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
“Ivanka,” Margaret took a deep breath while trying to compose herself. When she looked at Ivanka again, her expression was calm. She said, “I don’t know how deep Jonah’s feelings for you run. What I fear most is that once he becomes fixated on you, that’s it. When he falls for someone, his heart won’t make room for anyone else. In that way, he’s just like his father.”Ivanka’s gaze wavered. She bit her lip and was unsure of what to say.“I beg you, don’t hurt Jonah anymore!” Margaret’s voice carried a note of desperation.Ivanka’s expression turned extremely complicated.There was a time when Jonah came to her only to use her. Back then, they were both using each other. It made things simple.But later, Jonah unexpectedly started talking about marriage. Perhaps it was to provoke Michael, or perhaps he simply wanted to keep her close because she was useful to him.At some point, though, it seemed Jonah had become serious about her. She could not pinpoint when it happened. Perhaps
Instead, she remained standing in front of Jimothy and studied the group of men with a smile.“He works at our company. Since I’ve run into him, I’m obligated to come over and check on him. Pray tell, what has happened between you and why do you feel the need to resolve it with violence?”Jimothy stared at Candice while she stood with her back facing him. The look in his eyes was conflicted.The men exchanged glances with each other and saw a hint of astonishment in one another’s eyes.The man at the front of the group, who was likely their leader, said, “We just get paid to do this, lady. You should stay out of it.”When Candice heard his advice which also sounded like a threat, she did not intend to back down at all. Instead, she asked him, “Oh? How much did you get for this? I’ll pay you double. I just told you that this guy works for us, so I have to intervene.”The leader started laughing, and so did the men behind him. They did not even bother to hide the mockery in their t
Candice ordered some food she liked, and the dishes arrived soon after.Sandy suggested that they all took a picture together.The others did not object.Sandy gave her phone to the waiter.Then the five of them moved their chairs to sit in a row.Michael and Ivan each took the outermost seats.Naturally, Ivanka was seated next to Michael while Sandy, who paid for the dinner, was right beside her.Next to Sandy was Candice, who sat awkwardly in her chair. Ivan was beside Candice.The second the waiter took the picture, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances inadvertently. Meanwhile, Ivan stared past Candice, and his eyes fell on Sandy.Sandy and Candice were the only people who looked into the camera.But each and every one of them had a genuine smile on their face.Once they had taken a picture, they started eating together.It was a nice, relaxing dinner. They did not talk about work or how annoying Coco had been.They mostly chatted about the fun anecdotes they had he
The call was soon answered, but the person who picked up was not Rosie. It was Mrs. Ruth.“Ms. Lane, you finally called! Mdm. Barkworth will be over the moon when she wakes up!” Mrs. Ruth sounded quite excited as she spoke.Ivanka smiled and asked, “Is Grandma resting now?”“Yeah, she hasn’t had a good rest after learning that you’d be kidnapped. Once you were safe, she finally allowed herself to rest.”Ivanka nodded and told Mrs. Ruth to take good care of Rosie. She later said that she and Micheal would visit Rosie soon.With that, she hung up the phone.Meanwhile, she also reflected upon herself.Rosie had gotten old, yet Ivanka always made her worry. From that moment on, Ivanka would consider the consequences before making any decision. It was not only for the sake of herself, but the important people in her life, who also cared about her.As she contemplated this, Ivanka inevitably thought of the gathering. It would be quite fun.Before they were about to get off work, San
Coco practically ran out crying.Candice glanced at Ivanka worriedly and asked, “Will something bad happen to her?”Ivanka was not concerned at all. “What could possibly happen? She is an adult. Even if something bad happens, she has to bear the consequences of her own action.”Hearing that, Candice no longer fretted over the matter.She was not really worried about Coco. She was just afraid that something would happen to Coco, and Ivanka would be blamed for it.But Ivanka had made a good point. Candice did not want to trouble herself with Coco’s matters. It would only be an unnecessary emotional burden to her.Everyone in the office began discussing the progress of their project.Perhaps it was because Ivanka had made an example of Coco, the other employees became especially energized and diligent during their discussion.They were even more focused than before, since they were all afraid that Ivanka would treat them harshly as well.Hence, they were particularly efficient.
