Catherine stared at her in anger. “What the heck did you eat? How is your breath that smelly?”Sandy laughed from anger. “Fine, watch yourself.”Ivanka held Sandy’s hand. She did not want to pay those two any attention. Instead, she looked at the jade bracelet in her hand, as though she liked it very much.A sly look flashed in Chiara’s eyes. Mdm. Barkworth treated Ivanka the best, and the two of them kept in touch the most. Since Ivanka adored the bracelet, Mdm. Barkworth must like it too.Chiara smiled faintly. “Iv, you—” Halfway through her sentence, Ivanka handed the jade bracelet to the sales assistant. “Please wrap this jade bracelet for me.”The sales assistant responded immediately. She looked down on Ivanka, but she could still earn some commission from selling the jade bracelet, so she quickly wrapped it up for Ivanka.Catherine glanced at Chiara. “Chiara, why are we still standing here when we’re not welcomed? Let’s go!”Chiara shook her head helplessly and looked a
Ivanka examined the wrapped gift box, and her eyes were filled with the ghost of a smile.She hoped that Chiara would not be fooled by her own cleverness.After they paid and left the counter, Ivanka handed the jade bracelet to Sandy. “What do you think about the jade bracelet?”“It’s quite nice! My grandmother likes the style.”Ivanka nodded and handed it to Sandy. “Isn’t your grandmother’s birthday coming soon? Take it and give it to her.”“Huh? Didn’t you say that you wanted to give it to your grandmother-in-law?”Ivanka smiled faintly. “I lied.”“Huh?” Sandy looked dumbfounded. By the time she snapped out of her daze, Ivanka had already put the gift in her hand.Sandy looked confused. “What are you doing? How can you just give me something that’s worth several hundred thousand dollars? Are you too rich? Besides, what kind of trick are you playing?”“Your grandmother is my grandmother too.”Sandy instantly laughed. “What are you playing at?”Ivanka just pursed her lips. “
Sandy giggled. “I’m with Iv now. We went shopping in the afternoon, then I came over to have dinner. Have you gone out?”“Yes, I just had a fight with my dad. He’s so annoying.”“Come to Iv’s house then. She’s cooking, and it smells extremely good!”“Iv’s cooking?” Anna was surprised.“Yes, come over now! I’ll send you the address.” After Sandy spoke, she logged into her WhatsApp.Anna agreed before she hung up.After Sandy sent the address, she hesitantly asked, “Ivanka, since the three of us are meeting up, do you want to invite Hanson too?”Hesitation flashed in Ivanka’s eyes.Sandy sensed it and immediately said, “Don’t feel too pressured. Besides, Hanson hasn’t pressured you either. The two of you are still friends. If you don’t allow it, he won’t cross the line. He’s a really nice guy. Do you want to give up your friendship because of this?”“Of course not.” After Ivanka hesitated for a while, she finally said, “Just give him a call and say that I invited him.”“Okay!”
After they were done cooking, Anna and Hanson arrived.When Hanson and Anna saw a six-course meal with soup on the table, surprise filled their eyes.“It smells so good! This is my favorite smell!” Anna could not help but say.She changed into some house slippers, washed her hands, and sat at the table. She closed her eyes and took in the smell before she happily said, “I just had a fight with my family, and I haven’t had dinner yet. I didn’t expect to be pampered like this after that fight!”“Why did you argue with your family again?” Sandy sat next to her and asked in bewilderment.Ivanka took off her apron and walked over. She saw the two of them sitting together, so she could only sit across from Anna.Hanson then walked up to Ivanka and sat next to her.Anna took a fork and felt slightly annoyed as she said, “They want me to have an arranged marriage for the sake of their business. I’ve told them not to force me into marriage, so I definitely won’t go for an arranged marria
No one knew about it, hence Sandy decided to match Hanson with Ivanka. They just knew that Hanson had strong feelings for Ivanka.Sandy would not have done that if she had known about Anna’s feelings for Hanson. They were all friends after all.Sandy laughed. “That’s not necessary. If you let Ivanka join, you probably won’t need to worry about the race!”Hanson chuckled in resignation and said, “I know that there’s no chance of winning this time. I heard that Sadler’s Group and Barkworth’s Group are trying hard to invite Wisteria. No matter who she chooses, it has nothing to do with me.”The smile on his handsome face had a tinge of bitterness.Reluctance flashed in Anna’s eyes. “Don’t say that. Things will fall into place in the end.”“Come on, let’s have a toast first!” Sandy raised her can of beer, and they toasted together.After Ivanka took a bite of her food, she slowly said, “I can help you. I’m not sure if I’ll win, but I’ll do my best.”There would always be people bet
Hanson was still staring at Ivanka. He noticed her faint smile as she said, “I’m sorry.”“I won’t accept your apology. You have to make it up to us!” Sandy purposely said with pride.Anna collected herself and nodded cooperatively. “Yes, we won’t accept apologies without actions.”Ivanka pretended to helplessly say, “What should I do? I have nothing to give you as compensation.”“Who says? Is it that difficult? You just need to take care of our dinner every day!”Anna burst out laughing. “Stop going too far. Aren’t you ashamed of asking for dinner every day?”“Don’t you want to eat? Shouldn’t we be on the same side now?”Hanson smiled in silence.Anna hesitated for a while. As she picked up her fork and got some food, she grinned and said, “Sandy’s right. We can’t forgive you so soon. Let’s do this. You have to cook dinner for us next month! We’ll forgive you once you become poor.”Sandy sighed helplessly. “One month is really short. What if we’re busy and we can’t come?”“Ha
