“This isn’t his fault. I ordered him to bring me here.” Michael pursed his lips and looked away from Evan.When he spoke again, there was a hint of resignation in his voice. “Grandma, do you really think it’s good for you to be running around like this in your condition?”Rosie was not having any of it. Her emotions were running high. “If you don’t want me to keep running around, then why don’t you just do what I asked? Did you? If not, how do you even have the nerve to say anything about me running around?”She gave Michael a sharp, reproachful glance.However, Rosie had no intention of wasting more time arguing with him.Rosie glanced around, but she did not see Ivanka anywhere. She asked, “Where’s Iv?”Michael answered, “She’s in the other room. I’ll go get her.”Although Michael was frustrated with Rosie for running around, he could not deny that her presence gave him a reason to look for Ivanka.As Michael turned to leave, Rosie exchanged a look with Evan. Together,
As Rosie spoke, she could not help but sigh. A heavy sense of resignation flashed through her eyes. After several moments of hesitation, she finally continued, “I shouldn’t burden you with the favors I owe, but that family... They said they wanted a couple with matching birth charts for the wedding. When they calculated it, you and Michael were a perfect match. So, could you do this one thing for me as a favor?”Rosie knew that Ivanka and Michael had been putting on an act, whether it was in front of the Barkworth family or the press.While it was shameful that this family had changed their last name from Johanson to Barkworth just to tie themselves to the Barkworth family, Rosie saw this wedding as a golden opportunity.She figured that if this could help bring Ivanka and Michael closer together, she had no choice but to keep pushing this story.Ivanka, however, had not expected Rosie to bring this up again. There were mixed emotions in her eyes. She felt conflicted.She did no
Since Michael had given her his word, Rosie left happily with Evan.No matter how reluctant Ivanka was, there was no changing things now. After all, she was not the kind of person who could stay cold-hearted all the way through.Besides, the deal had been made. As long as Rosie stayed in the hospital and focused on her recovery, going to the wedding with Michael would not be a big deal.However, Ivanka needed to make her stance clear from the start.She looked at Michael and directly said, “When any rumors about you and me come up during the wedding, I want you to shut them down immediately. I’m doing this as a favor to you, so it’s your responsibility to resolve it. And when the time comes, I expect you to publicly distance yourself from me.”Ivanka’s expression was serious. Her meaning was crystal clear.Michael knew his actions would upset her. He also knew that she would compromise for Grandma’s sake.But he had not expected her to draw such clear lines and speak so pl
“I… I’m sorry, ma’am,” the little girl stammered in a timid voice.Ivanka paused and looked down.The girl in front of her looked thin and frail, with wide, frightened eyes full of panic. Her hands, hidden behind her back, tightened slightly.However, Ivanka did not pay it much mind and went back to selecting herbs.The market was bustling with people, filled with noise and chatter. The moment quickly passed. After picking out the herbs, she turned to push the cart to the side. She exchanged a glance with Michael to signal they were ready to leave.However, as they moved forward, they found their way completely blocked by a dense crowd.A burly man was blocking Ivanka’s way. She instinctively said, “Excuse me, could you let us through?”However, the man did not move. He was too absorbed in whatever was happening.Seeing this, Michael did not hesitate. He guided Ivanka forward. The man, caught off guard, was easily pushed aside.At the center was the little girl who had bumpe
Ivanka immediately dashed over.Meanwhile, Michael dealt with the man.Ivanka helped the girl up and let her catch a breath.But the girl clutched the medicine in her arms.Sensing her anxiety, Ivanka comforted her. “Calm down, sweetie. I’ll pay for the medicine.”Once she said that, the girl hesitated before looking up at Ivanka timidly. Gratefully, she nodded with difficulty.From up close, Ivanka noticed that the girl was in tattered clothes.Her pants were way too short for her.Ivanka rarely saw someone so dirt-poor these days.“What’s your name?” she asked gently.The girl looked Ivanka up and down and said in a low voice, “Nessa Keller.”Ivanka fed her a small white pill and asked softly, “How are you feeling, Nessa?”Hearing the concern in her voice, Nessa teared up instantly. “Please don’t call the police, ma’am. You can’t call the police. I want to go home.”“Alright.” Ivanka intended to ask more questions, but stopped talking when she saw Nessa’s pitiful and anx
“How did your dad get sick, Nessa?” Ivanka asked casually.Suddenly, the look in Nessa’s eyes changed.Her bright, carefree eyes were filled with hatred.“Theodore Lane! My dad said it was because of him!” Her childish voice was full of anguish as she screamed.Theodore?Ivanka’s eyes darkened.Who would have thought that Theodore would be wicked enough to harm an innocent family?She had found some clues about Theodore through her endless investigation. However, she often ran into dead ends. She had been searching for his victims but to no avail.This chance encounter was unexpected.She had been busy with other matters for the past few days and could spare no time for Theodore.But her opportunity had arrived.Ivanka filed away her thoughts for later and asked Nessa gently, “Is there no one else in your family, sweetie?”Nessa fed her father medicine and responded quietly, “Yeah.”Seeing how impoverished her family was, Ivanka reached into her pocket and dug out some of
