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
Michael was speechless.Ivanka heard what was said when she walked over. She coughed gently before she sat down in silence.However, Rosie chuckled and said, “Michael, I’m giving you a mission. Don’t be so stiff around each other after the divorce. Listen, Ivanka is my granddaughter, and I’m going to pamper her with all my heart! So, you have to treat her better! You need to choose a few dozen pieces of clothing for her and have them customized and delivered to her!”Michael instantly frowned. “Grandma.”His voice seemed to be filled with helplessness.Mindy’s expression darkened, but before she could speak, Ivanka immediately said, “Grandma, I have enough clothes. You don’t have to do this.”Rosie looked at Ivanka gently. “My good girl, I know that you have enough clothes, but yours will be different from the ones that he buys!”After Rosie said that, she gave Michael another stern look. “I don’t care! You have to choose fifty sets of this season’s clothing and be serious about
It was only after all the guests had left that Ivanka looked at Rosie. “Grandma, I’m leaving.”Rosie was reluctant to let her go, but she nodded helplessly. “Okay, good bye.”“Okay, I’ll come over and pick you up tomorrow.” Ivanka smiled faintly when she saw the reluctance in her grandmother’s eyes.Rosie smiled and nodded. When she saw Michael standing still at the side, she really felt like kicking him!“Why don’t you send Ivanka back? Do you want a girl like her to leave alone?”Michael became aggravated. “Grandma!”Ivanka’s expression changed as well, and she quickly said, “No, Grandma. My friends are waiting for me outside. I’ll go back with them.”“Friends?” Rosie was doubtful.“Yes, they’re Sandy and Anna. Grandma, I’m leaving,” Ivanka immediately said.She did not wait for Rosie’s reply any longer. Remembering that her shoes were from Michael, she stopped walking for a while, but she quickly resumed her steps.Her previous high heels broke because of him, so it was on
Ivanka chuckled helplessly. “I probably didn’t think it through at that time. I just wanted Grandma to get her mind off of it as soon as possible.”Soon, the songs that Sandy selected started playing. She walked to the couch and sat down before she distributed the beer that Hanson had opened. “Come on, let’s drink! We’re not leaving without getting drunk! Our success today has been great! We’re celebrating for Ivanka!”“Cheers!”They were in high spirits. However, after drinking for a while, Hanson could not help but look at Ivanka and softly ask, “Ivanka, what happened to your shoes today?”Ivanka was stunned. She hesitated for a moment and gently said, “I used too much force in my step, and that caused the heel to break. I didn’t have my phone with me at the time, so I couldn’t contact you. Grandma noticed that I had been gone for a long time, so she forced Michael to go and look for me. It then led to the situation that happened later.”Ivanka was still wearing the crystal high
Lyla took a deep breath. “Mrs. Barkworth called me just now. She said that Rosie is fine. She even mentioned that she would send someone to check on you and that she doesn’t mind it.”Chiara gritted her teeth. “So what if she doesn’t mind? Everyone thinks that I’m a hypocrite and that I faked my relationship with Ivanka. She reminded me kindly, but I was ungrateful. I even tried to outshine her. How can I clarify all of this?”The good image that she had maintained for many years had gone down the drain! She had been exposed!“Michael didn’t defend me at all today. He just looked on with a cold gaze. He doesn’t like me, so how can I shamelessly approach him again? If this happens, what will the people in our circle say about me next?”Lyla immediately spoke in a deep voice, “The Lane family has a high status, and nobody really dares to insult you. Chiara, no matter what happens to your image, you have to try and marry Michael. We’re business people, and we gather for profit. Regard
Ivanka glanced at him. She did not say anything and walked ahead on her own.Everyone else had already landed except for two people, Ferris and Mandy.Central Island was massive. Ivanka had just chartered the whole island up.When they landed, it was 6 p.m. Ivanka brought everyone to the dining area after they had fun for a while until 6:30 p.m.The dining area was a buffet-styled ball.Food was on both sides, with plenty of cold cuts, charcuterie and fresh produce. They were all very fresh too.In the center was the dance floor.Everyone could invite their desired dance partner to dance with them here.Ivanka sat by the side as she watched the men and women on the dance floor. She drank quietly by herself.A man approached with a glass of wine.Ivanka noticed and looked back at him.The man gave a slight greeting toward Ivanka and sat down next to her right after. However, he kept a respectable social distance between them so that Ivanka would not be able to plan anything.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Clark. I was busy just now and did not receive your call. Ms. Lane is still socializing, and she can’t leave. Her phone is with me.”Ferris kept his anger down and asked, “I’m asking you this now. What do we do now?”Candice said unhurriedly, “Here’s the situation, Mr. Clark. Ms. Lane took into consideration that it would be unsafe to land after dark. So, she set the time to be 4 p.m. on the dot. The both of you were late. But out of sentiment, Ms. Lane has prepared a separate boat for you. As to whether you two want to come or not, it’s all up to you.”After saying that, Candice directly hung up the phone.At that exact moment, a man in a fisherman’s attire approached.When he walked in, Mandy raised and pinched her nose.The fisherman looked embarrassed but remembered his purpose and asked, “Are you Mr. Ferris Clark and Ms. Mandy Cruella?” Mandy refused to speak. Ferris tidied his suit while almost humming a syllable from out of his nose.The fisherman said,
