Rosie cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. “That makes sense. But it’s just too outlandish…”Grandma believed in the existence of God. That was why Ivanka dared use this method to deceive her. If anyone else had heard it, they would think that she was saying something irresponsible. “Grandma, the world is big and filled with amazing things. You have to believe Pastor Paul!” “Pastor Paul is indeed a great pastor. Let’s go and meet him tomorrow and see if he’s free.”Ivanka smiled and nodded. “So… Grandma, today’s your birthday, and Michael is still waiting for you outside. Don’t you want to see through your party to the end? There are many guests outside, too.”She felt more relaxed now. She was overjoyed because her plan had succeeded. “It worked! Grandma is letting go of her burden soon.” She thought. “Okay, let’s go.” Now, Rosie’s mood had clearly improved. She instantly felt like seeing her grandson. With that, Ivanka supported Rosie as they went out together. The guests
Rosie was touched. “Honey…”She thought Samuel had forgotten how they felt toward each other in the past. Samuel sighed. “Come. Give my cake a taste and let me know if it still tastes the same.”Ivanka smiled as she watched Samuel hold Rosie’s hand as they walked to the table.She looked around and noticed Catherine had stayed. Now, she no longer looked as prideful as before. She then shifted her gaze to Sandy. She was enjoying the drinks and food with her friends. Everyone was enjoying the party. However, Michael suddenly looked at Ivanka. “Come with me.”He headed out right after he said this. Ivanka frowned. Although she was reluctant, she knew she had to follow him to talk to him about what happened earlier to prevent Rosie from finding out what she did.Some people who saw that the divorced couple went out together again became suspicious. Michael did not turn to see whether Ivanka came, because he heard her coming after him. He only stopped and turned to look a
She continued to struggle as she spoke, but there was a huge gap in their strength. Ivanka was furious. “Let go of me!”Michael’s expression turned extremely dour. Every word from Ivanka was filled with great scorn that stabbed his heart!“Ivanka Lane! I know the kind of schemes you’re cooking! I’m giving you a chance. We can be remarried, but after that, don’t you ever play tricks and get close to Jonah Sadler again!”Ivanka was baffled and slightly stunned. She stared at the man in bewilderment, but he instantly frowned. So, was she trying to attract his attention? Did her expression imply that she never expected him to give in so quickly?Michael suddenly felt extremely irritated.Just then, Ivanka raised her leg abruptly and stepped on his foot without mercy!She was wearing stiletto heels, and she even used all her strength. Michael grunted and immediately stepped back. Ivanka’s hesitation instantly disappeared, and she took the opportunity to swiftly get out of his gra
After Ivan was finally done laughing, he said, “You have no idea what I just saw!”Xander raised his eyebrows without a word. He was clearly waiting for Ivan to speak.Ivan moved close to Xander and whispered, “I saw a pit on the surface of Michael’s shoe, which means someone stepped on it! Besides, there’s a scratch mark. I can tell that it was a very strong step! Michael’s expression was extremely dark, so he must have been humiliated!”Surprise flashed in Xander’s eyes. Ivanka was probably Michael’s soft spot.She was his downfall, and she was also the one who had angered him.Ivan was extremely amused. “It’s my first time seeing him look like that. But when I went out, I didn’t see that woman.”That woman naturally referred to Ivanka.Xander looked up and saw Michael walking in.He was alone, and Ivanka had yet to return.After Michael sat down, Ivanka still did not show up. He instantly frowned. What was she playing at again?Rosie had finished half of her plate, and she
Right now, she was supporting herself on a tree with one hand and raising her bare foot in the air.She was trying to figure out how to walk back.Michael saw this when he retraced his steps. When he saw her conflicted and troubled expression, surprise filled his gaze.During their three-year marriage, all he had ever seen was gentleness and decency. One could also describe her as virtuous and tender. She really used to be a typical good wife.He never saw such an emotion on her face. It was like a combination of a sneer, sarcasm, contempt, and struggle.At this time, Ivanka seemed very animated.When Ivanka sensed someone staring at her from the side, she subconsciously looked up with anticipation. She just needed to ask them to call Sandy.However, she did not expect to see Michael. On top of that, he was looking at her like he was staring at a clown.Her face instantly soured.When it rained, it poured. Why did she always have to encounter this demon?Michael was amused by
When Michael noticed that Ivanka was still trying to resist, he yelled angrily, “Grandma told me that if I didn’t bring you back, she wouldn’t celebrate her birthday. So, be good, Ivanka Lane!”Ivanka immediately quietened down.She knew that her grandmother intended to match them together, so it was not surprising for her grandmother to say something like that.Besides, how could Michael possibly lie? If their grandmother never forced him, would he lower his status and look for her?While she remained silent, Michael suddenly carried her.Ivanka never made a sound when she nearly fell earlier, but she could not help but scream at this moment.“Michael Barkworth!”She subconsciously held the man’s neck, but she instantly let go of him in a panic. “You… Put me down, now. You just need to help support me.”“Do you think I want to carry you?” Michael’s eyes were full of impatience.Although he said that, he still held the woman in his arms tightly. She would not fall even if she
Mindy was shocked, and she could no longer keep up the pretense!Jay looked over, and his eyes were filled with delight.Meanwhile, Samuel’s expression switched between conflicted and unhappy.As everyone stared, Michael carried Ivanka to her seat before he put her down.Unexpectedly, he felt a sense of loss when he stood back up.Ivanka could not bear to face anyone at this moment. Her face turned completely red, and she lowered her head. Along the way, people had cast questioning gazes at Michael and her. She felt really ashamed and infuriated!Michael looked down and glanced at her. Faint satisfaction flashed in his eyes, which was rare.Then, he went back to his seat and sat down after he gave Harvey some instructions.Mindy appeared a little displeased. “Ms. Lane, can’t you even walk now?”Ivanka’s expression changed slightly, and she pursed her lips without answering. However, Jay gave Mindy a cold glance. “Can’t you see that Ivanka’s heel is broken?” Rosie did not not
Ivanka’s hand froze as she took the shoe box. Michael naturally looked in her direction as well, and he looked even gloomier than he did earlier.Rosie quickly said, “Silly girl, hurry up and change your shoes! Otherwise, how are you going to walk? Michael, carry Ivanka to the resting lounge so that she can change her shoes.”Michael did not respond.As he sat still, Ivanka hurriedly said, “No need. I’ll get my friends to take me there.”While she spoke, she waved at Sandy.Sandy was looking in her direction, so she quickly patted Anna when she saw the signal. The two of them got up and walked over.Ivanka finally sighed in relief.Michael took his fork and kept quiet.Rosie instantly felt disappointed as she glanced at Michael. Since things had come to this, it would be inappropriate for her to say anything else.After Sandy and Anna helped Ivanka up, they slowly walked toward the resting lounge. The moment they entered the lounge, Sandy could not hold back anymore. She was
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