Michael did not stop following Ivanka. Instead, he calmly asked, “Why would that be a problem? Didn’t you just speak up for me earlier?”Just because she helped him out did not mean she could order him around.She shook her head. “Keep your distance. Jonah’s condition is serious. I don’t need you messing things up.”If this had happened earlier, Michael would have felt upset, thinking she was too worried about Jonah. But after what just happened, he understood where she was coming from and did not mind.He even assured her, “Relax. I’ll stay close by. If you need me, just let me know. If not, I’ll just stand back.”Since he was so persistent, Ivanka said nothing more.However, before Michael could enter the ward, Margaret, who had followed them, called out, “Ivanka is going in to treat my son. Mr. Barkworth, what exactly are you going in for?”Michael could compromise with Ivanka, but he was always the proud and aloof Mr. Barkworth in front of others.He glanced at her with a c
Ivanka felt guilty. “You can’t say that. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt this badly. Sure, your legs were saved, but they will take a long time to heal.“Jonah, do you trust me?”He had the right to know about his injuries. His legs were saved, but she was unsure if there would be any long-term issues.No matter what, she was determined not to let the worst happen to Jonah, even if it meant using everything she knew.Jonah froze when he heard her words. He was not a fool. He knew what she meant.Even though he had prepared himself for the worst, the idea of being crippled was worse than death. He would rather it be over quickly.He smiled bitterly and said resolutely, “Iv, of course I trust you. But if it gets really bad, please... just end it for me.”Hearing that, Ivanka felt a pang in her chest.The fact that Jonah woke up the day after such a serious accident and was already talking clearly showed he was in better shape than most.However, she could not f
Michael felt a surge of anger. If Ivanka felt burdened by Jonah risking his life to save her, what about the time he took two bullets for her in Kingzillion Casino in Mirvania?That was a life-threatening situation as well. Did it really matter that Jonah almost became crippled? Did Margaret’s accusations mean Ivanka had to show him more favoritism?The more Michael thought about it, the more frustrated he became.Especially when he noticed Jonah looking at her with concern and affection. It made Michael want to storm in and kick Jonah right then and there!Meanwhile, Jonah felt heartbroken for Ivanka. He empathized with her sorrow but also felt attracted to her. He tried to suppress his feelings, but her guilt and sadness made it hard.“Iv, it really doesn’t matter. I chose to do this. But if you feel sorry for me, would you do something for me if I asked?”He pursed his lips while his other hand pressed against his palm.He gulped and felt nervous at that moment.Ivanka remai
Ivanka frowned. “Why are you following me?”Michael smiled and said, “Aren’t we going to the Levine family reunion party? We should be trying on outfits together by now.”Ivanka looked at him, confused. Just a moment ago, he had been intensely questioning her. Suddenly, he was casually talking about trying on clothes together.“Michael, did the bullet hit your brain or something?”He was acting strange!Michael noticed the look on her face and seemed to understand what she was thinking.He smiled and responded, “No, it didn’t.”“Then why are you—?”Before she could finish, Michael cut her off. “The most important thing is that Jonah’s situation didn’t affect you.”Ivanka understood then and made her stance clear. “I won’t let anyone guilt-trip me into anything. I’m not going to be with you either. You and Jonah saved my life, and I’m grateful for that. So, I’ll help both of you however I can.”But she would not engage with them in any way beyond helping them as a friend.Mic
Laura was shocked to see Jonah behave like that. Feeling wronged, she looked down. “I saw you meet with an accident from the live broadcast, so I immediately came to look after you. Jonah, don’t stare at me like this. I’m scared. I don’t mean anything else.” Upon hearing that, Jonah frowned deeper. His expression turned absolutely dark. He wondered if Laura had claimed herself as his fiancee in front of Ivanka. If that was the case, it meant that Margaret already recognized Laura as her daughter-in-law. With those thoughts in his mind, Jonah could no longer contain himself and yelled at Laura, “Get out now! I don’t want to see you ever again!” Jonah pointed at the door angrily. This was Margaret and Laura’s first time seeing him lose his composure. Although Margaret disliked Laura, she was even angrier that Jonah cared so much for Ivanka. Before she said anything, Laura sobbed. “Jonah, why are you yelling at me? You hated to see me, but I love you with all my heart. Iva
Jonah remained silent. He understood what Margaret had told him. But he could not bear to give up on Ivanka and kept a distance from her. What was wrong with dating a divorced woman? After all, he loved Ivanka, not her past. Besides, time would tell what sort of person she was. Even though Ivanka still had some feelings for Michael, they were divorced. As long as Jonah worked harder, he believed he still stood a chance of winning her heart. ... Meanwhile, Ivanka and Michael had already arrived at their destination. At the sight of the wide variety of haute couture, Ivanka was too lazy to pick them. “Give me something simple. I don’t want a superfluous gown. My makeup can be as simple as it can be.” Before the retailer said anything, Ivanka heard a female voice. “Show me the gowns on this side. I want designer gowns.” Upon hearing her calm tone with a tinge of aloofness, Ivanka found the female voice to be very familiar. The moment she turned around, she saw Tany
While saying this, Michael pulled Ivanka backward. Ivanka did not behave indifferently toward Michael in front of Tanya and Blake. Upon hearing Michael’s words, Tanya’s heart skipped a beat. She stared at Michael incredulously. She had no choice but to bring Edward’s name up. “Mr. Barkworth, you’ve locked me up once. We’re in Bostone now. Even if you refuse to show me some respect, you can at least show my father some respect. He’s been admitted to the hospital. Are you going to quit doing this only if he dies right in your face?” Tanya stared at Michael with indignation. She used to fall head over heels in love with him. But since the incident, she stood no chance. Nonetheless, Michael was undaunted. He scorned, “What does your family’s life and death have anything to do with me? It’s all because you asked for it.” Right after he blurted out the words, Tanya fell speechless. Meanwhile, Blake narrowed his eyes. He slowly walked forward and stopped in front of Tanya.
Blake grabbed Tanya’s hand and returned to the outlet. But Tanya refused to follow him. She interrupted him impatiently, “Blake, stop being a clown! You know what sort of person Michael was. Ivanka is not someone to mess around too. If she was able to obtain all the surveillance cameras inside Kingzillion Casino and help from its owner, she’s certainly not an ordinary woman.” Ivanka was indeed not an ordinary woman. This was especially so when Michael sided with her. Both of them made a strong team. Blake did not continue. In Mirvania, he was the one who gave his orders to others to act for him. He had returned to Bostone with Tanya to help her. He could not bear to see her suffer. Besides, he also wanted to avenge what Michael had done to him. Blake could not put up with the way Michael had treated them. Since Tanya had left, Blake had no choice but to go after her. After pausing for a moment, a hint of malice darted across Blake’s eyes, and he said, “They came to the
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t