“I’ve never seen anyone dumber than you in this whole wide world.” Michael’s cold eyes were mocking her. Right before he left, he sneered at her again. “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because Grandma keeps protecting you. This is my last warning to you, Ivanka. You’d better watch out.”After saying that, Michael left without looking back. The moment the door closed, Ivanka suddenly lost all of her strength and sat back down on the bed. She propped herself with one hand on the bed so as not to fall down. … That was the end of the memory. Ivanka was also currently sitting on the bed. The difference in her position from that day was that she did not need to prop herself up anymore. Her eyes were filled with mockery. All the memories she had here were just endless sadness and life in a cage.It was probably because she had been single for so long. She had actually forgotten how unhappy she used to be. It might also be because Michael’s attitude toward her at the
“Going to work.” “Have breakfast.” Breakfast had been spread on the dining table. Even if she was hungry, Ivanka was not in the mood to eat with him at all. She said, “I’m not hungry. There are still some urgent matters to tend to in the company.” She could finally control herself from saying or doing anything, and that was great. This was because she was being considerate of Michael having stomach cancer. Ivanka kept silently chanting in her heart that she should not get angry. She should not be emotional. It was all in the past. She walked those paths on her own volition. She chose them herself. So there was nothing to say. She should not resent anyone, because she did it voluntarily. Back when she liked Michael, he did not have any feelings for her. Yet she still chose to marry him without any hesitation. She thought he would develop feelings for her. But in the end, her failed marriage was a warning to her, so she gradually came to her senses. It was okay to take th
“You told me to take care of my stomach. You’re a doctor, so you should know better to take care of my emotions and have breakfast with me.” Ivanka felt exasperated by his words and scoffed. Even though she had just calmed her emotions down, this man’s appearance still made her mood switch. “You’re the one who got stomach cancer, not me. If you don’t even know how to love and care for yourself, then no matter what anyone else does for you, it’s useless! Someone like you doesn’t deserve to live, either. You might as well die early to make room for good people.” Michael only felt anger burn in him, but he still calmed down and said to her, “If you’re here, I’m sure I can eat, and I’ll care about myself too.” Ivanka laughed from exasperation. “Are you guilt-tripping me?” Michael had not cared about her emotions during those years. He would even believe in a liar, yet he would not listen to a single word she said. When she thought about that time, she wondered why she cared for h
After taking another deep breath, Ivanka tried her best to calm the annoyance in her heart and said calmly, “Michael, I don’t need any apology from you. Everything that happened in the past might have something to do with you, but I blame myself too. If I weren’t so obsessed with you, then I wouldn’t be hurt so thoroughly, either. I only have myself to blame, and I can’t fault you either. But just because I’m not blaming you, doesn’t mean I forgive you. I hope you know my boundaries. I remember every moment of what you’ve done to me. I will never be back together with you, much less will I look for trouble and repeat my past mistakes!” Michael was silent. Ivanka was really prickly. When he heard that she did not blame him, an unexplainable emotion welled within Michael. It felt like panic. Michael frowned but did not say a word. Ivanka tried to struggle again, but Michael still did not let go.Ivanka frowned. “What do I need to do for you to let go? I’m currently treating yo
Soon enough, the two finished their breakfast. Neither of them ate much. They were just making sure their stomachs were not empty. Ivanka had already set down her cutlery. Her expression was flat, nor did she look at Michael. Meanwhile, Michael’s gaze landed on Ivanka. As he stared at her, he asked with a calm expression, “Just what sort of prejudice do you have against me right now?” “Prejudice?” Ivanka looked at him calmly. “Do you think that all of the things you did to me can just be written off as me having prejudiced views about you?”Michael pursed his lips. It was as if he did not know what to say, yet he seemed to acknowledge Ivanka’s statement. Ivanka scoffed coldly. She did not bother to waste her breath on him and got up. “We have nothing to say to each other. So, let’s not dwell on the subject. So long as we are not together, anything is up for discussion.” After saying this, Ivanka got up to leave. Michael sat in place and did not move. He did not pester Iv
Jonah sighed deeply.Not making a move only made things harder for her.However, he had recently uncovered some information about Michael’s grandmother. It was why he had not been pressuring her.Once those matters were resolved, he planned to pursue her again. Since Ivanka had already separated from Michael, he would not give Michael another chance to win her back.That morning, everyone was busy with work. When noon came, Jonah did not go to pick up Ivanka.He knew that Ivanka would not want that.At the agreed location, Ivanka and her assistant had already arrived. They sat in a private room. When Jonah arrived, Ivanka nodded to him. “You’re here.”Jonah nodded back. Ivanka’s assistant stood up and greeted him respectfully. “Hello, Mr. Sadler.”Jonah nodded in acknowledgment.Jonah’s assistant, James, also nodded to Ivanka and her assistant.“Why did you get here so early?” Jonah looked at her and gently asked as he sat across from her.Ivanka answered truthfully, “There
