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
Even if Martin were to end up dying, she could still frame Theodore and send him straight to prison if she wanted to.So, there was no reason to make things too complicated.Thinking of this, Michael decided to speak up.However, Evan was very perceptive. He quickly said, “Let me handle it. Ms. Ivanka, you must be exhausted from running around!”“Oh, okay. You can take care of it, then.” Ivanka trusted Evan a lot.Evan took the form from her and said, “Sure thing.”Ivanka turned to Martin and asked, “Is there anything else you guys need?”Martin held Nessa, who looked surprised and bewildered.“Iv, are we really going to live here?”Martin was also in disbelief. He had not expected Ivanka to follow through and arrange such a nice place for them.Ivanka smiled and replied, “Of course! Since you met me, when have I ever lied to you?”Martin repeatedly thanked Ivanka. “Thank you! Thank you! Don’t worry; I’ll make sure to do as you say.”With that, Ivanka and Michael settled Ma
Ivanka hoped that by offering her understanding and support, Martin would be motivated to help her with Theodore’s situation. She wanted him to provide her with a significant breakthrough.However, if Ivanka took Martin and Nessa shopping in the mall, outsiders may see them as a family of three.Even though Michael knew this was not true, he did not want anyone to misunderstand.So, he pulled Ivanka closer and said, “Just let Evan handle those things. He can order everything based on their sizes and have it delivered. They have their matters to deal with, and we have ours.”Ivanka frowned at Michael’s words. She did not respond. Her confused expression spoke volumes. She was not entirely on board with his suggestion.She wondered what tasks Michael had that required her to drop her own. He had not informed her beforehand, which left Ivanka feeling dissatisfied.However, she did not want to display any negative emotions in front of others.Evan quickly took Martin and Nessa away
Michael felt uncomfortable all over when he thought back to how intimate Martin was with Ivanka.However, Ivanka was extremely dissatisfied with Michael’s words and actions. She shot him a glare.“When did I act excessively with them? You say I’m overdoing it. Michael, don’t you think you’re the one being excessive?”Why did he think he could restrict her life in every way? He acted like some kind of high-and-mighty king.Michael denied her judgment. “No, I’m not.”“That’s your opinion. Isn’t everything supposed to be based on how I see it?”The two of them began to argue.Michael disagreed. “Sure, but I don’t see it that way. You shouldn’t deny everything because of a small issue. Don’t you think that’s unfair to me?”Ivanka was in disbelief. She did not expect Michael to bring up fairness.But since he already mentioned it, she did not mind being straightforward. She smiled and said, “You think I’m being unfair to you now? When have you ever been fair to me?”He was the one
At the same time, Michael was dissatisfied with Martin. He felt that Martin was being overly demanding.Martin felt uncomfortable after being scolded by Michael. He appeared visibly distressed.However, he did not look at Michael. Instead, he continued to gaze at Ivanka with aggrieved eyes.Even though Michael spoke before Ivanka, she knew his refusal was well intended.She was helping the Kellen family take down Theodore. For that, they both needed to be healthy enough to stand trial. Only then could they effectively testify against Theodore.She had not considered adoption yet.“You don’t need to worry about any of that. As I said, just focus on getting better. I’ll take care of everything for Nessa. If you’re really worried, once this is all over, I’ll give you some money and help you find a good job.”She was confident in her ability to cure Martin’s illness. In that case, Martin could manage to raise a child on his own. She would not need to adopt Nessa or overly assist the
