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
Yuliana was baffled when Ivanka removed the veneer board. “What is this?” “Come with me.” There was a staircase that led to an underground space before them. Yuliana was extremely surprised. She did not expect there to be a hidden place in such an empty and deserted area. Ivanka then proceeded down the staircase. Just as Yuliana started to follow her, she said, “Close the entrance with the veneer board.” Yuliana did as she was told. Their surroundings were pitch-black. Ivanka took out a torch light and switched it on. When they reached the final step, they continued to head straight down a dark and long path that could only fit two people side by side. Yuliana grew increasingly puzzled and wary. “Where exactly are you taking me?” Ivanka calmly replied, “I’m going to show you Peter’s life.” Yuliana’s expression changed slightly. But, since she was already there, she was not going to ask any further questions. After they walked another six hundred or seven hundred
Yuliana’s expression darkened. Ivanka glanced at her and calmly said, “This has happened many times. You can observe him from here. He won’t discover us for the time being.” Peter and his secretary continued to kiss each other. Yuliana’s expression turned red with rage, and she walked outside. Ivanka quickly followed her. Soon, they were outside the casino and on the empty land. Yuliana took another deep breath. Before she could get a word out, Ivanka said, “It’s inconvenient to talk here. Follow me.” They quickly left the area and got in the car. Only then did Ivanka speak again. “You’ve seen it yourself. What do you plan on doing next?” Yuliana closed her eyes and appeared to be composing herself. Then, she turned to Ivanka and sneered, “I believe you’ve snooped around and learned that I’m a jealous, vengeful person, am I right? If not, you wouldn’t have come to me.” Ivanka chuckled. “You’re very straightforward. In that case, let me get straight to the point. If you wa
Chiara was filled with joy and anticipation. This was her first time preparing breakfast for Michael, and she thought to herself, “He’ll like it.” With that in mind, her mood lifted. When the receptionist saw Chiara, she was puzzled. The issue between her and Ivanka had caused such a stir that everyone knew who Chiara was. The receptionist quickly asked, “Ms. Lane, are you here for Mr. Barkworth?” “Yes, I’ve informed him. You can leave me be.” Chiara acted as if she was the future Mrs. Barkworth, and it intimidated the receptionist so much that she was stunned. She dared not offend Chiara and immediately replied, “Okay. This way, please.” Chiara nodded politely. She looked elegant, and it made the receptionist envious of her. After all, Chiara was pretty, and she had a beautiful figure. She came from a prestigious family, and she was Mr. Barkworth’s savior. She deserved to become the future Mrs. Barkworth. “Sigh, I’m a nobody and should just accept my fate,” the reception
When Evan saw Michael, he quickly said, “Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane is here. She’s waiting for you. “Ms. Lane?” Michael wondered.He subconsciously looked at Evan, and Evan immediately understood what he meant. “It’s Ms. Chiara Lane,” he said. There was a tinge of displeasure in Michael’s dark and bright eyes. “Tell her I’m not around.” At that moment, he was already at the office entrance. Evan’s expression changed slightly. When Chiara heard the sounds of their conversation, she stood up in excitement, but she did not expect to hear Michael’s cold reply. Her smile froze, and she thought, “I must have misheard him. Mic is probably rejecting his business partners who are here to meet him.” Chiara comforted herself. Suddenly, she heard Evan’s voice again. “Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane is waiting for you inside the office.” Chiara’s heart sank as if her hopes had been dashed. She even felt a chilly air fill the room, which made her shiver. Chiara panicked and thought, “Am I t
“Get in here!” Chiara froze. It was obvious that Michael was angry based on his tone. She wondered, “Is he on the phone with someone?” She hesitated for a while and decided to observe from a corner. It did not take long before Evan showed up in front of Michael’s office and knocked on the door. “Come in.” Chiara saw Evan walk into the office nervously. She took a deep breath and somehow felt frustrated as she crept toward Michael’s office. She was clever enough not to get too close. “Mr. Barkworth, I’m sorry.” Before Michael said anything, Evan already realized his error. Michael stared at him sternly. “Evan, do this again, and I’ll fire you.” Evan drew in a deep breath. “Noted. I won’t let anyone enter your office again in the future.” Chiara was taken aback! True enough, she was the cause of his anger! Her expression turned sour. She took a deep breath and clutched her bag as her fingers turned pale. She wondered, “Why is Mic treating me this way?!” Pr