However, Anna sneered. “What’s the point of taking the initiative? My parents are so obsessed with this. They insist that I marry into the family. They know that I’m against it, but they’re going ahead with it.”Anna grabbed the paper from Sandy before she sat up and wiped her tears. She cried and said, “I’ve been out for so long, but they never even called to check on me. Instead, they posted on Twitter. Do you think they would even care if I died?”“Don’t say that.” Ivanka held her hand and sternly said, “Marrying into the Wood family will not be good. Your father has no hesitation in sacrificing you just to collaborate with the Wood family.”“Yes, what else can I do now? I keep resisting, but I’ll still have to obediently get married in the end, right?”Sandy was extremely angry too. “Your father has really gone too far! I heard that the Wood family just looks good on the surface! They secretly do all kinds of things. Everyone should stay away from them because they only spell t
Ivanka nodded and directly assigned tasks to each of them. This time, Anna was smiling brightly. “Okay, I’ll go home now and admit my mistakes to my parents!”“I’ll pay Young Master Wood a visit!” Sandy quickly said.Ivanka smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll go to the woman.”Anna put down the toast and got up to leave, but Sandy stopped her. “Do you need to be in a hurry? Eat your breakfast first!”Ivanka chuckled. “Skipping breakfast isn’t good for the body. Sit down and eat.”Anna sat back down and finished her breakfast in a hurry. Then she wiped her mouth, picked up her bag, and rushed off. “I’ll go back first! I’m afraid that my father will do something again if I don’t get back. I’m leaving, Sis!”She was reckless, but that was just her character.Sandy could not help but chuckle, and she also finished her breakfast. “I’m going to see Young Master Wood now.”Ivanka nodded, but she was still a bit worried. “Do you really know Young Master Wood? If not, we can get someone else
“One more thing, these are my team members. They’ve seen firsthand how you’ve tried to suppress me all the time. A little payback from them isn’t exactly unjustified, don’t you think?”Before Mandy could say anything, Candice turned to the employee and instructed firmly, “Call security. Have them escort her out of the building. Make sure she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Thoroughly check her devices for any company files.”Mandy completely lost her composure and started yelling.“Who do you think you are to treat me like this? You’re just riding on Ivanka’s coattails! Everyone knows how someone so young became CEO. And you? Are you sticking by her? You’re no better than… Argh!”Before Mandy could finish her tirade, Candice delivered a resounding slap across her face.Not far away, Ivanka, who had come out after hearing the commotion to see if she needed to step in, slowed her steps. While leaning casually against a nearby column, she watched Candice handle the
“I understand what you mean now.” Candice’s cheeks flushed with excitement. The gloom that had previously clouded her was swept away.Her joy was genuine. She said, “In three months’ time, I’ll secure this position and prove to you and the board that your decision was the right one.”With that, Candice stood, gave Ivanka a respectful bow, and left the office.Ivanka watched her leave with a smile.All was good.While the two of them were in good spirits, someone else’s mood was far from pleasant.Mandy returned to her office, humiliated, to pack her belongings.If she could turn back time, she might have chosen not to come at all. The shame she endured was beyond anything she could have imagined.Somehow, word of what happened in the conference room had leaked. Perhaps Ivanka had orchestrated it.When she arrived at her office, she was not surprised to see all her belongings stuffed into a tattered, broken box.The box had been placed right outside her office door. It was a
“Mr. Clarke, if you don’t like my decision and want to change it, you’ll have to take my position first to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”With those words, Ivanka coolly left the meeting room.Candice, though initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quickly adjusted to her new role. Turning to Mandy, she said, “Ms. Cruella, please ensure your office is cleared in three days, as I will be moving in.”With that, she too left the room.After they left, the meeting room erupted into chaos, with arguments flying back and forth. However, the outcome was already sealed. Ferris was powerless to change it.Though he still had cards to play, he was not about to waste them on Mandy.Sure enough, by the afternoon, employees spotted Mandy packing her belongings and leaving in disgrace.Candice, though initially satisfied, could not help but feel uneasy. After thinking it over, she decided to speak with Ivanka. And so, at that moment, she was standing in front of the door to t
