The drug coursing through Michael was no ordinary one.It was a powerful, fast-acting substance.Without having intercourse with a woman, the chaotic flow of his energy and blood could overwhelm his body and potentially lead to a fatal outcome.That woman…Michael gripped Ivanka’s shoulder. His other hand was already tugging at her clothes. In his current state, his rationality had vanished!Without hesitation, Ivanka reached into the small pouch she always carried with her and opened it. She took a pill out and fed Michael.Within moments, Michael became a little clear-headed.“Iv?”He had seen two versions of her earlier and knew one was an imposter, so he called her name because he wanted to distinguish the real Ivanka by her voice.“Don’t speak. Save your strength. I’m calling Evan now.” As Ivanka said that, she pulled out her phone with an intensely serious expression.The powerful drug coursing through Michael’s system would be agonizing to counteract with medication al
Ivanka’s expression instantly ran cold.Who would show up in such a barbaric manner at a time like this?“Michael, I’m going to feed you a few more pills to hold off the drug effect. You’re going to feel even worse for a while, but you have to hold on. I’ll go see who’s out there.”As Ivanka spoke, she quickly fed him the pills to help him stay clear-headed.With that, she got up and left the bathroom.Unbeknownst to her, Michael’s gaze, which lingered on her, was filled with a mixture of confusion and something else.Ivanka soon stepped into the main room.She saw Jackie leading a group of men, each one more intimidating than the last.This was especially so for the man standing right in front of Jackie, Bert!She knew Bert had held a grudge against her since the earlier gambling session. He was clearly looking for trouble at this moment. His current expression was anything but friendly.“What do you want?” Ivanka asked coldly.“You’ve got the nerve to ask us that? You and
“Creak.”The door to the private room was pushed open from the outside. Evan walked in.Evan looked anxious. He was followed by three or four men carrying a large bathtub.Seeing Jackie and Bert, Evan immediately understood their intentions, but Jackie and Bert were puzzled by what was happening.“What are you doing?”Bert stepped forward.Ivanka’s lips curled into a sneer.Bert really was a dutiful lapdog for Jackie.“We have something to take care of. Bring me hot water, but don’t worry, we’ll also pay you the venue fee later.”After saying that, Ivanka turned and left.Bert was about to say something more, but Jackie stopped him with a raised hand.Evan gave his men a quick signal.They carried the bathtub into the restroom.“Let’s go. I’ll settle the ten trillion and the venue fee with you,” Evan said coldly. He understood their concern given the large amount of money involved.However, the problem was that when things were taken too far, it easily provoked resentme
“Back to the hotel,” Tanya ordered the chauffeur sharply. Her expression was dark with anger.“What about the man we took out of the casino?” The chauffeur glanced back at Tanya and asked for instructions.Tanya suddenly remembered Blake.Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Bring him back with us.”Not only did he not help her at the auction, he even had the nerve to take her virginity. She had to make him pay the price!...As Ivanka was preparing the third round of the medicinal bath for Michael, Evan returned.In his hands was the Ganoderma nebula they had bid for ten trillion dollars. At the same time, he brought news for Michael and Ivanka.“Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane, Kingzillion Casino would like to thank everyone for their participation and celebrate the success of the auction. They’re hosting a gala three nights from now at 10 p.m. Here’s the invitation.”With that, Evan placed a black, gold-embossed invitation in front of Ivanka and Michael.Ivanka frowned as she looked at
More than anything, she was upset.No matter who she was involved with, he had no right to look at her like that. It was as if he was silently questioning her. “What’s going on between you and that man?”She did not know who the man was.He had not revealed his identity. At that moment, she was too worried about their situation to confront him or ask any questions.“I’m just curious.”The moment the words slipped out, even Michael was surprised. Was he explaining himself?“I’m curious too. Evan, look into it. From the moment Michael and I started gambling, a masked couple was hanging around us. I suspect the man in room 4098 today might be one of them. See if you can find out who they are!”People would not hide their faces without any reason, especially when they suddenly appeared like that.Ivanka did not believe it was all just a coincidence. It had to be premeditated.“Got it, I’ll get on it right away.”Evan nodded.He was also smart enough to know that he should leav
With that in mind, Ivanka reached out and stopped Evan.She pursed her lips and said, “Get a staff uniform. If he refuses to put it on, stay here with him.”She did not want to spend the night in this strange casino!“Alright then.”Although Evan was reluctant, he relented when he saw how insistent she was.Soon enough, he found a staff uniform and handed it to Ivanka. “Ms. Ivanka, please bring it to Mr. Barkworth.”Evan was afraid of him.Ivanka gave him a look of contempt and walked into the washroom with the uniform.By then, the medicine had already cooled down.“I forgot to tell Evan to get you clean clothes. This is all we could find. If you don’t want it, then both of you will have to spend the night here.”Ivanka held out the clothes to Michael, but he did not take them.He frowned. “What about you?”“I’ll return to the hotel.”“I’ll go back with you.”Michael, too, knew that it was getting late.He did not mind inconveniencing Evan, but he could not afford to le
“Since they like following us around so much, Evan, look up where the nearest police station is.” Ivanka’s lips curved into a scheming smile.Evan immediately turned on his GPS.The nearest police station was just five minutes away. The hotel they stayed at was located downtown, so none of the roads around it were particularly secluded.Besides, there were surveillance cameras on all these roads. Whenever the stalkers wanted to make a move, their targets would make a turn or other cars would suddenly approach and ruin their plan.If there were gunshots in the urban area, police would be drawn over. Therefore, the stalkers could not take action anytime soon.They did not expect that as they awaited opportunities, Evan led them to the police station!“Heck! Boss, I didn’t expect this! Now that they’ve noticed us, we can’t do anything now. Even if we try to rob them, I don’t think the item is with them at the moment!”The driver quickly turned the steering wheel. The car veered a
“Great suggestion, but we’re in a dangerous situation right now,” Ivanka said.Still, she considered Evan’s suggestion and crafted a plan.They were currently targeted. Their belongings were being closely watched no matter where they went. She could not post the Ganoderma nebula back to the country.If she powdered it, the airport security would flag it.Hearing what she said, Evan and Michael became deep in thought.Before they came up with a solution, Ivanka proposed her plan calmly. “Kingzillion Casino is hosting another party, isn’t it? We can ask for the owner’s help.”Michael responded with a hum of approval. It was a sound plan.Since he had agreed to it, Evan did not say anything else.Soon, he drove them back to the hotel.Ivanka took off her high heels, changed into slippers, and entered the bathroom. Staring after her, Michael recalled her beautiful figure. It was as clear as day in his memory.He swallowed and immediately shook this thought out of his head.Thi
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