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 would remember this kindness for the rest of her life.“Can I see what medications you’re on right now?” she asked.Jonah raised an eyebrow and quickly texted his assistant. Moments later, he forwarded the list to Ivanka.She read it over and laughed in frustration. “This is ridiculous!”Who did Margaret even find to prescribe this?!Jonah’s gaze darkened as he watched her. He then said softly, “My mom hired this doctor from overseas. She paid a lot in hopes that the doctor would help me recover. Now, I’m starting to think she hired an incompetent doctor.”Ivanka’s expression darkened. “Your cough wasn’t caused by catching a cold.”If she had come any later, his condition may have worsened.That cough would likely develop into inflammation. It could worsen his condition and weaken his immune system. It was a most undesirable outcome.Ivanka wanted to tell him that, with his current medications, his recoverable injury might leave him bound to a wheelchair for life. Howev
Ivanka’s gaze faltered. It was most unfortunate. Margaret had visited Jonah on the same day she came to see him.As Margaret entered and closed the door behind her, she gave Ivanka a cold, disdainful look. She was not happy to see her.She did not just show it in her eyes. After changing into her indoor shoes, she walked in and said in a low voice, “Ms. Ivanka, what brings you here?”She sounded annoyed and did not try to hide it.Jonah frowned and looked at Margaret.Ivanka stood up and politely greeted, “Good day, Mrs. Sadler.”Margaret sneered sharply, “How could it be a good day with you here?”“Mom!” Jonah said in a much colder tone. He was clearly unhappy with Margaret’s attitude.It was a brief response, but his meaning was clear.Margaret turned to him with a discontent expression. “How dare you speak to me like this because of this woman? Don’t let her deceive you and cloud your judgment.”She just could not understand why Jonah chose this divorced woman when there w
Margaret glared at Ivanka and scoffed, “If there’s an issue, I’ll get another doctor to handle it. It’ll be anyone but you, Ivanka. Haven’t I made myself clear enough? I’ve told you this before.”She hated how Ivanka ignored her warnings and kept coming back to visit Jonah time and again. What if Jonah got too close to her and ended up ruining his reputation? If Jonah had not been here, Margaret would have been even harsher.Ivanka frowned as she met Margaret’s sharp gaze. “I’ve never tried to get close to Jonah like that. We’re just friends. I know I’m not good enough for him, so I’ve never even thought about it.”“You might not have, but he has!” Margaret snapped, raising her voice.“Mom!” Jonah’s expression darkened.Jonah was usually calm and polite. This was the first time Ivanka saw him looking so upset and was about to lose his temper.Ivanka’s eyes flickered with hesitation. She was unsure of what to say.Explaining Jonah’s coughing would do no good. Margaret would not
Jonah frowned in clear disagreement, but he stayed silent. Ivanka’s confident smile reassured him and made him trust her.Eventually, he let go of her wrist.Ivanka noticed Margaret putting on her shoes. She quickly followed, stepping outside just as Margaret was about to get into her car“Margaret,” she called out.Margaret frowned slightly and stood still.Since Jonah had not come out with Ivanka, she decided she could spare a moment to speak with her.She turned and looked at Ivanka coldly.Ivanka softened her tone. “Let’s take a walk.”Margaret did not respond, but her silence was enough of an agreement.They walked slowly around the edge of the mansion. The surrounding area was all part of the Sadler family estate.Margaret suppressed her anger and glanced at Ivanka before speaking in a composed tone, “Alright. What do you want to say?”Ivanka met her gaze briefly before looking ahead and said, “Do you know what will happen if Jonah’s coughing continues?”Margaret’s he
“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
Ivanka noticed that the distance between the both of them were a little too close. She moved a little to the side as a form of silent resistance to Micheal’s behavior.Michael only felt lonely for a moment. But he then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.“Candice hasn’t finished giving her statement yet. I know you have to keep her company today, but I don’t agree that you should just sleep here. I’ve booked a hotel in the neighborhood. In a moment, I’ll explain to the people from the police station and send the two of you there.” Ivanka seemed to be a little hesitant.Michael said, “It’s just nearby. It’s about a kilometre away. I’ve reserved two rooms. So, if we need to rush over at night, we can just come over together again. Besides, if you sleep in the lounge for the night, both of you will catch a cold.”Ivanka hesitated and finally nodded.She thanked him and turned to go into the lounge to wake Candice up.Michael’s voice called out from behind her.
The two looked at each other and spoke a name. “Ferris Clark.”“Ferris Clark.” Michael laughed first. Ivanka followed suit. “Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with me. When Candice came, everyone knew I brought her in. When she first came in because she did not have any experience, she was only offered a position as an intern team leader. She thought that she would be transferred to a permanent position after she did a good job. But her report never passed after that. It was stuck in Ferris’s hands. “I will go to the board of directors tomorrow and continue to submit the report. This time it will have to be passed no matter what. I will also take the opportunity to find an excuse to test Ferris. If it’s really him…” Ivanka did not finish speaking, but the ferocity in her eyes made Michael silently pray for Ferris in his heart.Ivanka changed her tone. “But if it’s not someone from Bostone, then we have to consider someone else.”The tacit understanding betwe