“Why don’t we leave now so that you can deal with this matter, Ms. Ivanka?”The director of the project department, who was perceptive and shrewd, planned to leave right then. Ivanka shook her head and signaled everyone to sit down.They were all uneasy, and they kept giving Coco weird looks.Two people had dared speak to Ivanka like that in the past—Ferris and Mandy.But those two were no longer with the company.At the thought of those people, the project department staff began looking at Coco with pity.However, Coco could not care less. All she wanted was to make a fuss.She wanted to see how shameless Ivanka could be.Unruffled, Ivanka stared at her. She did not get angry and seemed rather affable as she asked, “Tell me what upset you. Have we falsely accused you of something you didn’t do?”Before Coco said anything, Ivanka added cruelly, “Oh, I forgot that you aren’t familiar with the protocol here, so you have no idea what you did wrong, right?”Coco paled. Undoubte
Candice was momentarily stunned by his answer. She was a little offended.“Then why did you come to my office for this conversation?” Jimothy’s grin was mischievous. “To prove your company’s HR is blind, and you just lost a great talent. That’s all.”With that, Jimothy stood up, dusted off his sleeves dramatically, and turned to leave.“Your resume!” Candice called after him.Jimothy waved dismissively without looking back. “Keep it. Enjoy reading it. And don’t let an incompetent HR handle your interviews again.”Candice stood there for a moment and processed the scene before an involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. This one had personality.Regardless, the incident served as a wake-up call for Candice.It became glaringly clear that Coco was not only incompetent but also prone to overestimating her abilities.Before the task was assigned, she had the chance to decline. Candice had given her the opportunity and explicitly asked if she could handle it. Yet, Coco confidentl
The college student finally believed her and walked toward Candice.On the other hand, Coco seemed guilty and was desperate to prevent it. “He has no respect for our company! Are you really going to hire someone like him who won’t follow orders?” Coco’s tone was sharp. Her finger trembled as she pointed at the young man.She scanned the room for backup in hopes that the people who had been flattering her earlier would speak up in her defense.Unfortunately, no one stepped forward.Those who flattered Coco only did so out of respect for Ivanka. Yet Candice had a close relationship with Ivanka and was the company’s vice president.The gap between a vice president versus an intern was as vast as night and day.Anyone with common sense knew where to align themselves.Coco felt a mix of despair and resentment.Candice ignored her entirely. Why Ivanka was so wary of someone as clueless as this was beyond her comprehension.Coco was simply dumb.Without wasting another thought o
However, reality proved she had worried for nothing.Candice had called her over merely to ask if she had the most basic professional knowledge and whether she could handle the afternoon’s interview.Coco let out a deep sigh of relief before patting her chest confidently and assuring Candice she was more than capable.Knowing Coco came from the mountains, Candice was naturally skeptical, so she asked again, “Are you sure?”Coco thought to herself that it was just an interview. All she needed to do was just ask the candidates some questions. They could just choose someone who wrote the resume well.Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Michael’s cousin, Coco pretended to be confident and accepted the task.Candice was half-doubtful, yet she still gave her instructions and let her go.However, Coco’s firm assurance eventually led to trouble....“Your company must be a joke to hire someone like you for HR. You’re offended? You’re not even a real professional. What? You ca
Word quickly spread within the HR department. After learning about Coco’s connection to Ivanka, some colleagues were vying to curry favor with her.Although some observant individuals noticed that the relationship between Coco and Ivanka was not as harmonious as it seemed, it did not deter the opportunists. Relentless flattery and attention poured in.One moment, a male coworker would offer to grab her food while placing his own lunch order. Next, a female coworker would ask if she wanted to order some coffee too.At first, Coco was caught off guard and politely declined. However, as she realized their intentions were purely self-serving, she began to accept their gestures without hesitation.By midday, Coco had become the department’s little queen. Ironically, as an intern, she should have been the one fetching coffee, running errands and collecting mail. Instead, she had colleagues practically lining up to do those tasks for her.Coco quickly assembled her own little e