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
Hearing her arrangement, Michael knew that she was insistent.She really planned to keep him out of this.However, he could not let her go alone.He agreed to call Evan over, but he had another suggestion to make. “Let Evan go with you. I can take care of myself.”Ivanka was speechless.She shot Michael a glare. “You’re really gutsy. Aren’t you worried that the symptoms will come back? You may have endured the first time, but you might not make it through the second time!”Michael did not seem to care. “It has been a while since it happened today. I don’t think I’ll relapse.”“Don’t you get it? It doesn’t mean that it won’t happen again. The residue of the poison in your body…”Speaking of this, Ivanka thought of Tanya.If Tanya told them about the origin of the drug and Ivanka learned about its component, they could find an antidote in no time.With that in mind, Ivanka suggested to Michael. “I think you should reach out to Tanya.”Michael knew what she was up to. But whene
But Mr. Keller refused to listen. “Enough with that! Be honest with me. What are you up to?”Ivanka said, “If I were Theodore’s accomplice, do you think I’d get you medicine? Wouldn’t I want you dead as soon as possible?“We have the same goal. We both want Theodore dead. I’m the person who will help you achieve that. But first, you must recover and get better.”Ivanka pursed her lips as she spoke with an emotionless expression.However, when she mentioned Theodore, the hatred in her eyes was intense.If Lyla had not taken the fall for him, Theodore would have been in prison rather than still working as the general manager at Lane’s Group.But Ivanka had been investigating him. There was no way she would let him remain a free man.Nessa and Mr. Keller would be her breakthrough.Mr. Keller noticed the emotion in her eyes, as well as the physical similarities between her and Theodore.He was puzzled and alert. “What is your relationship with Theodore?”Ivanka’s expression was c
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t