“Iv, when did you get back?”As expected, when Chiara asked that question, Ivanka knew everything was going exactly as she had anticipated.Ivanka smiled and replied, “I’ve been back for a little while now. Don’t worry, it’s just a simple errand. It won’t take long. I’ll send you the address, so hurry up and come.”With that, Ivanka immediately sent Chiara her location.If she wanted a reason to go to the hospital, she would need them to call her again. Otherwise, if she simply took Chiara there, it would definitely make her suspicious.Ivanka gave Sandy a look. Sandy patted her chest and grinned. “You don’t need the hospital to call you again. I’m right here, ready to help! Finding an excuse will be a piece of cake.”“Piece of cake?”Hearing those words, Ivanka froze for a moment.She made it clear. “A minor illness won’t work.”Sandy chuckled and responded in a teasing tone. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a brilliant plan.” After Chiara arrived, she and Sandy greeted her and invit
Ivanka and Sandy were right in front of her. She could not just devise an excuse to get rid of them.Chiara could only restrain her emotions.Meanwhile, the conversation between Sandy and Ivanka caught the nurse’s attention.The nurse frowned and looked at Sandy and Ivanka. “What are you two here for?”Sandy quickly replied, “I’m here for a check-up.”“A check-up for what?” The nurse asked out of habit. Sandy promptly answered, “To see if I’m pregnant.”The nurse could hardly believe what she was hearing. She was amused. “Miss, if you want to check if you’re pregnant, you should go to a pharmacy and buy a pregnancy test kit. Also, pregnancy tests aren’t part of the emergency services. You should turn left out the door, walk a hundred meters, and go to the outpatient department.”Chiara could start getting suspicious. Sandy reacted quickly. “I’m worried the test kits at the pharmacy aren’t accurate. This pregnancy may affect my future, of course I was anxious. I didn’t know pre
“Okay.”Chiara nodded and walked away.Watching Chiara walk away, Sandy crossed her arms and started mocking Ivanka.“Honestly, acting is so exhausting. I really don’t know how those actors do it on a daily basis!”She was only doing this briefly, and those actors had to do it for long stretches while constantly under the spotlight!“So, you…”Ivanka turned to look at Sandy.Sandy shook her head. “Since she’s already left, what’s the point of me getting checked now? I knew Chiara wouldn’t be able to help herself. Look, we’ve got solid proof now. Should we take advantage of this and get someone to take photos?”Sandy was thinking ahead for Ivanka. She imagined that if things came to a confrontation with Chiara, those photos and evidence would corner Chiara with no room for denial.However, Ivanka shook her head. “No need. The hospital’s got cameras, and besides, exposing this too early wouldn’t be a good move. Like you said, the game’s just begun. I haven’t had my fun yet. How
After hearing the full story from Chiara, Theodore’s face flushed with anger.He had hoped that Chiara’s new identity would ensure that everything would go according to plan without anyone suspecting a thing. However, it felt like they were nothing more than pawns in Ivanka’s game.Ivanka had positioned herself high above. She was looking down on their misery with a detached, almost god-like amusement.Chiara, on the other hand, was in complete panic. “What? My face is completely different, and my voice is different too. Sandy only came to the hospital to get checked out because she’s pregnant with Ivan’s child. Ivanka’s not some kind of psychic! There’s no way she could have figured out I’m Chiara after just a few encounters. No, I don’t believe it!”Her voice was frantic. She seemed to be losing control.Seeing his daughter in distress made Theodore feel uneasy, as if invisible hands were squeezing his heart tight.“Sweetheart, you have to accept the reality of the situation. I
When Chiara returned to where Ivanka and Sandy were waiting, Sandy, committed to making the act as convincing as possible, actually went through with getting an ultrasound.Holding the report in her hand, Sandy continued to act and fool Chiara.Sure enough, Chiara noticed the ultrasound report in Sandy’s hand and asked with a concerned tone, “Sandy, what did the results say? Are you pregnant?”“Yes, I’m pregnant.”“Congratulations! Go ahead and show the report to the doctor. Iv and I will wait for you outside,” Chiara said with a forced smile. Her tone dripped with polite pretense.Sandy had no choice but to step into Xander’s office.“Pregnant, huh?” Xander raised an eyebrow at Sandy the moment she walked in.Since it was just the two of them, Sandy dropped the act. “I’m not pregnant. Everything earlier was just a performance between Ivanka and me. Now, can you do me a favor and just prescribe some calcium supplements?”Xander was speechless. Sandy had been the one claiming
When their eyes met, Ivan fixed his sharp, somber gaze on Sandy.She blinked. She had a bad feeling about this.“D*mn it!” she thought. What was this guy doing here? Sandy suspected that Xander might have told Ivan something.But she immediately calmed herself down.As she was about to dawdle toward Ivan, he already strode up to her.His sturdy, towering shadow enveloped her instantly.Ivan narrowed his eyes and said with a cold, accusing tone, “Are you pregnant?”Sandy was flabbergasted.The moment she saw Ivan, she knew why he was here. She knew that she was about to face his wrath and barrage of questions.But who gave him the right to be mad with her?Sandy lowered her voice. “Why do you care if I’m pregnant? It has nothing to do with you. Besides, I have something else to attend to, so I don’t have time for you right now.”She had only intended to trick Chiara into coming to the hospital. She had not thought about the consequences.However, when Ivan showed up, the f
