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
Chiara shook her head involuntarily. “I didn’t…” Catherine was enraged. She finally realized what was going on. She clenched her teeth and said, “This was obviously a set up by Ivanka! She purposefully stated in front of us that this is a gift for Grandma. She duped us into thinking she was going to give it to Grandma! We assumed this was the style Grandma preferred. That’s why Chiara went to such lengths to find it, but...” They had no choice but to tell the truth at this point in order to clear things up. Sandy, on the other hand, simply snorted. “My grandmother adores rosaries with intricate patterns like this. Iv and I are practically sisters. My grandmother had just only celebrated her birthday yesterday, and this is the gift Iv bought for her! You, on the other hand, chose to copy Iv’s idea instead of figuring out what you could give Mdm. Barkworth as a gift. Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?” Ivanka shook her head as she looked at Sandy. “Stop it, Sandy.” Her voice was
Sandy’s father’s legs were quivering! “Stop talking already, you brat!” He thought. “However, Mdm. Barkworth might be pleased to see her reprimand Chiara.” If he stopped her, he would only downright offend the Barkworth family!Chiara vigorously shook her head. “No, I didn’t! I was hoping Iv would give Grandma more than just a rosary! That’s why I prepared a few more! I’m not trying to steal her limelight!”Sandy sneered. “Is that what you meant when you said you and Iv think alike? Your explanation is futile!”Rosie was enraged at this point. “I’ll let you off the hook this time just because you saved Michael before,” she said through gritted teeth. “But, if you truly want to extend my life for a few more years, stop coming to my birthday parties. Every time you do, you’ll remind me of what you did today and how much you’ve hurt my feelings!”Chiara sucked in a sharp breath and staggered slightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head sadly. “I-I didn’t mean it th
”Both are willing participants in this whole fiasco,” Xander said coolly after a brief silence. Ivan immediately realized what he meant. “You should call it ‘karma’s a b*tch,’” he said, amused.…… At that moment, Ivanka had helped Rosie into the lounge. When she saw an upset Rosie sitting on the chair, she slowly sat next to her and spoke softly, “Grandma, I know every year on this day you’ll feel sad, but it has been so many years now. Has time not helped you move on?”Rosie’s heart was immediately in turmoil. She instinctively raised her head and looked at Ivanka. “Iv, this is something I’ll never get over. You’ve never experienced it. You won’t understand…” Before she could finish, Ivanka held Rosie’s hand tightly and said solemnly, “Grandma, do you know why I went all the way to a church in the mountain and got you a gold cross?”Rosie was stunned. Ivanka continued. “I’ve got it for you in the hopes that you’ll be at peace and live a long life.”Rosie sighed and said, “Oh
Ivanka’s head shot up to look at Rosie. “Grandma, he’s back… as Michael.”Rosie’s sad facade cracked. “You brat! You…!”In the next moment, Rosie shook her head helplessly and sighed. “Girl, I know you’re trying to comfort me. But twisting facts to this extent is just—”Before she could finish speaking, Ivanka looked at her resolutely and said, “Grandma, you know Pastor Paul, don’t you? You know he’ll never lie. A man of God doesn’t lie. You might not trust me, but you have to trust Pastor Paul. How about this? You and I will meet him at the cathedral tomorrow. Then, you can listen to what he has to say in person.”“St. John Cathedral? It’s a place with a huge significance in our community.” Rosie thought. She then looked at Ivanka in shock. “Iv, you…” Ivanka smiled plainly and said, “Grandma, let’s go together. Let’s meet this pastor, and you’ll know. He might not be destined to be your son, but maybe, he’s meant to be your grandson. He’s still considered your flesh and blood
“I deserve everything that’s happening to me now. But please don’t involve my family in my mistakes…” Ethan clasped his hands together and sincerely begged everyone to spare his family. Ivanka spared him a brief glance before turning off her cell phone. Although she was helping herself to some meat, Michael could see how she felt at the moment. “Why don’t we…” Michael asked for her opinion. But before he finished speaking, Ivanka interrupted him. “Now that he’s released a video like that, if I continue to hold him accountable, I’d be the one in the wrong.” Michael immediately replied, “I can step in—” “You? It’s better if you don’t. Everyone knows your relationship with me now.” Before Michael could finish his sentence, Ivanka immediately interrupted him. Although they were not officially remarried, Michael often went out with her. If anyone else were to see this, what difference did it make? Michael understood, but he really could not bear to see Ivanka getting bulli
After they finished taking pictures, Ivanka greeted everyone politely. “After finishing your meal, go home early. It’s snowing, so drive safely. Bye…” Ivanka subconsciously reminded them. She belatedly realized she had been acting as though she was really an idol. Nonetheless, she treated them with sincerity. She had not done this for Michael’s sake. She did this mostly for the sake of the innocent, inexperienced young ladies who had yet entered the society. These young ladies raised their phones warily and asked, “Could we take a picture together?” They were so worried that their invitation would be turned down, so much so that when they talked, they almost bit the skin off their lips. Ivanka could not bear to reject them. It had not been easy for her to finally reach the private room. Michael teased her, “Our celebrity finally arrived. It looks like you’d best wear shades wherever you go in the future.” Ivanka glared at him and said gruffly, “Stop teasing me.” She paused
