Ivanka’s tone remained calm, but the cold smile on her lips grew. “I don’t eat from your family’s table, and I never spent a single penny of the Fishbourne family’s money. So, whether I’m arrogant or not, what does that have to do with you?”“You…”Laura could not find a word to retort. Ivanka had obviously hit a nerve.However, in the next second, Laura found new words to throw back at her.She smirked and said, “You’re right, you don’t eat from my family’s table, and nothing about you concerns me. But let me tell you this, you’ll never marry Jonah. The Sadler family will never accept you, so you might as well give up now! Ivanka, if I were you, I wouldn’t even have the nerve to be seen with someone who’s never been married before. You’re still tangled up with your ex-husband after the divorce! I can’t tell if you’re just desperate or if something’s wrong with you.”Laura looked down on Ivanka.Ivanka understood perfectly well what Laura was saying, but why should she endure an
Ivanka had not even considered Michael showing up, so why should she worry about informing him of every little thing?There was no need for a call.As Laura had pointed out, they were divorced. What was the point of lingering ties?Michael pursed his lips and remained silent.Just as he was about to say something, Ivanka cut him off. “Michael, we’re not kids anymore. We have no reason to keep each other informed. We won’t get lost. The point is, we need to start living our new lives now. I would still like to thank you for today.”When she had been struggling to hold it together during Jonah’s surgery and nearly collapsed, Michael was there for her. She was fully aware of that and would not be ungrateful by dismissing him.Hearing Ivanka’s words, Michael pursed his lips. After a moment of silence, he finally said, “If I can still be of some help to you, why not let me stay by your side? Even if it’s just to support you…”Michael had lowered his pride. He was willing to offer him
Mr. George chuckled softly and denied her accusation. “Provoking you? Not at all. I was just playing a little joke on you. After all, we’ve crossed paths a few times now, Ms. Lane. No need to take it so seriously.”Ivanka, however, did not see it as a joke. She frowned and asked, “Was the car accident your doing?”Mr. George’s tone immediately grew tense. “Ms. Lane, you’re the prized guest of the Kingzillion Casino owner, and you’re still on Michael’s turf. How could I possibly have the guts to challenge those two heavyweights?”He threw the question right back at Ivanka. He made his point clear without directly answering.It was not him.Ivanka began to ponder who could be behind it. If it was not Mr. George, could it be Tanya and Eleanor?Those two were definitely suspects.Ivanka quickly pushed her thoughts aside and said calmly, “Good for you. Whether you’re joking or not, my advice for you is to know when to stop.”Her last sentence was a clear warning to Mr. George.
If Michael or Ivanka found out about what they were planning, Tanya would be completely useless as a pawn.Chiara did not want that to happen, so she called Tanya to warn her.Tanya chuckled. “A dead person is nothing to be afraid of.”Chiara thought Tanya was getting a little too cocky. Her voice turned icy. “Don’t forget that Ivanka and Michael aren’t dead yet. Don’t celebrate too soon.”If they were not dead, they could not be counted as such.Tanya’s demeanor was just as cold, but her dark eyes blazed with fury.“Ivanka will die. Just wait and see.”If Jonah died, the Sadler family would never spare her!Chiara was not pleased with Tanya’s attitude. Her face darkened. A cold, frost-like expression settled in.“Ivanka’s death won’t do you any good right now. Michael is already looking into the car accident. Even I could figure out it was you. Do you really think Michael and Ivanka won’t be able to?” Chiara laid the facts bare.Tanya knew Michael was investigating the a
Unfortunately, Tanya was unreliable. Ivanka had too many people helping her.Chiara knew she could not refuse her boss’s orders.She quickly called her father. “Dad, you need to wrap things up at Lane’s Group before anything happens to Ivanka.”If her backer made a move, there would not be any room for them to maneuver.However, Theodore’s response was cold and indifferent.“Why the rush? Isn’t Ivanka’s death exactly what we want? Once she’s dead, won’t it solve all our problems?”Chiara found herself momentarily at a loss for words.What Theodore said next even cut straight through Chiara’s heart like a blade.“I seriously don’t know what’s wrong with you. Do you even use your brain? You couldn’t figure this out on your own, and you had the nerve to call me about it? Thank God you’re a girl, because if you were a boy, you’d have given me a heart attack!”Chiara was silent. She felt a lump form in her throat. She could not breathe. The sting of his words left her reeling.She
Junie was frightened. Her eyes flew wide open as she stared in confusion at Theodore, who suddenly seemed like a completely different person. In an instant, her dark eyes welled up with tears.Seeing her daughter like this, Melody quickly pulled Junie into her arms and gently patted her back. “It’s okay, Junie. Don’t cry. Don’t be scared. Daddy’s on the phone. Let’s not bother him. Let’s go over there.”Melody led Junie away.Theodore pursed his lips. He knew Chiara had heard everything. He wanted to say something, but any words he could muster felt hollow at that point.Chiara broke the silence first. “People always think they can keep secrets, but the truth comes out eventually. Do you really think you can hide them forever? I just feel sorry for my mom. She took the fall for you and is now suffering in prison, and now look at you. You’ve got a whole new family and a child this grown. This is pathetic.”Chiara had known about Melody and Junie for a while. If Junie had not
