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
Michael shot to his feet. He wondered who was at the door. “I’ll get it.”However, his expression was grim and cold, as if shrouded in a dark cloud.Ivanka was shocked when she noticed Michael’s expression darken even further the moment he opened the door.Could it really be Alexander at the door?Just then, the person at the door began speaking in Mirvanian. “Is Ms. Ivanka here? A gentleman sent her 999 roses.”The next second, Michael angrily shouted, “Get lost!”He then slammed the door shut.Ivanka said nothing, but she seemed equally dissatisfied. Despite Alexander’s status and despite being rejected three times, he remained persistent.He even sent a text message.Alexander: Babe, can you get rid of that jerk who yelled at you? You know people say not to go back to what didn’t work. Just give me a shot. Do you want to go to the BBQ joint together tonight?Ivanka saw no reason not to consider it. If she agreed to meet him just once, Alexander might reveal his true colors
Michael relaxed when he learned that it was Ivan calling Ivanka. The frustration and anger that had welled up within him began to slowly subside. Even he was surprised by the change in his reaction.Meanwhile, Ivanka had already walked out onto the terrace. She rested her hand on the railing and said with a smile, “If you want to pursue Sandy, it can be either easy or tough, but the key is to know what she likes.”She had not expected that Ivan would make the effort to call her for advice.She would tell him everything she could, but it would be entirely up to him to successfully court Sandy.The situation between those two was rather complicated. She could not be sure if Ivan was truly willing to be with Sandy.Moreover, Sandy already had feelings for Ivan. Ivanka could only offer some advice. If they were truly meant to be together, if Ivan was genuinely willing to make amends, and if Sandy was willing to forgive him, they would most certainly end up together.But it was hard t
Moreover, after the surveillance system malfunctioned, the casino’s account received a direct deposit of thirty million within three minutes without any loss of interest.Under such circumstances, the casino was even less likely to repair that segment of the surveillance footage.Additionally, the private room had many dark corners.“Did you not follow Ivanka’s plan for the investigation?” Michael frowned and looked displeased when he heard Evan’s report.If Alexander’s identity was deliberately concealed and difficult to uncover, Tanya should not have found any trace of it either.Evan noticed Michael’s expression and hesitated. “Mr. Barkworth, I did follow Ms. Ivanka’s instructions. But Ms. Tanya was already gone after she left the casino with the man she was with. She has an alibi. However, Ms. Ivanka’s suspicions are not baseless. I was thinking... maybe you could try charming Ms. Tanya to get her to tell you something?”Michael glared at Evan sharply. The cold, piercing gaze
The image of Tanya fleeing in a panic from the private room, wearing a mask that looked like Ivanka’s, had been replaying in her mind ever since, and she could not seem to shake it off.She had a feeling that tonight’s barbecue party would be anything but simple.She pursed her lips and observed Evan, who was smiling silently. She asked, “Mr. Evan, did Mr. Barkworth invite just me, or will others be there too?”Although she did not explicitly say it, Evan understood that by “others,” she meant Ivanka.Evan responded, “Ms. Tanya, Mr. Barkworth noticed that you’re far from home and happened to bump into you at the restaurant the other day. He thought that a barbecue with more people would be more enjoyable since Barkworth’s Group and Cullen’s Group work together.”Tanya let out a sigh of relief when she heard this. She was not the only one invited to the party.“Great, please let Mr. Barkworth know I’ll be there tonight. Thanks for the invite,” Tanya said with a smile.Since it wa
