Even if she was angry, at least she was looking at him. Love could create hate, and hate could be turned into love. He was determined to get her love. He laughed and said, “I know. Haven’t I been satisfying your requests by your side? We have to get through what’s in front of us, right?” His eyes were glowing, and his smile was obvious, even that hint of smug mischief. Blake was also dangerous. Tanya knew what he meant by this. However, she did not expose him.No matter what Blake’s identity and background was, she was not afraid at all! She replied to him with a smile, “Didn’t you say you could help me? I don’t find this event interesting. With someone of your caliber, you can easily find a partner, right?”Blake kept smiling. He did not deny it and sort of agreed with Tanya. The next second, he said, “I’d rather be with you than find a new partner.” Blake’s eyes were dark. Tanya’s eyes were filled with cold disgust. … As she sat in front of the security came
She stated her stance toward Vincenzo. Vincenzo was not angry either, but there was no expression on his face. He just stared at her quietly. Ivanka said that she did not know Ellis Evans, but not only did they look alike, their personalities and behavior were the same as well. Suddenly, Vincenzo realized something. It was highly likely that after he cut off ties with those people in the first place, she left, and like him, she went incognito. After that, some people meddled with things, so he could not find a single thing. When Vincenzo remained silent, Ivanka looked to the side.Maybe there was something extremely similar between her and that person. That was why Vincenzo kept getting distracted. They had not met for many years, and he missed her so much. It was normal. So, she did not say anything. He stretched his hand out toward Ivanka. “You have not even drunk this tea yet. We can talk while drinking.” Ivanka was pretty much done at this point. Then, she looked int
With the tea finished and the surveillance footage copied, Ivanka was ready to leave. She asked, “Is there anything else you need, Vincenzo?”Vincenzo understood exactly what Ivanka was thinking.He smiled and said, “I know you said it’s unnecessary, but I also know you wouldn’t just stand by and watch something happen to Michael. Even if I forced you to stay, your mind would still be occupied. I don’t need anything else for now. Go do what you need to.”Ivanka had not expected Vincenzo to read her mind so clearly.Still, she did not argue and simply nodded. “All right. If you need anything from me, just give me a call.”There was no such thing as a free lunch.She had copied the surveillance footage from Vincenzo, so if he ever asked for a favor in return, it would only be fair. As long as it was not something unethical, she would agree to help.Little did she know, Vincenzo called in his right-hand man, Njord, after Ivanka left.Njord walked in with utmost respect and stood b
Evan’s reaction was sharp. “I’ve locked Mr. George up. Ms. Lane, if you need to see him, I can take you there.”“Do you really think a guy who could outsmart your boss would remain locked up by your people? For now, just focus on keeping an eye on Michael.” With that, she turned and walked out of the room.Her words dripped with sarcasm. It was hard to tell whether the comment was meant for Evan or Michael, but regardless, Evan was left stunned.Could Mr. George really be that calculating?Mr. George’s employment of such underhanded tactics had completely caught Evan off guard. After all, everyone here possessed status and influence, but Mr. George did not seem to play by the usual rules....Ivanka had already seen all the surveillance footage in Vincenzo’s private room, so she knew exactly which suite Mr. George was in.Mr. George had anticipated this.As she approached his suite, his men did not try to stop her. Instead, they quietly stepped aside and made way for her.When
Mr. George’s reflexes were sharp.Ivanka quickly realized he was rather skilled.If it came down to a fight, she may not be able to take him.Realizing this, she did not make another move. Instead, she said coldly, “Michael’s not going to die, and your plans won’t work. If you insist on making us your enemies...”Everyone had limits.With Michael’s life hanging in the balance, she did not have time to waste on pointless exchanges with Mr. George.Mr. George, however, did not seem to take her threat seriously. In fact, he laughed with a hint of contempt in his voice. “I’m not the only one who wants the Ganoderma nebula. You turned my own men against me and provoked me. Didn’t you already choose to be my enemy?”In other words, Mr. George no longer cared whether they were enemies or allies. To him, it made no difference.Ivanka frowned.However, before she could say anything, Mr. George cut her off. He smiled as he said, “Ms. Lane, I know you have the skills to cure the poison,
Ivanka turned to Evan to give instructions while thinking about the deal she had made with Mr. George. Michael, though weak, spoke up with firm resolve. “We’re going back together!”After being married to him for several years, Ivanka knew exactly what kind of man Michael was. Once he made up his mind, there was no changing it easily.He was a man of sheer will and principles.But now was not the time to worry about his principles.Ivanka pursed her lips and said, “I got the antidote you just took by making a deal with Mr. George.”“What kind of deal?” Michael shot up from the couch. His expression was dark and intense, but before he could hold the look for more than a second, he was overtaken by a fit of violent coughing.Even so, his eyes remained cold and sharp.Ivanka’s voice was detached. “You don’t need to worry about the deal I made with Mr. George. It wasn’t anything involving my body, Michael, we don’t owe each other anything anymore now.”As a former partner, she ha
With no other option, Ivanka finally told him the truth. “There wasn’t much to the deal. He just asked for a three-day trip. He probably wants me to go with him to the Middle East for something.”When Ivanka thought he might let go, Michael’s grip remained firm as he said, “You’re not going!”Ivanka bristled at his tone. “And why not?”She had only made the deal with Mr. George to secure Michael’s antidote. It was a fair trade. Besides, she was never one to go back on her word.If she did not follow through, what kind of person would that make her?However, something in Michael’s intensity made her hesitate. Could there be something else on his mind?For Michael, falling into this trap was a huge blow to his pride. He had never been a weak man, and this whole situation…Ivanka studied him.Michael’s expression darkened. His face was clouded with displeasure. “That man is cunning and dangerous. If all he wants is the Ganoderma nebula, give it to him. There’s no need to risk your
If making Rosie happy was really his goal, why had he been so quick to throw the divorce papers on the table when Rosie had objected in the first place?Michael did not respond, but Ivanka’s words hit him like a series of tiny needles, each one pricking his heart. It left him unsettled.Rosie liked Ivanka. That much was clear. During their recent interactions, he had seen it for himself.Ivanka was not the heartless, ruthless woman she was made out to be.Maybe there had been more to the story with Chiara. And maybe their marriage…Seeing Michael’s silence, Ivanka could not help but laugh, though there was an undertone of irony.“Michael, you’re not seriously thinking about getting back together, are you?”Michael’s drifted mind was pulled back by her words. He noticed the look on her face. It was one of cold indifference.To her, the idea of reconciliation was nothing but a joke.She really thought so.They had been married for three years. All that time, she had not been ab
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