But Ivanka stared at him calmly and said nothing.Even though Michael still remembered Evan’s advice, he had no idea how to proceed. If he talked about his condition, would it sound too fake to Ivanka?If he did not bring it up, then how did he tell her what he was here for?Just as he hesitated, Ivanka said slowly, “Anything else, Mr. Barkworth?”“Yes!”Her question undoubtedly gave Michael an excuse to keep talking. He then said, “When I woke up, I had difficulty breathing. Now I feel as if there’s something weighing down on my chest.”“Is that right?” Ivanka did not buy it.Michael nodded and looked at Ivanka calmly. “Yeah. If you don’t believe me, you can examine me.”He had lied to her before, so he might be lying to her again. Ivanka would not let him trick her the second time.Besides, Michael was not unconscious at this moment.Ivanka sneered. “When you were condemning those men, your voice was firm and steady. You don’t seem unwell at all, Mr. Barkworth. You should s
Michael remained confident and self-assured. “I can offer you plenty when it comes to partnerships.”Ivanka did not miss a beat and shot back sarcastically, “Why not go ahead and say if I remarried you, my status would shoot up? I’d have a secure spot in Lane’s Group, and no one in Bostone would dare disrespect me.”Michael nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”Ivanka was taken aback. She had not realized Michael could be so shameless.She rolled her eyes. “That’s just your idea, not mine. I’m genuinely busy and don’t have time for pointless conversations. If you’re feeling uncomfortable or unwell, go home and ask Evan to help you or something.”With that, she turned to her computer and ignored him.Michael scoffed at the idea of Evan helping him. “What can Evan even do? Everything he knows, he learned from you. You’re here now, so why would I go to him?“Besides, Evan and I are two grown men. If we’re alone together, others might—”“What about it? You’re here in a room alone wit
Sandy shot Ivan a cold look, as if telling him to shut up.She made her stance clear and decided on Ivanka’s behalf. “Look, Iv isn’t going back to her past. She’s not about to make a dumb mistake. Mr. Barkworth, we’re adults. Can we stop acting like kids playing pretend?”Michael, as usual, was frigid and not one to take criticism well.Ivanka tried to tug at Sandy, signaling for her to stop, but it was no use.Michael’s expression turned dark and sour, but Sandy did not care.After saying her piece, Sandy seemed satisfied. She grabbed Ivanka’s hand and said, “Iv, let’s go. If they want to stay, that’s their problem.”With that, Sandy took Ivanka’s hand and walked out, leaving Michael and Ivan in the chairman’s office.Michael turned to Ivan with an icy glare.Ivan raised his hands helplessly. “Hey, I didn’t know you were here. I tried my best to make her stay, but she just wasn’t buying it. If you want to get back together with Ivanka, you’re going to have to get past Sandy fi
Advice?Ivanka was amused by Chiara’s request. “I just finished working. If you want to meet, I’ll send you my location in a bit. I’m with a friend right now.”“Sure.”Chiara quickly agreed. She did not bother to ask who Ivanka was with. She did not seem bothered by the fact that Ivanka was with someone else. Clearly, something urgent was on her mind.Ivanka felt intrigued, but she did not let it show. “I’ll hang up now. I’ll send it to you once I’ve got the location.”“Okay, bye!” Chiara responded briefly before hanging up.Sandy could not help but ask, “Who were you talking to? Who’s coming over?”Since she was nearby, Sandy had overheard parts of the conversation. It did not sound like anyone they both knew. She was curious about the new person Ivanka was with.Ivanka had originally planned to tell Sandy that Melanie was actually Chiara, but she hesitated. Sandy had a fiery temper, and if she found out, she might go after Chiara. That could make Chiara suspicious, and the si
Sandy felt a surge of anger just thinking about the harsh comments online about Ivanka.How could people say such awful things about a girl when they did not even know the whole story?Ivanka initially only knew that she and Michael were mistakenly thought to be getting back together. Later, when she saw people accusing her of dating both Michael and Jonah, her mood sank.But with Jonah injured, she could not even find the energy to be upset.Eventually, the comments died down. She figured either the Sadler family had handled it, or Michael did.Ivanka brushed it off with a smile. “People can say whatever they want. Jonah may or may not be trustworthy, but right now, we’re working together. He risked his life for me. Michael did too. From now on, they’re just business partners and friends.”As long as she did not have feelings for them, it wouldn’t lead anywhere.Sandy shook her head and sighed. “Sure, you might see them as friends, but do they feel the same? Figure that out!”