Alexander knew that Ivanka was skilled in medicine. She was also certain that he knew more about her than just that.She smiled and said, “My rates are really high. I don’t treat mental health issues. Take your stuff and leave. I don’t need them!”Although she spoke with a smile, her words were cold and harsh.She was about to close the door when Alexander stuck his leg out to prevent her from shutting it.He was wearing a grayish shirt. As he stood in the light with a smile, he exuded undeniable charm and elegance.Ivanka, already irritated by his persistence, smiled and kicked his knee to target his pressure point.Although he did not make a sound, he retracted his leg in pain.Ivanka had no interest in his tolerance. She simply slammed the door.Her patience had limits. If her warnings were ignored once or twice, she would not hesitate to take action.At that moment, Alexander stepped back. Two tall bodyguards in black suits emerged from the shadows.“Prince Alexander, are
Instead, she remained standing in front of Jimothy and studied the group of men with a smile.“He works at our company. Since I’ve run into him, I’m obligated to come over and check on him. Pray tell, what has happened between you and why do you feel the need to resolve it with violence?”Jimothy stared at Candice while she stood with her back facing him. The look in his eyes was conflicted.The men exchanged glances with each other and saw a hint of astonishment in one another’s eyes.The man at the front of the group, who was likely their leader, said, “We just get paid to do this, lady. You should stay out of it.”When Candice heard his advice which also sounded like a threat, she did not intend to back down at all. Instead, she asked him, “Oh? How much did you get for this? I’ll pay you double. I just told you that this guy works for us, so I have to intervene.”The leader started laughing, and so did the men behind him. They did not even bother to hide the mockery in their t
Candice ordered some food she liked, and the dishes arrived soon after.Sandy suggested that they all took a picture together.The others did not object.Sandy gave her phone to the waiter.Then the five of them moved their chairs to sit in a row.Michael and Ivan each took the outermost seats.Naturally, Ivanka was seated next to Michael while Sandy, who paid for the dinner, was right beside her.Next to Sandy was Candice, who sat awkwardly in her chair. Ivan was beside Candice.The second the waiter took the picture, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances inadvertently. Meanwhile, Ivan stared past Candice, and his eyes fell on Sandy.Sandy and Candice were the only people who looked into the camera.But each and every one of them had a genuine smile on their face.Once they had taken a picture, they started eating together.It was a nice, relaxing dinner. They did not talk about work or how annoying Coco had been.They mostly chatted about the fun anecdotes they had he
The call was soon answered, but the person who picked up was not Rosie. It was Mrs. Ruth.“Ms. Lane, you finally called! Mdm. Barkworth will be over the moon when she wakes up!” Mrs. Ruth sounded quite excited as she spoke.Ivanka smiled and asked, “Is Grandma resting now?”“Yeah, she hasn’t had a good rest after learning that you’d be kidnapped. Once you were safe, she finally allowed herself to rest.”Ivanka nodded and told Mrs. Ruth to take good care of Rosie. She later said that she and Micheal would visit Rosie soon.With that, she hung up the phone.Meanwhile, she also reflected upon herself.Rosie had gotten old, yet Ivanka always made her worry. From that moment on, Ivanka would consider the consequences before making any decision. It was not only for the sake of herself, but the important people in her life, who also cared about her.As she contemplated this, Ivanka inevitably thought of the gathering. It would be quite fun.Before they were about to get off work, San
Coco practically ran out crying.Candice glanced at Ivanka worriedly and asked, “Will something bad happen to her?”Ivanka was not concerned at all. “What could possibly happen? She is an adult. Even if something bad happens, she has to bear the consequences of her own action.”Hearing that, Candice no longer fretted over the matter.She was not really worried about Coco. She was just afraid that something would happen to Coco, and Ivanka would be blamed for it.But Ivanka had made a good point. Candice did not want to trouble herself with Coco’s matters. It would only be an unnecessary emotional burden to her.Everyone in the office began discussing the progress of their project.Perhaps it was because Ivanka had made an example of Coco, the other employees became especially energized and diligent during their discussion.They were even more focused than before, since they were all afraid that Ivanka would treat them harshly as well.Hence, they were particularly efficient.