Ferris was panicking at the moment. He shot Mandy a disappointing and furious glare.It was one thing for her to embezzle funds, it was another for her to get caught.How foolish!Feeling the weight of Ferris’s gaze, Mandy instinctively lowered her head.That only made Ferris more enraged.She had caused all this trouble, and he had to clean up the mess.Ivanka ignored them and turned to the other shareholders. She sharply said, “Tell me, how can someone like her hold the position of project director in our company, yet Candice can’t even be promoted to team leader?”Mandy had been personally hired by Ferris, so Ivanka criticizing her in front of everyone was effectively a direct slap to his face.That naturally made Ferris extremely uncomfortable.His expression turned even darker.“In my opinion, it’s true Mandy shouldn’t have done that, but she’s been in this position for so long. While she doesn’t have achievements, she’s at least put in the effort. How about this, let’s
However, her smile did not reach her eyes.Mandy stood frozen. She was too scared to drink the water or take a seat. Just like that, she was ignored. The atmosphere was awkward. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Ferris for support.Ferris, who was standing near her, cleared his throat and said, “That’s right. Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Cruella is right. This isn’t in line with proper procedures.”Ivanka maintained her enigmatic smile. Her index finger tapped lightly on the table. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind.She glanced around the room. “What do the rest of you think?”She sounded like she was seeking opinions, but the weight of her presence was intimidating. No one dared to answer.Just as Ferris was about to say something, Ivanka picked up Mandy’s report and tossed it onto the floor.It happened too fast. Everyone was stunned by her action. Even Ferris was caught off guard.Mandy’s face turned pale.“Rules are made by people. Besides, Cand
“Please start.” Ivanka nodded. Mandy glanced at Ferris and then at Ivanka. She did not dare to speak.It was obvious that she did not want to offend either side.But she had received a lot of favors being under Ferris over the years, so naturally she did not dare to disobey him.Ferris felt like he was getting the upper hand again, and he was a lot more cheerful. His expression seemed to say, “Look, this is my staff. Look at how they listen to me and not you. You’re nothing much as the chairman. Who are you here, Ivanka?”The anger from before had completely disappeared. He said calmly, “You really don’t get the hint. If Ms. Lane lets you speak, you should just speak.”Although he sounded like he was scolding her, anyone could hear from Ferris’s tone that he was not complaining. He was gloating.Some shareholders did not want to be caught up in the mess and lowered their heads.Others wanted to see where things went.In a way, he was asserting dominance over Ivanka. Everyone wa
Ivanka suggested to Candice to go home and rest.But Candice still refused.She said, “The contract will be done soon. I’ll be able to rest properly and have peace of mind sooner when it’s finalized.”Ivanka relented. She only said that if she felt discomfort in any way, she must tell her immediately.Candice nodded her head and took note.Ivanka gripped the steering wheel tightly. She felt guilty.Candice was already in such a state, but she still insisted on working. Her reason there was not only to repay Ivanka but also to realize her own self-worth.But Ferris kept getting in the way of that report.It was really upsetting.Ivanka also secretly made it a point to get the report passed on that day.The car reached the company. Ivanka went upstairs with Candice together. Ivanka also personally helped Candice to her workstation.Despite Candice’s repeated refusals, Ivanka was very insistent.She wanted to demonstrate to everyone that she had Candice’s back. If anyone wante
Ivanka noticed that the distance between the both of them were a little too close. She moved a little to the side as a form of silent resistance to Micheal’s behavior.Michael only felt lonely for a moment. But he then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.“Candice hasn’t finished giving her statement yet. I know you have to keep her company today, but I don’t agree that you should just sleep here. I’ve booked a hotel in the neighborhood. In a moment, I’ll explain to the people from the police station and send the two of you there.” Ivanka seemed to be a little hesitant.Michael said, “It’s just nearby. It’s about a kilometre away. I’ve reserved two rooms. So, if we need to rush over at night, we can just come over together again. Besides, if you sleep in the lounge for the night, both of you will catch a cold.”Ivanka hesitated and finally nodded.She thanked him and turned to go into the lounge to wake Candice up.Michael’s voice called out from behind her.
The two looked at each other and spoke a name. “Ferris Clark.”“Ferris Clark.” Michael laughed first. Ivanka followed suit. “Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with me. When Candice came, everyone knew I brought her in. When she first came in because she did not have any experience, she was only offered a position as an intern team leader. She thought that she would be transferred to a permanent position after she did a good job. But her report never passed after that. It was stuck in Ferris’s hands. “I will go to the board of directors tomorrow and continue to submit the report. This time it will have to be passed no matter what. I will also take the opportunity to find an excuse to test Ferris. If it’s really him…” Ivanka did not finish speaking, but the ferocity in her eyes made Michael silently pray for Ferris in his heart.Ivanka changed her tone. “But if it’s not someone from Bostone, then we have to consider someone else.”The tacit understanding betwe