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
Instead, she remained standing in front of Jimothy and studied the group of men with a smile.“He works at our company. Since I’ve run into him, I’m obligated to come over and check on him. Pray tell, what has happened between you and why do you feel the need to resolve it with violence?”Jimothy stared at Candice while she stood with her back facing him. The look in his eyes was conflicted.The men exchanged glances with each other and saw a hint of astonishment in one another’s eyes.The man at the front of the group, who was likely their leader, said, “We just get paid to do this, lady. You should stay out of it.”When Candice heard his advice which also sounded like a threat, she did not intend to back down at all. Instead, she asked him, “Oh? How much did you get for this? I’ll pay you double. I just told you that this guy works for us, so I have to intervene.”The leader started laughing, and so did the men behind him. They did not even bother to hide the mockery in their t
Candice ordered some food she liked, and the dishes arrived soon after.Sandy suggested that they all took a picture together.The others did not object.Sandy gave her phone to the waiter.Then the five of them moved their chairs to sit in a row.Michael and Ivan each took the outermost seats.Naturally, Ivanka was seated next to Michael while Sandy, who paid for the dinner, was right beside her.Next to Sandy was Candice, who sat awkwardly in her chair. Ivan was beside Candice.The second the waiter took the picture, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances inadvertently. Meanwhile, Ivan stared past Candice, and his eyes fell on Sandy.Sandy and Candice were the only people who looked into the camera.But each and every one of them had a genuine smile on their face.Once they had taken a picture, they started eating together.It was a nice, relaxing dinner. They did not talk about work or how annoying Coco had been.They mostly chatted about the fun anecdotes they had he
The call was soon answered, but the person who picked up was not Rosie. It was Mrs. Ruth.“Ms. Lane, you finally called! Mdm. Barkworth will be over the moon when she wakes up!” Mrs. Ruth sounded quite excited as she spoke.Ivanka smiled and asked, “Is Grandma resting now?”“Yeah, she hasn’t had a good rest after learning that you’d be kidnapped. Once you were safe, she finally allowed herself to rest.”Ivanka nodded and told Mrs. Ruth to take good care of Rosie. She later said that she and Micheal would visit Rosie soon.With that, she hung up the phone.Meanwhile, she also reflected upon herself.Rosie had gotten old, yet Ivanka always made her worry. From that moment on, Ivanka would consider the consequences before making any decision. It was not only for the sake of herself, but the important people in her life, who also cared about her.As she contemplated this, Ivanka inevitably thought of the gathering. It would be quite fun.Before they were about to get off work, San
Coco practically ran out crying.Candice glanced at Ivanka worriedly and asked, “Will something bad happen to her?”Ivanka was not concerned at all. “What could possibly happen? She is an adult. Even if something bad happens, she has to bear the consequences of her own action.”Hearing that, Candice no longer fretted over the matter.She was not really worried about Coco. She was just afraid that something would happen to Coco, and Ivanka would be blamed for it.But Ivanka had made a good point. Candice did not want to trouble herself with Coco’s matters. It would only be an unnecessary emotional burden to her.Everyone in the office began discussing the progress of their project.Perhaps it was because Ivanka had made an example of Coco, the other employees became especially energized and diligent during their discussion.They were even more focused than before, since they were all afraid that Ivanka would treat them harshly as well.Hence, they were particularly efficient.
“Why don’t we leave now so that you can deal with this matter, Ms. Ivanka?”The director of the project department, who was perceptive and shrewd, planned to leave right then. Ivanka shook her head and signaled everyone to sit down.They were all uneasy, and they kept giving Coco weird looks.Two people had dared speak to Ivanka like that in the past—Ferris and Mandy.But those two were no longer with the company.At the thought of those people, the project department staff began looking at Coco with pity.However, Coco could not care less. All she wanted was to make a fuss.She wanted to see how shameless Ivanka could be.Unruffled, Ivanka stared at her. She did not get angry and seemed rather affable as she asked, “Tell me what upset you. Have we falsely accused you of something you didn’t do?”Before Coco said anything, Ivanka added cruelly, “Oh, I forgot that you aren’t familiar with the protocol here, so you have no idea what you did wrong, right?”Coco paled. Undoubte
Candice was momentarily stunned by his answer. She was a little offended.“Then why did you come to my office for this conversation?” Jimothy’s grin was mischievous. “To prove your company’s HR is blind, and you just lost a great talent. That’s all.”With that, Jimothy stood up, dusted off his sleeves dramatically, and turned to leave.“Your resume!” Candice called after him.Jimothy waved dismissively without looking back. “Keep it. Enjoy reading it. And don’t let an incompetent HR handle your interviews again.”Candice stood there for a moment and processed the scene before an involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. This one had personality.Regardless, the incident served as a wake-up call for Candice.It became glaringly clear that Coco was not only incompetent but also prone to overestimating her abilities.Before the task was assigned, she had the chance to decline. Candice had given her the opportunity and explicitly asked if she could handle it. Yet, Coco confidentl
The college student finally believed her and walked toward Candice.On the other hand, Coco seemed guilty and was desperate to prevent it. “He has no respect for our company! Are you really going to hire someone like him who won’t follow orders?” Coco’s tone was sharp. Her finger trembled as she pointed at the young man.She scanned the room for backup in hopes that the people who had been flattering her earlier would speak up in her defense.Unfortunately, no one stepped forward.Those who flattered Coco only did so out of respect for Ivanka. Yet Candice had a close relationship with Ivanka and was the company’s vice president.The gap between a vice president versus an intern was as vast as night and day.Anyone with common sense knew where to align themselves.Coco felt a mix of despair and resentment.Candice ignored her entirely. Why Ivanka was so wary of someone as clueless as this was beyond her comprehension.Coco was simply dumb.Without wasting another thought o
However, reality proved she had worried for nothing.Candice had called her over merely to ask if she had the most basic professional knowledge and whether she could handle the afternoon’s interview.Coco let out a deep sigh of relief before patting her chest confidently and assuring Candice she was more than capable.Knowing Coco came from the mountains, Candice was naturally skeptical, so she asked again, “Are you sure?”Coco thought to herself that it was just an interview. All she needed to do was just ask the candidates some questions. They could just choose someone who wrote the resume well.Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Michael’s cousin, Coco pretended to be confident and accepted the task.Candice was half-doubtful, yet she still gave her instructions and let her go.However, Coco’s firm assurance eventually led to trouble....“Your company must be a joke to hire someone like you for HR. You’re offended? You’re not even a real professional. What? You ca
Word quickly spread within the HR department. After learning about Coco’s connection to Ivanka, some colleagues were vying to curry favor with her.Although some observant individuals noticed that the relationship between Coco and Ivanka was not as harmonious as it seemed, it did not deter the opportunists. Relentless flattery and attention poured in.One moment, a male coworker would offer to grab her food while placing his own lunch order. Next, a female coworker would ask if she wanted to order some coffee too.At first, Coco was caught off guard and politely declined. However, as she realized their intentions were purely self-serving, she began to accept their gestures without hesitation.By midday, Coco had become the department’s little queen. Ironically, as an intern, she should have been the one fetching coffee, running errands and collecting mail. Instead, she had colleagues practically lining up to do those tasks for her.Coco quickly assembled her own little e