When Rosie noticed Michael had arrived, her face darkened. “Is my birthday unimportant to you, brat? Why are you so late?”“Of course it’s important,” Michael said calmly, looking at the stunning Ivanka. “Grandma, you’re busy introducing your new granddaughter, so how can you have time to care about me?” he said dismissively.Rosie scoffed. “Don’t make fun of me, you brat. She’ll be my granddaughter and your father’s daughter from now on, so she’ll also be your sister.”Ivanka and Michael were taken aback, as were the guests.What a joke! His wife became his ex-wife and ended up being his sister. What a dramatic shift!Chiara cracked a wide smile. It was good to see Ivanka become Michael’s sister. They would never have the opportunity to get together again.She did not care what everyone thought and walked forward with a smile. “That would be fantastic! I was always concerned that Iv and Mic’s relationship would deteriorate after their divorce. It would be an ideal ending if they
He did not mind letting Ivanka sit beside Rosie since he could sit on another side.However, she had just filled both sides.Ivanka felt embarrassed and wanted to get up to give Samuel her seat. However, Rosie grabbed Ivanka’s hand and snorted coldly at Samuel. “I wouldn’t even respond to you if there weren’t so many people here. Go sit somewhere else.”Ivanka was dumbfounded.Rosie’s behavior only served to further embarrass her. She could see the rage in Samuel’s eyes. However, today was Rosie’s birthday, so she could not disobey her.Michael said nothing and sat on Rosie’s left side. When he turned his head slightly, he could see Ivanka with a troubled expression.He had never seen Ivanka react like this since the divorce. He felt a little dazed. She had completely changed.Samuel was irritated, but he did not want to argue with Rosie on her birthday. He sat next to Michael.Sandy had not yet sat down. Ivanka looked at her apologetically, but Sandy did not mind it. She point
Chiara’s gaze was reproachful. She took her hand in hers and was clearly about to speak when she was interrupted once more by Catherine. “Do I need to remind you that you saved Michael’s life? Would the Barkworths be so ungrateful in front of so many people?” Chiara’s sneer was hidden beneath her gaze. That had been the desired effect! Catherine was her pawn. Catherine’s presence saved her a lot of trouble. Catherine looked straight at Rosie as Chiara pretended to stop her. “Mdm. Barkworth.” Rosie turned around to see Catherine approaching her with a smile. “Ms. White, do you have any business with me?” she smiled, unable to turn away someone who approached with a friendly smile. Many people were looking at them. Why should they bother eating the food when they could be watching something far more entertaining? They had eaten all sorts of delicacies before. In fact, they were sick of eating it! Even though the table was laden with delicacies, it was nothing out of the ordin
Rosie chuckled. “I thought you were going to talk to me about something serious. There is nothing to be curious about. These two young ladies are very intelligent. They are well aware of my preferences. Both of their gifts must be exceptional. But, if I open it and show it to everyone, am I not comparing them?” It would be unfair to both gift-givers. Chiara dashed over and grabbed Catherine’s hand. “Catherine.” She whispered her name. Then, she looked at Rosie with a smile and said, “You are right, Grandma. Catherine just came up with that idea out of nowhere. There is no need to compare our gifts. Catherine only mentioned it because she thought it was an interesting idea. Please do not take offense.” It sounded like she was interceding for Catherine, but some wondered if Rosie was picking favorites. “Is Ivanka’s gift unpresentable?” they wondered. “Is she trying to save her from embarrassment?” Rosie was irritated to see Chiara digging a hole for Ivanka. She had faith in I
Mr. Harvey responded and went to the gift room. Everyone was eager to see what was going to happen. Ivanka and Chiara were more than just sisters; one was Michael’s ex-wife, and the other was his current girlfriend. The problem was that both his ex-wife and current girlfriend had a close relationship with the Barkworths. They each had their own group of supporters. Rosie and Jay backed Ivanka, while Samuel and Mindy backed Chiara. Chiara was Michael’s lifesaver. Chiara would win in the end, no matter what the crowd thought, but she had stated that she would never marry Michael, making it a difficult situation. It was a chaotic situation overall. Everyone was expecting a drama. There had been major drama after major drama since Michael and Ivanka’s divorce. Chiara did not take a seat and instead stood on the side, as she needed to get her own gift. Catherine’s eyes were full of confidence. She cast a glance at Ivanka. She looked at her like she was going to fail misera
Sandy moved a little faster as the crowd was watching them. Chiara looked at her gift box and was a bit puzzled. She thought. “Didn’t she just prepare a common rosary? Why did she need such a big gift box? Did she prepare something else?” Chiara sneered internally, thinking that even if she did, it would be fine. She was unconcerned. Ivanka’s creativity was limited. She did, however, have a surprised expression on her face when she saw Ivanka’s gift. It was not the rosary she bought at the mall that day! Instead, it was a gold cross! Furthermore, the texture of the cross clearly differed from the one she had seen previously. The design and color were also distinctive! The rosary she saw had dark lines patterned on its surface, but this was a gold cross. Its surface had no lines, and it was very smooth. The crowd was staring at the gift, unsure what kind of gift it was. Sandy, on the other hand, smiled and introduced it. “Mdm. Barkworth, Iv is a humble girl. She is embar
