Blake’s word made it clear that this had to involve the Hicks family. Keeping Blake under control would quickly reveal the truth.After ordering his men to take Blake away, Michael returned to the party. However, when he arrived, there was no sign of Ivanka or Chiara.His face darkened as he called Ivanka.Meanwhile, Ivanka was in the restroom with Chiara, having asked her to come along. She wanted to test just how far Chiara’s patience would go.As Michael’s call came through, Ivanka was touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.“This is so annoying!” she muttered and pulled her phone out of her bag.“Ms. Levine, let’s make this easier. I’ll call you Melanie from now on, and you can call me Iv. We’re friends now. All the formal ‘Ms. Levine’ and ‘Ms. Lane’ feels too distant.”When Chiara nodded, Ivanka continued. “Melanie, could you take this call for me? Just tell him I’m busy and can’t talk right now.” She handed the phone over to Chiara.Chiara glanced at the ca
Ivanka knew better than to fall into Chiara’s trap, especially when fully aware of her true identity. Yet here was her phone, in Chiara’s hands. That was a situation that defied logic.“Have her call me back herself.” Michael’s voice was firm and brooked no argument.That cold response stung Chiara. His disregard was clear. Michael had no interest in her involvement. He had no trust in her to relay anything. In fact, had he already begun to suspect her motives just from this call?“She’s here,” Chiara handed the phone back to Ivanka.Ivanka could tell the call had affected Chiara. She took the phone and smoothly asked Michael, “What do you want?”In less than a minute, the phone was back in Ivanka’s hands.Michael’s voice was steely as he asked, “What’s going on?”Ivanka replied calmly, “Nature called. I left my purse with Melanie in my rush. I’ll probably stay until the party ends. You should go home first.”She knew Chiara was likely watching her closely for any reaction.
Ivanka immediately retorted, “You should tell that to Chiara. If she wants to, maybe you two can get back together.”With that, she turned and walked ahead.Michael’s expression darkened instantly. That darn woman!Without hesitation, he caught up with her and said in a low voice, “I didn’t mean that. You know full well that she…”“She what? Remember how she ‘died’? Do I really need to remind you again?” Ivanka cut him off sharply before he could finish his sentence.Michael fell silent.Chiara’s ‘death’ shocked the entire Bostone and caused Ivanka to be blamed by the public. How could he not know that?After their trip to Mirvania and their close contact, he understood that there was more to the story.No matter what, he knew deep down that Ivanka and Chiara would never reconcile. He would never ask that of Ivanka.Michael pursed his lips, collected his thoughts, and spoke to Ivanka. “I didn’t say anything about her, but you know exactly what her intentions are.”Ivanka nodd
“Wait a minute.” Ivanka thought.Was she angry because Michael had been fixated on Chiara the entire time?Regardless of how he felt about Chiara, what did it have to do with Ivanka? Why would she be mad?When she realized this, Ivanka was shocked by her line of thought.For a moment, she felt awkward and despised herself too.As Michael said, Ivanka had indeed gotten jealous.Little did she know, Michael saw her slight frown when she was deep in thought. He did not believe her earlier words.“It’s actually not that hard to acknowledge how you really feel deep down, just like I have done, Ivanka.”Ivanka was speechless.Michael made her sound like a coward.She refused to accept that accusation!Displeased, she said, “What do you mean by that, Michael? If I were a coward, I wouldn’t have lost my sense of self and wasted three years of my life on you!“You were the one who tossed me the divorce papers, weren’t you? Unlike you, I’m a human being with feelings. We were married
Even if Michael was pretending, it would not have been this convincing.Ivanka checked his pulse and found it unstable.It was the symptom of poisoning!Luckily, her bag contained the medicine kit and emergency pills she had brought to the hospital earlier that day.Otherwise, she would not be able to save him within such a short period of time, considering that they were in an unfamiliar place without medicines.After feeding him the pill, Ivanka called Evan on the phone.It was nighttime.Evan became alert instinctively. “What’s the matter, Ms. Lane?”“Michael is showing symptoms of poisoning. We’re at the Levine family’s place. Come get us right now.”Initially, Ivanka planned to ask someone to help her carry Michael to her car. However, even though he had taken the pill, he should not be moved around, given his condition.He had to stay still for an hour, or else his breathing and blood flow would be disrupted, which would affect his bodily functions and lead to a massive
Ivanka could not send Michael back to the Barkworth family’s mansion or other places.But she could not bring him back home either, right?Ivanka thought of Evan’s place. “I can’t spend too much time around him, given the current nature of our relationship. Why don’t you bring him back to your place, Evan?“I still have some emergency pills with me. You still have the prescription I sent you a while ago, right? Given your efficiency, he will be fine if you prepare the medicines today, and then prepare them for consumption or medicinal baths tomorrow. “Huh?”Evan thought Ivanka would say she was taking Michael back to her house. Who would have thought Ivanka would rather go through so much trouble than just take him home?As it seemed, their relationship had once again become awkward and tense.However, earlier that day, they had attended the reunion banquet held by the Levine family together. In the eyes of the outsiders, they had practically remarried.Seeing Evan’s shock, Iv