Ivanka, Sandy, and Melanie browsed the menu and ordered their food while continuing to put on a polite facade.Ivanka had not expected Chiara to refill her glass of mango juice after finishing each one.Sure, Chiara’s looks, voice, and even food preferences could change, but an allergy was something that could not be altered.Chiara was really going for it. She downed several glasses of mango juice without leaving the table once. Ivanka knew she should not keep staring at her, or she would look too suspicious.Chiara took another sip before turning to Ivanka. She sighed and asked, “Iv, when you were the Lane family’s eldest daughter, how did you handle all the banquets and events? Didn’t you ever get anxious?”She added in frustration, “And those contracts with all their legal terms? I just couldn’t wrap my head around them. How did you ever get through that?”Ivanka chuckled. “Honestly, being the eldest daughter of the Lane family sounds more glamorous than it really is. My uncl
Chiara nodded apologetically at Ivanka and Sandy before getting up to answer the phone and walking away.She did not take anything with her except for her phone. She even left the project bid proposal on the table.It seemed like Chiara had no idea Jonah was planning to give her the Westvale project. Was she purposely leaving it out and hoping Ivanka would tamper with it?If Ivanka wanted the project, she would get it the right way. She would not get it by doing anything shady.As soon as Chiara left, Sandy could not help but voice her uneasiness about Melanie. “Iv, why does Melanie give me such a weird vibe? Everything about her feels fake. Her voice changes all the time. Sometimes, she even sounds like a doll! And her face just makes me uncomfortable. I have no idea why, but even though it’s our first time meeting, something feels off! I think I’m losing it, seriously!”She just could not understand why Melanie seemed so fake!If there was nothing wrong, why would she feel like
Sandy grinned smugly. “Chiara cares most about her image. So, let’s make sure she loses it. Imagine how funny it would be if she made a fool of herself in front of everyone!”Ivanka snapped her fingers in agreement. She had the same idea.Meanwhile, Chiara used her phone call as an excuse to take an allergy pill.During her “death,” she had been trained by Katiana to change many of her habits. But one thing that had not changed was her mango allergy.To be cautious, she always carried allergy pills. Such was the perfect time to use them. Ivanka had ordered mango juice, but it did not seem intentional.Chiara had altered her habits and appearance. She had not crossed paths with Ivanka in a way that could give away her identity. There was no way Ivanka would recognize her.Still, she stayed cautious. While talking on the phone, she said, “You don’t have to call every time. Just text me if something comes up. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”Hearing her tone, Theodore frowne
Instead, she remained standing in front of Jimothy and studied the group of men with a smile.“He works at our company. Since I’ve run into him, I’m obligated to come over and check on him. Pray tell, what has happened between you and why do you feel the need to resolve it with violence?”Jimothy stared at Candice while she stood with her back facing him. The look in his eyes was conflicted.The men exchanged glances with each other and saw a hint of astonishment in one another’s eyes.The man at the front of the group, who was likely their leader, said, “We just get paid to do this, lady. You should stay out of it.”When Candice heard his advice which also sounded like a threat, she did not intend to back down at all. Instead, she asked him, “Oh? How much did you get for this? I’ll pay you double. I just told you that this guy works for us, so I have to intervene.”The leader started laughing, and so did the men behind him. They did not even bother to hide the mockery in their t
Candice ordered some food she liked, and the dishes arrived soon after.Sandy suggested that they all took a picture together.The others did not object.Sandy gave her phone to the waiter.Then the five of them moved their chairs to sit in a row.Michael and Ivan each took the outermost seats.Naturally, Ivanka was seated next to Michael while Sandy, who paid for the dinner, was right beside her.Next to Sandy was Candice, who sat awkwardly in her chair. Ivan was beside Candice.The second the waiter took the picture, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances inadvertently. Meanwhile, Ivan stared past Candice, and his eyes fell on Sandy.Sandy and Candice were the only people who looked into the camera.But each and every one of them had a genuine smile on their face.Once they had taken a picture, they started eating together.It was a nice, relaxing dinner. They did not talk about work or how annoying Coco had been.They mostly chatted about the fun anecdotes they had he
The call was soon answered, but the person who picked up was not Rosie. It was Mrs. Ruth.“Ms. Lane, you finally called! Mdm. Barkworth will be over the moon when she wakes up!” Mrs. Ruth sounded quite excited as she spoke.Ivanka smiled and asked, “Is Grandma resting now?”“Yeah, she hasn’t had a good rest after learning that you’d be kidnapped. Once you were safe, she finally allowed herself to rest.”Ivanka nodded and told Mrs. Ruth to take good care of Rosie. She later said that she and Micheal would visit Rosie soon.With that, she hung up the phone.Meanwhile, she also reflected upon herself.Rosie had gotten old, yet Ivanka always made her worry. From that moment on, Ivanka would consider the consequences before making any decision. It was not only for the sake of herself, but the important people in her life, who also cared about her.As she contemplated this, Ivanka inevitably thought of the gathering. It would be quite fun.Before they were about to get off work, San
Coco practically ran out crying.Candice glanced at Ivanka worriedly and asked, “Will something bad happen to her?”Ivanka was not concerned at all. “What could possibly happen? She is an adult. Even if something bad happens, she has to bear the consequences of her own action.”Hearing that, Candice no longer fretted over the matter.She was not really worried about Coco. She was just afraid that something would happen to Coco, and Ivanka would be blamed for it.But Ivanka had made a good point. Candice did not want to trouble herself with Coco’s matters. It would only be an unnecessary emotional burden to her.Everyone in the office began discussing the progress of their project.Perhaps it was because Ivanka had made an example of Coco, the other employees became especially energized and diligent during their discussion.They were even more focused than before, since they were all afraid that Ivanka would treat them harshly as well.Hence, they were particularly efficient.