Soon, they finished reviewing the plan. Both of them had a look of surprise in their eyes.“This proposal is very bold.” Ivanka remarked after reading it.Peachy remained silent as she was trying to process the shock. This was definitely a high-risk, high-reward move.“If such a publicity stunt doesn’t resonate with the fans, it could backfire. But if it does catch on, it could lead to unprecedented success, especially compared to Papaver’s previous launches.”Jonah smiled. “That’s the thrill of it, isn’t it? At our level, if we just keep playing it safe, the room for growth is practically zero.”Ivanka knew he had a point and did not refute him.Still, the plan was a little…The private room fell silent again.Jonah did not rush her. It was as if he was giving Ivanka time to think.Peachy, who sat beside her, dared not say a word. The stakes were just too high for her to comment. Only the chairwoman could make this decision.Even as the dishes were served, Ivanka remained si
Ivanka frowned. If Jonah had been digging around, even if Michael’s doctors kept things tightly under wraps, Jonah might have found some clues.How much did he know?Ivanka studied Jonah for a moment, but he remained as he had been. Finally, she looked away. She pursed her lips before saying softly, “I’ll be going now.”“Okay.”This time, Jonah did not offer to accompany her. He cooperated by letting her leave without any further insistence.Soon, everyone got into their respective cars.Ivanka sat in the passenger seat. She was still pondering the meaning behind Jonah’s gaze.However, before she could think further into it, her phone suddenly vibrated. She opened WhatsApp and saw a message from Jonah.Jonah: I know you have a lot on your plate right now. The health of the elderly is important, and I know you care about her, so I won’t interfere during this time. But Iv, not interfering doesn’t mean forgetting. Once things are better, I’ll find you again.Ivanka’s eyelashes tr
This must surely be what it meant by family ties were the strongest. Ivanka nodded. Her eyes stung. “It has indeed been a long time since I’ve seen you, Uncle. Why did you ask me here?” Nothing had changed in the casino. There were plenty of people by her uncle’s side. He seemed well and was in high spirits. Even that big Tibetan Mastiff wagged its tail and came up when it saw her. Throughout the whole trip here, Ivanka had thought about it and kept this matter at the forefront of her mind, yet she could not understand and was also anxious. “I can take you back this time because of your mom’s matter. I think there are some things you should know. Knowing will be better than your current situation. I can’t just watch you continue to be influenced by Michael,” Vincent said seriously. At first, Ivanka had said that she wanted to look into it. Also, she meant that there were still some things in Bostone that had not been dealt with. So, he had let her go back. Yet what happe
Regarding Michael’s previous scheme against Njord, he knew Njord was still angry with him. Therefore, when Njord cussed at Michael in front of the crowd, Michael decided to compromise the situation. But since Njord proposed to have a duel with him, he would not allow somebody else’s subordinate to flaunt by overwhelming him. On top of that, he would not allow anyone to look down on him like this. Njord refused to give up. He rose, then charged at Michael and attacked him. Since Michael was able to take him down in the first round, he was able to prevail against Njord again in the second round. As a result, Njord was knocked to the ground. He lost the energy to get up again. Meanwhile, Michael bent slightly in front of Njord. Michael looked down at him and smirked. “I know you’re very angry with me. But you’ve been working under Vincent for so many years, don’t you still get it?” That was, one had to create an opportunity. If one lacked the capital, no matter how great t
By the time Ivanka and Michael got off the plane at Mirvania, it was already 9 p.m. Before boarding the plane, Ivanka had WhatsApped Vincent. Therefore, the moment they got off the plane, Vincent had Njord to pick them up. They saw Njord immediately after getting off the plane. The moment Njord spotted Michael behind Ivanka, his expression instantly turned black. Njord recalled how Michael had schemed him before this. “Why are you coming with Ms. Lane? Ms. Lane, have you hired him as your bodyguard?” Njord cussed at Michael before asking Ivanka. Ivanka was aware of the grudges between Njord and Michael. But since Njord came with a group of people, Ivanka looked solemn and rebuked him, “He’s my friend. Njord, you can’t say that to him.” “Ms. Lane, if he’s truly your friend, I’ll naturally show him my respect. But the truth is, after being with you for such a long time at the casino, how can a person like him be considered your friend?” Njord said without hesitation when ment
