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
Chiara held her gaze innocently. She seemed oblivious to the tension between them.Ivanka gradually smiled and said casually, “Since I brought it up, I’ll certainly make it happen. However, Jonah is still recovering. I might have to make a call and confirm it with him.”Chiara instantly chuckled and said, “Thanks a lot, Iv! Thank you so much for helping me out.”Ivanka stared at her with a smile. “You’re welcome.”She did not say anything unnecessary. As for Chiara, she continued pretending to be a young naive woman.She knew that Ivanka would not introduce any business partners to her. But since Ivanka had mentioned Jonah, she would certainly connect Chiara with him. Once Chiara got to know him, she would work hard to earn his favor. Melanie’s face was stunningly beautiful as well, so he might just fall in love with her after frequent contact.Soon enough, Ivanka took out her phone and called Jonah.He answered the phone shortly after.“You finally called me, Iv.” Jonah’s vo
As Chiara fell into thought, she realized that it made a lot of sense!If she managed to seduce Jonah, she never had to worry about anything again!She did not even have to be afraid of the mastermind behind her, because Jonah would support her.Inhaling slightly, Chiara pulled herself together and continued listening to the phone conversation.Ivanka said flatly, “Then… it means that you can’t meet with anyone these days?”“Yeah, I need time to recover, so the collaboration will have to wait. I don’t have the energy to run the company now.”Chiara could hear Jonah’s voice. Her face paled slightly, and she thought. “How could it be?”She opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.But Ivanka said gently, “In that case, you should get some rest. Call me when you’re free so that we can talk about this project in detail.”“Okay,” Jonah responded. He was reluctant to hang up, but he had to play along with her act.“I’ll hang up now. Rest well.”“Alright.”Ivanka immediately h
It was a call from Sandy.Ivanka answered the call without hesitation.Before she said anything, Sandy said, “Phew! I finally dealt with Ivan. He’s so annoying! It took me a while to get rid of him!”Ivanka could not help smiling. “Well, that’s because you lied about being pregnant.”To be honest, when Ivanka first heard it, she was startled.She did not expect that Sandy would tell such a lie.“Ugh, I just wanted to make it convincing so that Chiara had a chance to visit her father. I gave them a chance to reunite with each other. What a great person I am! Chiara should be grateful!”Ivanka smiled helplessly. “Do you think that she hasn’t sensed anything wrong?”“Huh?” Sandy sounded a little puzzled.Ivanka said calmly, “She is not a fool. You suddenly lured her to the hospital and even visited the wrong department. Everything you did implied that something was up with Theodore. She might not suspect a thing when she was worried sick and in a panic. But once it was over, she
“Iv?”“Are you home?” Ivanka got straight to the point.“Yeah, I’m home alone.” Jonah’s voice was as gentle as ever, and she could almost hear his smile.“Um,” Ivanka said in response. “I’m right at your door.”Jonah sounded rather surprised, but he quickly said, “Come on in.”Ivanka hung up without saying anything else.Seeing that the gate was open, she drove her car into the car and got out of the vehicle.The front door opened. Jonah came out to greet her in person. He was still in a wheelchair.Furrowing her brows slightly, Ivanka immediately entered the house and closed the door. She looked at him with a frown. “You haven’t fully recovered. Why did you come out? It’s cold and windy today. Besides, you already have a bad cough.”Jonah smiled gently. Seeing the displeasure in her eyes as she stared at him, his smile grew. “Are you worried about me?”Ivanka was startled. But soon, she said with a frown, “You’re still unwell. Moreover, I was your doctor. It’s my duty to exp
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p