“Sure.”The middle-aged man accepted Ivanka’s invitation.“We’ll decide the time and place after the auction ends.”Ivanka smiled and replied, “Okay.”“We shall take our leave now.”Michael nodded to the man and left the casino with Ivanka.As soon as they left, Njord turned to his boss with confusion. “Boss, they crossed the line. Are we going to let them go just like that? Darko has been acting weird too. It usually barks at strangers. Why was it so quiet in front of those two?”If Njord had not brought this up, the man would never have noticed this detail.He could not help thinking about Ivanka and suddenly realized that dogs would never behave erratically around people they spent time with and regarded as their family.Was Ivanka related to the woman from his past?“Njord, run a background check on those two, especially the young lady. I want to know everything about her!”Hearing his boss’ abrupt order, Njord was very surprised. “Boss, what about her? I can tell you’re
“What makes you think they are delusional, rather than taking a gamble? Let’s not look down on Michael and Ivanka. They are no fools.” There was a hint of coldness on his smile as he refuted the woman.The woman immediately burst out laughing. “Gamble? Well, if they die, what else can they do with it?”As she spoke, a murderous look flashed in her eyes.She then revealed her plan. “Ivanka will die during the auction. Imagine how delighted she would be, when she thought she could get what she wanted. I want her to die just as painfully.”The woman was very determined about this.“You’d better forget it! Her death will not benefit you. Besides, what makes you assume you’ll succeed?” As soon as the man heard her plan, he frowned in disapproval.He believed that the auction must go off, or else they would not get the Ganoderma nebula. If so, he would not be able to hurt Michael and make him suffer.But the woman turned toward the window and did not listen to the man. She had her own
After hanging up on Chiara, Tanya went to the underground exit of the airport.Just as she hailed a cab, her phone started ringing again.She thought it was Chiara.Answering the call without checking the caller ID, she said, “Chiara, did you even hear what I said? That’s enough!”She disliked people who could not take no for an answer. The fact that this person was Chiara made Tanya loathe her even more.If Chiara was standing right in front of her, she would have had the urge to slap her silly.However, the voice from the speaker was not Chiara’s.It was Tanya’s friend, Cordelia Ulmer.“What Chiara? I’m your Coco Milkshake. Isn’t Chiara already dead?”Tanya froze. “I was mistaken. Didn’t I tell you I was going to Mirvania? What are you calling me for?”Hearing her best friend’s voice, the furrow between Tanya’s brows faded.But since Chiara had ruined her mood earlier on, she was a little glum.“Well, didn’t you complain to me a while ago? I know that you aren’t in a good
“I reserved this spot.”Tanya ignored the man’s advance.“Well, will you allow me to sit here for a while, gorgeous?”He was about to keep talking, but a woman’s voice rang out from the main hall downstairs. “May I have your attention, everyone? I’m a hostess at Starlet Bar, and today is its second anniversary. As a token of appreciation for our loyal customers, we’re organizing an event.” “What event? Free ladies? Everything we order will be free of charge?”“Free ladies? That’d be unfair to our female customers. If the men get pretty ladies, the women get the hotties too, right?”As soon as the hostess mentioned an event, the customers under the stage could not withhold their excitement and started asking questions.“The event is a series of simple games that encourages interaction between our male and female customers. You’ll get the chance to win first, second, or third prizes, as well as a special prize.”“Are you interested, gorgeous?”After the hostess was done, the ma
“Hot d*mn! Starlet Bar is really giving its all tonight. I heard that the gold key was given away when the boss of Kingzillion Casino first built the establishment. There are only three in total. Allegedly, whoever owns it can make a request to the boss, and he will fulfill any request!”“Really? Is Starlet Bar messing with us? Is this some kind of fake event? If the key is so precious, why are they giving it away?”“I know right? If we get the gold key and demand the owner of Kingzillion Casino to hand over his business, will he comply? He is no fool!”The customers downstairs did not believe what the hostess said and even made fun of her.The hostess, on the other hand, gave someone next to her a look. Soon enough, two hulking bodyguards carried a display rack to the center of the stage.There was a gold key in the glass cover on top of the rack.“It has been two years since Starlet Bar was founded. Some of our loyal customers must be here with us tonight. They can step up and
“I’m Tanya.” Since she was teaming up with Blake for the event, she introduced herself.“Alright, Ms. Tanya, let’s go,” Blake said with a smile and extended his hand toward her.Tanya ignored his gesture and stood up.She agreed to team up with him, but she was only comfortable being close to him within the context of the event. She was not ready to hold his hand just yet, considering they had just met.Tanya walked ahead. Blake followed. His smile widened as he watched her.She was the young lady of the Cullen family, after all. Her pride and elegance were apparent.Even so, he was determined to win her over.Soon, they arrived at the stage area.The bargirl announced the first game. “The first game is the long jump. Guys on the left, girls on the right. You’ll have your feet tied together, and the pair that jumps the farthest wins. Participants need to sign up over here.” She then pointed to a direction.A lot of people were signing up for the first game. Blake held Tanya’s
Tanya felt completely suspended in mid-air. She instinctively tightened her grip on Blake. He felt a sense of pride to see how tightly she was clinging to him. They managed to jump 1.85 meters!“1.85 meters is impressive for one person, but for two? That’s freaking awesome!”When the bargirl announced their score, the crowd erupted in amazement!“Wait, aren’t they supposed to jump together? The guy basically lifted the lady the entire way. Isn’t that against the rules?”“It’s a couples’ game. If the guy doesn’t do the heavy lifting, who will? If the lady had that kind of strength, then sure, why not?!”“With their feet tied together, someone has to put in more effort. Otherwise, how would the game even work? It’s up to you to figure out the best strategy.”... The crowd had mixed reactions.The bargirl remained calm and composed as she said, “This game is all about interaction between guys and girls. With your feet tied together, it’s up to you and your partner to figure out
Blake seemed sincere, but Tanya knew he was not serious.Blake was just talking big. Even if he really had the golden key and everyone knew where it came from, there was no way he would give it to someone he had just met.“Even if you had it, I wouldn’t care,” Tanya said indifferently as she took a sip of her wine.Instead of responding, Blake revealed a faint, mocking smile.He knew Tanya did not mean what she said. If she truly did not care, she would not have teamed up with him to play the game for the key.Still, he chose not to call her out. He simply sat across from her.Even though she did not like him, she would not rudely chase him away especially with so many people around them.Besides, he was her current partner in the game.Watching the others compete was boring, but they could not wander off too far. As the first pair in the competition, they would miss their chance to continue if they were not around when the next round started.“Do you know how to play cards? W
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p