Passing by the area where Ford Corporation was located, Liesel caught a glimpse of the company's latest proposal. She lowered her gaze slightly.She saw several high-ranking executives from Ford Corporation. There was Charles and even Natalie, but there was no sign of Drew. It was puzzling that Drew, who was Ford's secretary, wasn't present at such an event.Charles caught her gaze and casually raised the document in his hand, acknowledging her presence. But to Liesel, it felt more like a challenge than a greeting.It seemed that her conversation with Drew the night before had made his position at Ford Corporation even more awkward. But she didn't regret it. Drew would have to face those challenges eventually, and she had just expedited the process.When Drew left Ford Corporation for Hardin Group or Shifter Corporation, she would make sure he got the position he deserved, and he would never regret choosing her.There were so many companies attending the financial summit that Lies
"Looks like Mr. Lark treats you pretty well," Liesel said with a playful lilt. The remark immediately brightened Chelsea's mood, and it seemed like her energy had been restored.But Liesel wondered if Tobey was really treating Chelsea well.If generosity alone counted as kindness, then yes—Tobey was exceptionally good to her. His support was unmatched. It was the kind of indulgence few could ever hope to receive. He was like that even before their marriage.When Liesel couldn't secure investment while overseas, Chelsea simply spent one night with him, and he poured millions into the project. When Shifter Corporation faced a capital squeeze abroad, Chelsea approached Tobey again, and he discreetly pulled strings to ease the pressure.Tobey wasn't exactly a man of deep sentiment, but he was loyal to those he considered to be within his circle.But that doesn't mean that he would do anything for someone if they gave him enough chips.In fact, he might ask for double the chips.But
Chelsea had been exhausted from her intense training schedule on the talent show, but she spent the entire night dealing with Tobey's insatiable demands. That left her with barely any sleep. To his credit, at least he had the decency to press a cold compress over her swollen eyes afterward.When she woke up in his arms, Chelsea used all her strength to kick him off the bed. Tobey didn't have the chance to react to her antics.Tobey's face darkened. No one had ever dared to treat him the way she did in his entire life. Getting kicked out of bed was unthinkable.But Chelsea was no ordinary person.The moment she realized her mistake, she clutched her waist and groaned softly with tears brimming in her eyes. It looked like her tears were just about to fall.Chelsea was his wife, and he couldn't do anything about it.She'd just returned from following a grueling schedule, and while he had indulged himself enough last night, her kicking him out of bed had dampened his mood. He certain
Chelsea's tone carried a hint of smugness as she recounted her observations.Tobey was often likened to a cunning fox in public. He was calculating, ruthless, and unyielding. Yet, his presence at Ashthorne's financial summit was a testament to his brilliance.Though merciless in the corporate world, he had established several charitable foundations. Tobey's actions against opponents were always within the bounds of legality. While some of them might go overboard, no one could find any fault in them.But in front of Chelsea, Tobey was a completely different person.Five years ago, he might have still kept up appearances around her, but over time, even a beast with sharp claws and fangs would occasionally reveal its vulnerable underbelly.For instance, Tobey rarely drank excessively in public. Stories of him being visibly drunk were from so long ago that barely anyone had seen him in that state. But Chelsea had witnessed it.Tobey would lose himself when he was drunk. His body woul
Chelsea froze.Liesel turned slightly, and her eyelids twitched. It seemed like talking behind someone's back always backfired.Tobey let out a cold laugh. "I'm like your tamed wolfdog? I let you kick me out of bed, and then I hug you and whine?"Chelsea instinctively rubbed her temple. But in the next moment, she straightened her spine with righteous indignation. "Did I say anything that wasn't true? Don't you have morning tantrums? Haven't you hugged me and grumbled about not wanting to get out of bed?""Chelsea, why don't you try saying that louder?" Tobey's gaze darkened as he gripped her wrist and pulled her into his arms."If I say it any louder, everyone here will know my darling husband likes to act cute with me in the morning." She leaned into his chest as her fingers played with the edge of his tie. "And you know I love it when you do that, just like how I love calling you daddy. Isn't that just… our thing?"Her words dripped with teasing charm, expertly flipping the na