Sandy stared at Ivan with a cold look in her eyes. Ivan understood what she meant.Her eyes were saying, “We have nothing to do with each other. What makes you think you can interfere with my life?”Ivan realized that he cared about her, and this realization made his heart sink.At that moment, he threw away his pride and immediately confessed his feelings. “I don’t want to see you end up with someone else, Sandy. I don’t want to see you pregnant with another man’s child.”Ivan had seen the ultrasound image.The report did not mention that Sandy was pregnant. Ivan had been ecstatic and dejected at the same time.It was because…Sandy asked, “Why?”She stared at him fixedly with confusion and indifference in her dark eyes. “Why don’t you want to see me end up with someone else?”Ivan knew at that moment, he could not run away from this conversation.He must tell the truth, even if she would avoid him after his confession.Ivan pressed his lips together. After a moment of he
Sandy punched Ivan in the chest. “D*mn you! I was panicking the whole time, and you just watched me panicking like a headless fly? Get lost! Get out of my sight!”Ivan took the punch without protesting and grabbed her hand before she withdrew it. “If I can get lost with you, sure.”Sandy was taken aback.He had said such shameless words with such an adoring look on his face. She shook her head in horror. “No, get lost on your own. You look insane!”As she spoke, she gritted her teeth and gave him a kick.Ivan stepped back. Sandy took the opportunity to run off and leave him in the dust.“D*mn you, woman! Get back here!” Ivan glared after her furiously and could not help yelling, “You sly little thing!”He chased after her without even dropping by to greet Xander.…Meanwhile, Ivanka was with Chiara.Sandy was with Ivan. Knowing that Ivan would certainly chase after her, Ivanka did not stay to give Sandy a ride.At that moment, she and Chiara were already in the car. Chiara t
Ivanka and Candice got into the car together.Candice instinctively took the front passenger seat while Ivanka and Michael sat in the back.The car moved smoothly toward the family mansion.Michael glanced at Ivanka and noticed her fiddling with her phone. Quickly, he leaned over, cast a shadow over her, and snatched the phone from her hand.“You’ll get carsick.”Ivanka frowned. Her gaze locked on Michael as she extended her hand. “Give it back.”Michael did not budge. Ivanka raised her voice a little. “Give it back. I’m in the middle of something important.”Michael’s striking eyes fixed on her. It was as if he could see right through her.“What’s so urgent? Isn’t it just about someone poaching employees from your company? Do you really need to spend all your time resolving it?”Ivanka’s brows furrowed even tighter.From the front seat, Candice turned around to look at Michael in surprise. “Michael, you know who is behind this?”Michael glanced at Ivanka and said, “Not on
It was perhaps because Ivanka was so outstanding that Candice never saw her as a peer but rather as a role model.Being praised by someone she admired so deeply was naturally a source of great joy.But Candice never said these feelings out loud, nor would she.Ivanka patted her on the shoulder. “Good job. Now get back to work and start getting comfortable in your new role. On Friday evening, Michael and I will help you with your move.”Candice nodded. She had no objections to the arrangement.For some reason, the previous incident had made its way to Rosie’s ears. Rosie had insisted that Candice move into the family’s mansion.Unable to find a reason to refuse or to push back further, Candice reluctantly agreed.“Then you and Michael will be staying for dinner at the family mansion on Friday, right?”Ivanka nodded, figuring they would likely need to stay the night as well.“Don’t overthink it for now. Get back to work, and just wait for me after work on Friday.” Candice no
“One more thing, these are my team members. They’ve seen firsthand how you’ve tried to suppress me all the time. A little payback from them isn’t exactly unjustified, don’t you think?”Before Mandy could say anything, Candice turned to the employee and instructed firmly, “Call security. Have them escort her out of the building. Make sure she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Thoroughly check her devices for any company files.”Mandy completely lost her composure and started yelling.“Who do you think you are to treat me like this? You’re just riding on Ivanka’s coattails! Everyone knows how someone so young became CEO. And you? Are you sticking by her? You’re no better than… Argh!”Before Mandy could finish her tirade, Candice delivered a resounding slap across her face.Not far away, Ivanka, who had come out after hearing the commotion to see if she needed to step in, slowed her steps. While leaning casually against a nearby column, she watched Candice handle the
