Ivanka calmly said, “We don’t love each other anymore.”The reporter who asked the question was overjoyed and hurriedly asked, “Is it because of your cousin?”Chiara quickly gripped the phone tightly and stared at the person on the screen.Lyla also frowned slightly. “Will Ivanka seize this opportunity and talk bad about you?”Chiara’s expression darkened. “I’m not afraid of her badmouthing me. On the contrary, I’m afraid if she doesn’t do so.”Lyla’s eyes shot up to look at Chiara. “Why?”Chiara tightened her grip on the phone in annoyance. “If she slanders me, I can hire ghostwriters and have everyone scold Ivanka because I have an angelic image.”Lyla understood what she was saying and nodded in agreement. “You’re absolutely correct. But if she praises you, won’t it put you in a difficult position?”“Ivanka is much smarter than before!” Chiara gritted her teeth. “Let’s watch for now. I hope she can say I was mean to her.”Sandy stood behind Ivanka, perplexed. She thought. “
They heard that Chiara was well-educated and kind, but apparently…However, some people did not trust Ivanka. Was Ivanka possibly jealous of Michael’s kindness to his savior, so she was deliberately badmouthing her?While everyone had different speculations, Ivanka said in a low voice, “After we divorced, Chiara was sad because she thought we divorced because of her. She was sad and said several times that she should not have woken up and even contemplated suicide.”Everyone was a little surprised. “Ms. Lane is actually blaming herself for it!”“Yeah, I heard that Ms. Lane is a kind-hearted person.”Sandy was about to gag. However, she knew what Ivanka was doing and stepped forward. The reporters noticed she wanted to speak and immediately turned their cameras to her.Chiara was about to go crazy at this moment. When she saw Sandy, she angrily said, “What is Sandy trying to do?!”Sandy nodded in agreement. “That’s right. Chiara is a kind beauty. Since I’m Iv’s friend, I met Chia
Everyone could not forget what Ivanka said next.Ivanka sighed and said, “But Chiara had made up her mind. She stated unequivocally that she will not be the source of contention. She would rather not marry and die alone than marry Mr. Barkworth. She stated that she will not play the villain and have people believe she is a mistress who becomes the legal wife.”Chiara was shocked.“Oh lord, Chiara is indeed a smart woman! She knows that if she marries Mr. Barkworth, it’ll hurt Ivanka, and everyone will think that she has done something wrong.”“That’s right. I admire Chiara for having such generosity. If I were Chiara, I might not have been able to be as open-minded as her. In fact, it’s best not to get married. People would only belittle her if she marries Mr. Barkworth. After all, Mr. Barkworth had been taking care of her when she was in a coma, and he would spend time with her before the divorce. If she marries Mr. Barkworth, she’ll be the mistress who becomes the legal wife.”“
Chiara was furious.“She has ruined my chances! How am I going to marry Michael?”Lyla seemed agitated. She had not expected Ivanka to act in this manner. At that moment, she understood how terrible it was to shoot oneself in the foot.Chiara had created a selfless image in order to make others like her, but she had never expected this to happen.Ivanka told reporters right afterward that if Chiara married Michael, she would be the mistress who became the legal wife.“What’s done is done. Chiara, calm down. We still have alternative options.”Chiara clenched her hands in frustration. She was nervous for the first time in a long while.“She must have done it on purpose! She purposefully drew the attention of the reporters!” said Lyla.Chiara turned to face Lyla. “Did you say we still have other options, Mom?”Lyla let out a sigh. “The only way forward is for the Barkworth family to find a way to clarify that you will marry Michael for a good reason. You must uphold the image th
Ivan smiled as he glanced at the guy next to him. He was not paying attention, so he did not notice it until Xander gave him a warning signal.He thought today would be an excellent day to provoke someone.He saw Michael glancing silently at the video.“Before the divorce, Ms. Lane, you secretly dated Mr. Sadler. Is Mr. Sadler to blame for your divorce? Did you cheat on Mr. Barkworth?”Michael’s eyes sharpened suddenly.Ivanka used to be a good girl, and he assumed she would never cause a problem. When Jonah discovered she was Iris, she jumped to his aid without hesitation. She accompanied him to the dinner and publicly requested a divorce.He got the impression that Ivanka had decided to divorce him.He focused his attention on the beautiful woman in the video. She had a frosty expression on her face.“If you want to interview me, you can ask me questions, but keep in mind that I am also Iris. I have the legal right to sue you and make you pay for what you said.”Ivan gave a
The video had finished playing. The more Ivanka shone, the darker Michael’s expression grew.Ivan found it amusing. “Michael, be honest with me. Did you fall in love with Ivanka?”Michael was startled. He thought. “Do I like Ivanka?”He sneered the next moment. “How could I possibly like her?”He thought. “She acted recklessly, disregarded the reputation of the Barkworth family, and opposed me. How could I fall in love with that woman?“No, it’s impossible.”Ivan was speechless.He stared blankly at Michael. Although he said nothing, his expression indicated that he did not believe it. He thought. “Okay, I know you’re a proud person. If you don’t want to admit it, that’s fine, but I know you like her.”Michael was at a loss for words.Ivan raised his eyebrows. “And how about Chiara? Will you marry her? Ivanka must have regarded Chiara as her enemy. Are you planning on marrying her? If you marry her, the situation may worsen. Everyone will probably say that Chiara is a mistress