Tobey had always understood Liesel's importance to Chelsea. She reminded him of it constantly. Chelsea cared about Liesel above all else, even more than she cared about herself.His gaze darkened as he looked at Chelsea, but she was ever unbothered as she kept her playful, knowing smile. She could tell Tobey understood her unspoken message, and just like that, her demeanor softened as she clung to his arm."Honey, Lili is my best friend. We were just joking around. You don't mind, do you?"Tobey didn't answer, but his silence said enough.Liesel couldn't shake the sense that something was off with their interaction. She couldn't place a finger on it, though.Chelsea planted a feather-light kiss at the corner of Tobey's mouth. "Go on, honey. Don't you have a meeting about that partnership? I won't keep you."With that, she dismissed him. She even plucked the very box of pastries he'd gone out of his way to get for her from Heritage Hotel.Tobey didn't know who he was supposed to
Tobey was the easiest to deal with. Crying, acting, and pretending made everything go away. He had a soft spot for Chelsea.As Tobey left, Kellan stood by with a blurred vision. It felt as though the future of Lark Corporation had a dead end in sight."Seems like you and Tobey have a good relationship." Liesel reached for Chelsea's earlobe and gently rubbed it. Her voice was calm and soothing. "That makes me feel better."She had always worried Chelsea's stubborn nature might get in her way, but now it was clear she had her own ways of handling things. It was a blessing since that meant that no one could hurt her.Chelsea handed her a cup of hot milk, and Liesel took it naturally. She listened as Chelsea spoke."Don't worry, I was just pretending whenever I'm with you. I'm not the innocent, harmless girl you think I am."Chelsea had always known she had a complex mind. When Liesel took her in, Chelsea understood much about the world. But she played the role of the naïve girl beca
Tobey didn't say a word. He just turned his head and stared at Liesel for a few seconds, but his expression gave away that Jimmy had hit the nail on the head.Jimmy silently cursed to himself.The Walkers weren't like Tobey. They weren't just there for appearances. They had real business to discuss. Jasper had come fully prepared with documents and contracts. He was ready to finalize a partnership on the spot.Jimmy, on the other hand, had been dragged along to fill out the numbers and liven up the scene. While the other executives were busy, Jimmy had parked himself on a couch, idly gaming away.Earlier, a reporter live-streamed interviews at the summit. While everyone else was busy discussing partnerships, Jimmy was lazily on his phone. From afar, it looked like he was reviewing documents. The reporter approached him, only to discover that he was playing a mobile game.When asked why he was gaming during a summit, Jimmy casually replied, "Are you kidding me? I'm a Walker."In A
"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
"I don't believe idols are superior to their fans. We're equals—our bond is mutual. We're responsible for accompanying each other and growing together."Chelsea popped a signed photograph into a paper bag and handed it to her loyal fan next to her. She continued, "Some became my fans because of my looks and performance. "All these are definitely important, but I hope they continue being my fans in the future because of my character and excellent talents."I hope my fans will notice my efforts, and they'll do the same as I did—walk toward the future with determination. The fans' support and admiration will give me more confidence, and my hard work will also inspire my fans to be better."Chelsea confidently walked away from the crowd to Ophelia and took out a wet wipe to dry the tears from the corners of her eyes. "Becoming a fan doesn't mean you should exhaust yourself. "Idolizing others is also a great way to improve yourself. An idol is like a guiding light. If she doesn't hel
