Chapter 4 Chapter 4: She Has Every Look Men Desire

Upon hearing his words, it sounded like he was her boss.

The man remained indifferent. "I just didn't want you to forget anything with how busy you are!"

With that, he revved the engine, speeding forward.

As soon as she got home, Liesel let out a long breath, stripping off her clothes as she headed to the bathroom.

Sinking into the warm bath, Liesel glanced down at the numerous kiss marks scattered across her chest.

Suddenly, images of Joel leaning over her flooded her mind.

He always loved teasing her, deliberately watching her reactions as he did so.

He enjoyed saying filthy things, making her blush furiously.

Even more, he loved seeing her whimper and beg when she was pushed to her limits.

Liesel closed her eyes, sliding her body deeper into the water. She told herself to stop thinking about it-everything ended tonight.

For a week after gaining her freedom, Liesel's life was unusually calm.

By day, she immersed herself in creating fragrances in the lab; by night, she stayed at the hospital with her grandmother.

Her routine, cycling between three places, was quiet and peaceful.

Meanwhile, Joel, who had been buried in paperwork in his office all day, felt an irritating sense of unease.

Sitting in his leather swivel chair, he opened his messaging app, not for the first time.

Joel scrolled through their chat history, noting that apart from replying "Okay," Liesel never said anything else.

No matter what he said, she always responded with "Okay."

She was even more obedient than his secretary.

Staring out at the dimming night sky, he suddenly recalled her various expressions.

Pitiful and vulnerable, seductive and alluring, sweet and innocent.

She embodied every look that men adored.

Except her own genuine self.

Joel's eyes fell on the last message in their chat.

"Remember to buy a set."

She hadn't even replied with an "Okay" that time.

Was it because she knew that night would be their last, so she didn't want to give him even one more word?

The woman who went limp in his arms every time-did she really feel no attachment to him?

Joel frowned, his fingers twitching as if driven by a sudden impulse, and he sent a message.

"Ungrateful brat."

A second later-message failed to send. She had already blocked him!

Shit!

At that moment, Liesel was in the lab, finishing up the final test on a perfume formula when she sneezed unexpectedly.

Someone must be cursing her!

She stood up, rubbing her nose, and changed out of her lab coat, planning to head home early tonight for some proper rest.

Just then, her phone rang unexpectedly.

Liesel glanced at the caller ID; the familiar number made her brows knit together.

Her fingers hesitated between hanging up and answering, but she ultimately chose to take the call.

The next moment, a fake, concerned greeting came through the phone.

"Lily, you haven't been home in a while."

Liesel took a deep breath, letting out a cold laugh. "You three seem to be enjoying your family time. Do you really think it's appropriate for me to come back?"

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sigh from her father, Robert Winters. "Lily, you're still my daughter. Family will always be family. Don't hold onto this grudge. Your Aunt Evelyn cooked all your favorite dishes, waiting just for you."

"Looks like all those years as a housekeeper weren't for nothing; she still remembers what I like to eat."

"Lily, you-"

"What about me? Did I say something wrong?"

Robert Winters fell silent for a couple of seconds, unable to argue back, and could only sigh again.

Liesel's maternal grandfather was a renowned perfume master in Europe. Her mother, beautiful and pampered, had countless admirers. Robert, once an apprentice under her grandfather, was chosen for his diligence and became a son-in-law of the prestigious White family. He was seen as the model husband and father by everyone for years.

When her mother fell ill, he was by her side, tirelessly taking care of her.

Meanwhile, Evelyn quietly lurked at her mother's side for years, a housekeeper who didn't say much and just focused on her work.

Yet, just a week after her mother passed away, Evelyn married Robert.

Not only that, Robert brought home a girl named Charlotte Winters.

Charlotte's birthday was only a month after Liesel's.

She was Robert and Evelyn's biological daughter.

With Charlotte's arrival, Evelyn's demeanor changed instantly.

She spread rumors that Liesel had gone astray, driving her own mother to death.

She also claimed she was Robert's first love, and Liesel's mother had cruelly intervened, forcing her to work as a housekeeper for the Whites, torturing her day in and day out, making it so her daughter couldn't acknowledge her father or return home.

Over time, Liesel's mother became notorious for being malicious, and Liesel herself was deemed a spiteful stepdaughter, like mother, like daughter.

It wasn't until Liesel moved out of the mansion and rented a place of her own that her life began to quiet down.

Now, Robert lives off her mother's inheritance, sleeping in the same bed where he once lay with her mother, but now with the housekeeper.

Charlotte, once an illegitimate child hidden from sight, now stood tall as the Winters family's darling.

And when Liesel's grandmother fell ill, Robert couldn't spare even a penny.

The thought of sitting at the same table with those people made Liesel nauseous.

She hadn't severed ties with Robert entirely, only because she was still investigating her mother's true cause of death.

Her instincts told her that her mother's death was not merely due to stomach cancer; it had something to do with Robert and Evelyn.

"Lily, why aren't you saying anything?" Robert's voice pulled Liesel out of her thoughts.

Unknowingly, her phone had become hot from how tightly she was gripping it.

Originally, Liesel had planned to hang up directly, but Evelyn's voice in the background caught her attention: "If she doesn't want to come back, that's fine, don't force her. Besides, Charlotte is bringing some clients over for dinner today; we'll have our family reunion anyway."