They entered the room together.At that point, many guests had arrived, and many were looking at the door. That way, they could immediately fawn over any important people who walked through the door.Everyone looked at the door and saw two women walking in together.On the left was a woman in a light blue strapless dress. The dress was simple, with a few stripes and little decoration. She was wearing a necklace with blue gemstones. The gemstone was not particularly dazzling, but it still held everyone’s attention. It went perfectly with her dress.Ivanka already had a lovely body, and the dress brought out her best features. She shone like a star.Her curly hair cascaded down her front and back. She wore a simple hairstyle with a butterfly hair clip, which made her look ladylike and elegant. No one could ever imitate the innate nobleness she exuded.Many people found it impossible to look away.Sandy had dressed up for the occasion, too. She wore a pink gown adorned with numerou
Those who did not know any better thought Ivanka had gone too far and criticized her actions. However, people who were part of the circle knew what was going on.“It’s not all about how you look. They didn’t get married because of Ivanka’s beauty. Besides, do you even know who Ivanka is as a person? We can never fully understand a person. We don’t know her well because we don’t see her often.”They always wore masks when they met new people, so they knew nothing about each other.“Alas, if I were a man, I would pursue her. She’s so beautiful!”“Pfft, a beautiful woman like her is trouble. She’ll cause problems for everyone around her. Throughout history, beauties never ended up well.”While the guests were discussing animatedly among themselves, someone excitedly said, “The show has started!”The others were perplexed, but they kept looking at the door. Their eyes lit up when they saw the three people walk in.Theodore, Lyla, and Chiara were the three.Chiara’s gown was not as
“I deserve everything that’s happening to me now. But please don’t involve my family in my mistakes…” Ethan clasped his hands together and sincerely begged everyone to spare his family. Ivanka spared him a brief glance before turning off her cell phone. Although she was helping herself to some meat, Michael could see how she felt at the moment. “Why don’t we…” Michael asked for her opinion. But before he finished speaking, Ivanka interrupted him. “Now that he’s released a video like that, if I continue to hold him accountable, I’d be the one in the wrong.” Michael immediately replied, “I can step in—” “You? It’s better if you don’t. Everyone knows your relationship with me now.” Before Michael could finish his sentence, Ivanka immediately interrupted him. Although they were not officially remarried, Michael often went out with her. If anyone else were to see this, what difference did it make? Michael understood, but he really could not bear to see Ivanka getting bulli
After they finished taking pictures, Ivanka greeted everyone politely. “After finishing your meal, go home early. It’s snowing, so drive safely. Bye…” Ivanka subconsciously reminded them. She belatedly realized she had been acting as though she was really an idol. Nonetheless, she treated them with sincerity. She had not done this for Michael’s sake. She did this mostly for the sake of the innocent, inexperienced young ladies who had yet entered the society. These young ladies raised their phones warily and asked, “Could we take a picture together?” They were so worried that their invitation would be turned down, so much so that when they talked, they almost bit the skin off their lips. Ivanka could not bear to reject them. It had not been easy for her to finally reach the private room. Michael teased her, “Our celebrity finally arrived. It looks like you’d best wear shades wherever you go in the future.” Ivanka glared at him and said gruffly, “Stop teasing me.” She paused
After that, Ivanka politely bowed to the people who had been watching the drama in the main hall. She smiled at them. “Sorry for making a fool of ourselves. We encountered two tricksters who wanted to eat the meals for free by calling themselves the friends of the restaurant owners. It happened that I know the restaurant owner, so we easily uncovered their tricks.” By saying that, Ivanka was able to save the hot pot restaurant’s and the Barkworth family’s reputation. Her statement could result in a win-win situation, and the reason was acceptable. Ivanka continued, “Sorry for causing a stir and affecting your dining mood. I’ll foot the bill for everyone who dined on the first floor. How does that sound?” She was not trying to curry favor with the people or to show off her wealth. She simply did not want the people to hate the wealthy. One could not deny that this method worked. Right after Ivanka made her statement, the crowd thanked her. The commotion was no more than ju
