Ivanka was blunt.Meanwhile, Michael could only watch them from a distance downstairs.He noticed them locked in an unbroken gaze. Their lips were moving.It was clear they had been talking nonstop.A heavy feeling settled in his chest.He felt mixed emotions of curiosity and anger.What could they possibly be talking about that kept them engaged from the moment they met until now?He could not understand. How could Ivanka and Jonah possibly have so much to say to each other?Evan noticed Michael’s dark and silent expression.He could feel the heavy atmosphere and knew they could not remain in it forever.So, he hesitantly suggested, “Mr. Barkworth, how about I claim that someone in my family is sick and ask Ms. Ivanka to come check on them?”Evan’s thought process was simple. No matter what, he just needed to find a way to get Ivanka out of there.However, Michael’s response was cold. “How’s that any different from using Grandma as an excuse?”Evan quickly answered, “Of c
That was what mattered most.Jonah understood her stance. He chose to hold back the words he had been about to say.Instead, he said gently, “Our collaboration will be like last time. Iv, with the latest jewelry and fashion show, I believe it’ll help you make a strong comeback in the country, right?”A deep, unmistakable smile spread across his face as he said that.He trusted Ivanka.She would have forgotten entirely about their collaboration if Jonah had not brought it up.Jewelry and fashion were part of their joint project, which will be unveiled at the upcoming “Jewels & Glamour” competition. It included new releases by Lane’s Group and Sadler’s Group.Not only did she have to deal with the Keller father-daughter duo, but she had also promised Rosie to attend her cousin’s wedding, oversee the new product launch, and manage the Willy Suburbs project. On top of all that, she had to find out the truth about her birth mother!The thought of it all gave Ivanka a headache.Ev
However, to Evan’s surprise, Ivanka still put him on the back burner.Glancing in the rearview mirror at Michael’s gloomy face, Evan struggled to keep his composure. “Ms. Lane, this is a matter of life and death. I’m begging you, can’t you make it a priority?”He was giving it his all to help Michael and Ivanka reconcile.Ivanka pursed her lips together and said, “Even if I rush there right away, it won’t change much. Evan, Grandma is using the Ganoderma nebula. You should call Michael and ask him to set some aside for your grandfather.”While it was confirmed that using the entire Ganoderma nebula would yield better results, the fact remained that it could save two lives. Ivanka believed Michael wouldn’t be so stingy about something this serious.Evan did not know how to respond to that.He had planned to get Ivanka away from Jonah, but the situation had unexpectedly circled back to Michael.If he said no, it would look like he was being cold and indifferent to his own grandfat
She was not as bad as he once thought.Everything he had previously believed about her was a misunderstanding. She had so many sides to her. He had never taken the time to try to understand her.At that moment, a deep sense of unease settled over him.He understood why she and Jonah always seemed to have a lot to talk about. Regardless of the situation, Jonah always had his eyes fixed on Ivanka and spoke to her softly and with happiness. Right, what woman would not prefer someone warm and considerate over someone cold and distant?So, would Ivanka choose Jonah?An uncomfortable pressure began to build in Michael’s chest as a result of the thought. It felt like his chest was about to explode.Evan felt a growing sense of guilt as Michael’s expression became darker and more tense. “Mr. Barkworth, how about I go straight to Ms. Lane and apologize?”Ivanka may not be upset if he told her the truth, but it could also cause problems between her and Jonah. However, Michael
Not wanting Ivanka to be swayed by anything related to Michael, Jonah brought up another topic.“Why don’t you come by Sadler’s Group tomorrow to discuss about the Willy suburbs project? Also, about the collaboration we talked about last time, do you have the designs ready?”Ivanka had only completed the fashion designs for the “Spring Colors” collection, but she had not started on the jewelry yet. Still, creating the designs would not be difficult for her.Without hesitation, Ivanka said, “Since I’ll be at Sadler’s Group tomorrow to meet with you, I’ll bring the design drafts with me.”“Good.” Jonah was fine with that.In fact, he was already looking forward to it. He believed that work would naturally give them more opportunities to spend time together.Jonah raised his hand to call over the waiter. “Bring me the menu.”The waiter quickly returned with two menus.Jonah immediately handed one to Ivanka. He tenderly said, “Iv, take a look and see what you’d like to eat.”How
When Evan saw Ivanka’s number flashing on his phone, he became nervous.He even considered coming clean.Rosie frowned when Evan did not answer his phone. “Evan, what’s going on? Why aren’t you picking up?”Evan jolted and snapped back to reality. “Mdm. Barkworth, it’s... It’s Ms. Lane calling.”Evan had laid out his entire plan and thoughts to Rosie as soon as they returned to the mansion when she questioned him.Rosie gave him a sharp look when she heard that it was Ivanka calling. “So now you’re afraid to face her? You two really are good-for-nothing! Did you really think Ivanka wouldn’t see through your plans?”Rosie clutched her chest, as she was feeling a tight, painful pressure there.She had come up with a perfectly crafted plan to help them reconcile, and what had they done?One was incapable of taking action, while the other came up with useless, harebrained ideas. They were completely unreliable!Evan kept his head down. He was fully aware of how foolish his plan