Nessa looked at Ivanka with her crystal-clear eyes.She noticed that Ivanka had a bag full of medicine in her hand.“Remember this, Nessa. Feed these medicines to your father three times a day. Wash it down with water. He has to take all of them.”With that, Ivanka put down the medicines and wrote instructions on them.“Do you know how to read?”Nessa was silent, but she nodded once and carefully memorized everything Ivanka had said.It was getting late, and the sky had darkened completely.After giving the instructions, Ivanka left the house in the alley.Outside the alleyway, pedestrians walked past in groups. Deep down, Ivanka felt rather doleful. She might have to make a few more visits to Nessa’s home.Ivanka returned to the hotel and put away the medicines she bought for herself.While rubbing her shoulder, she contemplated on making arrangements for Nessa’s accommodations the next day.She could not let Nessa’s father stay in that house.He needed surgery or else he
Michael had not planned to tell Ivanka about the poisoning symptoms.But Ivanka had misunderstood him.At that time, he thought of Rosie’s advice. She had told him, “Be thick-skinned when you need to, brat! Do not hesitate! You’d better do whatever you can to win her over!”Therefore, he came clean about the symptoms.Not only did he want to clear the misunderstanding between them, he also wanted her to feel bad for him.Seeing the look on his face, Ivanka knew that he was not lying.Her expression changed slightly. “Poisoning?”As she spoke, she lifted a hand to check Michael’s pulse.His pulse was weak and arrhythmic. It was a post-poisoning symptom.“You…”She stared at Michael in disbelief.She could not imagine how Michael made it without any medicine or anyone around to help him.“It’s so painful that I can barely breathe.” Michael put a hand on his chest. He was panting heavily as he spoke.Ivanka took out a pill she invented and handed it to him. “Take this. I’ll p
If this had been anyone else, Michael would not have tolerated such arrogance from Jackie. He would have already beaten him up and coldly told him to get lost.However, Jackie was Vincent’s man.And Vincent was Ivanka’s uncle. For that reason alone, Michael swallowed the anger surging within him.“Let’s go then.”In the end, he conceded. It was not because of Jackie, but because of what Evan had said. He could not just let Ivanka return and find no one waiting for her.However, before leaving, Michael made arrangements. He instructed Evan to leave some men behind, ensuring that the moment Ivanka came back, he would know.He did not intend to withdraw the forces he had sent to rescue Ivanka either....Back in the country, Coco stood in the middle of the room and shouted arrogantly at the servants. “Go get Samuel! Tell him I have something to say!”She was making such a scene that the servants had no choice but to comply.After being informed of the situation, Samuel, upon hea
Coco simply smiled and stayed silent.Samuel had plenty of time to wait her out.Meanwhile, Jackie was also waiting for Michael. If he did not leave within the hour, Jackie would follow Vincenzo’s orders and put him on a plane back to Bostone.Time was running out. Just as Jackie was about to act, Michael’s phone rang. It was Samuel.Samuel had never sounded this anxious and serious before. “Michael, get back here now. Your grandmother collapsed. I took her to the hospital, but she still hadn’t woken up. Coco said that if she doesn’t see you in three days, your grandma will die.”Michael knew Coco was bad news, but he never expected her to strike at such a critical moment.Ivanka was still missing, but Rosie was his family. He could not abandon either of them.But at that moment, he had to choose Rosie.“Okay, I’ll come back now.”He immediately contacted Evan.Evan was his trusted aide. Naturally, he had to stay behind to follow up on any news regarding Ivanka.But Jackie w
Rosie liked Ivanka way more than Samuel. Besides, there was no conflict between the two of them, so why did Rosie’s attitude toward Ivanka suddenly become so frosty?But Rosie simply shot Samuel a cold glare. “Do I need any reason to start hating someone? Anyway, Coco isn’t too bad. I’m going to meet with her and talk to her about the wedding arrangement…”“Wedding arrangement? Who is getting married?”Samuel quickly cut her off. He was utterly flabbergasted and could not believe what he had just heard.Rosie glared at him again. “Coco and Michael are about the same age. Who else is she going to marry? Me? Of course she’s marrying Michael. He’s the only single one in our family.”As she said that, Rosie walked off and left him behind.She looked so determined. Recalling her tone earlier on, Samuel was increasingly certain that something must be very wrong with her.He glanced at the house staff and signaled them to follow Rosie. They immediately obliged.Then Samuel immediate