Theodore knew that Ivanka had found Martin and Nessa. The next step would definitely be to lure him into a trap.Seeing that Ivanka had taken the conversation this far, Martin felt he could not say anything more. He knew it was time to stop pushing his luck. He worried that saying too much would upset her and make her withdraw her support.Once everything was settled, Ivanka and Michael left together.Ivanka pursed her lips and said, “I need to head back to the hotel near the market to grab my stuff. Let’s just split up here since we’ll be heading in different directions.”Michael raised an eyebrow. “Different directions? Aren’t we both staying at the same hotel?”Ivanka was speechless for a moment.“I’m just going back to get my things. You don’t have anything there. Once I have my stuff, I’ll go straight back.”He responded, “Yeah, that won’t work.”Her expression darkened upon hearing his cold response.“And why is that?” she asked. She was clearly unhappy.“Grandma wants
Instead, she remained standing in front of Jimothy and studied the group of men with a smile.“He works at our company. Since I’ve run into him, I’m obligated to come over and check on him. Pray tell, what has happened between you and why do you feel the need to resolve it with violence?”Jimothy stared at Candice while she stood with her back facing him. The look in his eyes was conflicted.The men exchanged glances with each other and saw a hint of astonishment in one another’s eyes.The man at the front of the group, who was likely their leader, said, “We just get paid to do this, lady. You should stay out of it.”When Candice heard his advice which also sounded like a threat, she did not intend to back down at all. Instead, she asked him, “Oh? How much did you get for this? I’ll pay you double. I just told you that this guy works for us, so I have to intervene.”The leader started laughing, and so did the men behind him. They did not even bother to hide the mockery in their t
Candice ordered some food she liked, and the dishes arrived soon after.Sandy suggested that they all took a picture together.The others did not object.Sandy gave her phone to the waiter.Then the five of them moved their chairs to sit in a row.Michael and Ivan each took the outermost seats.Naturally, Ivanka was seated next to Michael while Sandy, who paid for the dinner, was right beside her.Next to Sandy was Candice, who sat awkwardly in her chair. Ivan was beside Candice.The second the waiter took the picture, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances inadvertently. Meanwhile, Ivan stared past Candice, and his eyes fell on Sandy.Sandy and Candice were the only people who looked into the camera.But each and every one of them had a genuine smile on their face.Once they had taken a picture, they started eating together.It was a nice, relaxing dinner. They did not talk about work or how annoying Coco had been.They mostly chatted about the fun anecdotes they had he
The call was soon answered, but the person who picked up was not Rosie. It was Mrs. Ruth.“Ms. Lane, you finally called! Mdm. Barkworth will be over the moon when she wakes up!” Mrs. Ruth sounded quite excited as she spoke.Ivanka smiled and asked, “Is Grandma resting now?”“Yeah, she hasn’t had a good rest after learning that you’d be kidnapped. Once you were safe, she finally allowed herself to rest.”Ivanka nodded and told Mrs. Ruth to take good care of Rosie. She later said that she and Micheal would visit Rosie soon.With that, she hung up the phone.Meanwhile, she also reflected upon herself.Rosie had gotten old, yet Ivanka always made her worry. From that moment on, Ivanka would consider the consequences before making any decision. It was not only for the sake of herself, but the important people in her life, who also cared about her.As she contemplated this, Ivanka inevitably thought of the gathering. It would be quite fun.Before they were about to get off work, San
Coco practically ran out crying.Candice glanced at Ivanka worriedly and asked, “Will something bad happen to her?”Ivanka was not concerned at all. “What could possibly happen? She is an adult. Even if something bad happens, she has to bear the consequences of her own action.”Hearing that, Candice no longer fretted over the matter.She was not really worried about Coco. She was just afraid that something would happen to Coco, and Ivanka would be blamed for it.But Ivanka had made a good point. Candice did not want to trouble herself with Coco’s matters. It would only be an unnecessary emotional burden to her.Everyone in the office began discussing the progress of their project.Perhaps it was because Ivanka had made an example of Coco, the other employees became especially energized and diligent during their discussion.They were even more focused than before, since they were all afraid that Ivanka would treat them harshly as well.Hence, they were particularly efficient.