The young lady did not know what to do, so she turned to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager nodded in approval. It was only then that the young lady left the restaurant. Before she left, she glared at Coco. Coco glared back at the young lady and pointed at her viciously. Coco shouted, “Come back! I’m not done with you yet! Who permitted you to leave now?!” The young lady’s body shivered a little. Still, she gnashed her teeth and left. Ivanka watched the young lady’s back as she drifted away. Ivanka stood in Coco’s way because she did not want Coco to chase after the young lady. Ivanka did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. Otherwise, the Barkworth family would be the one who suffered disgrace. After all, Coco stayed in the Barkworth family’s mansion, and everyone knew that Rosie doted on her. If it continued, Ivanka was worried about Rosie’s later years… Ivanka rubbed her temples in resignation. It looked like she needed to resolve the issue as
The restaurant manager thought for a moment before saying, “Ms. Fishbourne, the restaurant has its own rules. Only three types of VIPs could reserve our private rooms while the rest could only enjoy normal seats. I have reasons to believe that our front desk told you the same when you called. We may not have empty seats now, but we’ll have one shortly after.” Coco recalled the situation and remembered that it was exactly like what the restaurant manager had mentioned. So what? Things have changed these days. Coco was no longer an ordinary woman. Her words could even move the earth. With that thought in her mind, Coco chuckled. She kept her tyranny and mockery to herself before locking her little finger with the young lady’s at the front desk. The young lady at the front desk looked down at her finger before glancing at the restaurant manager helplessly. The restaurant manager himself, too, was caught in trouble, so he could not do anything else to defend the young lady. C
Little did Coco know that her behavior was no more like a clown in the crowd’s eyes. Ivanka felt disgusted. Although she could not put herself in Coco’s shoes, she could understand the thoughts of a sensitive person. Ivanka could sympathize with a sensitive and cowardly person. But she could not find herself sympathizing with Coco. Coco’s low self-esteem should not be the reason for her to behave like a crook. Michael, on the other hand, already finished discussing with the restaurant manager and entering the private room. Ivanka lagged behind him. She had no intention of entertaining Coco, much less inviting her to eat together. No doubt that the private room was able to accommodate four people. But based on their relationship, Ivanka thought she had been kind enough to not find fault in Coco, much less eating together. Meanwhile, Coco continued to argue with the restaurant manager. She argued until her face reddened. Although the restaurant manager already made hims
The temperature was above freezing point, so the snowflakes melted before they even reached the ground. The trees were covered in snow. At a glance, they looked like a blanket of pristine snow. The big trees looked as if they had been covered in snow-white new clothes. Ivanka was a little surprised at such a scenery. Even though she often went for business trips in the north and had experienced snow, skied, and various other experiences, it was a rare sight to experience snow in their city. Instead of snow, they looked more like an ice sheet. The snow there was different from the cities in the north. They easily fell on their hair. In just a while, their hair turned snowy white. Ivanka took out her phone and took a photo. Then she shared it with her friends in her WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Michael took photos of Ivanka. Michael hardly posted anything on Twitter. After a moment, he uploaded a photo of Ivanka taking photos of the scenery.The caption was: Experiencing
Michael glanced at Ivanka.Ivanka kept her eyes lowered and focused on nothing in particular. Both of them tacitly agreed not to bring it up.“Let’s go out to eat,” Michael said. Ivanka agreed without hesitation.If they got ready and left at this time, they would be just in time for lunch.She went upstairs to freshen up. Michael did not rush her. He just smiled, as if he was telling her to take her time.Ivanka felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Truthfully, she was the one in a hurry because she was the one starving.Five minutes later, she came back down.She had changed into a long black down coat that reached her ankles. It was practical and warm.But the weather was still unbearably cold. This winter was harsher than usual.“Let’s go.” She rubbed her hands together and looked at Michael.Michael was on his phone. He was smiling and looked relaxed. With just a glance, Ivanka could tell he was probably making a reservation.Their long-standing
Ivanka slept in the next day. By the time she woke up, the sun was already streaming through the window, casting light across her bed and face.In a way, the sunlight had forced her awake.She frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. The brightness left spots in her vision, so she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself before getting out of bed.It was already past 10 a.m.She had no idea how she managed to sleep so much, especially after napping all afternoon the day before.Then again, maybe she was just that exhausted. So much had been going on lately.Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she did not have to go to the office.That was probably why her internal clock had not woken her at seven as usual.Come to think of it, her body’s internal clock was quite accommodating.On workdays, no matter how tired she was, she always woke up at seven sharp. But on weekends, that never happened. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, which was pretty great.She lay in