“One more thing, these are my team members. They’ve seen firsthand how you’ve tried to suppress me all the time. A little payback from them isn’t exactly unjustified, don’t you think?”Before Mandy could say anything, Candice turned to the employee and instructed firmly, “Call security. Have them escort her out of the building. Make sure she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Thoroughly check her devices for any company files.”Mandy completely lost her composure and started yelling.“Who do you think you are to treat me like this? You’re just riding on Ivanka’s coattails! Everyone knows how someone so young became CEO. And you? Are you sticking by her? You’re no better than… Argh!”Before Mandy could finish her tirade, Candice delivered a resounding slap across her face.Not far away, Ivanka, who had come out after hearing the commotion to see if she needed to step in, slowed her steps. While leaning casually against a nearby column, she watched Candice handle the
“I understand what you mean now.” Candice’s cheeks flushed with excitement. The gloom that had previously clouded her was swept away.Her joy was genuine. She said, “In three months’ time, I’ll secure this position and prove to you and the board that your decision was the right one.”With that, Candice stood, gave Ivanka a respectful bow, and left the office.Ivanka watched her leave with a smile.All was good.While the two of them were in good spirits, someone else’s mood was far from pleasant.Mandy returned to her office, humiliated, to pack her belongings.If she could turn back time, she might have chosen not to come at all. The shame she endured was beyond anything she could have imagined.Somehow, word of what happened in the conference room had leaked. Perhaps Ivanka had orchestrated it.When she arrived at her office, she was not surprised to see all her belongings stuffed into a tattered, broken box.The box had been placed right outside her office door. It was a
“Mr. Clarke, if you don’t like my decision and want to change it, you’ll have to take my position first to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”With those words, Ivanka coolly left the meeting room.Candice, though initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quickly adjusted to her new role. Turning to Mandy, she said, “Ms. Cruella, please ensure your office is cleared in three days, as I will be moving in.”With that, she too left the room.After they left, the meeting room erupted into chaos, with arguments flying back and forth. However, the outcome was already sealed. Ferris was powerless to change it.Though he still had cards to play, he was not about to waste them on Mandy.Sure enough, by the afternoon, employees spotted Mandy packing her belongings and leaving in disgrace.Candice, though initially satisfied, could not help but feel uneasy. After thinking it over, she decided to speak with Ivanka. And so, at that moment, she was standing in front of the door to t
Ferris was panicking at the moment. He shot Mandy a disappointing and furious glare.It was one thing for her to embezzle funds, it was another for her to get caught.How foolish!Feeling the weight of Ferris’s gaze, Mandy instinctively lowered her head.That only made Ferris more enraged.She had caused all this trouble, and he had to clean up the mess.Ivanka ignored them and turned to the other shareholders. She sharply said, “Tell me, how can someone like her hold the position of project director in our company, yet Candice can’t even be promoted to team leader?”Mandy had been personally hired by Ferris, so Ivanka criticizing her in front of everyone was effectively a direct slap to his face.That naturally made Ferris extremely uncomfortable.His expression turned even darker.“In my opinion, it’s true Mandy shouldn’t have done that, but she’s been in this position for so long. While she doesn’t have achievements, she’s at least put in the effort. How about this, let’s
