Vincent delivered a swift kick to the man who had just struggled to his feet after Stella had knocked him down and sent him flying again.After throwing out his final warning, Vincent glanced at Ivanka and Stella. They quickly understood and followed him.Caeser knew that, at that point, no amount of words would sway Vincent.However, he was not going to give up on the idea of convincing Ivanka to treat him.“Go tell my brother, if he wants Blake to live, he’d better stop stirring up trouble right now,” Caeser said coldly to the man. With that, he and his men left.On the way back, Vincent reassured Ivanka. “If you don’t want to treat him, stick to your decision. You’re not wrong for standing your ground. Don’t feel pressured to compromise just because of me. Even though we’ve been friends for years, once things involve self-interest, they’re never as perfect as they seem.”By the end of his words, Vincent’s tone had grown cold.By saying that their friendship was not perfect, h
Michael immediately provided the address.Vincent glanced at Stella. She quickly understood his orders.At that moment, Michael spoke up. “I’ll decide when I leave.”Vincent coldly replied, “Then leave Kingzillion Casino now.”Out of respect for Ivanka, Vincent was saving Michael some dignity. If it had been anyone else, they would have already been thrown out with broken hands and feet.With that, Michael was no longer restrained by Vincent’s men.However, Michael walked straight toward Ivanka.As Michael approached in silence, Ivanka frowned, but before she could say anything, Vincent stepped in front of him and blocked his path.Vincent’s expression was ice-cold. “You’re divorced. There’s no need for you to keep hovering around her.”Michael ignored Vincent’s words. His gaze remained on Ivanka. He was waiting for her response.Ivanka did not want him to stay either. “Even though you’ve learned some things through Njord, you don’t actually know how to handle the situation.
Vincent had made his meaning clear. There was no way Michael would shamelessly stay any longer.However, before leaving, Michael called out to Ivanka. “Ivanka, come with me. There are things I need to sort out with you. Also, you’re still treating me. You can’t just leave it unfinished.”Hearing this, Ivanka remained silent, but the steps she took spoke volumes.Vincent knew he could not stop her, so he signaled for his men to follow and keep an eye on her. With Ivanka’s current situation, people were watching her.As soon as Ivanka approached Michael, she immediately placed her hand on his wrist to check his pulse.The lingering effects of the toxins were still present, but compared to when he was first poisoned, his pulse was noticeably stronger.Ivanka frowned. She was clearly unimpressed. “If you go back home with Evan now, at least if something goes wrong, he can handle the situation with the prescription I gave him.”Although others could take care of it, they were in a fo
Rosie snorted coldly to make her attitude clear.Supposedly, Rosie’s attendance should not matter to Ivanka. She had already divorced Michael, and they were no longer tied to each other.Ivanka only helped the Barkworth family for old times’ sake.But Ivanka still said to Rosie gently, “Grandma, I really have something to attend to, so I can’t return yet. I’ll visit you once I get home, alright? I’ll call whenever I’m free. Sometimes, neither of us can answer your calls. That’s not because we’re ignoring you on purpose. We’re simply preoccupied with other matters.”Although Ivanka was explaining herself to Rosie, they both knew that Rosie rarely called them. Even if she did, they have indeed answered her calls.Hearing what Ivanka said, Rosie was a little embarrassed.But if she could set Ivanka and Michael up by embarrassing herself, so be it!“Well, I shall leave you to it then. I’ll wait for you both to come home.” With that, Rosie said nothing else and soon hung up.Michael
Michael groaned quietly.Ivanka was shocked.“Damn it!” She thought.She could not afford to waste time mulling over what just happened, so she grabbed Michael and said with a conflicted look on her face, “Hang in there!”Kingzillion Casino would never let the shooter go scot-free. The people who came in Ivanka’s aid immediately dispersed to search every corner of the casino.The commotion drew Vincent out of the room too.The second he opened the door, he saw Michael with his arm around Ivanka and pinned her to the floor. Just as Vincent was about to intervene, Ivanka rolled over and got up swiftly.She was not as strong as Michael, so she struggled when she tried to help him to his feet.But she worried that the hidden shooter would fire again while they were distracted. Therefore, she had no choice but to drag Michael toward a room. That was when she spotted Vincent.At that moment, Ivanka looked as if she was a drowning woman who saw a lifebuoy. “Uncle, quick, help me ou
Evan had already taken the Ganoderma nebula back to his country, so Michael was certainly not the target of this attack.If it were him, the bullet would have gone for his head. The shooter would not have fired twice.It showed that the shooter was frustrated and tried to get rid of Michael altogether. His actual target was Ivanka, who was protected by Michael!But Vincent would not put up with such things. If someone dared cause trouble on his turf and attack the ones under his care, then they would pay the price and bear the brunt of his wrath no matter who they were!Soon enough, Stella brought Njord over.Njord knelt before Vincent and admitted his fault. “Boss, I’m sorry for my negligence. I let Michael Barkworth disguise as me and infiltrate the casino…”His voice roused Vincent’s suspicion. “What happened to you?” Vincent had always been a protective employer. Njord was his subordinate. If Michael attacked him and inflicted serious injuries when Njord did not even deserv
Besides, Ivanka and Michael were still in love with each other. She would never let him go while injured.On top of that, Michael was wounded because of her.Njord respected their decision, but deep down, he was still displeased with Michael.Njord had been working for Vincent for many years, so Vincent knew what he was thinking.Vincent pulled him to his feet and said somberly, “Consider this a lesson learned. Don’t repeat the same mistake. As for your designs for Michael, hold yourself back or he’ll end you!”Vincent did not want Njord to make another silly mistake for nothing.Naturally, Njord listened to Vincent’s reminder.But he still resented Michael for what he had done. He could not possibly put up with him!Even if Njord was no match for Michael in every way, he still wanted to give it a try! What if he succeeded?Vincent did not say anything else and merely patted Njord on the shoulder. “Get some rest and recover soon.”Meanwhile, Michael was getting treated.Iv
But Michael’s last two sentences were a reminder to Ivanka.They were running out of time, so she had to perform the surgery immediately!Ivanka, too, grasped his hand tightly to express her determination. “Rest assured, Michael. I won’t let you die either!”With the casino doctor’s assistance, Ivanka put Michael under general anesthesia.Despite the subpar conditions, she handled everything meticulously and professionally.From bullet removal to wound suturing, the surgery took more than one hour. Ivanka performed it perfectly.Even the doctor said in uncontrollable awe, “Your… skills can rival the most respected medical professors. May I know which hospital you work at?”His eyes were filled with respect toward Ivanka.He believed that his skill was considered above average among his peers. But when he watched Ivanka perform the surgery, he realized that his skills paled in comparison!If it were him, he would not dare carry out such a major procedure in this environment!“
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