As Eleanor listened to the dial tone, she could not help but picture Alexander’s beautiful, stern, cold face while seething with anger.She was a princess, after all. She was second only to the ruler of her nation!Yet she had been warned by Alexander in such a way. It felt like an insult. This was Ivanka’s fault!Her hatred for Ivanka only deepened. Her eyes were burning with fury and hatred.One day, she would end Ivanka’s life!...Ivanka and Michael found a quiet side room with no one around.Just a few steps ahead, there was a small private room.Since the event had not started, they could slip inside and briefly rest undisturbed.Ivanka turned to Michael and suggested, “Michael, let’s go to that private room.”“All right,” Michael responded in his usual low, steady tone. They walked into the small room together.As they stepped inside, Ivanka took the opportunity to remove Michael’s hand from her waist.Now that they were alone, there was no need to keep up appearance
Bang! A gunshot cut Michael off mid-sentence as the leader of the five men fired his gun in irritation.Evan, who was trying to play his part, pulled out his own gun, but before he could even pull the trigger, he was quickly overpowered by the group.Seeing this, the man Ivanka had previously detoxified revealed the time bomb in his hand and lifted it threateningly. “Take a good look. You’ve got one minute. If you don’t hand over the Ganoderma nebula, you’ll be blown to pieces!”Ivanka feigned panic, “Michael, I think we should just give them the Ganoderma nebula. The casino owner is hosting another event in two days. We can ask him then if there’s another way to get another Ganoderma nebula.”“Fine.”Michael frowned. His expression was grim, but he remained silent.Ivanka did not hesitate. She quickly handed over the fake Ganoderma nebula to the man called “Lark,” while subtly signaling to him with her eyes.Lark snorted. “Smart choice! We’ll let you off this time.”With the G
When Evan heard Ivanka’s explanation, it all suddenly made sense. A smile spread across his face, followed by a wave of admiration.“Ms. Lane, you’re brilliant.”However, Ivanka did not take all the credit for herself. She pointed to Michael beside her and smiled. “Your boss played his part quite well too.”Evan was unsure of what to say because Ivanka was right. Michael had indeed played along remarkably well. Evan had been surprised by Michael’s willingness to compromise at the time.But then again, it was clear this was all for Ivanka’s sake.As an observer, Evan could see the unspoken understanding between them. If they had not divorced, their relationship might be blooming right now.Though he secretly hoped they would get back together, he did not have the nerve to try and play matchmaker....Tanya had just arrived at the casino when she received a report from her subordinates.“Ms. Tanya, Kingzillion Casino has postponed the gathering to two days from now. They’re host
Ivanka frowned as her expression darkened. “What did he eat today?”Hearing that, Evan instantly pulled a long face. “Mr. Barkworth was with you the entire day. We all ate the same thing. You and I are fine, but he got sick shortly after returning from the casino. I wanted to go to you, but he wouldn’t let me…”As he spoke, he quickly put the blankets in his hands on Michael.Meanwhile, Michael’s hands started trembling, and his palms were as cold as ice!Ivanka frowned.Since Michael did not eat anything strange, it meant that he had been drugged with a kind of poison that could induce chills.Without hesitation, Ivanka immediately said to Evan, “Increase the temperature in the room. I’m going to get him some medicine!”But just as she turned around, Evan called after her with a solemn expression. “Ms. Lane, I’ll go. What if someone takes advantage of our situation and comes after you?”Most importantly, Michael would want Ivanka to stay by his side. Making her stay was the be
Once everything was done, Ivanka left the rest to Evan. “Watch him closely. This must go on for two hours. Add more incense when it runs out.”“Alright. Ms. Ivanka, you should get some rest now.” Evan noticed that she looked very tired and was sweating profusely.Ivanka nodded and left Michael’s room.Less than an hour after she left, Michael regained consciousness and opened his eyes.Evan was thrilled. “Mr. Barkworth, you’re finally awake!”At that time, Evan had taken off his shirt because he could not handle the high heat.Michael frowned at Evan’s muscular chest. “What’s with you? Where is she?”Evan instantly knew that Michael was asking about Ivanka while being annoyed with his presence, so he quickly explained, “Mr. Barkworth, you were shivering, so the temperature in the room has to be high. I have to watch you. As for Ms. Ivanka, she returned to her room after she was done setting up the medicinal bath. She almost fainted from the heat.”“Get out,” Michael said to Eva
Michael could have asked nicely if he needed Ivanka’s help. Since she was not his servant, she decided to ignore him.“It’d be weird for Evan to do this.” Michael pressed his lips together. His expression was solemn.But Ivanka did not care. “Then let him put the oil on you before you leave the room—”“This is medicinal oil.”Michael’s reply left Ivanka utterly speechless.To Ivanka, who was a medical expert, the underlying meaning behind his words was clear.In order to make sure that the patient’s skin absorbed the medical properties of the oil, a professional massage was crucial.That jerk Michael could have asked for her help nicely!Ivanka was unwilling to help, but considering his current condition, she eventually suppressed her anger.“Go lie down on the beach,” Ivanka said while picking up the oil on the table.Michael did as she said.Ivanka was professional. She applied the medicinal oil on him and gave him a massage swiftly.But after she was done, she slapped hi
The look in Michael’s dark eyes was chilling.However, Ivanka’s focus was on Alexander entirely. Despite being shunned the day before, he kept showing up before her again and again.She wondered what his true intention was.Due to her lack of response to Michael’s suggestion, Michael’s expression darkened further. Evan, who sat beside him, was alarmed.“I knew it. Power and wealth are especially tempting.”Michael put down his cutlery. He had lost his appetite completely.His spoon clattered as he tossed it aside.Hearing the sound, Ivanka snapped out of her reverie. She noticed the sharp look in Michael’s grim eyes. It was directed at her.Ivanka tensed up and was no longer in the mood for lunch.She asked Michael unhappily, “Michael, what’s the meaning of this?”Why would he say such a thing to her for no reason?“It means what I said,” Michael said flatly, but his words were unpleasantly critical.Alexander watched this from the sideline with a mocking smile.He was hap
“Sure, I’ll show you my sincerity. That’s a piece of cake. But I also want to know what you think of me. Ms. Ivanka, believe me when I say that I’m worthy of your affection.”Alexander did not stop selling himself to her.But his attitude made Ivanka even more convinced that he was dangerous.“I’m not interested in a man who woos me like this. Besides, why would I trust you when you claim to be worthy?”Ivanka snorted and got up from her seat.Seeing that she was about to leave, Alexander called after her. “Ms. Ivanka, you turned down my invitation yesterday. Are you going to leave me here alone today?”When Alexander got up and reached out to grab her, a cold look flashed in her eyes, and it conveyed her feelings toward him clearly.Out of respect, Alexander withdrew his hand. His lips curled into a profoundly charming smile.Seeing him like that, Ivanka said coldly, “Aren’t you hungry? Shouldn’t you be eating now?”“It’s boring to eat alone,” Alexander said.He knew that sh
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