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
Chiara’s expression darkened even further. Even so, she composed herself and made sure that her mind was still clear before she gloomily said, “Mom, things could be different from what I thought.” “What’s the matter?” Lyla frowned. She looked worried. In her resignation, Chiara pulled Lyla to her room and told her everything. Lyla frowned. “That can’t be. Even if Barkworth’s Group has its own confidential documents, you’re both bound to be together. He can’t possibly be unhappy about your visit.” Chiara took a deep breath. “At first, I thought he was angry with me because I entered his office, but it seems like he has begun to hate me.” “Why do you say so?!” Lyla looked surprised. After all, Lyla was never around when the two of them went on dates. It was only normal for her to not know the real situation. Chiara pursed her lips. “There have been too many coincidences recently. I wonder if Ivanka’s been deliberately showing up every time I have my meals with Michael. On t
“What is it?” Chiara looked at Lyla in bewilderment. “I’ve already gotten someone to spread the word that Ivanka isn’t Iris. I’m sure that some people are already checking her out, and they’ll uncover certain things. I believe that Michael will investigate her too.” Chiara’s eyes lit up with excitement, but she frowned at the next moment. “Is your idea going to work?” “It will definitely work. No one’s going to see the flaws in my plan. Even if people figure out that someone’s been spreading rumors about Ivanka, they won’t figure out that it’s us.” Chiara continued frowning. Lyla raised her hand and smoothed her eyebrows. “Think about it. If Michael learns that Ivanka’s just pretending to be Iris, he’ll assume that Ivanka is doing this just to grab his attention. He’ll only find her even more despicable as a result.” Chiara heaved a sigh. “I hope so.” Lyla patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t overthink it. Michael’s mood might have been soured by the meeting today, so he used
Ivanka froze up for a brief second. “Okay! Ask him over. Iv, I’ll treat you guys to dinner tonight. Let’s have fun! The theme for tonight is ‘drinking my love-related sorrows away,’” Anna said with a chuckle. Ivanka was speechless, while Sandy broke into laughter. “Great idea! The Wood family’s the one that caused the mess. They deserve to deal with the consequences!” Anna laughed. “I’m going to call my parents and cry to them about it. Wait for me!” “You’re putting on a show again?” Sandy laughed. “Putting on a show? No, no, I’m just being a troll!” Anna pouted and called her parents. As Anna cried like a banshee, her father, Brendon, acquiesced to her wishes. “Enough. Stop giving me a headache. With such a scandal coming from the Wood family, I can’t possibly allow you to marry Peter. You can stop trying to test the waters with me!” Right after Brendon said this, he hung up. Anna was not pissed off. Instead, she felt very happy! She knew that her father was busy han
“If you want to upload the photos, let me handle it,” Hanson said in disagreement. Ivanka pulled her hand out of his grasp and replied with a smile, “Can’t you see that I only do things when I feel confident?” Anna’s expression turned gloomy. Even though Hanson had shown some concern for Anna, he had only done so because it was required of him as a friend. Meanwhile, he decided to take the risk after realizing that Ivanka was going to upload the photos. He did not want the Wood family to target her. Anna sighed to herself. “It’s only normal for him to do so. After all, he likes Iv…” The atmosphere turned awkward, and Hanson added, “Marrying ‘him’ was the thing you were least confident with.” Ivanka’s calmness cracked a little, but she soon replied with a self-deprecating statement, “That won’t happen again. You don’t have to worry about me this time.” Anna frowned slightly. “Iv, don’t upload the photos. After all, we’ve turned the tide. It doesn’t matter even if we don’t
“It belonged to my mom, so of course I’m getting it back! Why should I give it to an outsider?!” Xander frowned slightly. “Still, Sandy was the one who stayed with your mother till her final moments.” “I don’t care! It was my mom’s, so it can only be mine!” Ivan said angrily. Xander smiled. “I have a way to help you get it back.” Ivan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” The corners of Xander’s lips curled up slightly. “If you marry her, it’ll belong to both of you. Your mom might have even wanted to see that happen.” “What in the world?! Why should I marry that tomboy?! Are you kidding me?! You’re just going to make me suffer for the rest of my life!” Ivan felt goosebumps all over his body. Xander ignored him. He took out his phone and browsed through the entertainment news. However, when he saw one of the articles, he looked up and cast a glance at Michael. “Your ex-wife is seriously something.”That sentence carried an underlying