After that, Ivanka politely bowed to the people who had been watching the drama in the main hall. She smiled at them. “Sorry for making a fool of ourselves. We encountered two tricksters who wanted to eat the meals for free by calling themselves the friends of the restaurant owners. It happened that I know the restaurant owner, so we easily uncovered their tricks.” By saying that, Ivanka was able to save the hot pot restaurant’s and the Barkworth family’s reputation. Her statement could result in a win-win situation, and the reason was acceptable. Ivanka continued, “Sorry for causing a stir and affecting your dining mood. I’ll foot the bill for everyone who dined on the first floor. How does that sound?” She was not trying to curry favor with the people or to show off her wealth. She simply did not want the people to hate the wealthy. One could not deny that this method worked. Right after Ivanka made her statement, the crowd thanked her. The commotion was no more than ju
The young lady did not know what to do, so she turned to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager nodded in approval. It was only then that the young lady left the restaurant. Before she left, she glared at Coco. Coco glared back at the young lady and pointed at her viciously. Coco shouted, “Come back! I’m not done with you yet! Who permitted you to leave now?!” The young lady’s body shivered a little. Still, she gnashed her teeth and left. Ivanka watched the young lady’s back as she drifted away. Ivanka stood in Coco’s way because she did not want Coco to chase after the young lady. Ivanka did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. Otherwise, the Barkworth family would be the one who suffered disgrace. After all, Coco stayed in the Barkworth family’s mansion, and everyone knew that Rosie doted on her. If it continued, Ivanka was worried about Rosie’s later years… Ivanka rubbed her temples in resignation. It looked like she needed to resolve the issue as
The restaurant manager thought for a moment before saying, “Ms. Fishbourne, the restaurant has its own rules. Only three types of VIPs could reserve our private rooms while the rest could only enjoy normal seats. I have reasons to believe that our front desk told you the same when you called. We may not have empty seats now, but we’ll have one shortly after.” Coco recalled the situation and remembered that it was exactly like what the restaurant manager had mentioned. So what? Things have changed these days. Coco was no longer an ordinary woman. Her words could even move the earth. With that thought in her mind, Coco chuckled. She kept her tyranny and mockery to herself before locking her little finger with the young lady’s at the front desk. The young lady at the front desk looked down at her finger before glancing at the restaurant manager helplessly. The restaurant manager himself, too, was caught in trouble, so he could not do anything else to defend the young lady. C
Little did Coco know that her behavior was no more like a clown in the crowd’s eyes. Ivanka felt disgusted. Although she could not put herself in Coco’s shoes, she could understand the thoughts of a sensitive person. Ivanka could sympathize with a sensitive and cowardly person. But she could not find herself sympathizing with Coco. Coco’s low self-esteem should not be the reason for her to behave like a crook. Michael, on the other hand, already finished discussing with the restaurant manager and entering the private room. Ivanka lagged behind him. She had no intention of entertaining Coco, much less inviting her to eat together. No doubt that the private room was able to accommodate four people. But based on their relationship, Ivanka thought she had been kind enough to not find fault in Coco, much less eating together. Meanwhile, Coco continued to argue with the restaurant manager. She argued until her face reddened. Although the restaurant manager already made hims
The temperature was above freezing point, so the snowflakes melted before they even reached the ground. The trees were covered in snow. At a glance, they looked like a blanket of pristine snow. The big trees looked as if they had been covered in snow-white new clothes. Ivanka was a little surprised at such a scenery. Even though she often went for business trips in the north and had experienced snow, skied, and various other experiences, it was a rare sight to experience snow in their city. Instead of snow, they looked more like an ice sheet. The snow there was different from the cities in the north. They easily fell on their hair. In just a while, their hair turned snowy white. Ivanka took out her phone and took a photo. Then she shared it with her friends in her WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Michael took photos of Ivanka. Michael hardly posted anything on Twitter. After a moment, he uploaded a photo of Ivanka taking photos of the scenery.The caption was: Experiencing
Michael glanced at Ivanka.Ivanka kept her eyes lowered and focused on nothing in particular. Both of them tacitly agreed not to bring it up.“Let’s go out to eat,” Michael said. Ivanka agreed without hesitation.If they got ready and left at this time, they would be just in time for lunch.She went upstairs to freshen up. Michael did not rush her. He just smiled, as if he was telling her to take her time.Ivanka felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Truthfully, she was the one in a hurry because she was the one starving.Five minutes later, she came back down.She had changed into a long black down coat that reached her ankles. It was practical and warm.But the weather was still unbearably cold. This winter was harsher than usual.“Let’s go.” She rubbed her hands together and looked at Michael.Michael was on his phone. He was smiling and looked relaxed. With just a glance, Ivanka could tell he was probably making a reservation.Their long-standing
Ivanka slept in the next day. By the time she woke up, the sun was already streaming through the window, casting light across her bed and face.In a way, the sunlight had forced her awake.She frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. The brightness left spots in her vision, so she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself before getting out of bed.It was already past 10 a.m.She had no idea how she managed to sleep so much, especially after napping all afternoon the day before.Then again, maybe she was just that exhausted. So much had been going on lately.Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she did not have to go to the office.That was probably why her internal clock had not woken her at seven as usual.Come to think of it, her body’s internal clock was quite accommodating.On workdays, no matter how tired she was, she always woke up at seven sharp. But on weekends, that never happened. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, which was pretty great.She lay in