As Michael’s expression turned gloomier, Ivan immediately said, “Get down from the car already!”When he said that, he had already alighted the car. When he saw that Jonah and Ivanka had yet to enter the house, he said, “Hi! What a coincidence. Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Sadler.”Jonah paused mid-step. Then, he turned to look at the newcomer. He cocked his eyebrow in amusement. “You’re here too, Ivan?”Too, huh?He had an odd choice of words. Clearly, he admitted that he had seen Michael, but he did not plan on greeting him. In fact, he even entered together with Ivanka and ignored them entirely. Ivanka did too. Ivan had not closed the door properly, so Michael could hear their conversation. He whipped his gaze over. The next moment, he got out of the car. He said nothing and just strode toward Ivanka’s mansion’s yard. Ivan laughed out loud. “Yes. Michael and I just came over to see Ivanka.”He was worried that Michael would continue to act dumb. So, he said it outright.
Ivan frowned slightly. Even if Ivanka and Michael were not on the best terms, she should still have some integrity. How could she just tell Jonah something as private as that? Michael and Jonah had always been rivals. Getting along with each other was just impossible. But she told him outright! Ivan’s expression was quite dark at this moment. There were even a few hints of displeasure mixed in his eyes. However, the next moment, he felt that something was not quite right. Ivanka was not someone like that. Could Jonah be the one stirring up trouble? As he thought about this, he glanced at Michael through the corner of his eye, though his eyes were still trained on Jonah. Jonah instead stared at Michael. When he saw that he was back to his usual self and had no intention of continuing to look at Ivanka again, he smiled and continued to speak, “Iv meant that, judging from the method used to crack our security, it should be the same perpetrator.” Ivan’s eyes instantly turned c
Jonah and Michael both turned to Ivanka.She did not intend to say much.Ivan frowned slightly. He paused momentarily before speaking softly, “At a time like this, we’re all on the same side. If you have anything to say, just say it.”Ivanka seemed like she wanted to ignore Ivan, but she still responded indifferently out of courtesy. “Right now, nothing is certain, and I don’t want my speculation to disrupt your plans. Once I confirm it, I’ll let you know.”Michael and Jonah still remained silent. Ivan also frowned and refrained from saying anything more.There was little to say in the current situation.When everyone remained silent, Ivanka looked at them and asked, “Aren’t you all going to leave?”The dismissal was quite apparent, yet the three of them looked up at her simultaneously, each with a slightly different expression in their eyes.Ivan was the first to smile. Jonah was still here; how could they possibly leave? Absolutely not!Ivan thought. “Michael isn’t in his ri
Ivanka knew they would not leave right away, so she did not really go to bed or go to the bathroom. When she saw Michael’s number, she hesitated but still answered.She remained silent. Michael’s cool voice came through. “We’re leaving now. Stay.”Ivanka’s eyelashes fluttered. She responded with a simple, “Okay.”She did not feel like saying anything more.Michael hung up right after.Witnessing this, Ivan sighed in disappointment. He thought. “Will this idiot ever become smarter when it comes to love? At a time like this, shouldn’t he say a few more words? Especially with Jonah present, couldn’t he at least pretend to care more? Didn’t he realize Jonah could easily take advantage of his cold demeanor?”Ivan was so exasperated that he wanted to call Michael a fool.However, with Jonah present, Ivan managed to keep his emotions in check. He turned to Jonah with a smile. “Mr. Sadler, after you?”Jonah merely curled his lips slightly. He said nothing as he turned to leave. However
Ivan was speechless.“I’m not getting out!” Ivan remained seated in the car. He showed no intention of unbuckling his seatbelt.Michael’s irritation flashed in his eyes as he said flatly, “Call Xander.”Ivan glanced at him silently. Xander answered almost immediately.“What’s up calling me at this late hour?”“Nothing. Let’s have a drink at our old haunt.”Ivan sounded casual, but Xander could sense the frustration in his tone and instinctively thought something might have happened between Ivan and Sandy again.Without probing further, Xander simply agreed. “Sure, I’ll head out now.”“Okay.”Ivan hung up. Michael drove toward their usual spot.Half an hour later, the group was seated in a private room. They started to drink.Xander, unaware of the situation, glanced at Ivan and Michael. Noticing their somber moods, he spoke up. “Are you having a problem with Sandy?”Ivan’s expression darkened. “What does Sandy have to do with this? It’s about Michael, okay?”Xander did not
Ivan was amused. “I think Xander has a point! Since you don’t want to pursue Ivanka, you should let go and stay away from her for good.”Michael’s grip on his glass tightened.Xander continued to twist the knife. “Back when you were engaged, even I could see how devoted she was to you. But after three years of torment, neglect, and even seeing you care for other women, Ivanka, with her proud nature, managed to tolerate you for three years. That’s quite incredible.”Michael’s expression grew colder, but Xander remained fearless. “In the end, she left completely shattered. You’ve given her three years of painful memories. Now, you’re treating her coldly again. Do you think anyone in their right mind would still want to be with you? It’s already amazing that she hasn’t sought revenge on you.”Ivan scoffed. “Exactly. You even talked to her so arrogantly when you called her, and then hung up abruptly. No gentleman would do that. You even did it right in front of Jonah. Now that he knows
Ivan was clearly caught off guard by Michael’s sudden question. His body momentarily stiffened.However, the next moment, he frowned and said, “I’m not like you, okay? You and Ivanka are meant for each other. You just didn’t realize it before and lost her. You still have a chance to win her back!”Xander was silent.Michael, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation, fell silent as well....Time passed, but Chiara still could not get in touch with the person behind the scenes. She had tried contacting them repeatedly, but the other party had run out of patience and was not answering her calls anymore. This made Chiara lose her temper several times, but there was nothing she could do.Lyla and Theodore also looked grim. They had disagreed with Chiara’s decision to tell that person about this from the beginning, but since Chiara was their only daughter, they could not bring themselves to get angry with her despite their frustration. They just could not bear it.Moreov
“Chiara, you should go to bed early tonight. You don’t have to come with us tomorrow. Your dad and I will handle this.”Theodore immediately glanced at Lyla. His eyes were filled with sympathy and conflicted emotions, but he could not say a thing in front of their daughter.At that moment, Chiara had a bad feeling and quickly looked at Lyla. Seeing her reddened eyes, Chiara said right away, “What are you up to? What are both of you planning to do?”Whatever they were doing, it might just be their last stand! At that moment, Chiara was genuinely panicking, but she did not know what to do.Theodore did not answer Chiara’s question directly. He merely said, “Alright, go to bed now. Stop throwing a tantrum. Just take this as a lesson learned. We’ll find a way to turn the tables in the future.”With that, he did not want to say more to Chiara. Even though Lyla was upset and still wanted to spend time with her daughter, she was afraid that she could not control her emotions. Hence, she
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A