“Why don’t we leave now so that you can deal with this matter, Ms. Ivanka?”The director of the project department, who was perceptive and shrewd, planned to leave right then. Ivanka shook her head and signaled everyone to sit down.They were all uneasy, and they kept giving Coco weird looks.Two people had dared speak to Ivanka like that in the past—Ferris and Mandy.But those two were no longer with the company.At the thought of those people, the project department staff began looking at Coco with pity.However, Coco could not care less. All she wanted was to make a fuss.She wanted to see how shameless Ivanka could be.Unruffled, Ivanka stared at her. She did not get angry and seemed rather affable as she asked, “Tell me what upset you. Have we falsely accused you of something you didn’t do?”Before Coco said anything, Ivanka added cruelly, “Oh, I forgot that you aren’t familiar with the protocol here, so you have no idea what you did wrong, right?”Coco paled. Undoubte
Candice was momentarily stunned by his answer. She was a little offended.“Then why did you come to my office for this conversation?” Jimothy’s grin was mischievous. “To prove your company’s HR is blind, and you just lost a great talent. That’s all.”With that, Jimothy stood up, dusted off his sleeves dramatically, and turned to leave.“Your resume!” Candice called after him.Jimothy waved dismissively without looking back. “Keep it. Enjoy reading it. And don’t let an incompetent HR handle your interviews again.”Candice stood there for a moment and processed the scene before an involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. This one had personality.Regardless, the incident served as a wake-up call for Candice.It became glaringly clear that Coco was not only incompetent but also prone to overestimating her abilities.Before the task was assigned, she had the chance to decline. Candice had given her the opportunity and explicitly asked if she could handle it. Yet, Coco confidentl
The college student finally believed her and walked toward Candice.On the other hand, Coco seemed guilty and was desperate to prevent it. “He has no respect for our company! Are you really going to hire someone like him who won’t follow orders?” Coco’s tone was sharp. Her finger trembled as she pointed at the young man.She scanned the room for backup in hopes that the people who had been flattering her earlier would speak up in her defense.Unfortunately, no one stepped forward.Those who flattered Coco only did so out of respect for Ivanka. Yet Candice had a close relationship with Ivanka and was the company’s vice president.The gap between a vice president versus an intern was as vast as night and day.Anyone with common sense knew where to align themselves.Coco felt a mix of despair and resentment.Candice ignored her entirely. Why Ivanka was so wary of someone as clueless as this was beyond her comprehension.Coco was simply dumb.Without wasting another thought o
However, reality proved she had worried for nothing.Candice had called her over merely to ask if she had the most basic professional knowledge and whether she could handle the afternoon’s interview.Coco let out a deep sigh of relief before patting her chest confidently and assuring Candice she was more than capable.Knowing Coco came from the mountains, Candice was naturally skeptical, so she asked again, “Are you sure?”Coco thought to herself that it was just an interview. All she needed to do was just ask the candidates some questions. They could just choose someone who wrote the resume well.Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Michael’s cousin, Coco pretended to be confident and accepted the task.Candice was half-doubtful, yet she still gave her instructions and let her go.However, Coco’s firm assurance eventually led to trouble....“Your company must be a joke to hire someone like you for HR. You’re offended? You’re not even a real professional. What? You ca
Word quickly spread within the HR department. After learning about Coco’s connection to Ivanka, some colleagues were vying to curry favor with her.Although some observant individuals noticed that the relationship between Coco and Ivanka was not as harmonious as it seemed, it did not deter the opportunists. Relentless flattery and attention poured in.One moment, a male coworker would offer to grab her food while placing his own lunch order. Next, a female coworker would ask if she wanted to order some coffee too.At first, Coco was caught off guard and politely declined. However, as she realized their intentions were purely self-serving, she began to accept their gestures without hesitation.By midday, Coco had become the department’s little queen. Ironically, as an intern, she should have been the one fetching coffee, running errands and collecting mail. Instead, she had colleagues practically lining up to do those tasks for her.Coco quickly assembled her own little e