Besides, even if Ivanka had enough evidence to reverse the judgment, the judiciary would not allow it.To them, it would mean that she was questioning their competency.Ivanka brought the online comments and the photos along when she visited Lyla in the prison.The moment Lyla saw Ivanka, her expression changed. There was a cold, vicious look in her dark eyes.Even so, Lyla no longer appeared as arrogant and overbearing as she used to be.As a woman herself, Ivanka merely thought that Lyla was pathetic.She dug out the photos and the online comments and showed them to Lyla. “Was your sacrifice worth it?”Lyla saw them.She had no knowledge of Theodore’s affair in the past. She had always assumed that they loved each other dearly. Otherwise, she would not have taken the fall for her husband and daughter in order to save her family.However, the truth was out, and the proof was right before her eyes.She felt as if her heart was broken into pieces!But she could not let Ivanka
Just as Lyla was about to say something, Ivanka beat her to it. “Chiara is busy preparing for her comeback with a new identity, so she has no time for you. Once you present the evidence, you’ll be out of the prison. You can even seize the opportunity to divorce Theodore and get half of his assets. But if you choose to trust him…”Ivanka deliberately said this in a drawl. In the next second, she smiled and continued, “He is heartless enough to murder his own brother. If my prediction comes true, do you think Theodore will show you mercy?”Chiara had no time for Lyla, while Theodore wanted to take back what he thought he owned and craved a son.Lyla pondered carefully and realized that Ivanka was right. If Lyla did not recant her confession and turn against Theodore, she would lose everything in the end.However, Ivanka could tell that she was hesitant and immediately said, “You don’t have to make up your mind right away. Once you have thought this through, you can ask the warden to
Ivanka frowned deeply. Michael was in a horrible state. He had been poisoned and suffered gunshots. He had a strong tolerance to medicine and pain. But it was his mental condition that caused him to fall into this state. Not being fully recovered also added to the burden. Ivanka gave him a white pill which she had formulated by herself. After that, she had the security guard carry Michael into her car. Then, she sent him to the hospital. They arrived at the emergency department. Xavier had finished attending to his patients. When he walked out of his office, he saw Michael being carried into the hospital. He then saw Ivanka beside Michael. Xavier frowned. His expression became tense, and he asked solemnly, “What’s happened to him?” “He’s weak and had previously been poisoned. Since you’re around, you can look after him.” Ivanka summarized Michael’s condition. After hearing Ivanka’s brief explanation, Xavier gave Michael a checklist and put him on a drip. After that,
Since Jonah had come to this and Ivanka was not an ungrateful person, she nodded and gave her word. “Jonah, I’ll give this my all. Don’t worry. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll help you.” Jonah had to be bound to the wheelchair at the moment. Since Ivanka had shared a similar experience when she took over Lane’s Group back then, she naturally figured out how wolfish and greedy his adversaries would be. Jonah was injured because of her. She swore to give her all to save him from whatever crisis he was facing. Jonah took advantage of this and asked, “What time are you coming tomorrow? I’ll have my assistant get ready.” Ivanka thought for a moment. “Tomorrow afternoon.” She needed to manage her company affairs during the first half of the day. Jonah was content upon hearing her answer. “Good. I’ll wait for you tomorrow.” “Okay.” Ivanka nodded before hanging up. When she returned to her office, she did not expect to see Michael sitting on the couch. She nearly jum
There was only one possibility. Ivanka was calling somebody else. Michael wondered who could strike up such a long conversation with her. Sandy and Ivan had returned to the country. Ivanka’s besties were around her. Even if Ivanka deliberately approached Chiara, she could not possibly have so much to chat with Chiara. If Ivanka’s phone call was business related, there was no need to chat this long. Michael eliminated the possible reasons one by one. In the end, he thought of Jonah. Michael’s expression instantly turned as dark as thunderclouds. His gaze was dull and cold. Evan noticed it. He also saw the call record on Michael’s phone. Evan quickly persuaded Michael, “Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane could be tied up with her work, so she couldn’t answer your call. We could go to her workplace now.” Michael said nothing. He gave a cold glance at Evan. Evan got a shock. The next second, Michael turned around and left his office. Looking at Michael’s fading silhouette, Evan wi
