"Dad only said one thing," Natalie said with a smirk as she looked at Liesel. "Can you guess what it was? He said, 'What a bummer!'"She chuckled. "He said Heather was really inconsiderate. Why did she choose to kill herself at his birthday party? If she had to die, it should have been at another time."Seriously! Why was Heather so inconsiderate? She could've chosen a good day to die instead of making you run around like this."Liesel knew Natalie was just trying to get under her skin, but she couldn't control the anger rising within her.She glared at Natalie, who was grinning smugly. Yet Natalie continued to smile and tossed her silver dress at Liesel."Do you think I like wearing a dead person's dress?"Natalie pulled out a new high-end dress and sneered, "I wore that just to see you lose it. And look at you—totally losing it."With no one else around, Natalie finally showed her true colors when facing Liesel alone."So this was all planned?" Liesel let out a chuckle."I k
Liesel acted as though Jacob didn't even exist, or maybe she just didn't care anymore.Jacob watched her retreating figure with a dark and heavy gaze.It seemed like their relationship was truly over. Only now did he feel that Liesel was truly leaving him.Instead of immediately pushing open the closed door to the room, he walked over to the window at the corner, where he could see Liesel and Elijah walking away together.Her words echoed in his mind. "I can give up Jacob's love and even the identity of Mrs. Ford!"If you want to steal something, go after Jacob."Those two lines felt like they were seared into his brain.She didn't care about him at all. At that moment, his heart simmered with a rage he could no longer suppress.But it was over between them. She was just his ex-wife, and he was only her ex-husband. He had no right to argue.In fact, this should have been what he wanted, yet inside, he was restless and frustrated.Frowning, Jacob pushed open the door, only t
Today was Heather's death anniversary.What had he done? Memories flashed through his mind. The last three years played back in his head in slow motion."Jacob, it'll be my mom's death anniversary in three days. Can you come with me to pay your respects?"Before she had even finished speaking, he interrupted her. "I have an urgent meeting in Fruece. If you need anything, just get it yourself."He handed her his black card and hurried away.Liesel frowned slightly, yet her smile remained.He recalled receiving a photo from Liesel while he was in Fruece."I told Mom I married an amazing guy."The sky was so blue. It felt like I could sense Mom's gentle smile when I said that."Jacob, could you come visit Mom with me next time?"And what was his reply? "We'll see."She had invited him each time during Heather's death anniversary, but he found various reasons to decline—work, meetings after work, or gatherings among friends that he could skip.He had continuously refused Liesel
Was marrying Jacob a blessing or a curse for Liesel?Jacob remained silent for a long time.He finally understood why Liesel had reacted so strongly when Natalie appeared in that dress during the party.What had he said?He had told Liesel to stop acting crazy.How could he utter such cold and cruel words to hurt her?Jacob's gaze darkened. "Contact the best designers in the industry and have them recreate that dress exactly."He sent Drew the picture of the silver dress Liesel had shared with him long ago.Drew said nothing and turned to leave.As Jacob watched Drew's hurried figure, his gaze wavered.…Meanwhile, Liesel got into Elijah's car.Moments later, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Jordan, read the files I sent you. Create a strategy targeting Sharp Group. I don't want them to receive any collaboration offers for the next three months."Her eyes were red. Her exquisite features were overshadowed by the icy tone of her voice.Jordan Steele was the d
Liesel Sharp.On the surface, she was the legitimate daughter of the small Sharp family and a genius who graduated from Alden University in Ashthorne with perfect scores.But behind the scenes, she was the true mastermind steering the rising Shifter Corporation.With her background and identity, how could she not be worthy of Elijah's pursuit? Someone like her belonged with him.Their backgrounds, personalities, and everything about them indicated that they were a perfect match.Elijah had initially been unaware of Liesel's true identity. If he had known, he would have treated her with more seriousness.He had thought Liesel merely owned a business, never realizing she was the driving force behind Shifter Corporation, which was growing at lightning speed.Elijah asked, "Why is it called Shifter Corporation?"The name didn't seem to have any connection to Liesel at all.Liesel replied flatly, "Shift means to transform. I want to bring about change and innovation in our country.