Ivanka was silent.Michael suddenly remembered something and said, “In fact, you are not much older than Candice. She can cry when things happen, and she can be afraid. And you… don’t need to force yourself to hold on.”Michael was trying to say that he had Ivanka’s back. But in the end, he could not say it.Ivanka smiled. It had a hint of mockery in it, but was beautiful and eye-catching.Compared to her, the blue sea instantly seemed to lose its color and became a backdrop to frame her beauty. “I’m not forcing myself to hold on. I simply am unaffected.”With that said, Ivanka left and began greeting everyone.One by one, people boarded the ship. By 4 p.m., almost everyone was here. Most of them were relatively punctual.Ferris and Mandy were exceptions.Candice had just come out of the captain’s room. She walked through the crowd with rushed steps and found Ivanka in a hurry.She said, “The captain asked if we should set sail now. If we keep staying, he’s afraid we won’t
For once, Michael did not listen and slow down. He stepped on the gas pedal.The car did not stop until they reached the dock.Ivanka glared at him. She said nothing and did not rush to get out of the car. But it was clear that she was angry.Michael looked at Ivanka being all puffed up from anger and could not help but feel a little amused. Just as he reached out his hand to rub her hair, Ivanka dodged it.Michael’s hand froze in mid-air.He resentfully withdrew his hand and apologized, “I saw that people are already arriving one after another. If people saw you getting off halfway, it would seem even more suspicious, right? It’s better to be graceful and alight at the pier together. No one will overthink or ask too many questions.”Ivanka still did not answer. However, her expression was not as cold as before, at least it softened quite a bit.Her glare was not as cold as before either. Ivanka unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car.Michael also followed right after
It was from Michael.[How long till the celebration banquet? Don’t forget to invite your benefactor.]Ivanka looked at her cell phone and snorted.If word got out that the great Michael Barkworth cared so much about a spot on a luxury cruise, people would laugh at him. She wanted to tease him for a bit.[We forgot about you. There are no more spots.]He did not reply for a long while. Just when Ivanka thought he would not reply, Michael sent a message.[What? Really? That’s too bad. Then you’ll need to compensate me privately.]For some reason, Ivanka could not stop thinking back to that kiss…Ivanka shook her head as she tried to shake those unrealistic thoughts out of her head.In the end, she sent it over.[Saturday night, 4 p.m., Freshbrooke Pier, The Duchess.]Immediately after that, she did not look at her phone and set it aside.Time passed by rather quickly. Before she knew it, it was Saturday.It was rare for Ivanka to stay home and not go to the company.Natur
Everyone looked at her.Ivanka smiled mysteriously. “It’s fine to have a celebration banquet. But it’s my treat. We’ll go on a cruise. After all, it’s not just credit to the Project Department alone. The other departments and the other high-level managers have also pulled multiple all-nighters as well.”Naturally, the crowd had no objection.Candice smiled coyly and said sheepishly, “I didn’t think about this thoroughly then. Everyone has truly worked hard during this period.”Ivanka laughed. “Then everyone should quickly go back and get ready!”With a cheer, the crowd dispersed.They left Candice and Ivanka behind. Michael, who was squeezed aside a long while ago also remained.Candice finally realized Michael was there. With some surprise, she called out to her cousin.Michael, who had been ignored, stared quietly at Ivanka. “I’ve figured out what favor I want to be repaid with.”Ivanka stared at him and signaled with her eyes for him to speak.“I want… To attend your celeb
Candice’s hands were trembling when she went to sign the contract. She felt surreal until the stamped contract was in her hand. It took her a while to recover from her shock. She wanted to share this joy and achievement with Ivanka immediately. But after looking around, she did not see her. Candice was puzzled and got the other staff to look for Ivanka everywhere. At that very moment, Ivanka had just come out of the washroom. She was wiping the water from her hands while looking downward. By the time she realized a shadow was looming over her, it was already too late for her to look up Suddenly, she slammed into a solid wall of flesh.Ivanka let out a hiss and took a half step back.While rubbing the aching corner of her forehead, she looked at the person who came along.Who else could it be, if not Michael? At that moment, he had his hands in his pockets as he stared at her calmly.Ivanka looked around, then stared at his lips.“What? Aren’t you going to thank m
Yoda’s smile instantly turned stiff. Before he could school his smug grin, the atmosphere became awkward. Ivanka and her group maintained their composure and politeness. But their subordinates snickered behind the back. At the same time, they thanked Michael from the bottom of their hearts. One word from him and the situation was reversed. His statement caught Yoda off guard. Yoda rose. He wanted to burst into anger but he dared not. He wanted to say something, but no words came out. Only after he composed himself, he said, “Mr. Lucas, as you already knew, the other party cannot offer a lower price than this. As a businessman, we don’t always reveal everything from the beginning. I believe you can understand this well too, right?” Lucas said nothing. But his smile was unreadable. He figured out that Michael only wanted his wife to win the tender. The old coot had simply not realized this. Meanwhile, Ivanka sneered, and the crowd turned to her. She said, “Mr. Yoda, are
Lucas marveled while looking at Michael as if he was seeing a ghost. The tender officially started. This time, five companies were involved. Ivanka had presupposed the possible outcome: Yoda Technology would be the only company that could threaten Lane’s Group. As expected, the other three companies were temporarily asked to leave after giving a round of speeches. The second round of speeches followed. Candice was the chief planner. She naturally had to present the speech on her own this time. “Don’t be nervous.” Ivanka inclined her head and looked at Candice. Candice kept wiping the sweat in her palms. Candice smiled sheepishly. She did not look nervous. Still, this was her first time. Ivanka said, “We’ve done the rehearsals many times before. The proposal is all good. Besides, the promised return is very tempting. You just need to deliver the speech as usual. Cheers.” While Ivanka was saying this, she made a cheering gesture. Candice nodded. After the representative f