“Why don’t we leave now so that you can deal with this matter, Ms. Ivanka?”The director of the project department, who was perceptive and shrewd, planned to leave right then. Ivanka shook her head and signaled everyone to sit down.They were all uneasy, and they kept giving Coco weird looks.Two people had dared speak to Ivanka like that in the past—Ferris and Mandy.But those two were no longer with the company.At the thought of those people, the project department staff began looking at Coco with pity.However, Coco could not care less. All she wanted was to make a fuss.She wanted to see how shameless Ivanka could be.Unruffled, Ivanka stared at her. She did not get angry and seemed rather affable as she asked, “Tell me what upset you. Have we falsely accused you of something you didn’t do?”Before Coco said anything, Ivanka added cruelly, “Oh, I forgot that you aren’t familiar with the protocol here, so you have no idea what you did wrong, right?”Coco paled. Undoubte
Candice was momentarily stunned by his answer. She was a little offended.“Then why did you come to my office for this conversation?” Jimothy’s grin was mischievous. “To prove your company’s HR is blind, and you just lost a great talent. That’s all.”With that, Jimothy stood up, dusted off his sleeves dramatically, and turned to leave.“Your resume!” Candice called after him.Jimothy waved dismissively without looking back. “Keep it. Enjoy reading it. And don’t let an incompetent HR handle your interviews again.”Candice stood there for a moment and processed the scene before an involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. This one had personality.Regardless, the incident served as a wake-up call for Candice.It became glaringly clear that Coco was not only incompetent but also prone to overestimating her abilities.Before the task was assigned, she had the chance to decline. Candice had given her the opportunity and explicitly asked if she could handle it. Yet, Coco confidentl
The college student finally believed her and walked toward Candice.On the other hand, Coco seemed guilty and was desperate to prevent it. “He has no respect for our company! Are you really going to hire someone like him who won’t follow orders?” Coco’s tone was sharp. Her finger trembled as she pointed at the young man.She scanned the room for backup in hopes that the people who had been flattering her earlier would speak up in her defense.Unfortunately, no one stepped forward.Those who flattered Coco only did so out of respect for Ivanka. Yet Candice had a close relationship with Ivanka and was the company’s vice president.The gap between a vice president versus an intern was as vast as night and day.Anyone with common sense knew where to align themselves.Coco felt a mix of despair and resentment.Candice ignored her entirely. Why Ivanka was so wary of someone as clueless as this was beyond her comprehension.Coco was simply dumb.Without wasting another thought o
However, reality proved she had worried for nothing.Candice had called her over merely to ask if she had the most basic professional knowledge and whether she could handle the afternoon’s interview.Coco let out a deep sigh of relief before patting her chest confidently and assuring Candice she was more than capable.Knowing Coco came from the mountains, Candice was naturally skeptical, so she asked again, “Are you sure?”Coco thought to herself that it was just an interview. All she needed to do was just ask the candidates some questions. They could just choose someone who wrote the resume well.Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Michael’s cousin, Coco pretended to be confident and accepted the task.Candice was half-doubtful, yet she still gave her instructions and let her go.However, Coco’s firm assurance eventually led to trouble....“Your company must be a joke to hire someone like you for HR. You’re offended? You’re not even a real professional. What? You ca
Word quickly spread within the HR department. After learning about Coco’s connection to Ivanka, some colleagues were vying to curry favor with her.Although some observant individuals noticed that the relationship between Coco and Ivanka was not as harmonious as it seemed, it did not deter the opportunists. Relentless flattery and attention poured in.One moment, a male coworker would offer to grab her food while placing his own lunch order. Next, a female coworker would ask if she wanted to order some coffee too.At first, Coco was caught off guard and politely declined. However, as she realized their intentions were purely self-serving, she began to accept their gestures without hesitation.By midday, Coco had become the department’s little queen. Ironically, as an intern, she should have been the one fetching coffee, running errands and collecting mail. Instead, she had colleagues practically lining up to do those tasks for her.Coco quickly assembled her own little e