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
“Melanie, that’s very polite of you. It’s only normal for you to have something else to handle. We’re friends. Don’t regard yourself as a stranger,” said Ivanka generously. Chiara smiled. She did not believe that Ivanka was not at all interested in the project at Willy suburbs. Chiara took the initiative to invite Ivanka to join her. “Iv, my mom wants me to learn and follow up about the company affairs. But I really know nothing about them. My mom said if I can nail down the contract for the project at Willy suburbs, I can gain a foothold in Levine’s Group and have the rest accept me. I don’t trust others to help me with this. Can you help me?” While saying this, Chiara grabbed Ivanka’s hand and stared at her eagerly. There was a hint of pleading in her misty eyes. Ivanka disliked others touching her, much less Chiara. However, Ivanka had no choice but to put up with her because of her plan. Ivanka smiled and replied to Chiara, “I’ve long known about the project in Willy su
Just as he was about to say something else, a clear voice suddenly spoke.“I told them to play it. Is there a problem?”The crowd looked for the voice and saw Candice in a white dress. She looked serene and cool. It was a different kind of beauty.But this was not a wedding. It was obviously a funeral.Everyone looked at the heroine who was supposed to appear today. Shock crossed their eyes. It looked like the bride found out about their despicable deed. Immediately after, the bride said in a mocking voice once again, “Leonardo, how does it feel to lose your reputation? You experienced it before me. Do you like the wedding gift I gave you?”Candice looked at him. Her brow was calm and void of emotion.Leonardo was already extremely cranky. In a way, he was at the end of his rope. He looked at her incredulously. “What do you mean by that?!” Candice sneered. “I didn’t mean anything by that. Just letting everyone present witness and see clearly for themselves what mangy dogs d
At that moment, there was a crazy video rolling on the big screen. The video was unsightly. The man and woman on the bed were “wrestling” frantically with the woman’s coquettish voice calling out at the same time. Also, the facilities here were top notch and equipped with 3D surround sound. The guests had no idea what to do when they heard.Some of the sharp-eyed guests spotted the man and woman in the video in a single glance. “My goodness! Aren’t these two the groom, Leonardo, and the bride’s best friend Jennifer?!”The moment these words came out, it instantly set off an uproar!Jennifer was instantly dumbfounded when she saw the video! But the next moment she screamed in panic. “Turn it off! Turn it off! It’s not me at all!” It was just that, not only were her shouts futile, but she felt the contemptuous disdainful glances thrown at her from all sides!She could even feel like some of the men were undressing her with their eyes! She was screaming! “Turn it off! Turn
When she put on makeup, her features looked even more exquisite. She looked sharper. Michael’s gaze paused for a moment. Why had he not realized it in the past? Ivanka glanced at him and spoke directly. “I’m good to go. Let’s go there now?” “Yes.” Michael quickly collected his thoughts and rushed to the wedding venue with her. There were a lot of guests. Those who came were all the city’s upper-class people and everyone was open and relaxed. They were able to navigate their way in a situation like this and take the opportunity to meet more work partners.The groom also weaved in and out of the crowd. He was beaming and full of life.Jennifer was with him. The two of them were welcoming the guests together. Those who did not know any better might even think that the two of them were the new couple. Everyone arrived one after another. It was just that… Only the bride and Jarek were missing.The crowd could not help but be a little confused. Right among the murmuring
Of course, he was referring to Jarek, who was screaming on the ground. Ivanka and Michael’s eyes met across the distance. They exchanged a look with each other. In the end, they chose to stay out of it. What should have been done was done. No matter the outcome, it was Candice’s own choice. Michael took a step back and came to Ivanka’s side. “Thanks.” Candice stared at Ivanka and sincerely thanked her once again. She was not stupid, so naturally, she could see that her cousin greatly respected his wife’s opinion. On the other hand, Ivanka was highly self-sufficient.Not long after, the security guards came and took Jarek away. After Candice said goodbye to the two, she left in the opposite direction.Ivanka and Michael went back to their rooms together.On the way back, Ivanka’s brows remained furrowed, and Michael turned to look at her. “Still worried about her?”Ivanka’s eyes flashed, then she looked at Michael and said softly, “Do you think that she will be soft-h
Leonardo had always been a perfect boyfriend. He was so perfect and seemed to have been specially made for Candice. Candice used to find it suspicious. But she dared not probe further into her own suspicions. Since things had turned out like so, she had no choice but to confront it. Candice’s heart was filled with a slew of anxiousness and complications. Despite this, she held back her emotions. Without further hesitation, she lifted the blanket and got down from the bed. She walked to the room next door. Ivanka gave Michael a look so that he would bring Jarek along. Michael was amused. He believed Ivanka must have treated him as her bodyguard. She was the first woman who had dared to give him an order. Despite this, Michael did as he was told. After all, Ivanka was not supposed to get involved in all this in the first place. It was all about the Barkworth family’s business. When Michael confronted Jarek, Michael’s temper instantly turned foul. He glared at Jarek.
