“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 was surprised when she saw Michael following her.Why was this jerk here?While she was still in shock, Michael said to her in a cold voice, “Get in the car.”Since he had come all this way and offered a free ride, she knew she was not in a position to be picky.She and Nessa helped Martin into the backseat.Michael’s expression darkened.Just as she was about to get into the backseat, Michael said in an icy voice, “Come up front. I need to talk to you.”So, Ivanka sat in the passenger seat.Michael still looked displeased. “What are you going to do with them?”He had come all this way, so he must have figured everything out. Ivanka decided not to hide it. “I found them a place near the elementary school and got Nessa’s school stuff taken care of.”That was her plan. She and Michael would be able to handle all of this easily.Michael immediately called Evan.Evan could get it done in five minutes.Although she knew she was supposed to feel grateful for Michael’s hel
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p