of wrapping up, so everyone else had no choice but to endure. The researcher, who was visibly annoyed at first, now wore an awkward expression."Non-operators are prohibited from handling equipment, turning devices on or off, or tampering with tools and instruments. These rules were established jointly by me and Mr. Durham. I'm not about to be the one to break them. Since you all want to discuss this today, let's settle it."Liesel picked up her phone and cast another video onto the screen.Neal's subordinates sat on one side of the long conference table, while Howard's team of researchers occupied the other. Hardin Group's staff was visibly uncomfortable when one of Howard's researchers accused Liesel of breaking lab protocol by entering the lab in high heels. B
No one expected Liesel to be that fierce. Howard's researchers were frozen in place.Howard was usually cloaked in a perpetual smile but his façade had been utterly shattered. It was replaced by an unmistakable glint of cold calculation."Ms. Sharp, you've got quite the guts to fire my men. If that's the case—"He didn't get to finish.Liesel, who was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, casually tapped her fingers on the table. Her smile was razor-sharp."If that's the case, are you suggesting that you would leave as well? Perhaps you need a little reminder of your contract terms."For the next three years, you're bound to Hardin Group. Should you breach the contract, Hardin Group retains the right to freely use all your patents related to autonomous driving systems."The clause wasn't exactly balanced as leaving early meant surrendering valuable intellectual property as compensation. But Howard had arrogantly assumed Hardin Group wouldn't upset him. He had signed the a
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