While Ophelia had been quite harsh, her eyes turned red as soon as she spun on her heel. She had been Yvonne's fan for so many years and idolized her. It wasn't easy for Ophelia to simply dislike her right away.But Ophelia knew that she would really be a fool if she continued looking up to Yvonne. The snippet of the exchange ended there. After that, Ophelia and the others left the backstage area with reddened eyes. It was crowded outside the performance venue. Many held red LED boards, and some even held Chelsea's fan merchandise. One glance at them told Ophelia that they were Chelsians.While it seemed crowded, everyone was actually standing in two lines in an orderly fashion. Chelsea cheerfully handed out small gift bags to her fans. Afraid that Chelsea might exhaust herself, some fans took the initiative to help her hand out the bags. Others obediently distributed hot bubble tea Chelsea had bought as well. Since the weather was getting colder, she was worried that the fans wo
A twisted expression crossed Yvonne's face. "Your love for me has always been superficial! You supported me because of my looks!"Once better and prettier idols debut, you'll immediately switch sides and support them! Why should I give back so much to fans like you?"Yvonne pointed at the door. "Look how many people have shown support for Chelsea after she debuted? How many of my fans have turned into Chelsians and how many of them even started insulting me online?"Your support has always been ridiculous and superficial! What's wrong with me for taking advantage of people like you? "Fans who stan idols have always been childish and ridiculous! Serve all of you right for being so useless! Those in their right minds would never keep up with any idols!""Have you gone mad?" Ophelia couldn't help but push Yvonne aside. Ophelia couldn't believe that Yvonne, whom she had admired for so many years, had uttered such unkind words. Ophelia threw the LED board to the ground. The utter fo
The paparazzo burst into laughter. He held his stomach as he rolled on the couch in glee. "Oh, wow! You still invited your fans here in your current situation. They're really your diehard fans."A vein throbbed on Yvonne's forehead. She couldn't help but hiss under her breath. "Aren't you my fans? Since you are, you should be on my side and continue helping me!""We might be fans, but does that mean you can treat us as fools?"While Ophelia's eyes had gone red, she did not hold back as she lashed out at Yvonne. "You already knew that we're just useless female students. Why did you even message us privately and invite us to the performance venue?"We worried about you. We showed up with light sticks and gifts, just hoping to let you know we were still here and that we still had your back. "And what did you do? What are fans to you, Yvonne? Are we even people in your eyes? Or are we just tools—things you can use and toss aside whenever you feel like it?"Yvonne froze. Meanwhile, t
Yvonne opened the door and was startled by the sight of Ophelia and her friends. She patted her chest. "When did you guys arrive? Don't you know how to knock on the door?"Ophelia and her two friends stared at Yvonne with reddened eyes and did not respond. Yvonne recalled the public's opinions toward her as well as the online criticism toward her fans. Their expressions made Yvonne feel rather sympathetic toward them. Since their eyes had turned red, she believed they must have cried out of exasperation after learning that Yvonne was being bullied in the group. They really did seem to be her true fans. "Come in." Yvonne gestured with her chin. After the three entered the lounge, Yvonne handed them three bottles of juice. "Have something to drink for now. I'll take you out for a bite later."Ophelia held the bottle of juice but did not drink it. Finally, Yvonne noticed that each of them was holding a cat doll. "Are you giving me these cat dolls as presents?"The three did not say
Yvonne's chest ached, making it hard for her to breathe. The words Ophelia once said had left her feeling extremely miserable. Yvonne sat at the table and sobbed."Chelsea became what others have always dreamed to be because she didn't need any persona. She always shone the brightest on stage. Chelsea can lead her fans into a brighter future, and you'll only lead us into darkness and nightmares."Those were Ophelia's last words before leaving. Until now, her words haunted Yvonne like a relentless nightmare. It was like a projector that couldn't be switched off, replaying over and over that she was nothing compared to Chelsea.How did that happen? Ophelia was Yvonne's fan, and Yvonne believed Ophelia, the daughter of the Fords, should always be her fan. Yvonne wiped her tears away. As soon as she turned around, she saw the cat doll Ophelia had given her as a final gift. These days, Yvonne took the cat doll with her everywhere. She still kept it with her even while filming a self-