Before Michael even finished his sentence, Vincent cut him off angrily.He said to Michael with a fierce glare, “Get out of her sight. If I see you anywhere near her, you’ll suffer a fate worse than death!”With that, Vincent turned around and left. His subordinates surrounded Michael soon after.Jackie was leading those men.He was rather straightforward. “Listen, we tolerated you because of Ms. Ivanka. Now that she is in trouble, you’d better listen to my boss and leave within an hour. Don’t piss him off.”Certainly, Michael would not listen to him.But as he insisted on staying, he received a call from Rosie.From the moment he had noticed that something was off with Rosie to after he arrived in Mirvania, he had not received a single call from her. The person he had hired to watch over her had not sent him any messages either.This phone call immediately alarmed Michael.Once he answered, Rosie’s old, frail voice rang out in his ear, “When are you coming back, Mic? I have
Seeing that, Vincent immediately gave Njord and Stella an order without hesitation.“Find out where his hideout is. I want to make him die a terrible death!”His bellow of rage rang out.Njord and Stella noticed his grim expression and the fierce glint in his bloodshot eyes.They had been working for Vincent for many years, but neither had seen him so angry. He was even angrier than the time Stella defamed Ivanka!Naturally, Njord and Stella got to work right away.As for Michael, he could hear the commotion at the front door earlier on. After Vincent left and Evan returned to him, Michael asked before Evan even said anything, “What’s the matter?”Evan replied with a solemn expression, “It’s Vincent. He’s here for Ivanka.”Hearing that, Michael’s face instantly darkened.Ivanka had already left. If Vincent showed up to look for her at that hour, it must have meant that something was up with Ivanka!Michael immediately pulled the blanket off himself and tried to get out of bed
Mr. George intercepted Ivanka at the hotel entrance.He had brought some men with him. Ivanka narrowed her eyes.Before she said anything, Mr. George smiled and said, “Greetings, Ms. Lane.”“What’s the meaning of this, Mr. George?” Ivanka knew what he was clearly up to when he brought so many men with him to intercept her. But she was not afraid.Mr. George’s smile broadened. “You’re a smart girl. I just want to befriend you, and I need your help with something. Do you mind going to the Middle East with me?”He had a plastic grin on his face as he said that.It was very fake.Ivanka knew the underlying meaning of his “invitation”. If she refused, then this “invitation” would turn into kidnapping.He would order his men to take her to the Middle East by force.Clearly, Mr. George no longer had reservations about offending Vincent.Ivanka immediately chuckled. “Do you think I’m here on my own?”“I never assumed that,” Mr. George smiled as he replied slowly.He stepped forwa
As Michael asked this question, he looked over at Ivanka with his dark eyes.At that moment, he seemed very serious.The firm and determined look in his eyes seemed to imply that he would gladly die for her.Ivanka knew that Michael was in love with her. After all, they had been through so much together.But she still could not get over their unpleasant past.“If you’re actually looking forward to that, then I won’t do it. How about that?” Ivanka snapped and quickly averted her gaze from Michael. After she stopped paying attention to him, she worked a lot faster.Soon, Ivanka started giving Michael a massage and pressing on all the sore spots.Michael did not dare move.It was mostly because he did not want her efforts to be in vain.Seeing the serious look on her face, Michael pressed his lips together and said slowly after seconds of silence, “If you can vent your anger by chopping off my limbs, then why not? Besides, you won’t be held accountable for it.”If Ivanka ever wa
The man in front of Sandy sneered again and strode toward her. Other men followed him.When they all approached her at once, Sandy felt a sense of tension.After all, she was alone in the basement parking lot and facing a bunch of hostile men.“How dare you!”Sandy clenched her fist and shouted at them in a steely voice.“Do you know who I am? I’m Ivan York’s girlfriend—Ahh!”Before she even finished, someone knocked her out from the back with a bat.Then they put a gunny sack over her head and tossed her into a van.…In a hotel near Kingzillion Casino, Evan brought Ivanka some food and milk tea when he came back.Of course, he bought them because Michael had told him to.Michael thought that Ivanka would not throw these things into the trashcan right in front of him and Evan.But Ivanka glanced at the food and knew that it was Michael’s idea.As an assistant, Evan would not ask around to figure out what she liked.When Ivanka did not take the food and drink, Evan said t
Since Robin’s dad had chosen a criminal defense lawyer who would represent him for free, he would not agree to switch lawyers.It would be hard for Ivan to persuade him unless Sandy backed down willingly.But based on her current attitude, she was not going to do that.She was such a difficult woman!“You’re asking me to talk to his dad? You might as well tell me to keep persuading you. Given the situation, you know full well that the man can’t be convinced.”As he spoke, Ivan heaved a long sigh.Sandy ignored him.Soon, the car arrived at Ivan’s law firm.It was time for him to get out of the car, as he said he would.Sandy did not urge him to get out. She hoped that he would not go back on his own words.Ivan noticed that she did not intend to say anything. There was a cold look on her face.Eventually, he summoned up the courage to put his arm around her neck and pull her closer.“I love you, Sandy. I’ll love you till the end of time!”With that, he kissed her hard on t