Just as he was about to say something else, a clear voice suddenly spoke.“I told them to play it. Is there a problem?”The crowd looked for the voice and saw Candice in a white dress. She looked serene and cool. It was a different kind of beauty.But this was not a wedding. It was obviously a funeral.Everyone looked at the heroine who was supposed to appear today. Shock crossed their eyes. It looked like the bride found out about their despicable deed. Immediately after, the bride said in a mocking voice once again, “Leonardo, how does it feel to lose your reputation? You experienced it before me. Do you like the wedding gift I gave you?”Candice looked at him. Her brow was calm and void of emotion.Leonardo was already extremely cranky. In a way, he was at the end of his rope. He looked at her incredulously. “What do you mean by that?!” Candice sneered. “I didn’t mean anything by that. Just letting everyone present witness and see clearly for themselves what mangy dogs d
At that moment, there was a crazy video rolling on the big screen. The video was unsightly. The man and woman on the bed were “wrestling” frantically with the woman’s coquettish voice calling out at the same time. Also, the facilities here were top notch and equipped with 3D surround sound. The guests had no idea what to do when they heard.Some of the sharp-eyed guests spotted the man and woman in the video in a single glance. “My goodness! Aren’t these two the groom, Leonardo, and the bride’s best friend Jennifer?!”The moment these words came out, it instantly set off an uproar!Jennifer was instantly dumbfounded when she saw the video! But the next moment she screamed in panic. “Turn it off! Turn it off! It’s not me at all!” It was just that, not only were her shouts futile, but she felt the contemptuous disdainful glances thrown at her from all sides!She could even feel like some of the men were undressing her with their eyes! She was screaming! “Turn it off! Turn
When she put on makeup, her features looked even more exquisite. She looked sharper. Michael’s gaze paused for a moment. Why had he not realized it in the past? Ivanka glanced at him and spoke directly. “I’m good to go. Let’s go there now?” “Yes.” Michael quickly collected his thoughts and rushed to the wedding venue with her. There were a lot of guests. Those who came were all the city’s upper-class people and everyone was open and relaxed. They were able to navigate their way in a situation like this and take the opportunity to meet more work partners.The groom also weaved in and out of the crowd. He was beaming and full of life.Jennifer was with him. The two of them were welcoming the guests together. Those who did not know any better might even think that the two of them were the new couple. Everyone arrived one after another. It was just that… Only the bride and Jarek were missing.The crowd could not help but be a little confused. Right among the murmuring
Of course, he was referring to Jarek, who was screaming on the ground. Ivanka and Michael’s eyes met across the distance. They exchanged a look with each other. In the end, they chose to stay out of it. What should have been done was done. No matter the outcome, it was Candice’s own choice. Michael took a step back and came to Ivanka’s side. “Thanks.” Candice stared at Ivanka and sincerely thanked her once again. She was not stupid, so naturally, she could see that her cousin greatly respected his wife’s opinion. On the other hand, Ivanka was highly self-sufficient.Not long after, the security guards came and took Jarek away. After Candice said goodbye to the two, she left in the opposite direction.Ivanka and Michael went back to their rooms together.On the way back, Ivanka’s brows remained furrowed, and Michael turned to look at her. “Still worried about her?”Ivanka’s eyes flashed, then she looked at Michael and said softly, “Do you think that she will be soft-h
Leonardo had always been a perfect boyfriend. He was so perfect and seemed to have been specially made for Candice. Candice used to find it suspicious. But she dared not probe further into her own suspicions. Since things had turned out like so, she had no choice but to confront it. Candice’s heart was filled with a slew of anxiousness and complications. Despite this, she held back her emotions. Without further hesitation, she lifted the blanket and got down from the bed. She walked to the room next door. Ivanka gave Michael a look so that he would bring Jarek along. Michael was amused. He believed Ivanka must have treated him as her bodyguard. She was the first woman who had dared to give him an order. Despite this, Michael did as he was told. After all, Ivanka was not supposed to get involved in all this in the first place. It was all about the Barkworth family’s business. When Michael confronted Jarek, Michael’s temper instantly turned foul. He glared at Jarek.
