But he did not hesitate at all. He only smiled and said, “There’s no need. I’ll be yours sooner or later. Putting aside whether or not I trust you, even if I don’t, what’s mine will eventually be yours too.” Ivanka was speechless. She took a copy of the contract and said calmly, “You’ll still need to pay attention to it next time. Otherwise, I think you’ll end up having me steal a huge chunk of your money in the future.” After she said that, Ivanka stood up. She did not intend to stay either. They had finished eating and finalized the contract, so there was nothing left for them to say. Even so, as she stepped out, Jonah suddenly raised his hand and grabbed her wrist. Ivanka wanted to pull her hand back, but Jonah gripped her tightly. She turned to look at him. Her gaze was unhappy. “Please let go.” “What if I can’t let you go?” Jonah suddenly stood up when he said this. Ivanka had been looking down on this man, but once he stood up, he suddenly towered over her
Not long after, Jonah walked out too. He saw Ivanka entering her car and quickly driving away. He narrowed his eyes, but he was not in a hurry to leave. His phone suddenly vibrated, and he withdrew his gaze. He picked the phone up, and James’s voice traveled into his ears. “Mr. Sadler, it’s all ready. What should we do next?” “Halt it.” “Huh?” James was dumbfounded. His expression was full of disbelief. “We’ll wait a little before taking further action.” After he said this, Jonah hung up and entered his car. … Since Theodore’s family abdicated, no one could stand up to Ivanka anymore, not even if they were the company’s staff. That was because so many of them were simply on the fence. The ones who were truly loyal to Theodore were wavering at that moment. Another reason was that they were helpless to do anything. There was no way they could help Theodore’s family in any way. Moreover, they were all smart people. Supporting Ivanka was the way to go. Theodore was ge
Samuel instantly frowned. “Why are you mentioning her out of the blue? She doesn’t even intend to show mercy to her own eldest uncle. What else is there to say?” “That’s bull! How did her uncle’s family treat her? They killed her father. Isn’t Iv allowed to take revenge? My heart aches for that child now!” Michael frowned silently. “Alright. This has already passed. What else is there to say? No matter what, Michael has already divorced Ivanka.” Samuel really did find Ivanka an eyesore. He had all sorts of issues with her too. Rosie scoffed immediately. “There’s no way she would even fancy you now. Go check what’s trending on Twitter!” Michael’s expression suddenly turned colder. He did not say anything but had already taken out his phone. Samuel looked extremely puzzled. He looked at Rosie and could not help but ask, “What do you mean?” Rosie took out her phone and pulled up Twitter. “See for yourself. See how glamorously your unwanted granddaughter-in-law is living
On Twitter, Papaver’s identity was never truly revealed, nor was there a proper explanation for what was going on. It just stated that Papaver would be collaborating with Lane’s Group and Sadler’s Group. She even put Lane’s Group in front. Everyone could see who was more important in the collaboration. Samuel just did not want to admit it before this. “Brat, just tell us what’s on your mind!” Samuel’s mood was already in a complicated mix. When he saw that Michael already knew what was going on, he could not help but snap. Michael snorted. “It’s so obvious. Can’t you see that?” Samuel’s expression darkened even more. “Just say it straight!” Jay stared at Michael and immediately said, “You mean, Iv is related to Papaver?” Michael pursed his lips and finally said in a deep voice, “Other than this, I can’t think of anything else.” “How is this possible?!” Samuel was full of shock. Anyone could see that he was in total disbelief. After a pause, he looked at Michael.