However, her smile did not reach her eyes.Mandy stood frozen. She was too scared to drink the water or take a seat. Just like that, she was ignored. The atmosphere was awkward. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Ferris for support.Ferris, who was standing near her, cleared his throat and said, “That’s right. Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Cruella is right. This isn’t in line with proper procedures.”Ivanka maintained her enigmatic smile. Her index finger tapped lightly on the table. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind.She glanced around the room. “What do the rest of you think?”She sounded like she was seeking opinions, but the weight of her presence was intimidating. No one dared to answer.Just as Ferris was about to say something, Ivanka picked up Mandy’s report and tossed it onto the floor.It happened too fast. Everyone was stunned by her action. Even Ferris was caught off guard.Mandy’s face turned pale.“Rules are made by people. Besides, Cand
“Please start.” Ivanka nodded. Mandy glanced at Ferris and then at Ivanka. She did not dare to speak.It was obvious that she did not want to offend either side.But she had received a lot of favors being under Ferris over the years, so naturally she did not dare to disobey him.Ferris felt like he was getting the upper hand again, and he was a lot more cheerful. His expression seemed to say, “Look, this is my staff. Look at how they listen to me and not you. You’re nothing much as the chairman. Who are you here, Ivanka?”The anger from before had completely disappeared. He said calmly, “You really don’t get the hint. If Ms. Lane lets you speak, you should just speak.”Although he sounded like he was scolding her, anyone could hear from Ferris’s tone that he was not complaining. He was gloating.Some shareholders did not want to be caught up in the mess and lowered their heads.Others wanted to see where things went.In a way, he was asserting dominance over Ivanka. Everyone wa
Ivanka suggested to Candice to go home and rest.But Candice still refused.She said, “The contract will be done soon. I’ll be able to rest properly and have peace of mind sooner when it’s finalized.”Ivanka relented. She only said that if she felt discomfort in any way, she must tell her immediately.Candice nodded her head and took note.Ivanka gripped the steering wheel tightly. She felt guilty.Candice was already in such a state, but she still insisted on working. Her reason there was not only to repay Ivanka but also to realize her own self-worth.But Ferris kept getting in the way of that report.It was really upsetting.Ivanka also secretly made it a point to get the report passed on that day.The car reached the company. Ivanka went upstairs with Candice together. Ivanka also personally helped Candice to her workstation.Despite Candice’s repeated refusals, Ivanka was very insistent.She wanted to demonstrate to everyone that she had Candice’s back. If anyone wante
Ivanka noticed that the distance between the both of them were a little too close. She moved a little to the side as a form of silent resistance to Micheal’s behavior.Michael only felt lonely for a moment. But he then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.“Candice hasn’t finished giving her statement yet. I know you have to keep her company today, but I don’t agree that you should just sleep here. I’ve booked a hotel in the neighborhood. In a moment, I’ll explain to the people from the police station and send the two of you there.” Ivanka seemed to be a little hesitant.Michael said, “It’s just nearby. It’s about a kilometre away. I’ve reserved two rooms. So, if we need to rush over at night, we can just come over together again. Besides, if you sleep in the lounge for the night, both of you will catch a cold.”Ivanka hesitated and finally nodded.She thanked him and turned to go into the lounge to wake Candice up.Michael’s voice called out from behind her.
The two looked at each other and spoke a name. “Ferris Clark.”“Ferris Clark.” Michael laughed first. Ivanka followed suit. “Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with me. When Candice came, everyone knew I brought her in. When she first came in because she did not have any experience, she was only offered a position as an intern team leader. She thought that she would be transferred to a permanent position after she did a good job. But her report never passed after that. It was stuck in Ferris’s hands. “I will go to the board of directors tomorrow and continue to submit the report. This time it will have to be passed no matter what. I will also take the opportunity to find an excuse to test Ferris. If it’s really him…” Ivanka did not finish speaking, but the ferocity in her eyes made Michael silently pray for Ferris in his heart.Ivanka changed her tone. “But if it’s not someone from Bostone, then we have to consider someone else.”The tacit understanding betwe