“Sorry, they are lost for good,” Ivanka replied to him out of courtesy. Then she turned to Jonah. “Do you have anything else to discuss? I have to head back.”Jonah smiled. “I’ll drive you home.”“It’s okay. I can go home on my own. You stay and have fun.” Since Jonah had come here to hang out with his buddies, Ivanka did not intend to make him follow her out of the bar.However, Jonah would not possibly let her go home alone. Besides, he would seize every chance to keep her company. He immediately stood up. “It’s fine. Let them hang out on their own. I’ll drive you.”With that, he walked ahead of her and opened the door for her.A strange emotion flashed in Ivanka’s eyes. Before she said anything, Heath, who seemed to have read her mind, immediately said, “Come on, Mrs. Sadler, let him drive you. Or else he’ll be absent-minded throughout our meeting. His soul would have left with you. What do we want his empty shell for?”Ivanka frowned and looked at Heath. She said calmly, “You
Jonah raised his brows and turned to Ivanka. Seeing how serious she was, he gave a faint sigh. “I know what you want to say. But sometimes, even if you say it, I might not listen.”Ivanka furrowed her brows slightly. She looked at him and did not say anything immediately. But deep down, she already felt irritated. If he kept acting this way, it would invite trouble for them both.However, given Jonah’s attitude, her ultimatum might not be effective at all.Just as she was troubled, Jonah sighed again. “Ivanka.”She looked up at him without a word.Jonah said calmly, “You never trust me and always assume that I approach you with ulterior motives. I just want you to know that it takes time to truly know somebody.”When her expression became conflicted, and she was about to retort, he added casually, “Since you haven’t managed to tell if I’m sincere, I can keep waiting.”They were alone in the car at the moment. Jonah was no longer in a hurry to start driving. If Ivanka wanted to t
The two of them fell silent.Ivanka stared calmly at Jonah. Jonah did not hurry to start the car. Instead, he sighed and looked at Ivanka. “Iv, I didn’t want to pressure you, but if I don’t take action, you’ll only drift further away from me.”Ivanka’s gaze flickered with caution as she observed him. She remained silent but was still on guard.Jonah found her reaction amusing and chuckled. “Relax, I’m not going to do anything to you.”Despite his reassurance, she maintained her caution and did not let her guard down.Jonah looked at her seriously. “Starting tomorrow, I’ll drive you to work.”Ivanka looked irritated. “You know this will completely end our collaboration, right?”Jonah continued to gaze at her without saying a word.He knew she disliked this.But what he said was true. If he did not take proactive steps to get closer to her, she would only drift further away. He might never get another chance to be with her.At that moment, despite his high emotional intellige
Why was Michael here?How did he get in?Ivanka stared at him coldly in silence. Though she did not speak, her displeasure was evident.Meanwhile, Michael, who had initially worn a stern expression, was momentarily surprised to see Ivanka emerge wrapped in only a towel.Neither of them spoke or moved closer. They maintained a distance of about three meters between them.Ivanka had only come out to check the situation, so she had not turned on the lights. The faint glow from the bedroom was the only source of light.As time passed, Ivanka’s expression grew darker. She then asked sarcastically, “How did you even get in? Did I forget to lock the door?”Her tone dripped with cold irony. She knew she had locked the door and would have been warned if it had not been properly locked.Instead of answering, Michael stepped closer to Ivanka until they were only a meter apart.“What have you been up to today?” he asked calmly. There was no accusatory tone in his voice.Yet Ivanka detect
Ivanka quickly stepped back in fear. However, if she continued backing away, she would end up in her bedroom. The situation could not have been worse.“Michael Barkworth!” she shouted his full name. She was afraid that he might not be sober and might do something foolish.Even after their divorce, he had hugged and kissed her. She was worried he would do something to her now.At that point, she did not dare to think any further. Despite reminding herself not to be self-absorbed, she found it hard to ignore the things Michael had done to her recently.If he really hated her, why did he kiss her?Her expression turned darker when she noticed Michael was trying to get closer to her again. She quickly ran into the bedroom, closed the door tightly, and locked it.However, she realized that after locking the door, there was still a key inserted from the outside. She had her back against the door as she frowned. Her expression was extremely grim.She frowned as her expression turned
Ivanka’s mocking remark instantly darkened Michael’s expression. His eyes reflected a mix of emotions as he looked at Ivanka with a sarcastic smile.He pursed his lips and remained silent.Then, Ivanka said to him seriously, “My issues are none of your concern, Mr. Barkworth. I’ll handle yours and Grandma’s illness to the best of my ability. Other than that, we have nothing to do with each other.Her final words sounded light and nonchalant as if she had truly detached herself from him.This attitude appeared either as a facade or the result of enduring so much hardship that she had reached a state of calm acceptance.“We have nothing to do with each other, huh?” Michael repeated coldly as he sneered.Ivanka frowned deeper as Michael confronted her coldly, saying, “Throughout it all, we’ve never truly been separate. So where does this ‘nothing to do with each other’ come from?”Ivanka’s frown deepened. “Michael, we’re already divorced.”At that moment, Ivanka was visibly angry.
Michael’s expression darkened instantly.Seeing Ivanka point at the door, he raised his hand and grabbed her wrist. He looked at her and spoke angrily, “Ivanka, do you even have a heart?”Ivanka could not help but laugh at his words.She had lost count of how many times Michael had asked her that!And she had responded twice already. Did he not know she was in love with him back then?How could he question if she had a heart? What about him? He should ask that of himself.The thought enraged her even more. She glared at him furiously and retorted, “I wish I didn’t have a heart. Then I wouldn’t have wasted three years of my life loving you and being toyed with!”Michael’s expression grew even colder. Before he could say anything, she continued speaking coldly, “I wish I were heartless. Then I wouldn’t have endured those three miserable years! I wish I could be cold-blooded. I wouldn’t have yearned for you and tolerated you getting close to other women for three long years! I must
When Michael heard Ivanka say that he was no longer worthy of her, his expression abruptly darkened. He had not expected her to say such things to him. As he looked at her, he saw the seriousness in her eyes.His visible fury intensified. Yet another emotion seemed to overshadow it. It was almost as if he had forgotten the reason for his anger.His expression grew increasingly unpleasant as he stared into Ivanka’s eyes, which were growing colder by the moment.At that point, Ivanka felt utterly worn out. She no longer wanted to look at Michael, so she turned away and calmly said, “Just leave.”She did not want to waste any more energy on him. She felt that such extensive conversation with him would be pointless. It was as if she could not move on from him.She saw no point in sharing all the resentment she had accumulated over the years if he did not believe a word she said. It would only make him detest her more. He would see her as a joke and ultimately cast her as a fool.Her
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t