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
Despite the fact that there were over a hundred guests at the party, silence filled the hall at that moment. Not even the sound of cutlery clinking against plates could be heard. Chiara panicked. Even if she was stupid, she knew that she had been tricked! Ivanka had tricked her! She thought that she had been far enough to escape notice from Ivanka that day. She thought that was why Ivanka revealed that she wanted to buy a gift for Rosie. It turned out that she knew from the start that she was secretly watching her. She said she wanted to buy a gift on purpose. She was waiting for her to walk into the trap she had set up for her! She thought. “That b*tch! Ivanka that b*tch!” She was married to the Barkworths for three years. She knew exactly what Mrs. Barkworth hated the most, but she never told her. Chiara shook her head in puzzlement. She looked at Ivanka disappointedly and said, “Iv, what are you talking about? You never told me that Grandma doesn’t like this. You tol
However, given the circumstances, she was powerless. Besides, the point was that she had no idea what was going on here. How the lovely rosary could have become Rosie’s forbidden object was beyond her comprehension. “Get her out of here! I don’t want to see her anymore! Get out!” Rosie, who had not said anything, became even more enraged at this point. She screamed the words. Ivanka hurriedly took Rosie’s hand and said hastily, “Grandma, I’m sorry. This is my fault.” Her face was filled with a guilty expression, as if she was saying that if she had known Chiara would not trust her, this would not have happened. Chiara was speechless. “B*tch!” she thought to herself. Rosie’s heart was pounding. She was so enraged at the time that she was on the verge of losing her mind. She simply grabbed Ivanka’s hand and did not say anything. Mindy could see that things were not going well. If this kept up, Chiara might never be able to marry into the Barkworths. She hastily said, “Mum, th
The crowd was staring at them, as if they were expecting them to fight.Ivanka frowned. She looked at Chiara, puzzled, and asked, “What have I forgotten?”Rosie felt as if her heart was bleeding. She continued to clutch Ivanka’s hand tightly, as if it made her feel safe.Ivanka held Rosie’s hand and said softly, “Grandma, I will always stay with you. Always!”Rosie could not help but sigh. When she closed her eyes, tears dripped onto the table.It hurt Samuel’s heart. “Rosie, pull yourself together!” he exclaimed emphatically.Rosie remained silent, as if she was trying to keep her emotions under control.Michael took Rosie’s other hand and called her. “Grandma.”He did not say anything more, but it had given her enough comfort.He did, however, cast a stern look at Ivanka!He already sensed that something was wrong with Ivanka just now. If he still could not see that she had something to do with what happened, he was no better than a fool!He thought, “How could she betray
She closed her eyes. It was as if she had decided not to say anything more. Chiara was instantly relieved. There was finally nothing she could say to defend herself! She hurriedly stepped forward and said to Rosie, “Grandma, it’s also my fault. If I had gotten to the bottom of it, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s my fault. Grandma, please forgive Iv. She is still young.” “She is still young?” Mindy sneered in anger. “She’s in her twenties. How is she still young?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka and picked on her. However, she only picked on her at home in the past. After what happened, Rosie was so upset and distraught. She could take advantage of the situation to reprimand Ivanka by acting like a filial daughter-in-law and standing up for Rosie. “Iv, you’ve been our family for three years,” she lamented. “Regardless of how others treated you, think about how Grandma has been treating you. She wishes she could give you the entire world. How did you repay her? What have y
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A