Bam! The room door was kicked open all of a sudden. Michael was the one who kicked the door open. The man in the formal suit had just taken off half of his pants when Michael entered the room. Michael exuded an air of standoffishness. The man looked dumbfounded. He did not know if he should put back on his pants or remove them. Ivanka was behind Michael. He did not let her enter the room. “On the count of three, put your pants on, or else—” Michael did not finish his sentence, but the man in the formal suit was so scared that his entire body trembled. The man knew that if he did not act as he was told, he would lose his d*ck. So the man quickly put his pants on comically. While Michael was entering the room, Ivanka followed him. She ignored the man in the formal suit and went to the bed where Candice was laying. They had made quite a commotion when they entered the room. Despite this, Candice laid motionlessly on the bed. Apparently, she had been drugged. It l
Jennifer took the man to Candice in the middle of the night. Things did not seem good. Ivanka knew something bad was going to befall Candice. She was about to follow them when someone behind her abruptly stopped her. Ivanka’s eyes flew wide open. Her scream got stuck in her throat. The man’s large hand had covered her mouth. At the same time, a familiar smell entered her nostrils, and she gave up trying to let go of herself from the man’s grasp. “Why are you giving up so easily?” As expected, Ivanka heard a familiar voice. She turned around and saw Michael’s playful smile. “I know it’s you, so there’s no need to keep trying to free myself,” answered Ivanka truthfully. “How did you know it’s me?” Her answer piqued his interest. Ivanka was about to explain when a thought struck her mind. After that, she kept quiet. “It’s a secret.” Before Michael could continue the topic, Ivanka decided to skip and end it by asking, “You saw everything. What do you think about it?”
The only problem was, the bridegroom never showed up even once. During the first rehearsal, Candice was the only one who finished the whole course. Ivanka was curious, but she did not give it a second thought. She assumed the bridegroom was absent because he was tied up with something else. That night, Ivanka finally saw the so-called bridegroom. But their encounter was not a happy one. At midnight Ivanka could not fall asleep, so she planned to go out to take a walk. The moment she stepped out of the door, she ran into a drunkard. The man was in a formal suit, but his tie was hung crookedly around his neck. He occasionally hiccoughed and looked sloppy. A woman helped him by the side. They were very close, and the way they interacted with each other was flirty. They talked to each other very intimately. Ivanka saw the duo enter the room next to her. She wondered why they would drink so much during somebody else’s wedding eve. Ivanka thought they were just the wedding gues
Fondli was a third-world country. Although it was less developed, it was clean and not heavily polluted. The moment Ivanka got off the plane, she keenly sensed this. “The air is very fresh. The environment is conducive for Grandma to recuperate over here. Unfortunately, her condition wouldn’t allow her body to be exposed to wind.” Michael did not expect Ivanka to care so much about Rosie. He gave her a profound look. It was rare to see him not snort at her. He wondered if he would have stood a better chance if he had used Rosie to make Ivanka spend the night in the Barkworth family’s mansion last night.But Michael was worried that Ivanka would be mad at this suggestion. Hence, he did not bring it up. Nonetheless, Rosie had specially given an account of what he needed to do during the Fondli trip, and Michael was full of confidence. Outside the airport, Michael’s cousin arranged for them a car. The wedding ceremony was located inside the bride’s mansion on the outskirts.