As Alexander spoke, his smile deepened. He was determined to win Ivanka’s heart. “I need to take it seriously when tasting your dish, then,” said Ivanka with a smile. After all, everyone was giving a fake smile. Alexander gestured to her an “okay”. After that, he put his hand down and showed her an invitation gesture. He looked so gentlemanly. “Have a seat first. I’ll make the arrangements before it begins.” “Alright.” Ivanka smiled. She went along with his words and wishes. The next second, Alexander focused on the arrangement of the barbecue. From his back, he looked so focused. Nonetheless, Ivanka felt nothing else other than indifference. If she were still a young girl and had not seen his cruel side, perhaps she would be deceived by his pretense at that moment. Just then, Ivanka received Lark’s call. Lark said respectfully, “Ms. Lane, my companions are downstairs at the hotel where you’re staying. Could you…” Ivanka did not expect they would come over to ask he
Finally, they reached a mutual consent. Meanwhile, Tanya had reached Moon Bay. She immediately contacted Evan. Evan saw that the caller was Tanya. With Michael beside him, he was so shocked that he sneaked outside to answer her call. Tanya said, “Mr. Evan, I’ve arrived. Where are you now?” “We’re by the beach which is about…” Evan glanced at the surroundings before continuing, “300 meters from the entrance.” “Okay.” After Tanya made a sound of affirmation, she hung up. She got out of the car and headed to the location Evan had said to her. Soon, she saw Michael. Michael wore a white formal suit with black formal pants that brought out his tall and slender figure. His presence alone was a beautiful sight to behold. When Tanya saw him, her heart skipped a beat. She lifted the hem of her dress as she walked closer to Michael. She summoned her courage and called out to him, “Michael.” Upon hearing a woman’s voice, Michael’s expression instantly turned cold. He turne
Ivanka did not think so. It was a certainty. If Michael had listened to her, they would not have divorced. Even to that day, she vividly remembered his indifference when he threw the divorce settlement agreement to her. Noticing Ivanka’s aloofness, Evan pursed his lips. He bit the bullet and reminded her. “Ms. Lane, Tanya is here. Don’t forget that the surveillance camera in the casino was broken when the woman wearing your face ran out of the suite naked.” Upon hearing the sentence, Ivanka’s expression instantly turned dark. She recalled that night. “Where is she now?” asked Ivanka coolly. The next second, she put the fruit juice on a small round table. Evan quickly answered her, “Over there. Please come with me.” He led the way. When Ivanka sprang up, Alexander saw her and went over to stop her. He frowned and looked unhappy. “Iv, how could you break your promise?” He narrowed his eyes. His gaze was intense and cold. “No.” Ivanka denied his claim and said, “
“Yes, I do.” Ivanka was about to deny Evan’s claim when she saw Tanya walking toward Michael. He was holding a wine glass in his hand. Ivanka was surprised to see Michael in a white formal suit. She wondered why the b*stard was even worse than Alexander. She looked down to see her long maxi dress. It was not hard to guess that he wore all white on purpose. “Aren’t you on a date?” Michael turned sideways and saw her. She wore a black maxi dress. Her dress made her look as elegant as a black swan at night. Undeniably, she gave off an alluring aura. Nonetheless, Michael remembered her wearing a matching outfit with Alexander tonight. The moment Alexander came across Michael’s mind, Michael’s expression instantly turned dark. Ivanka naturally got the hint through his words. She gave her a side glance coolly and did not bother entertaining him. If not for her dignity’s sake, she would not have come over. “What a coincidence to see you here, Ms. Tanya.” Ivanka skirted a
“It shouldn’t be. I saw you at the casino that day, Ms. Tanya. Besides, even if you haven’t played the games yourself, I’m sure you have seen many people around you play them.” Ivanka did not believe that Tanya was clueless. She would never allow Tanya to back out just like that. What she did not know was that while she was talking to Tanya, Michael’s gaze fell upon the two of them. As Ivanka kept testing her, Tanya kept retreating. He also noticed Evan was watching the spectacle from the side. When their eyes met, Evan quickly lowered his head. He did not dare to meet his eyes. Evan’s reaction instantly made Michael understand why Tanya would appear here, and why Ivanka would leave Alexander behind and come to this side as well. His eyes darkened. Evan had already sensed that he was being stared at. Those eyes were sweeping over him like ice blades. Michael could not wait to cut him to pieces. He was already dripping with cold sweat just thinking about it. But he did not
Michael had assigned him a task. “Go get me a deck of cards. Then pass me all those reports,” Michael said coldly. His tone left no space for refusal. The first order was easy, but the second order made Evan want to cry. Those were not just any reports! Those were Barkworth’s Group’s semi-annual reports! By the look of Michael’s expression, he clearly wanted this to be done before the company’s local headquarters clocked off work for the day. He did not need to sleep anymore. He was done for! Evan knew that there was no way he could ask Ivanka for help anymore. So he could only leave forlornly. Ivanka could not help but laugh as she watched Evan leave. Look at him. Michael had worked him to the bone! However, she did not forget the matter at hand. Just as Tanya picked up the juice to drink it, Ivanka hurriedly pulled out a test strip and dipped it into Tanya’s juice and hers. Tanya watched her actions. She was stunned. However, Ivanka smiled and explained, “We’ve
Tanya’s actions had thoroughly exposed her. But Ivanka was not in a hurry. She smiled very gently. “Ms. Tanya, it’s windy here at the beach. Aren’t you a little cold? If you’re cold, I’ll ask Evan to help bring you some of Michael’s clothes.” As soon as she said this, Ivanka felt chills crawl down her spine. She knew that Michael was glaring at her. However, Ivanka ignored him. Not only was she saving her own pride, she was helping him find the culprit. It was Tanya Cullen. How could Tanya not know where she got the drug from? Since she knew where she got the drug from, then she would know some people too. From there, she was bound to know where the antidote was. If there was an antidote, why did they have to work so hard to figure out a cure? “That… wasn’t appropriate, right?” As she said that, Tanya followed Ivanka’s words and wrapped her arms around herself to pretend to be cold. Ivanka laughed. “What’s there to be afraid of? You’re an honored guest. It’s just a pie
At the same time, Ivanka was also the first to snap out of her shock. She hurriedly pulled out paper towels to help Tanya wipe off the stains from her chest. “Ms. Tanya, I’m really sorry for ruining your clothes. Why don’t you come with me to my room and change? I have some clean clothes that I haven’t worn yet. After we come back from changing, we’ll settle accounts with Michael for this!” There was no doubt about it. Michael still cooperated well with her this time. However, this made Tanya believe that Ivanka was testing her on purpose. But if she did not go, that would mean that she was playing right into Ivanka’s hands. She hesitated for a moment. Then, she said, “Thank you, Ms. Lane.” After Tanya agreed, Ivanka took her back to her room. On Michael’s end, Alexander had walked over. Michael walked forward as well. When Michael stood in front of him, Alexander smiled faintly. “Does the great Mr. Barkworth want to talk to me?” “Stay away from her.” Michael stared stern
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