It was why Ivanka still came for Jonah in spite of her unpleasant experience with Margaret in the hospital last time. Jonah had been injured because of Ivanka. She came for him only. The other people did not matter to her. Jonah’s heart sank upon hearing her words. His expression tensed up. He could imagine the indifferent look on Ivanka’s face right at that moment. She had that expression on her face simply because he was never really important to her. Jonah was upset precisely because of her indifference to him. He wanted to say something to her but did not know how to begin. He was also not in the position to say that. It did not take long before Ivanka’s gentle but rather indifferent voice rang in his ears, “Jonah, don’t worry. I’ll treat your legs until they recover. Don’t run into any conflicts with your mom because of me.” Her words pulled Jonah’s wandering mind back into the present moment. He felt a heavy weight on his heart. “Iv, I trust you. You don’t need to
Margaret became frustrated and grabbed Ivanka. She could not understand why Ivanka was fine while Jonah ended up in such a bad situation after the accident.Then, Jonah defended Ivanka. There was also all the talk about Ivanka’s treatment. Margaret was curious to see what kind of miracle medicine Ivanka could develop.In the end, Ivanka’s treatment did not work. Moreover, her relationship with Jonah, which had finally started to improve, was once again ruined because of Ivanka.Jonah scoffed. “Mom, I’m not an eight-year-old anymore. You’re saying all this because you want me to go along with your plans for an arranged date, right?”Margaret had not expected Jonah to guess her thoughts. She was about to insist on her point when Jonah spoke first. With a mocking smile, he said sarcastically, “Do you think anyone would date someone like me?”He had a point. But Laura might be one such person.However, Margaret did not like her. She would do anything to keep Laura from becoming her d
“That’s because you want him to fall in love with you!” Margaret snapped.Ivanka chuckled softly. Her tone was edged with sarcasm. “Love? Does it really matter that much?”Margaret felt humiliated and furious. She pointed a finger at Ivanka’s face with a hostile expression. “If it doesn’t matter, why are you doing all this? Stop pretending, Ivanka!”Ivanka let out a bitter laugh. “Pretending? What am I pretending for? Is being divorced a crime? Margaret, you’re a woman too. How would you feel if someone accused you like this?”She hoped Margaret would take a moment to reflect. After all, she was Jonah’s mother, and Ivanka did not want their conflict to escalate.But Margaret was unmoved. Her glare turned colder, sharper, and filled with hatred.“You think I’ll just let this go?” Margaret said sharply. “If it weren’t for you, Jonah wouldn’t be in this mess! I meant every word I said, and nothing will change that.”To her, Ivanka was nothing more than someone scheming to use Jonah
“Ivanka,” Margaret took a deep breath while trying to compose herself. When she looked at Ivanka again, her expression was calm. She said, “I don’t know how deep Jonah’s feelings for you run. What I fear most is that once he becomes fixated on you, that’s it. When he falls for someone, his heart won’t make room for anyone else. In that way, he’s just like his father.”Ivanka’s gaze wavered. She bit her lip and was unsure of what to say.“I beg you, don’t hurt Jonah anymore!” Margaret’s voice carried a note of desperation.Ivanka’s expression turned extremely complicated.There was a time when Jonah came to her only to use her. Back then, they were both using each other. It made things simple.But later, Jonah unexpectedly started talking about marriage. Perhaps it was to provoke Michael, or perhaps he simply wanted to keep her close because she was useful to him.At some point, though, it seemed Jonah had become serious about her. She could not pinpoint when it happened. Perhaps
Jonah frowned in clear disagreement, but he stayed silent. Ivanka’s confident smile reassured him and made him trust her.Eventually, he let go of her wrist.Ivanka noticed Margaret putting on her shoes. She quickly followed, stepping outside just as Margaret was about to get into her car“Margaret,” she called out.Margaret frowned slightly and stood still.Since Jonah had not come out with Ivanka, she decided she could spare a moment to speak with her.She turned and looked at Ivanka coldly.Ivanka softened her tone. “Let’s take a walk.”Margaret did not respond, but her silence was enough of an agreement.They walked slowly around the edge of the mansion. The surrounding area was all part of the Sadler family estate.Margaret suppressed her anger and glanced at Ivanka before speaking in a composed tone, “Alright. What do you want to say?”Ivanka met her gaze briefly before looking ahead and said, “Do you know what will happen if Jonah’s coughing continues?”Margaret’s he
Margaret glared at Ivanka and scoffed, “If there’s an issue, I’ll get another doctor to handle it. It’ll be anyone but you, Ivanka. Haven’t I made myself clear enough? I’ve told you this before.”She hated how Ivanka ignored her warnings and kept coming back to visit Jonah time and again. What if Jonah got too close to her and ended up ruining his reputation? If Jonah had not been here, Margaret would have been even harsher.Ivanka frowned as she met Margaret’s sharp gaze. “I’ve never tried to get close to Jonah like that. We’re just friends. I know I’m not good enough for him, so I’ve never even thought about it.”“You might not have, but he has!” Margaret snapped, raising her voice.“Mom!” Jonah’s expression darkened.Jonah was usually calm and polite. This was the first time Ivanka saw him looking so upset and was about to lose his temper.Ivanka’s eyes flickered with hesitation. She was unsure of what to say.Explaining Jonah’s coughing would do no good. Margaret would not