Bam! The room door was kicked open all of a sudden. Michael was the one who kicked the door open. The man in the formal suit had just taken off half of his pants when Michael entered the room. Michael exuded an air of standoffishness. The man looked dumbfounded. He did not know if he should put back on his pants or remove them. Ivanka was behind Michael. He did not let her enter the room. “On the count of three, put your pants on, or else—” Michael did not finish his sentence, but the man in the formal suit was so scared that his entire body trembled. The man knew that if he did not act as he was told, he would lose his d*ck. So the man quickly put his pants on comically. While Michael was entering the room, Ivanka followed him. She ignored the man in the formal suit and went to the bed where Candice was laying. They had made quite a commotion when they entered the room. Despite this, Candice laid motionlessly on the bed. Apparently, she had been drugged. It l
Jennifer took the man to Candice in the middle of the night. Things did not seem good. Ivanka knew something bad was going to befall Candice. She was about to follow them when someone behind her abruptly stopped her. Ivanka’s eyes flew wide open. Her scream got stuck in her throat. The man’s large hand had covered her mouth. At the same time, a familiar smell entered her nostrils, and she gave up trying to let go of herself from the man’s grasp. “Why are you giving up so easily?” As expected, Ivanka heard a familiar voice. She turned around and saw Michael’s playful smile. “I know it’s you, so there’s no need to keep trying to free myself,” answered Ivanka truthfully. “How did you know it’s me?” Her answer piqued his interest. Ivanka was about to explain when a thought struck her mind. After that, she kept quiet. “It’s a secret.” Before Michael could continue the topic, Ivanka decided to skip and end it by asking, “You saw everything. What do you think about it?”
The only problem was, the bridegroom never showed up even once. During the first rehearsal, Candice was the only one who finished the whole course. Ivanka was curious, but she did not give it a second thought. She assumed the bridegroom was absent because he was tied up with something else. That night, Ivanka finally saw the so-called bridegroom. But their encounter was not a happy one. At midnight Ivanka could not fall asleep, so she planned to go out to take a walk. The moment she stepped out of the door, she ran into a drunkard. The man was in a formal suit, but his tie was hung crookedly around his neck. He occasionally hiccoughed and looked sloppy. A woman helped him by the side. They were very close, and the way they interacted with each other was flirty. They talked to each other very intimately. Ivanka saw the duo enter the room next to her. She wondered why they would drink so much during somebody else’s wedding eve. Ivanka thought they were just the wedding gues
Fondli was a third-world country. Although it was less developed, it was clean and not heavily polluted. The moment Ivanka got off the plane, she keenly sensed this. “The air is very fresh. The environment is conducive for Grandma to recuperate over here. Unfortunately, her condition wouldn’t allow her body to be exposed to wind.” Michael did not expect Ivanka to care so much about Rosie. He gave her a profound look. It was rare to see him not snort at her. He wondered if he would have stood a better chance if he had used Rosie to make Ivanka spend the night in the Barkworth family’s mansion last night.But Michael was worried that Ivanka would be mad at this suggestion. Hence, he did not bring it up. Nonetheless, Rosie had specially given an account of what he needed to do during the Fondli trip, and Michael was full of confidence. Outside the airport, Michael’s cousin arranged for them a car. The wedding ceremony was located inside the bride’s mansion on the outskirts.