Liesel made it perfectly clear and explicit. She wanted nothing personal to do with Elijah.Suddenly, Elijah scoffed, almost as if amused by her straightforwardness."Not bad. I get such benefits from just helping a little. I hope you'll remember me if opportunities like this come up in the future, Ms. Sharp."Liesel's gaze remained cold as she responded, "That depends on how much value you can offer me, Mr. Hardin."She truly was direct. She set firm boundaries without hesitation.Elijah stayed silent for a moment, locking eyes with Liesel for several seconds before speaking again. "Liesel, you can't put up walls with me just because you've been hurt by Jacob."Liesel looked at him and smiled faintly. "You had ulterior motives from the start, didn't you?"If his original purpose wasn't genuine, how could he expect her to respond with sincerity?Liesel understood this all too well.If someone's initial motives were selfish, how could she trust that person enough to build a dee
"Jacob, you've gone too far," Denzel couldn't help but comment."It's understandable if you can't accompany Liesel to honor Ms. Mallone because of work commitments, but you shouldn't have gone to Jeffrey's birthday party today. You're like stabbing her in the heart."Denzel's tone carried a distinct chill.Jacob's eyes darkened, and Alex sighed from the side. "If I were Liesel, I'd hate you for this. Jeffrey cheated on Ms. Mallone during their marriage and ended up having Natalie."We don't even know if Ms. Mallone was driven to her death on Jeffrey's birthday. And here you are, not only divorcing Liesel for this illegitimate daughter but also going to Jeffrey's birthday party on the anniversary of Ms. Mallone's death."Alex shook his head, exasperated.He thought about reaching out to Liesel, but he worried he might only hurt her further, so he held back his frustration.Jacob remained silent. His expression was grim as he downed glass after glass of alcohol.Denzel sensed the
"Are you not coming back with Lili for dinner tonight? It's odd. Lili would usually be heading back on this day. Did you snatch her away?" Vincent asked.Alex felt a wave of panic wash over him.Liesel wasn't avoiding Ford Manor because of Jacob. It was clear she didn't want to return because they were divorced.Jacob, with his bleary eyes, took a while to respond. "She left.""Left? What do you mean, Lili left? Where did she go?" Vincent fired off three questions in quick succession.Alex broke out in a cold sweat as he hurriedly grabbed the phone from Jacob's hand.He forced an awkward laugh and said, "Jake and Liesel had a fight. He couldn't swallow his pride to apologize, so he came to my place to drink. Liesel just left for some fresh air. It's nothing serious, Mr. Ford Senior. They'll be back to normal by tomorrow."Vincent frowned. "I knew you were the one who took him drinking."For heaven's sake! When did he ever take Jacob drinking? Jacob was here drowning his sorrows
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-
At Ashthorne Studios, the director announced, "Alright, cut! That's a wrap, everyone. Great work today! You can all head off to the hotel and get some rest." Crew members chuckled and began filing out. They were chatting as they made their way to their rooms.But Yvonne, who was still on set, was fuming as she clutched her phone. She had seen Ophelia's reply, and it only made her angrier.One of her assistants, who was trailing behind with genuine concern, asked, "Yvonne, are you alright? Feeling unwell?""Get lost!" Yvonne snapped, glaring. "You're an eyesore!"The assistant shrank back, clearly frightened and hurt by her harsh tone.Yvonne hurried off to her hotel room with her phone clutched tightly as she replayed a particular video over and over. There was no mistaking that the person in the video was one of her biggest fans from back in the day, the same fan who had once waited for her at the airport in Huntaria.A seething mix of jealousy, anger, and bitter resentment chur