Michael did not expect to see Jonah driving her over.They were too far away, and he could not hear their conversation.But Michael clearly noticed Ivanka staring at Jonah. Every expression she made when she looked at him was painfully striking.In the next second, Ivanka put her arm around Jonah’s.“Come in with me?” she asked.Jonah said with a smile, “Since I’m already here, of course I’ll keep playing along, won’t I?”Since Jonah had agreed to cooperate, Ivanka said nothing else.Together, they walked into the Barkworth family’s mansion.Michael subconsciously balled his right hand into a fist when he saw them together. Seeing Ivanka appear in the living room on Jonah’s arm, Evan was shocked.At the sight of them, Rosie’s face darkened. Unable to help herself, she rose from the couch abruptly.She could not believe what she was seeing. She had difficulty breathing, and her chest was aching!The pain reminded her that what she saw was real. It was not a trick of the lig
But what happened in the end?Rosie still refused to believe it. “Is it because you’re reluctant to attend my relative’s wedding with Michael on my behalf? That’s why you found a fake boyfriend, Iv?”Ivanka pursed her lips. She was indeed reluctant to attend that wedding.But Rosie had brought it up twice, and Ivanka wanted to cut ties with Michael. Therefore, she enlisted Jonah’s help to stop Rosie and Evan from setting her and Michael up again. She also hoped that Michael would get over her soon.Before she said anything, Jonah beat her to it.He said in a low but somber voice, “Ivanka and I are in a serious relationship, Mdm. Barkworth. You can’t accuse her of lying to you. Ever since she divorced Michael, she no longer has anything to do with him. She is free to do whatever she wants. She doesn’t have to find herself a fake boyfriend to trick you.”As he spoke, he grabbed Ivanka’s shoulder.At that moment, she sensed his powerful strength. She was thankful to him for playing
Just as he was about to say something else, a clear voice suddenly spoke.“I told them to play it. Is there a problem?”The crowd looked for the voice and saw Candice in a white dress. She looked serene and cool. It was a different kind of beauty.But this was not a wedding. It was obviously a funeral.Everyone looked at the heroine who was supposed to appear today. Shock crossed their eyes. It looked like the bride found out about their despicable deed. Immediately after, the bride said in a mocking voice once again, “Leonardo, how does it feel to lose your reputation? You experienced it before me. Do you like the wedding gift I gave you?”Candice looked at him. Her brow was calm and void of emotion.Leonardo was already extremely cranky. In a way, he was at the end of his rope. He looked at her incredulously. “What do you mean by that?!” Candice sneered. “I didn’t mean anything by that. Just letting everyone present witness and see clearly for themselves what mangy dogs d
At that moment, there was a crazy video rolling on the big screen. The video was unsightly. The man and woman on the bed were “wrestling” frantically with the woman’s coquettish voice calling out at the same time. Also, the facilities here were top notch and equipped with 3D surround sound. The guests had no idea what to do when they heard.Some of the sharp-eyed guests spotted the man and woman in the video in a single glance. “My goodness! Aren’t these two the groom, Leonardo, and the bride’s best friend Jennifer?!”The moment these words came out, it instantly set off an uproar!Jennifer was instantly dumbfounded when she saw the video! But the next moment she screamed in panic. “Turn it off! Turn it off! It’s not me at all!” It was just that, not only were her shouts futile, but she felt the contemptuous disdainful glances thrown at her from all sides!She could even feel like some of the men were undressing her with their eyes! She was screaming! “Turn it off! Turn
When she put on makeup, her features looked even more exquisite. She looked sharper. Michael’s gaze paused for a moment. Why had he not realized it in the past? Ivanka glanced at him and spoke directly. “I’m good to go. Let’s go there now?” “Yes.” Michael quickly collected his thoughts and rushed to the wedding venue with her. There were a lot of guests. Those who came were all the city’s upper-class people and everyone was open and relaxed. They were able to navigate their way in a situation like this and take the opportunity to meet more work partners.The groom also weaved in and out of the crowd. He was beaming and full of life.Jennifer was with him. The two of them were welcoming the guests together. Those who did not know any better might even think that the two of them were the new couple. Everyone arrived one after another. It was just that… Only the bride and Jarek were missing.The crowd could not help but be a little confused. Right among the murmuring