“Why don’t we leave now so that you can deal with this matter, Ms. Ivanka?”The director of the project department, who was perceptive and shrewd, planned to leave right then. Ivanka shook her head and signaled everyone to sit down.They were all uneasy, and they kept giving Coco weird looks.Two people had dared speak to Ivanka like that in the past—Ferris and Mandy.But those two were no longer with the company.At the thought of those people, the project department staff began looking at Coco with pity.However, Coco could not care less. All she wanted was to make a fuss.She wanted to see how shameless Ivanka could be.Unruffled, Ivanka stared at her. She did not get angry and seemed rather affable as she asked, “Tell me what upset you. Have we falsely accused you of something you didn’t do?”Before Coco said anything, Ivanka added cruelly, “Oh, I forgot that you aren’t familiar with the protocol here, so you have no idea what you did wrong, right?”Coco paled. Undoubte
Candice was momentarily stunned by his answer. She was a little offended.“Then why did you come to my office for this conversation?” Jimothy’s grin was mischievous. “To prove your company’s HR is blind, and you just lost a great talent. That’s all.”With that, Jimothy stood up, dusted off his sleeves dramatically, and turned to leave.“Your resume!” Candice called after him.Jimothy waved dismissively without looking back. “Keep it. Enjoy reading it. And don’t let an incompetent HR handle your interviews again.”Candice stood there for a moment and processed the scene before an involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. This one had personality.Regardless, the incident served as a wake-up call for Candice.It became glaringly clear that Coco was not only incompetent but also prone to overestimating her abilities.Before the task was assigned, she had the chance to decline. Candice had given her the opportunity and explicitly asked if she could handle it. Yet, Coco confidentl
The college student finally believed her and walked toward Candice.On the other hand, Coco seemed guilty and was desperate to prevent it. “He has no respect for our company! Are you really going to hire someone like him who won’t follow orders?” Coco’s tone was sharp. Her finger trembled as she pointed at the young man.She scanned the room for backup in hopes that the people who had been flattering her earlier would speak up in her defense.Unfortunately, no one stepped forward.Those who flattered Coco only did so out of respect for Ivanka. Yet Candice had a close relationship with Ivanka and was the company’s vice president.The gap between a vice president versus an intern was as vast as night and day.Anyone with common sense knew where to align themselves.Coco felt a mix of despair and resentment.Candice ignored her entirely. Why Ivanka was so wary of someone as clueless as this was beyond her comprehension.Coco was simply dumb.Without wasting another thought o
However, reality proved she had worried for nothing.Candice had called her over merely to ask if she had the most basic professional knowledge and whether she could handle the afternoon’s interview.Coco let out a deep sigh of relief before patting her chest confidently and assuring Candice she was more than capable.Knowing Coco came from the mountains, Candice was naturally skeptical, so she asked again, “Are you sure?”Coco thought to herself that it was just an interview. All she needed to do was just ask the candidates some questions. They could just choose someone who wrote the resume well.Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Michael’s cousin, Coco pretended to be confident and accepted the task.Candice was half-doubtful, yet she still gave her instructions and let her go.However, Coco’s firm assurance eventually led to trouble....“Your company must be a joke to hire someone like you for HR. You’re offended? You’re not even a real professional. What? You ca
Word quickly spread within the HR department. After learning about Coco’s connection to Ivanka, some colleagues were vying to curry favor with her.Although some observant individuals noticed that the relationship between Coco and Ivanka was not as harmonious as it seemed, it did not deter the opportunists. Relentless flattery and attention poured in.One moment, a male coworker would offer to grab her food while placing his own lunch order. Next, a female coworker would ask if she wanted to order some coffee too.At first, Coco was caught off guard and politely declined. However, as she realized their intentions were purely self-serving, she began to accept their gestures without hesitation.By midday, Coco had become the department’s little queen. Ironically, as an intern, she should have been the one fetching coffee, running errands and collecting mail. Instead, she had colleagues practically lining up to do those tasks for her.Coco quickly assembled her own little e