In the past, Michael never bothered to investigate anything or took her side and trusted her. So what was the point of finding out what happened back then?Chiara was already dead.Even if Michael could prove that Ivanka was innocent, the outsiders would think that she was smearing her dead cousin.But Michael did not see it as such. He pressed his lips together, then said, “Why is it unnecessary to clear your name? Ivanka, I—”He was at a loss for words when he saw her icy expression.It was the first time this happened to him in decades. He was rather surprised.At the next moment, his expression turned grim. He said nothing else.Seeing him like that, Ivanka was amused. She said coldly, “Back then, you decided that I was guilty. I’ll ask you this: So what if you investigate and prove that I am innocent? Are you going to compensate me? Do you think I need your money or a loveless marriage?”A loveless marriage was worse than death!She used to be foolish enough to imagine th
In the video, Tanya walked into a private room while disguising herself as Ivanka and then ran out naked.Tanya was flabbergasted.Chiara had told her a while ago that the video was destroyed. Why did she still have it?In contrast to Tanya’s panic, the mockery in Ivanka’s smile was striking. “Are you sure you want to set your dogs on me, Tanya?”“Back down!”Despite her reluctance, Tanya had to make a compromise.Meanwhile, Michael strode in with an icy expression.He walked over to Ivanka without sparing Tanya a glance. Tanya gritted her teeth. He only had eyes for Ivanka!But Tanya could not fuss over such trifles at this point.She wanted so badly to snatch the phone from Ivanka. She did not want to lose her pride and dignity in front of Michael.But she could not and dared not do that!Naturally, Ivanka could tell what Tanya was thinking. With a sneer, she put the phone into her pocket. There was no satisfaction on her face, but her confidence was apparent.“You disgui
Even if Tanya’s reputation was at risk, she did not plan to reveal her secret backer.Ivanka raised her brows slightly.Who was really behind Tanya, and what sort of person were they? It was surprising to see Tanya being so insistent!Suddenly, a man walked into the room.All eyes fell on them.Ivanka frowned slightly. She vaguely remembered who he was. It was the man who attended the party with Tanya.The man put himself between Ivanka and Tanya to protect the latter. Wearing a cold expression, he and Michael stared at each other. “Tanya is my woman,” the man said. “I won’t let you bully her like that.”Tanya was startled, but she did not push Blake away.At that moment, she was utterly helpless.If Blake could help her, she would not hesitate to play along and use him.Ivanka studied Blake with scrutiny and vigilance.This man had only appeared around Tanya twice. Her secret backer would not appear in public so openly.But Blake promised to help Tanya. It showed that he w
Ivanka was not a mild-tempered person.Alexander chuckled and said, “It’s not like I enjoy being rejected. It depends on who is rejecting me. I’ll only enjoy it if you’re the one doing it. By the way, are you coming over? I have the answer you want!”As he spoke, he drawled on purpose.Ivanka’s heart sank.Alexander said he had the answer to her question. He had also stated clearly that the person who wanted her dead was a woman.Therefore, it could be the masked woman next to him!With that in mind, Ivanka was intrigued.Her lips curled into a smile. “Since you have invited me so cordially, I should at least show up out of politeness.”After a few encounters with Ivanka, Alexander knew that she was smart. She must have connected the dots somehow, or else her attitude would not change so easily.But considering that he was the one showing his hand first, he would be intimidated if she kept digging.In fact, rather than working with Eleanor, he wanted to see Ivanka at her best
Eleanor grew increasingly enraged. She attacked Alexander.Alexander was a decent fighter. He took a step back to evade her, but she pressed on relentlessly. The two of them soon engaged in a fierce fight.... Meanwhile, although Alexander had said he would come to pick up Ivanka, she did not expect him to actually show up. Therefore, she did remain where she was. Instead, she went to Alexander’s private room.To her surprise, as soon as she opened the door, she saw Eleanor and Alexander fighting.The scene surprised her, but it also made her curious and pensive. These two were supposed to be partners, yet they were fighting at such a crucial moment, which clearly indicated a conflict of interest.What had Alexander done to cause such a thing?Ivanka realized that Alexander’s actions had been subtly revealing important information to her. She understood that the room they were in held the answers she had been looking for. He had even offered to come pick her up personally.So,
Everyone was confused.Michael domineeringly pulled Ivanka into his arms. He frowned with a hint of annoyance and disdain. “You disappeared the moment I looked away. Iv, the casino is huge! You made it difficult for me to find you.”Ivanka was puzzled by this. She frowned, clearly displeased.Michael was not the type to say something so cheesy. He had his own pride and dignity, which made her wonder what he was trying to pull.She did not want to embarrass him in front of others or start a quarrel with him in the casino. Instead, she retorted, “Yes, the casino is huge, but you still managed to find me, didn’t you?”As she said this, she subtly tried to free herself from his grip.Michael noticed it but did not loosen his hold. Meanwhile, Ivanka did not want to struggle too openly.Alexander’s expression darkened. Just as he was about to move, Eleanor stepped in front of him. “Alexander, don’t forget we’re here to talk business with the casino owner.”Her question seemed designe
As the three of them continued their back-and-forth, Eleanor grew increasingly frustrated. They seemed to be completely ignoring her.Even though the public did not fully support her, she was still a royal princess. These three acted as if she did not exist. It was intolerable.She became impatient and said, “Can you three take your nonsense elsewhere? I booked this room! I need to rest and watch the event.”Only then did Ivanka realize Eleanor’s presence.Ivanka narrowed her eyes. “If you’re going to pretend you don’t understand what I’m saying, fine. But can you at least remove your mask? Or tell me your name?”She knew Eleanor would neither reveal her name nor take off her mask. Ivanka was simply testing her to observe her reaction.Unexpectedly, Eleanor calmly removed her mask.Alexander was stunned. He had not expected that beneath her mask was yet another face!Ivanka carefully observed the unfamiliar face before her. She tried to recall if they had met before, but she ha
Michael did not respond to Alexander, but Ivanka could feel a cold aura emanating from him.A moment later, Michael released her.Ivanka knew Michael did not tolerate provocations. If he could deal with Alexander the way he had handled George, she would not have said a word.However, Alexander was different from George.As Michael stepped forward, the people around them began to move. Ivanka noticed Alexander pulling a handgun from his waist. Eleanor followed suit.Just as the situation was about to escalate, Njord entered with his subordinates.“What’s this? Planning a massacre at Kingzillion Casino?”His words immediately stopped everyone in their tracks.“Ms. Ivanka, our boss needs to see you urgently.”Njord showed no respect to Alexander, Eleanor, or even Michael, but he was extremely deferential toward Ivanka.The onlookers were stunned and wondered what was going on.Before anyone could react, Ivanka, uninterested in further arguing, nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll go
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