Of course, he was referring to Jarek, who was screaming on the ground. Ivanka and Michael’s eyes met across the distance. They exchanged a look with each other. In the end, they chose to stay out of it. What should have been done was done. No matter the outcome, it was Candice’s own choice. Michael took a step back and came to Ivanka’s side. “Thanks.” Candice stared at Ivanka and sincerely thanked her once again. She was not stupid, so naturally, she could see that her cousin greatly respected his wife’s opinion. On the other hand, Ivanka was highly self-sufficient.Not long after, the security guards came and took Jarek away. After Candice said goodbye to the two, she left in the opposite direction.Ivanka and Michael went back to their rooms together.On the way back, Ivanka’s brows remained furrowed, and Michael turned to look at her. “Still worried about her?”Ivanka’s eyes flashed, then she looked at Michael and said softly, “Do you think that she will be soft-h
Leonardo had always been a perfect boyfriend. He was so perfect and seemed to have been specially made for Candice. Candice used to find it suspicious. But she dared not probe further into her own suspicions. Since things had turned out like so, she had no choice but to confront it. Candice’s heart was filled with a slew of anxiousness and complications. Despite this, she held back her emotions. Without further hesitation, she lifted the blanket and got down from the bed. She walked to the room next door. Ivanka gave Michael a look so that he would bring Jarek along. Michael was amused. He believed Ivanka must have treated him as her bodyguard. She was the first woman who had dared to give him an order. Despite this, Michael did as he was told. After all, Ivanka was not supposed to get involved in all this in the first place. It was all about the Barkworth family’s business. When Michael confronted Jarek, Michael’s temper instantly turned foul. He glared at Jarek.
Bam! The room door was kicked open all of a sudden. Michael was the one who kicked the door open. The man in the formal suit had just taken off half of his pants when Michael entered the room. Michael exuded an air of standoffishness. The man looked dumbfounded. He did not know if he should put back on his pants or remove them. Ivanka was behind Michael. He did not let her enter the room. “On the count of three, put your pants on, or else—” Michael did not finish his sentence, but the man in the formal suit was so scared that his entire body trembled. The man knew that if he did not act as he was told, he would lose his d*ck. So the man quickly put his pants on comically. While Michael was entering the room, Ivanka followed him. She ignored the man in the formal suit and went to the bed where Candice was laying. They had made quite a commotion when they entered the room. Despite this, Candice laid motionlessly on the bed. Apparently, she had been drugged. It l
Jennifer took the man to Candice in the middle of the night. Things did not seem good. Ivanka knew something bad was going to befall Candice. She was about to follow them when someone behind her abruptly stopped her. Ivanka’s eyes flew wide open. Her scream got stuck in her throat. The man’s large hand had covered her mouth. At the same time, a familiar smell entered her nostrils, and she gave up trying to let go of herself from the man’s grasp. “Why are you giving up so easily?” As expected, Ivanka heard a familiar voice. She turned around and saw Michael’s playful smile. “I know it’s you, so there’s no need to keep trying to free myself,” answered Ivanka truthfully. “How did you know it’s me?” Her answer piqued his interest. Ivanka was about to explain when a thought struck her mind. After that, she kept quiet. “It’s a secret.” Before Michael could continue the topic, Ivanka decided to skip and end it by asking, “You saw everything. What do you think about it?”
The only problem was, the bridegroom never showed up even once. During the first rehearsal, Candice was the only one who finished the whole course. Ivanka was curious, but she did not give it a second thought. She assumed the bridegroom was absent because he was tied up with something else. That night, Ivanka finally saw the so-called bridegroom. But their encounter was not a happy one. At midnight Ivanka could not fall asleep, so she planned to go out to take a walk. The moment she stepped out of the door, she ran into a drunkard. The man was in a formal suit, but his tie was hung crookedly around his neck. He occasionally hiccoughed and looked sloppy. A woman helped him by the side. They were very close, and the way they interacted with each other was flirty. They talked to each other very intimately. Ivanka saw the duo enter the room next to her. She wondered why they would drink so much during somebody else’s wedding eve. Ivanka thought they were just the wedding gues
Fondli was a third-world country. Although it was less developed, it was clean and not heavily polluted. The moment Ivanka got off the plane, she keenly sensed this. “The air is very fresh. The environment is conducive for Grandma to recuperate over here. Unfortunately, her condition wouldn’t allow her body to be exposed to wind.” Michael did not expect Ivanka to care so much about Rosie. He gave her a profound look. It was rare to see him not snort at her. He wondered if he would have stood a better chance if he had used Rosie to make Ivanka spend the night in the Barkworth family’s mansion last night.But Michael was worried that Ivanka would be mad at this suggestion. Hence, he did not bring it up. Nonetheless, Rosie had specially given an account of what he needed to do during the Fondli trip, and Michael was full of confidence. Outside the airport, Michael’s cousin arranged for them a car. The wedding ceremony was located inside the bride’s mansion on the outskirts.