Rosie’s eyes were filled with concern. If there were fewer people present, she would have loved to lift Ivanka’s dress and inspect her knees. Chiara’s face turned pale! She yelled internally, “Ivanka, you really went all out!” Even Catherine felt a little embarrassed to take out her gift. She had not opened the gift box she was holding because she had only untied the thread. She only had to lift the cover when it was her turn. Sandy chuckled and said, “Mdm. Barkworth, the pastor from St. John Cathedral said you could put the gold cross in your bedroom. It will bless you with longevity!” Rosie nodded with a smile. “Of course. Crosses bring blessings, and this gold cross has been blessed with holy water and prayers, making it an especially meaningful gift.” She took Ivanka’s hand in hers. “Sweetie, you’ve gone through so much for this gift. You must not repeat this in the future, okay? It’s just a birthday.” Ivanka smiled and shook her head. “This is what I should be doing,
Catherine was still full of confidence. After all, this was a gift that Rosie liked, and it looked really nice. Anyone could see that it was something of great value.The gift was slowly unwrapped in front of everyone’s eyes.When those rosaries were unwrapped in front of everyone’s eyes, the Barkworths’ expressions changed!Rosie, in particular! Her hands began to tremble violently. Her grip on Ivanka appeared to have tightened as well.Sandy felt a sense of satisfaction upon observing this!Rosie had a gloomy expression on her face. However, because they were in public, she was unable to speak openly.Chiara’s expression stiffened. She could not understand why they were in such a bad mood.Mindy was terrified. She gave Catherine a quick look, signaling her to take it away right away.Catherine, on the other hand, misinterpreted her signal. She instantly smiled and said, “These rosaries are purely natural and handmade. Chiara personally oversaw the creation process. Chiara’s f
Just as he was about to say something else, a clear voice suddenly spoke.“I told them to play it. Is there a problem?”The crowd looked for the voice and saw Candice in a white dress. She looked serene and cool. It was a different kind of beauty.But this was not a wedding. It was obviously a funeral.Everyone looked at the heroine who was supposed to appear today. Shock crossed their eyes. It looked like the bride found out about their despicable deed. Immediately after, the bride said in a mocking voice once again, “Leonardo, how does it feel to lose your reputation? You experienced it before me. Do you like the wedding gift I gave you?”Candice looked at him. Her brow was calm and void of emotion.Leonardo was already extremely cranky. In a way, he was at the end of his rope. He looked at her incredulously. “What do you mean by that?!” Candice sneered. “I didn’t mean anything by that. Just letting everyone present witness and see clearly for themselves what mangy dogs d
At that moment, there was a crazy video rolling on the big screen. The video was unsightly. The man and woman on the bed were “wrestling” frantically with the woman’s coquettish voice calling out at the same time. Also, the facilities here were top notch and equipped with 3D surround sound. The guests had no idea what to do when they heard.Some of the sharp-eyed guests spotted the man and woman in the video in a single glance. “My goodness! Aren’t these two the groom, Leonardo, and the bride’s best friend Jennifer?!”The moment these words came out, it instantly set off an uproar!Jennifer was instantly dumbfounded when she saw the video! But the next moment she screamed in panic. “Turn it off! Turn it off! It’s not me at all!” It was just that, not only were her shouts futile, but she felt the contemptuous disdainful glances thrown at her from all sides!She could even feel like some of the men were undressing her with their eyes! She was screaming! “Turn it off! Turn
When she put on makeup, her features looked even more exquisite. She looked sharper. Michael’s gaze paused for a moment. Why had he not realized it in the past? Ivanka glanced at him and spoke directly. “I’m good to go. Let’s go there now?” “Yes.” Michael quickly collected his thoughts and rushed to the wedding venue with her. There were a lot of guests. Those who came were all the city’s upper-class people and everyone was open and relaxed. They were able to navigate their way in a situation like this and take the opportunity to meet more work partners.The groom also weaved in and out of the crowd. He was beaming and full of life.Jennifer was with him. The two of them were welcoming the guests together. Those who did not know any better might even think that the two of them were the new couple. Everyone arrived one after another. It was just that… Only the bride and Jarek were missing.The crowd could not help but be a little confused. Right among the murmuring