Given that his wife was already furious, he did not dare say another word.Speaking up at the moment would only make things worse.Rosie’s anger subsided slightly with Samuel’s sudden silence, but she still could not help but express her frustration. “Samuel, stop denying it. We all know exactly what’s going on!”Samuel was about to retort, but he fell silent again when he saw Rosie’s slightly reddened eyes.Jay chuckled. “Dad, you really are stubborn. Only Mom can take you down a peg or two.”“I’m just letting your mom have her way,” Samuel grumbled. He still felt defiant.Michael had been sitting on the sofa in silence. His gaze fixated on his phone. His face revealed the mixed emotions he felt. The comments he was reading only added to his contemplation.Sarah: Oh my God! Iv is collaborating with Papaver! That’s amazing! What kind of magic did she use to pull this off?Tom: You’re overthinking this, okay? Didn’t you see Sadler’s Group mentioned too? Are you blind? Obviously,
“I’ve made dinner, we can...”Michael did not even look at her. He cut her off coldly, “I’m not in the mood to eat with you.”With that, he headed straight upstairs.Ivanka stood up when she heard his words. The smile on her lips froze instantly.Michael did not spare her a single glance.…As the memory ended, Michael’s eyes flickered with contemplation. Looking back, he realized that Ivanka had deliberately put away whatever she was working on when he returned. It was as if she did not want him to see it.It seemed like it was a design sketch that she hastily hid.“Michael?”His thoughts were interrupted by Mindy’s voice.Mindy had been observing her son and noticed something was off. Seeing him look her way, she asked, “What are you thinking about?” “Nothing,” Michael replied calmly.Samuel instinctively looked at Michael again. “What are you going to do about this situation?” Michael snorted. “The collaboration has been finalized. Papaver has never agreed to work wit
“I only supported it back then because the Lane family had a good standing! But later on, Ivanka failed to prove herself. The company wasn’t even hers anymore. Why should I let her be the Barkworth family’s granddaughter-in-law if she doesn’t have outstanding abilities?” Samuel continued to speak self-righteously.Rosie was furious. She raised a finger to point at Samuel, but before she could say anything, Michael suddenly spoke in a deep voice, “Enough.”Rosie looked at him, displeased.Michael directed his gaze at Samuel. “Don’t bring up Ivanka again. She never owed us anything.”Samuel was taken aback and instinctively responded. “What do you mean by that? Are you no longer angry with her?”Rosie was a bit surprised, but remembering what Michael had said to her before, she felt a slight sense of relief. It seemed that he really had feelings for Ivanka. Otherwise, he would not have said that.Michael then spoke in a firm voice. “I owe her a lot.”“What nonsense are you talking
As she spoke, Mindy found herself unable to continue.Her voice was even choked with emotion.Previously, Mindy had always looked down on Ivanka. She believed she was not good enough for her son, but now...Ever since her decisions had driven her husband and son away, she no longer wanted to be so domineering. Especially after hearing Jay’s words, which felt like needles piercing her heart, she felt deeply hurt.Since Michael had ended his relationship with Chiara, she had been neglected for a long time. Her son’s growing distance from her made her feel even more pained.Therefore, all she wanted was to mend the bond between her, her husband and her son.That was why she had refrained from saying too much during the conversation and even started to side with her son and mother-in-law.Samuel clearly did not expect to hear such words from Mindy. He looked up at her in confusion. “Mindy, you...”However, that was all he managed to say. He was at a loss of words. His mind was a wh
Ivanka frowned deeply. Michael was in a horrible state. He had been poisoned and suffered gunshots. He had a strong tolerance to medicine and pain. But it was his mental condition that caused him to fall into this state. Not being fully recovered also added to the burden. Ivanka gave him a white pill which she had formulated by herself. After that, she had the security guard carry Michael into her car. Then, she sent him to the hospital. They arrived at the emergency department. Xavier had finished attending to his patients. When he walked out of his office, he saw Michael being carried into the hospital. He then saw Ivanka beside Michael. Xavier frowned. His expression became tense, and he asked solemnly, “What’s happened to him?” “He’s weak and had previously been poisoned. Since you’re around, you can look after him.” Ivanka summarized Michael’s condition. After hearing Ivanka’s brief explanation, Xavier gave Michael a checklist and put him on a drip. After that,
Since Jonah had come to this and Ivanka was not an ungrateful person, she nodded and gave her word. “Jonah, I’ll give this my all. Don’t worry. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll help you.” Jonah had to be bound to the wheelchair at the moment. Since Ivanka had shared a similar experience when she took over Lane’s Group back then, she naturally figured out how wolfish and greedy his adversaries would be. Jonah was injured because of her. She swore to give her all to save him from whatever crisis he was facing. Jonah took advantage of this and asked, “What time are you coming tomorrow? I’ll have my assistant get ready.” Ivanka thought for a moment. “Tomorrow afternoon.” She needed to manage her company affairs during the first half of the day. Jonah was content upon hearing her answer. “Good. I’ll wait for you tomorrow.” “Okay.” Ivanka nodded before hanging up. When she returned to her office, she did not expect to see Michael sitting on the couch. She nearly jum