However, the moment Ivanka said this, the businessmen immediately refuted her.One said, “How could it be the same, Mrs. Barkworth? Throughout history, men have been the ones taking the lead while women support their husbands. Although you’re the chairwoman of Lane’s Group, our collaboration won’t go smoothly if you’re the only person discussing the terms with us. If Mr. Barkworth is around, he can act as a bridge between us. Only then can all of us profit from this project.”“Mr. Gaudin is right. Besides, you’re probably unfamiliar with certain details, given that you’re new to this field. With Mr. Barkworth around, you’ll be more informed and assured.”“When will Mr. Barkworth recover from his hangover? If he is able to show up, then we don’t mind waiting till afternoon.”Even though all three of them said different things, they meant the same. They all wanted to wait till Michael showed up before discussing the project with Ivanka.Their speeches revealed their disdain for wome
“Are you a mind reader, Mr. Howard? You sound as if you can read my thoughts.”Everyone was startled and immediately looked toward the source of the voice.They saw Michael walking over in a black suit. He was tall and sturdy, and he had a domineering and menacing air about him.At that moment, he was shrouded in kingly grace as he towered over three businessmen.The second they saw him, they immediately quailed in fear.Mr. Howard explained in a panic, “Mr. Barkworth, I didn’t mean that. I…”The sharp look in Michael’s eyes terrified him, and he could barely utter a complete sentence.Ivanka did not want to fan the flames when Michael came.Even if he did not show up, these businessmen would not intimidate her. They did not sense anything wrong with Michael, but she could hear the tremble in his voice. He was still ill!She wondered what was with this man. He had suffered from symptoms of poisoning the night before. But instead of getting enough rest, he came all the way he
If this had been anyone else, Michael would not have tolerated such arrogance from Jackie. He would have already beaten him up and coldly told him to get lost.However, Jackie was Vincent’s man.And Vincent was Ivanka’s uncle. For that reason alone, Michael swallowed the anger surging within him.“Let’s go then.”In the end, he conceded. It was not because of Jackie, but because of what Evan had said. He could not just let Ivanka return and find no one waiting for her.However, before leaving, Michael made arrangements. He instructed Evan to leave some men behind, ensuring that the moment Ivanka came back, he would know.He did not intend to withdraw the forces he had sent to rescue Ivanka either....Back in the country, Coco stood in the middle of the room and shouted arrogantly at the servants. “Go get Samuel! Tell him I have something to say!”She was making such a scene that the servants had no choice but to comply.After being informed of the situation, Samuel, upon hea
Coco simply smiled and stayed silent.Samuel had plenty of time to wait her out.Meanwhile, Jackie was also waiting for Michael. If he did not leave within the hour, Jackie would follow Vincenzo’s orders and put him on a plane back to Bostone.Time was running out. Just as Jackie was about to act, Michael’s phone rang. It was Samuel.Samuel had never sounded this anxious and serious before. “Michael, get back here now. Your grandmother collapsed. I took her to the hospital, but she still hadn’t woken up. Coco said that if she doesn’t see you in three days, your grandma will die.”Michael knew Coco was bad news, but he never expected her to strike at such a critical moment.Ivanka was still missing, but Rosie was his family. He could not abandon either of them.But at that moment, he had to choose Rosie.“Okay, I’ll come back now.”He immediately contacted Evan.Evan was his trusted aide. Naturally, he had to stay behind to follow up on any news regarding Ivanka.But Jackie w
Rosie liked Ivanka way more than Samuel. Besides, there was no conflict between the two of them, so why did Rosie’s attitude toward Ivanka suddenly become so frosty?But Rosie simply shot Samuel a cold glare. “Do I need any reason to start hating someone? Anyway, Coco isn’t too bad. I’m going to meet with her and talk to her about the wedding arrangement…”“Wedding arrangement? Who is getting married?”Samuel quickly cut her off. He was utterly flabbergasted and could not believe what he had just heard.Rosie glared at him again. “Coco and Michael are about the same age. Who else is she going to marry? Me? Of course she’s marrying Michael. He’s the only single one in our family.”As she said that, Rosie walked off and left him behind.She looked so determined. Recalling her tone earlier on, Samuel was increasingly certain that something must be very wrong with her.He glanced at the house staff and signaled them to follow Rosie. They immediately obliged.Then Samuel immediate
