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
Ivanka smiled. Without a word, she passed Yuliana a stack of photos. Yuliana frowned as she took them, and she soon saw how indecent they were. Her expression immediately changed. She quickly flipped through the photos but could not bear to go any further after flipping through half of them. She then threw the photos on the table. “This doesn’t prove anything!” Ivanka nodded. “You can choose not to believe what you’ve seen. Follow me somewhere tonight, and I’ll prove it to you. How does that sound?” Yuliana’s expression was extremely sour, and she subconsciously rejected Ivanka’s idea. “You’ve seen what’s been trending on Twitter, haven’t you? The Wood family and the Baldwin family are going to join in marriage. Anna knew Peter was a playboy and refused to marry him, but her father forced her into the marriage,” Ivanka said with a drawl. Yuliana frowned. “Peter told me that he doesn’t want to marry Anna, but his parents ordered him to. He’ll still try to fight back, thoug
Back home, Chiara was in a good mood. She sat on the couch and hummed a tune as she fiddled with her phone. Lyla was surprised to see her in this state. She sat down beside Chiara and asked, “Why are you in such a good mood today?” “Mom, I bought a very nice gift for Michael’s grandmother.” Lyla felt resigned. “Gosh, you’re hopeless. How are you so happy just because you’ve bought a nice gift?” “Of course it’s not entirely because of that!” “Then, what is it?” Chiara showed Lyla a photo of her gift and spoke with a smile, “Have a look at the gift. What do you think?” “Not bad!” Lyla nodded with satisfaction. “It looks luxurious and high-class. I’ve also heard that Michael’s grandmother is fond of gemstones.” Chiara chuckled. “I don’t know her preferences. I bought this thanks to Ivanka.” “What do you mean?” Lyla asked in puzzlement. Ivanka put her phone aside and replied with a grin, “When I was in the shopping mall earlier, I ran into Ivanka. I heard that she was t
Time passed as Ivanka and her group worked on their stuff. The four of them communicated via WhatsApp group chat. Sandy: I found Peter and chatted with him for a while. I told him everything. He’s very happy and even thinking about going through me to date Ann! Anna: Thanks! I told my family about it too. My father was really happy when he found out that I was willing to marry Peter. He’s been telling Peter about my strengths and weaknesses. My mother is treating me better too. I hope they’re being nice to me from the bottom of their hearts… Sandy: Don’t be so sentimental! Oftentimes, there are many things in this world that we can’t control. Your parents have their own troubles too. Stop thinking about them. We have to think for ourselves. Besides, things are working positively now, aren’t they? Anna: Yeah, I know. Ivanka: I’ve met with Yuliana. I’ll wait for her to meet me again at night. Anna: I’m worried. Are you sure she’ll meet you? After all, she plays the most imp
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