Ophelia was done with Yvonne. Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, she took to Twitter to attack her."Did you really think that every gift I painstakingly made was worthless? After years of devotion, the person I once adored has become completely unrecognizable. When I confronted her, she acted as if nothing was wrong."She even claimed that because I was her fan, I had no right to criticize her. I find that utterly absurd."I once asked her what a fan meant to her, and she dismissed us as shallow, saying our love was something that could be discarded. I always believed an idol should be the pillar of her fans' dreams, a beacon of hope. "But the Yvonne I loved—the one who shone so brightly in pursuit of her dreams—was gone."So, from that day on, I severed all ties. The doll I once gave her on Twitter was my final farewell gift. It was a proper goodbye, not a sign of regret. I stopped logging into that account because I wanted to leave with dignity."And don't say Chels
Ophelia was utterly disgusted. She felt that any shred of loyalty she once had for Yvonne had completely vanished.She retweeted Yvonne's latest Twitter post and attached a formal statement of her own."I hereby solemnly declare that I was once a die-hard fan of Yvonne. I never betrayed her—I simply grew tired of the endless fan duties. I refuse to support an idol who is self-absorbed, caring only about herself while dismissing her fans. Today, I proudly stand as a fan of Chelsea because she is truly worth it."Honestly, when I first stopped being a fan, I never intended to expose all this. At the time, I just wanted to part ways amicably. Publicly trashing someone you once adored is downright disgusting, and I didn't want her remaining fans to follow suit. So, I swallowed my disgust."But it seems she saw me trending and thinks she can win back a fan with some influence. She even brought Chelsea into the mess and hinted that her fans should attack my current favorite idol. I simpl
Back in the day, when Ophelia first visited Huntaria, she had seen Yvonne performing at a local event and instantly became a fan. Coming from a wealthy family herself, Ophelia never hesitated to shower Yvonne with lavish gifts and even rallied her few devoted fans to support her idol.Later, when she learned that Yvonne had returned home to compete in a training camp, Ophelia was among the very first to cheer her on. But things took a bitter turn when Ophelia overheard Yvonne berating reporters backstage.Yvonne claimed that her fans were useless and couldn't secure her a center spot. She even mentioned Ophelia's name. According to Yvonne, Ophelia only sent gifts that she didn't want, and she'd be better off using her connections to get a debut instead.Ophelia finally realized what kind of person she had been supporting.Furious and heartbroken, Ophelia stormed into the backstage area and declared that she was done being a fan.Up close, she realized that Yvonne was pretty averag
Joseph immediately took a jab at Jeremy in the group chat. "Jasper was right. This mess is all on you, Jeremy."Jeremy was stunned. In his mind, he fumed, "I was the first one to change my avatar—and back then, I never even egged you shameless bastards on to do it together! Now you're all blaming me? Have you lost your minds?"Everyone was trying to avoid the barrage of marriage talks from their parents."This whole situation can be taken one way or another. I promise I'll set Damian straight so he stops stirring up scandals, but let's be clear, if it weren't for Jeremy changing his profile picture, the media wouldn't have run wild with rumors. And if you're going to call my grandfather, don't mention my name.""What? Jasper shoved this mess onto me, but now you're the one egging me on so I end up taking the fall?""I only shared the comments, headlines, and videos in the group. The one who kicked off this whole avatar fiasco was you," Joseph rebutted.Jeremy gritted his teeth an
Jimmy scrolled through the chat logs on his phone. His eyes grew wider with every message. He noticed that the group's avatar change had even hit trending topics. "Man, these guys are totally off their rocker," he thought—but then he grinned. "Maybe I should jump in!"He quickly typed. "They all switched their avatars and went completely nuts. Why not add one more crazy guy? Tobey can't get me over the phone!"So what if we change our avatars? It's all in good fun. Look on the bright side. If Chelsea ends up divorcing Tobey, being with Damian might not be so bad. As they say, 'good stuff stays in the family,' right?"The group was speechless. Everyone else had changed their avatars on a sudden whim. But Jimmy was different. His wild mind was always a few steps ahead and constantly fired off impulsive ideas.Even Elijah was stunned silent.After a beat, Jeremy couldn't hold back any longer and added, "Tobey's going to log in after a long day and see his world crumble!"At that ver