“Got it.” Chiara behaved submissively in front of Jonah. Jonah swept her a cool glance and did not reply to her. Their meeting with Margaret had ended up unhappily. Little did they know that right after Chiara left, Laura came. Compared to Chiara, Laura, at least, genuinely loved Jonah, and Margaret knew it. In the past, Margaret did not entertain her. This time, she allowed Laura to enter the house. This gave Laura false hope. She asked, “Aunt Margaret, are you willing to accept me?” “To be frank with you, if not for the fact of Jonah’s current condition, I wouldn’t have accepted you. I’ve only allowed you to enter the house because I’ve some questions for you.” Margaret spoke without hesitation. Her tone was cold. Laura looked at Margaret in puzzlement. “Aunt Margaret, what do you want to ask me?” Laura’s gaze was filled with expectancy. Margaret pursed her lips. Then she said coolly, “You’ve fallen head over heels for Jonah, haven’t you? Since you love him, could
Margaret had always wanted a daughter-in-law. Besides, the girl had to come from a wealthy family. Jonah had done so according to her will and took Chiara home, but Margaret refused to accept her. “I want a genuine couple relationship. What are you guys doing now?” Margaret’s expression was dark and cool. She took a step toward Jonah and did not even glance at Chiara. Chiara knew it was better to fall silent at that moment. Jonah said calmly, “We’re in a genuine relationship. She needs a husband. I need a wife. Would our union cast any doubt?” Melanie had just reunited with her family. Her family did not favor her, and she had to be hidden behind the scenes all the time. As for Jonah, he was a cripple who was bound to a wheelchair. He believed no one would object to the two of them getting together. On top of that, he was just using Chiara. “Indeed, no one will doubt your relationship. But I know what you’re thinking. I don’t mind the fact that you’re using her to stop
Sandy pushed Ivan away. But she still held his flowers in her arms. It was a bouquet of pink roses. Pink was her favorite color. The bag he gave to her contained her favorite food. Ivan had put in extra effort. “Think about it carefully. I’ll come again tomorrow.” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he turned around. Looking at his gifts, Sandy felt a surge of indescribable bitterness in her heart. She did not throw his gifts away. After all, Ivan gave them to her out of his kind gesture. Sandy carried the gifts back to the office. Anna instantly spotted her. Anna raised one of her eyebrows and chuckled. “Did Young Master Ivan give them to you?” Sandy only had Ivan as her male friend. She did not deny it. Nonetheless, Anna noticed Sandy’s dull expression. Anna hesitated first before asking, “Is there any problem between you and Ivan? You don’t look happy. Is your family objecting to your relationship with him?” Sandy and Ivan had always been a quarrelsome but lo
Sandy fell silent. She looked resigned and replied to Ivan honestly, “I can’t possibly allow you to pester me for the rest of my life. My family is urging me to get married soon. With you pestering me, I think I should marry somebody else to end all this once and for all.” “Do you think I would allow that to happen?” While saying this, Ivan took a step forward. His expression darkened. He exuded an intense sense of hostility like the most horrifying creature emerging from hell. Ivan’s murderous look seemed to state that he would go to the extent of stealing the bride at Sandy’s wedding ceremony if he was not the bridegroom that day. On top of that, he gave an impression as though Sandy would either be his bride or a ghost bride. Seeing Ivan in his current demeanor, Sandy did not know if she should laugh or cry. Prior to that, she was worried that Ivan was just using her. At that moment, she finally realized the disparity of status between them. Ivanka had always believed that m
In the past, Ivan did not understand the conflicts between his parents. He thought his mother had been so cruel that she cheated on his father and abandoned him. Later, Ivan learned his mother had not been the one at fault. So, a heartless sc*m like his father was not in the position to rebuke him. If not for his parents, Ivan would not have let himself go wild and had so many girlfriends. Reuben York sounded indifferent. He made himself clear by saying, “You should, at least, marry someone with a clean background and whose parents are still around so that they could assist you—” “Does that mean I need to accept an arranged marriage by you? I’m not your only child, you can instill your way of thinking on your other children!” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he hung up. His expression turned dark. The next moment, he accelerated the speed of his car. He carried a bouquet of flowers and Sandy’s favorite food when he showed up in front of her. For a moment, Sandy was
Ivan had not lived with his mother for a long time. Meanwhile, Sandy was her adopted daughter and the direct heir to her estate. Legally, the necklace could be considered part of that inheritance.Following that logic, Ivan had no right to speak on the matter.But to him, Sandy was just an adopted daughter. He was the biological son. Their separation had been caused by a misunderstanding. Since the truth was out, it was only natural for him to take back his mother’s belongings.If things went to court, it would be a battle between them. Both had an equal claim.By blood, Ivan had an undeniable advantage.From the way he spoke, Sandy could hear his confidence and condescension. She knew exactly what he was implying. He was prepared to fight her for the inheritance. But things had not escalated to that point yet.Even if they did, she had no fear of going to court with him. In fact, she was ready to fight.“Ivan, Mom left it to me. She never said it was for you. Whatever happened