There was only one possibility. Ivanka was calling somebody else. Michael wondered who could strike up such a long conversation with her. Sandy and Ivan had returned to the country. Ivanka’s besties were around her. Even if Ivanka deliberately approached Chiara, she could not possibly have so much to chat with Chiara. If Ivanka’s phone call was business related, there was no need to chat this long. Michael eliminated the possible reasons one by one. In the end, he thought of Jonah. Michael’s expression instantly turned as dark as thunderclouds. His gaze was dull and cold. Evan noticed it. He also saw the call record on Michael’s phone. Evan quickly persuaded Michael, “Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane could be tied up with her work, so she couldn’t answer your call. We could go to her workplace now.” Michael said nothing. He gave a cold glance at Evan. Evan got a shock. The next second, Michael turned around and left his office. Looking at Michael’s fading silhouette, Evan wi
It was why Ivanka still came for Jonah in spite of her unpleasant experience with Margaret in the hospital last time. Jonah had been injured because of Ivanka. She came for him only. The other people did not matter to her. Jonah’s heart sank upon hearing her words. His expression tensed up. He could imagine the indifferent look on Ivanka’s face right at that moment. She had that expression on her face simply because he was never really important to her. Jonah was upset precisely because of her indifference to him. He wanted to say something to her but did not know how to begin. He was also not in the position to say that. It did not take long before Ivanka’s gentle but rather indifferent voice rang in his ears, “Jonah, don’t worry. I’ll treat your legs until they recover. Don’t run into any conflicts with your mom because of me.” Her words pulled Jonah’s wandering mind back into the present moment. He felt a heavy weight on his heart. “Iv, I trust you. You don’t need to
Margaret became frustrated and grabbed Ivanka. She could not understand why Ivanka was fine while Jonah ended up in such a bad situation after the accident.Then, Jonah defended Ivanka. There was also all the talk about Ivanka’s treatment. Margaret was curious to see what kind of miracle medicine Ivanka could develop.In the end, Ivanka’s treatment did not work. Moreover, her relationship with Jonah, which had finally started to improve, was once again ruined because of Ivanka.Jonah scoffed. “Mom, I’m not an eight-year-old anymore. You’re saying all this because you want me to go along with your plans for an arranged date, right?”Margaret had not expected Jonah to guess her thoughts. She was about to insist on her point when Jonah spoke first. With a mocking smile, he said sarcastically, “Do you think anyone would date someone like me?”He had a point. But Laura might be one such person.However, Margaret did not like her. She would do anything to keep Laura from becoming her d
“That’s because you want him to fall in love with you!” Margaret snapped.Ivanka chuckled softly. Her tone was edged with sarcasm. “Love? Does it really matter that much?”Margaret felt humiliated and furious. She pointed a finger at Ivanka’s face with a hostile expression. “If it doesn’t matter, why are you doing all this? Stop pretending, Ivanka!”Ivanka let out a bitter laugh. “Pretending? What am I pretending for? Is being divorced a crime? Margaret, you’re a woman too. How would you feel if someone accused you like this?”She hoped Margaret would take a moment to reflect. After all, she was Jonah’s mother, and Ivanka did not want their conflict to escalate.But Margaret was unmoved. Her glare turned colder, sharper, and filled with hatred.“You think I’ll just let this go?” Margaret said sharply. “If it weren’t for you, Jonah wouldn’t be in this mess! I meant every word I said, and nothing will change that.”To her, Ivanka was nothing more than someone scheming to use Jonah
“Ivanka,” Margaret took a deep breath while trying to compose herself. When she looked at Ivanka again, her expression was calm. She said, “I don’t know how deep Jonah’s feelings for you run. What I fear most is that once he becomes fixated on you, that’s it. When he falls for someone, his heart won’t make room for anyone else. In that way, he’s just like his father.”Ivanka’s gaze wavered. She bit her lip and was unsure of what to say.“I beg you, don’t hurt Jonah anymore!” Margaret’s voice carried a note of desperation.Ivanka’s expression turned extremely complicated.There was a time when Jonah came to her only to use her. Back then, they were both using each other. It made things simple.But later, Jonah unexpectedly started talking about marriage. Perhaps it was to provoke Michael, or perhaps he simply wanted to keep her close because she was useful to him.At some point, though, it seemed Jonah had become serious about her. She could not pinpoint when it happened. Perhaps
Jonah frowned in clear disagreement, but he stayed silent. Ivanka’s confident smile reassured him and made him trust her.Eventually, he let go of her wrist.Ivanka noticed Margaret putting on her shoes. She quickly followed, stepping outside just as Margaret was about to get into her car“Margaret,” she called out.Margaret frowned slightly and stood still.Since Jonah had not come out with Ivanka, she decided she could spare a moment to speak with her.She turned and looked at Ivanka coldly.Ivanka softened her tone. “Let’s take a walk.”Margaret did not respond, but her silence was enough of an agreement.They walked slowly around the edge of the mansion. The surrounding area was all part of the Sadler family estate.Margaret suppressed her anger and glanced at Ivanka before speaking in a composed tone, “Alright. What do you want to say?”Ivanka met her gaze briefly before looking ahead and said, “Do you know what will happen if Jonah’s coughing continues?”Margaret’s he
Margaret glared at Ivanka and scoffed, “If there’s an issue, I’ll get another doctor to handle it. It’ll be anyone but you, Ivanka. Haven’t I made myself clear enough? I’ve told you this before.”She hated how Ivanka ignored her warnings and kept coming back to visit Jonah time and again. What if Jonah got too close to her and ended up ruining his reputation? If Jonah had not been here, Margaret would have been even harsher.Ivanka frowned as she met Margaret’s sharp gaze. “I’ve never tried to get close to Jonah like that. We’re just friends. I know I’m not good enough for him, so I’ve never even thought about it.”“You might not have, but he has!” Margaret snapped, raising her voice.“Mom!” Jonah’s expression darkened.Jonah was usually calm and polite. This was the first time Ivanka saw him looking so upset and was about to lose his temper.Ivanka’s eyes flickered with hesitation. She was unsure of what to say.Explaining Jonah’s coughing would do no good. Margaret would not