Of course, he was referring to Jarek, who was screaming on the ground. Ivanka and Michael’s eyes met across the distance. They exchanged a look with each other. In the end, they chose to stay out of it. What should have been done was done. No matter the outcome, it was Candice’s own choice. Michael took a step back and came to Ivanka’s side. “Thanks.” Candice stared at Ivanka and sincerely thanked her once again. She was not stupid, so naturally, she could see that her cousin greatly respected his wife’s opinion. On the other hand, Ivanka was highly self-sufficient.Not long after, the security guards came and took Jarek away. After Candice said goodbye to the two, she left in the opposite direction.Ivanka and Michael went back to their rooms together.On the way back, Ivanka’s brows remained furrowed, and Michael turned to look at her. “Still worried about her?”Ivanka’s eyes flashed, then she looked at Michael and said softly, “Do you think that she will be soft-h
Leonardo had always been a perfect boyfriend. He was so perfect and seemed to have been specially made for Candice. Candice used to find it suspicious. But she dared not probe further into her own suspicions. Since things had turned out like so, she had no choice but to confront it. Candice’s heart was filled with a slew of anxiousness and complications. Despite this, she held back her emotions. Without further hesitation, she lifted the blanket and got down from the bed. She walked to the room next door. Ivanka gave Michael a look so that he would bring Jarek along. Michael was amused. He believed Ivanka must have treated him as her bodyguard. She was the first woman who had dared to give him an order. Despite this, Michael did as he was told. After all, Ivanka was not supposed to get involved in all this in the first place. It was all about the Barkworth family’s business. When Michael confronted Jarek, Michael’s temper instantly turned foul. He glared at Jarek.
Bam! The room door was kicked open all of a sudden. Michael was the one who kicked the door open. The man in the formal suit had just taken off half of his pants when Michael entered the room. Michael exuded an air of standoffishness. The man looked dumbfounded. He did not know if he should put back on his pants or remove them. Ivanka was behind Michael. He did not let her enter the room. “On the count of three, put your pants on, or else—” Michael did not finish his sentence, but the man in the formal suit was so scared that his entire body trembled. The man knew that if he did not act as he was told, he would lose his d*ck. So the man quickly put his pants on comically. While Michael was entering the room, Ivanka followed him. She ignored the man in the formal suit and went to the bed where Candice was laying. They had made quite a commotion when they entered the room. Despite this, Candice laid motionlessly on the bed. Apparently, she had been drugged. It l
Jennifer took the man to Candice in the middle of the night. Things did not seem good. Ivanka knew something bad was going to befall Candice. She was about to follow them when someone behind her abruptly stopped her. Ivanka’s eyes flew wide open. Her scream got stuck in her throat. The man’s large hand had covered her mouth. At the same time, a familiar smell entered her nostrils, and she gave up trying to let go of herself from the man’s grasp. “Why are you giving up so easily?” As expected, Ivanka heard a familiar voice. She turned around and saw Michael’s playful smile. “I know it’s you, so there’s no need to keep trying to free myself,” answered Ivanka truthfully. “How did you know it’s me?” Her answer piqued his interest. Ivanka was about to explain when a thought struck her mind. After that, she kept quiet. “It’s a secret.” Before Michael could continue the topic, Ivanka decided to skip and end it by asking, “You saw everything. What do you think about it?”
The only problem was, the bridegroom never showed up even once. During the first rehearsal, Candice was the only one who finished the whole course. Ivanka was curious, but she did not give it a second thought. She assumed the bridegroom was absent because he was tied up with something else. That night, Ivanka finally saw the so-called bridegroom. But their encounter was not a happy one. At midnight Ivanka could not fall asleep, so she planned to go out to take a walk. The moment she stepped out of the door, she ran into a drunkard. The man was in a formal suit, but his tie was hung crookedly around his neck. He occasionally hiccoughed and looked sloppy. A woman helped him by the side. They were very close, and the way they interacted with each other was flirty. They talked to each other very intimately. Ivanka saw the duo enter the room next to her. She wondered why they would drink so much during somebody else’s wedding eve. Ivanka thought they were just the wedding gues
Fondli was a third-world country. Although it was less developed, it was clean and not heavily polluted. The moment Ivanka got off the plane, she keenly sensed this. “The air is very fresh. The environment is conducive for Grandma to recuperate over here. Unfortunately, her condition wouldn’t allow her body to be exposed to wind.” Michael did not expect Ivanka to care so much about Rosie. He gave her a profound look. It was rare to see him not snort at her. He wondered if he would have stood a better chance if he had used Rosie to make Ivanka spend the night in the Barkworth family’s mansion last night.But Michael was worried that Ivanka would be mad at this suggestion. Hence, he did not bring it up. Nonetheless, Rosie had specially given an account of what he needed to do during the Fondli trip, and Michael was full of confidence. Outside the airport, Michael’s cousin arranged for them a car. The wedding ceremony was located inside the bride’s mansion on the outskirts.