Ivanka was shocked.For a moment, she did not know what to say.True. Ever since she and Michael got a divorce, things might have changed.Rosie defended her, but Samuel had always looked down on her. This prompted the couple to argue more frequently as time passed.Ivanka pursed her lips silently.But she felt the need to explain herself in front of Rosie. She did not want Rosie to spend time worrying about her at an old age.When they almost reached their destination, Michael no longer planned to stay silent as he did before. Before turning at the next junction, he suddenly stopped the car.Ivanka froze and looked at him.Michael placed a hand on the steering wheel and turned to face Ivanka. There was a hint of rage in his cold stare. Ivanka frowned slightly. She said nothing and waited for him to speak.Michael stared at her and said icily, “Are you Papaver?”It was a brief sentence. It sounded like a question, but there seemed to be unquenchable anger in his voice.“Wh
“Ivanka, you’re truly heartless.”That was all Micheal said. With that, he stopped questioning her with his bossy attitude.Confusion flashed in Ivanka’s eyes. She was a little baffled. What was he up to?Michael said nothing and started driving again.He did not spare her a glance for the rest of the drive, even as they arrived at the Barkworth family’s mansion. After pulling over, he did not say anything and simply remained in the driver’s seat. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen.Ivanka was confused again, but she no longer planned to talk to him. She got out of the car and walked toward the mansion. When the house staff opened the door and she went in, Michael drove off right away.Obviously, he did not intend to get into the house. He simply wanted to drive her here.Ivanka turned around in surprise and watched his car vanish before her eyes. There was a wry smile on her lips.She knew Michael never liked her. Naturally, he would not wish to spend more tim
Ivanka smiled and said right away, “It’s okay, Grandma. Since I’ve decided to make a move against them, I won’t back down without getting what I want. I won’t let them get away with this.”She would just find another way to make them pay.Rosie immediately looked at her hesitantly. “What? Are you…”She did not finish her sentence. Instead, she kept staring at Ivanka.Ivanka smiled. It was not the right place to discuss this matter. She simply said in a low voice, “Grandma, don’t worry about these things for me. I can fix it myself.”Rosie looked at her with doubt. “Really?”“Yeah,” Ivanka responded casually.Rosie frowned slightly and sensed that something was off. But at the same time, she knew that Ivanka was smart. Perhaps she was right. She may have a way to fix this.At that point, Rosie was no longer so certain.Ivanka smiled again and said, “Rest assured, Grandma. It won’t take too long this time.”Seeing the determined look on her face and hearing the serious tone of
Ivanka’s gaze shifted as she watched Rosie radiate genuine happiness like a young girl. She felt a hint of envy. Although Samuel had never been fond of Ivanka, he treated Rosie very well and always indulged her in many ways.Rosie’s happiness was real and meaningful, especially given their advanced age. They had spent their entire lives together.Ivanka smiled. “I know Grandpa dotes on you. But Grandma, please don’t argue with him because of me. It makes me feel really guilty.”“Oh, you silly girl. You always overthink things. Samuel and I are fine. We always bicker, but it’s never because of you.”Ivanka pursed her lips. She knew that no matter what she said, Rosie would not change her mind. Rosie would always choose to side with her and defend her.This realization made Ivanka feel both touched and helpless. She did not want Rosie to get upset over this matter.Both Rosie and Samuel were already old. Their bodies could not endure much stress anymore.As she thought of this,
Rosie nodded with a smile. “That’s good to hear.”Despite her gentle smile, Ivanka was feeling conflicted inside.Rosie’s health situation was in critical condition and needed immediate medical attention. However, Ivanka could not let Rosie know the seriousness of her condition. Ivanka had no choice but to handle it delicately.Ivanka took a deep breath and tried to control her emotions. Her mind was in turmoil as she wondered why fate was being so cruel to her.Rosie’s condition was so dire that she could not afford any stress.Over the next hour, Ivanka stayed by Rosie’s side. Rosie remained cheerful, but Ivanka was becoming increasingly restless. She could not wait any longer!After a pause, Ivanka smiled and said, “Grandma, I’ve got some work to take care of. I’ll come back tomorrow and keep you company, okay?”Rosie was reluctant but nodded understandingly. She smiled and said, “Sure, go ahead. Don’t worry about me for the next couple of days. Come back when you have more f
Ivanka responded immediately, “Mr. Evan, is Michael in a meeting?”Evan paused for a moment and chose to tell her the truth, “No, he’s not. How can I help you, Ms. Ivanka?”Ivanka breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I called him five times, but he ignored my calls. Could you please call him and tell him that Grandma’s health is deteriorating rapidly? It’s very serious! Ask him to call me back immediately! But don’t tell anyone about this. Grandma’s condition is very serious!”The seriousness in her voice was palpable. She even emphasized the word “serious” twice!Evan could sense something was wrong. She was the type of person who would never exaggerate or lie about such matters. He promptly replied, “Okay, I’ll call Mr. Barkworth immediately.”“Hurry, please.”After saying that, Ivanka hung up to save time.She gripped her phone tightly and continued walking, as if she wanted to get further away from the Barkworth family’s mansion. Soon, Michael called back. She answered wit
Ivanka smiled and said, “No. My colleague said she settled the work. So, I came back.” Rosie was pleasantly surprised by Ivanka’s unexpected and quick return. “Great! You can keep me company for a bit longer.” Ivanka walked over to her with a smile and held her arm gently. “Yes, I can stay with you all day.” Rosie became even happier and replied cheerfully, “Great!”As she spoke, she led Ivanka back to the sofa. But before they could sit down, Rosie suddenly said, “Come chat with me in the bedroom!”She wanted to speak to her privately without the risk of being overheard. Her main concern was to ask Ivanka about her plans moving forward. Ivanka glanced at the time. Thinking that Michael would not arrive so quickly, she nodded and accompanied Rosie upstairs.Despite her age, Rosie moved up and down the stairs with ease. That was why she and Samuel had not moved their bedroom to the first floor.The original plan was to change rooms when they found it difficult to navigate
Rosie frowned. She was clearly reluctant to go for the check-up. However, she could not bring herself to refuse Ivanka’s request because she could never say no to her.Ivanka’s smile softened when she saw this. “Grandma, be good. Otherwise, I won’t come to see you anymore.”“Okay, of course I will. But this check-up isn’t important. Look at me, I’m as fit as a fiddle.” Rosie tried to comply, but her words still showed reluctance.Ivanka smiled again and spoke gently, “Okay, let’s go together. I’ll be with you the whole time during the check-up, okay?”Michael remained silent as he watched Ivanka from the side. He had been worried about Rosie’s condition on his way here. He could not understand why Ivanka insisted Rosie do the check-up today. “Aww... I just don’t want to go...” She was less insistent on refusing Ivanka than she had been with Michael. Rosie even started to act a bit playful.Normally, Ivanka would have found this amusing, but she was too worried about Rosie at tha
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