Before Michael even finished his sentence, Vincent cut him off angrily.He said to Michael with a fierce glare, “Get out of her sight. If I see you anywhere near her, you’ll suffer a fate worse than death!”With that, Vincent turned around and left. His subordinates surrounded Michael soon after.Jackie was leading those men.He was rather straightforward. “Listen, we tolerated you because of Ms. Ivanka. Now that she is in trouble, you’d better listen to my boss and leave within an hour. Don’t piss him off.”Certainly, Michael would not listen to him.But as he insisted on staying, he received a call from Rosie.From the moment he had noticed that something was off with Rosie to after he arrived in Mirvania, he had not received a single call from her. The person he had hired to watch over her had not sent him any messages either.This phone call immediately alarmed Michael.Once he answered, Rosie’s old, frail voice rang out in his ear, “When are you coming back, Mic? I have
Seeing that, Vincent immediately gave Njord and Stella an order without hesitation.“Find out where his hideout is. I want to make him die a terrible death!”His bellow of rage rang out.Njord and Stella noticed his grim expression and the fierce glint in his bloodshot eyes.They had been working for Vincent for many years, but neither had seen him so angry. He was even angrier than the time Stella defamed Ivanka!Naturally, Njord and Stella got to work right away.As for Michael, he could hear the commotion at the front door earlier on. After Vincent left and Evan returned to him, Michael asked before Evan even said anything, “What’s the matter?”Evan replied with a solemn expression, “It’s Vincent. He’s here for Ivanka.”Hearing that, Michael’s face instantly darkened.Ivanka had already left. If Vincent showed up to look for her at that hour, it must have meant that something was up with Ivanka!Michael immediately pulled the blanket off himself and tried to get out of bed
Mr. George intercepted Ivanka at the hotel entrance.He had brought some men with him. Ivanka narrowed her eyes.Before she said anything, Mr. George smiled and said, “Greetings, Ms. Lane.”“What’s the meaning of this, Mr. George?” Ivanka knew what he was clearly up to when he brought so many men with him to intercept her. But she was not afraid.Mr. George’s smile broadened. “You’re a smart girl. I just want to befriend you, and I need your help with something. Do you mind going to the Middle East with me?”He had a plastic grin on his face as he said that.It was very fake.Ivanka knew the underlying meaning of his “invitation”. If she refused, then this “invitation” would turn into kidnapping.He would order his men to take her to the Middle East by force.Clearly, Mr. George no longer had reservations about offending Vincent.Ivanka immediately chuckled. “Do you think I’m here on my own?”“I never assumed that,” Mr. George smiled as he replied slowly.He stepped forwa
As Michael asked this question, he looked over at Ivanka with his dark eyes.At that moment, he seemed very serious.The firm and determined look in his eyes seemed to imply that he would gladly die for her.Ivanka knew that Michael was in love with her. After all, they had been through so much together.But she still could not get over their unpleasant past.“If you’re actually looking forward to that, then I won’t do it. How about that?” Ivanka snapped and quickly averted her gaze from Michael. After she stopped paying attention to him, she worked a lot faster.Soon, Ivanka started giving Michael a massage and pressing on all the sore spots.Michael did not dare move.It was mostly because he did not want her efforts to be in vain.Seeing the serious look on her face, Michael pressed his lips together and said slowly after seconds of silence, “If you can vent your anger by chopping off my limbs, then why not? Besides, you won’t be held accountable for it.”If Ivanka ever wa
The man in front of Sandy sneered again and strode toward her. Other men followed him.When they all approached her at once, Sandy felt a sense of tension.After all, she was alone in the basement parking lot and facing a bunch of hostile men.“How dare you!”Sandy clenched her fist and shouted at them in a steely voice.“Do you know who I am? I’m Ivan York’s girlfriend—Ahh!”Before she even finished, someone knocked her out from the back with a bat.Then they put a gunny sack over her head and tossed her into a van.…In a hotel near Kingzillion Casino, Evan brought Ivanka some food and milk tea when he came back.Of course, he bought them because Michael had told him to.Michael thought that Ivanka would not throw these things into the trashcan right in front of him and Evan.But Ivanka glanced at the food and knew that it was Michael’s idea.As an assistant, Evan would not ask around to figure out what she liked.When Ivanka did not take the food and drink, Evan said t
Since Robin’s dad had chosen a criminal defense lawyer who would represent him for free, he would not agree to switch lawyers.It would be hard for Ivan to persuade him unless Sandy backed down willingly.But based on her current attitude, she was not going to do that.She was such a difficult woman!“You’re asking me to talk to his dad? You might as well tell me to keep persuading you. Given the situation, you know full well that the man can’t be convinced.”As he spoke, Ivan heaved a long sigh.Sandy ignored him.Soon, the car arrived at Ivan’s law firm.It was time for him to get out of the car, as he said he would.Sandy did not urge him to get out. She hoped that he would not go back on his own words.Ivan noticed that she did not intend to say anything. There was a cold look on her face.Eventually, he summoned up the courage to put his arm around her neck and pull her closer.“I love you, Sandy. I’ll love you till the end of time!”With that, he kissed her hard on t