“I understand what you mean now.” Candice’s cheeks flushed with excitement. The gloom that had previously clouded her was swept away.Her joy was genuine. She said, “In three months’ time, I’ll secure this position and prove to you and the board that your decision was the right one.”With that, Candice stood, gave Ivanka a respectful bow, and left the office.Ivanka watched her leave with a smile.All was good.While the two of them were in good spirits, someone else’s mood was far from pleasant.Mandy returned to her office, humiliated, to pack her belongings.If she could turn back time, she might have chosen not to come at all. The shame she endured was beyond anything she could have imagined.Somehow, word of what happened in the conference room had leaked. Perhaps Ivanka had orchestrated it.When she arrived at her office, she was not surprised to see all her belongings stuffed into a tattered, broken box.The box had been placed right outside her office door. It was a
“Mr. Clarke, if you don’t like my decision and want to change it, you’ll have to take my position first to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”With those words, Ivanka coolly left the meeting room.Candice, though initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quickly adjusted to her new role. Turning to Mandy, she said, “Ms. Cruella, please ensure your office is cleared in three days, as I will be moving in.”With that, she too left the room.After they left, the meeting room erupted into chaos, with arguments flying back and forth. However, the outcome was already sealed. Ferris was powerless to change it.Though he still had cards to play, he was not about to waste them on Mandy.Sure enough, by the afternoon, employees spotted Mandy packing her belongings and leaving in disgrace.Candice, though initially satisfied, could not help but feel uneasy. After thinking it over, she decided to speak with Ivanka. And so, at that moment, she was standing in front of the door to t
Ferris was panicking at the moment. He shot Mandy a disappointing and furious glare.It was one thing for her to embezzle funds, it was another for her to get caught.How foolish!Feeling the weight of Ferris’s gaze, Mandy instinctively lowered her head.That only made Ferris more enraged.She had caused all this trouble, and he had to clean up the mess.Ivanka ignored them and turned to the other shareholders. She sharply said, “Tell me, how can someone like her hold the position of project director in our company, yet Candice can’t even be promoted to team leader?”Mandy had been personally hired by Ferris, so Ivanka criticizing her in front of everyone was effectively a direct slap to his face.That naturally made Ferris extremely uncomfortable.His expression turned even darker.“In my opinion, it’s true Mandy shouldn’t have done that, but she’s been in this position for so long. While she doesn’t have achievements, she’s at least put in the effort. How about this, let’s
However, her smile did not reach her eyes.Mandy stood frozen. She was too scared to drink the water or take a seat. Just like that, she was ignored. The atmosphere was awkward. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Ferris for support.Ferris, who was standing near her, cleared his throat and said, “That’s right. Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Cruella is right. This isn’t in line with proper procedures.”Ivanka maintained her enigmatic smile. Her index finger tapped lightly on the table. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind.She glanced around the room. “What do the rest of you think?”She sounded like she was seeking opinions, but the weight of her presence was intimidating. No one dared to answer.Just as Ferris was about to say something, Ivanka picked up Mandy’s report and tossed it onto the floor.It happened too fast. Everyone was stunned by her action. Even Ferris was caught off guard.Mandy’s face turned pale.“Rules are made by people. Besides, Cand
“Please start.” Ivanka nodded. Mandy glanced at Ferris and then at Ivanka. She did not dare to speak.It was obvious that she did not want to offend either side.But she had received a lot of favors being under Ferris over the years, so naturally she did not dare to disobey him.Ferris felt like he was getting the upper hand again, and he was a lot more cheerful. His expression seemed to say, “Look, this is my staff. Look at how they listen to me and not you. You’re nothing much as the chairman. Who are you here, Ivanka?”The anger from before had completely disappeared. He said calmly, “You really don’t get the hint. If Ms. Lane lets you speak, you should just speak.”Although he sounded like he was scolding her, anyone could hear from Ferris’s tone that he was not complaining. He was gloating.Some shareholders did not want to be caught up in the mess and lowered their heads.Others wanted to see where things went.In a way, he was asserting dominance over Ivanka. Everyone wa
Ivanka suggested to Candice to go home and rest.But Candice still refused.She said, “The contract will be done soon. I’ll be able to rest properly and have peace of mind sooner when it’s finalized.”Ivanka relented. She only said that if she felt discomfort in any way, she must tell her immediately.Candice nodded her head and took note.Ivanka gripped the steering wheel tightly. She felt guilty.Candice was already in such a state, but she still insisted on working. Her reason there was not only to repay Ivanka but also to realize her own self-worth.But Ferris kept getting in the way of that report.It was really upsetting.Ivanka also secretly made it a point to get the report passed on that day.The car reached the company. Ivanka went upstairs with Candice together. Ivanka also personally helped Candice to her workstation.Despite Candice’s repeated refusals, Ivanka was very insistent.She wanted to demonstrate to everyone that she had Candice’s back. If anyone wante