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
If only they could reconcile!It would be great if they could remarry and appear in front of her together every day. In an instant, Rosie felt both angry and heartbroken!She felt sorry for Ivanka. Ivanka had given so much to Michael over the years, but her efforts were not reciprocated.She was angry at the useless Michael for not appreciating the efforts Ivanka had put on him. She knew that Michael had feelings for Ivanka. However, Ivanka no longer had feelings for him. Rosie felt that Michael deserved this punishment for not appreciating Ivanka. “Let’s go, Grandma,” said Ivanka in her usual gentle voice. Rosie sighed inwardly. She wished Ivanka could vent her anger by giving Michael a good beating and then forgiving him. The other option would be Michael enduring all kinds of punishment to win Ivanka back. That would be fine too...Rosie felt so irritated at that moment. She had so much to say, but she could not utter a word.“Sigh... Let’s go,” said Rosie reluctantly
Ivanka quickly turned away. Rosie was looking out the window by her side, so she did not notice Ivanka’s movement. However, Michael, who was driving, saw everything clearly. His expression darkened even more. It was unclear whether it was due to Ivanka’s reaction or whether it was because he was worried about Rosie.Ivanka quickly composed herself. When Rosie turned back to talk to her, she responded cheerfully. They chatted and laughed all the way to the hospital.Ivanka felt a myriad of emotions in her. Her heart began to race when it was time for Rosie’s check-up. Michael accompanied Rosie inside as well.Rosie could not help but ask, “When is Samuel arriving? He’s late.”Samuel and Rosie usually had their check-ups together.Rosie had not asked about it earlier because she thought he was on his way, but she found it strange that Samuel had not arrived when it was time for the check-up.Michael calmly said, “Grandpa has some things to take care of. He might only show u
Ivanka’s eyes flickered with some emotions. She paused for a moment before drawing close to Michael. Michael frowned. He stood in place motionlessly. The next moment, Ivanka whispered to him, “Wait for me to come back. You must wait for me.” Ivanka sounded extremely solemn. Her tone suggested she would not hear “no” for an answer. Michael frowned silently. Ivanka did not want Rosie to be even more suspicious, so she said with a smile, “Grandma, let’s go now.” “Okay.”At this, Ivanka helped Rosie head outside. Ivanka personally drove and sent her back. Ivanka drove faster than usual. Nonetheless, the car moved steadily. She did not violate traffic rules. Ivanka occasionally chatted with Rosie happily. But she was actually in anguish and sad. When they arrived at the Barkworth family’s mansion, Rosie was still in the mood to chat with Ivanka, and that made Ivanka feel a bit guilty. For Rosie’s sake, Ivanka could not put it off any longer. Hence, Ivanka had no choice
Ivanka did not take long to arrive at the destination. The doctors were still around. They gathered together to discuss Rosie’s disease. Meanwhile, Michael sat on the side of the office desk. He put his hands into his pockets. There was a trace of grimness in his icy-cold expression. When he saw Ivanka, he turned his head around and rested his gaze on her. Ivanka pursed her lips. Her eyes were more reddened than before she left. The doctors cast a glance at Ivanka before looking away. They knew she was very close to Rosie. Ivanka sucked in a deep breath and walked over to Michael. He remained silent. He had no idea what Ivanka’s arrangement was. She glanced at him and asked, “Have you told your father about it?” “Not yet.” There was a somber aura about Michael. He no longer treated her as coldly as before. Ivanka’s eyes flickered with some emotions. She knew she could not put it off any longer. She stared at Michael. “Do you trust me? If you do, let me be entirely in ch
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p