Michael seemed to be agitated.Michael began to nitpick. “This scallop is so salty. How can I eat it? “Has this salmon been dead for a long time?“The steak is overcooked.”“...”Ivanka did not say anything and silently listened to his tirade. She could not understand what was wrong.“This couple’s set meal that they sent up doesn’t taste good either. Didn’t they consider that the people eating it might not be a couple?” Michael put his knife and fork down. Then he crossed his arms with a dissatisfied look on his face.So that was what he was on about.Ivanka thought that he did not want to share a couple’s room with her. For some reason, her heart knotted up.“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I didn’t book this room for you anyway.” Ivanka’s tone was a bit unnatural.Michael raised an eyebrow. Even though he felt awful in his heart, he suppressed his anger. “That’s right too. You have so many other candidates.” Before Ivanka could say something, Michael got
She had also thought of something. Since Michael had gotten hurt because of her, she had a plausible reason to examine the wound.Ivanka pursed her lips and said, “It’s nothing, really. I just think you’re acting tough. Take off your shirt and let me examine the wound.”Unexpectedly, Michael quickly countered. “Will you come with me if I let you examine it?”Ivanka was speechless. This man sure knew how to bargain!“Where are you going, and why are you so determined to take me with you?” Ivanka asked curiously yet impatiently.Michael replied nonchalantly, “You’ll find out when you get there.”“...Alright, but be warned: if it’s too far away, I’m not going. And if your wound is too severe, I’m not going either.”Ivanka was frustrated by his stubborn attitude, but she could not bring herself to be heartless. So, she told him that upfront.“It’s not that far, and I feel fine. If you insist on looking at it, I guess I can let you look at it.”Ivanka was offended. What did he mean
Something flashed in Michael’s gaze. It was cold and disdainful.“We’ll see if he has the skills to do it, or simply the audacity,” Michael said icily before wrapping an arm around Ivanka’s waist and walking as usual.Still, that act made Ivanka’s heart skip a beat.That came out of nowhere!On instinct, she pushed him away. “What are you doing, Michael? We’re just being followed.”Although she had no idea who was following them, Ivanka was not scared.Obviously, neither was Michael.He said in that same cold tone, “You’re doing this for my family. I can’t let anything happen to you again, can I?”Ivanka did not reply. She did not know what to say.A few moments later, Michael got her into a car but tried to get in the driver’s seat afterwards.When Ivanka noticed that, she hastily stopped him. “Just tell me the address. I’ll drive.”“No need,” Michael refused.The next thing she knew, he was already in the driver’s seat with his seat belt buckled.Ivanka knew how stubborn
Michael frowned and asked sternly, “Who sent you?”Based on the size of the person who followed them, Ivanka could confirm that it was a man.Since Michael was already doing the questioning, she chose to watch from the sidelines.The man being stepped on whined. “No one sent me. I’m doing this on my own. I just wanted to get some close-up photos of you two so that I can get famous. No one made me do this…”Neither Michael nor Ivanka believed him.If no one sent him, then how did he manage to follow them all this way so methodically?When Ivanka noticed Michael trying to hit the guy, she hastily gestured for him to stop.So, Michael listened to her.The next thing he knew, Ivanka took out a syringe and chuckled sinisterly. “You’re a reporter,” she said. “You’re aware that recently, a doctor murdered his wife with a single syringe, right?”The man felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing that.Yes, he was a reporter. That incident was the talk of the town back then. Why wou
In the end, they got to the Holly Resort’s assembly point, where the resort was renting out golf carts for the flower field.The place was quite empty, so an employee walked up to them immediately. “Hello, Mr. Barkworth. Which sightseeing cart would you like to take?”In response to the employee’s enthusiasm, Michael simply said disinterestedly, “I’ll pick my own.”The employee was quickly pushed aside.After a short while, Michael picked the cart closest to them.Ivanka watched him take the keys and get inside. After some hesitation, she got in as well.She wanted to see what Michael had planned.So, she leaned into the backseat of the cart without any worries.The journey took about 20 minutes, and the scenery along the way was gorgeous. The hand-planted and trimmed flowers were very diverse in shape and variety.Thankfully, the path itself was also smooth without any bumps.Still, Ivanka was a little surprised. “You know how to drive a cart like this? That doesn’t make se
So, without waiting for Michael to say something, she continued.Her voice even had some coldness to it when she said, “Michael, I only followed you because I thought you had unfinished business. But now… please tell me what you’re doing in the future. Don’t do meaningless things under the guise of doing important stuff!”With that, Ivanka turned to leave.Before she could take a step forward, though, Michael grabbed her swiftly.With the thousands of acres of flowers behind him, he seemed unusually serious.Looking at her, he said, “I brought you here. This isn’t meaningless. Didn’t you want to visit this place more than anything, Ivanka?”She had always expressed a desire to see these places when she was talking to Sandy on the phone, when she was drawing, and when she was on Twitter.So, from that moment on, he had planned to admit his feelings at the place she loved.Since this place was a popular place for couples, he had pulled a lot of strings and spent a fortune on gett
Seeing Michael like this made Ivanka feel a weight on her chest too.She would rather Michael treat her coldly like the way he used to.Still, weight aside, there were some things she needed to make clear.She chuckled, “A chance to make it up to me? With what? Money? Power? Or something else? There’s no way you’re telling me that as long as I’m happy and I give you a chance, you’d do anything for me?”Ivanka’s words were blunt.She stared intently at Michael.Michael did not answer. His lips pressed into a thin line as his expression turned cold. His eyes no longer contained the sadness and tenderness it previously had.Ivanka smiled seeing this side of Michael.She knew he felt no love for her. Everything he did, he only did it because of their recent interactions, as well as Grandma’s wish for them to get back together.Just as she was about to speak, though, Michael spoke first, “You may ask for anything that is within my capabilities.”That, too, was a promise.Alas, ho
He had always been the one to reject Ivanka, but this time it was the other way round, and it irritated him a lot.That being said, at that point, it did not seem safe to let Ivanka go back on her own.So, Michael suppressed his irritation and strode to catch up to her.Since Ivanka was ahead of him, she got into the driver’s seat.She thought it was only fair that if Michael drove them here, she would drive them back.She drove straight to the hotel. Michael’s gaze was constant through the rearview mirror.Because of this, he could see Ivanka’s expression clearly.He was reminded of what she said about not having any expectations when it came to love or marriage anymore.He also remembered the way she had looked cold, yet relieved when she said that.Michael struggled to control his emotions at the thought of that.At the same time, something important occurred to him, so he asked, “You said you no longer had any expectations when it came to love and marriage. You’re not thi
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.