Jonah smiled. “I know that, of course. Without you, I wouldn’t even file the lawsuit.”However, he was not talking about this lawsuit.Ivanka knew what he meant. She put down her glass and did not even look at the man. “Besides this lawsuit and the banquet, I don’t think I’ll have any other opportunities to work with you. You can rest assured, Mr. Sadler.”Jonah raised his eyebrows in surprise. No one would be able to say what she did if they had not been sincere about ending their working relationship together after the lawsuit and banquet. After all, if she had ulterior motives, wouldn’t she have thought about how her plan with Michael would fail if Jonah did not seek her out for future collaborations?“Mr. Sadler, you don’t have to continue with your tests. Our working relationship will be over when the lawsuit is over.”After speaking, Ivanka picked up her fork and knife and continued eating. She obviously planned to ignore Jonah.Jonah just kept staring at her. When he saw n
Opaque emotions flashed in Chiara’s eyes. She ignored them and hugged Michael’s neck. Then, she chuckled and said, “Mic, I’m fine. It’s just a minor fall. You don’t have to worry. If you don’t believe me, you can put me down. I’ll show you I can walk just fine.”Michael said calmly, “Let’s talk after you get examined.”Nervously, he carried Chiara and left without glancing at Ivanka and Jonah, who were standing nearby.As Michael walked away, Ivanka noticed a hint of mockery in Chiara’s eyes. She thought to herself. “I was right. He likes Chiara.”She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she thought. “Thank goodness I’ve given up.”Chiara had been in a coma in the past. No matter what, they could not have exchanged any words. However, things had changed now. Chiara had woken up and was enjoying her life. The two often showed off their love to each other. If Ivanka stayed stubbornly in love with Michael as she had in the past, Chiara would only make her angry, and Michael would o
“Of course not.” Jonah smiled. He stepped on the brake to slow down before he drove to the right lane. He then cast a glance at Michael, who was waiting for the light to turn green. After that, he turned right along with the car in front of him. During the ride, Ivanka showed little interest in chatting while Jonah occasionally struck up conversation. When they arrived at the entrance of Ivanka’s apartment unit, she looked at Jonah and said softly, “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Sadler.”Jonah smiled warmly. “It’s my pleasure. Have an early night. If you need my help, feel free to call me.”Ivanka simply nodded, got out of the car, and left without a word.As Jonah watched her leave, he narrowed his eyes slightly as he thought. “This woman is an enigma. I wonder if Michael will regret losing such a treasure in the future.”He clicked his tongue and thought. “But since I’ve already found her, I won’t let her go.”When Ivanka got out of the elevator, her phone rang. While opening th
Ivanka sighed softly. “Grandma, you know full well that he doesn’t love me at all. If we barely maintain the marriage, he will only hate me even more. To avoid this, we’d better get divorced. Grandma, setting him free is also… setting me free.”Ivanka’s voice wavered at the last few words.Rosie’s face turned pale with grief as she thought. “She’s a good granddaughter-in-law, but that brat actually divorced her!”However, at this point, Rosie could no longer persuade her to stay. Even though she liked Ivanka and wanted her to be Michael’s wife, she could not be so selfish.Michael had never liked Ivanka and often left her alone all the time. This was not something a man should do, and he could never be a responsible husband to Ivanka. If she forced them to be together, it would only hurt Ivanka.However, Rosie did not want them to get a divorce. Her mind was a mess.All she wanted to do was to call Michael. She was going to go mad with rage!Rosie took a deep breath. “Iv, wait a
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable…”Rosie slammed her phone down in anger. Then, she heard Samuel’s voice coming from a room.Rosie walked to the door of the room in puzzlement.“You did a good job. Since it has reached this point, it’s only right for you to get a divorce. Have you gotten the divorce certificate?”Rosie’s scowl deepened!That annoying old man only knew how to ruin things!How could he dislike such a good granddaughter-in-law? They would regret it. They would definitely regret it!She would give her granddaughter a grand wedding and make them regret it all!She regretted her past decisions. She should not have forced them not to get a divorce over the past few years.It had been torture to Iv. She should have let her go earlier.The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. She even thought about what kind of man she should find to match her perfect granddaughter.“You just signed the agreement? How long are you going to wait
He thought Sandy was going to invite a skilled racer, but instead, she had invited a woman.What the hell was she doing?Sandy sneered and thought. “What an ignorant fool! Do you think Iv is an ordinary racer? I’ll sit back and watch how Iv amazes you later!”“Yes, she is the helper I invited. You’d best stay on your toes.”“Pfft! I wasn’t born yesterday. Sandy, you have to admit defeat if you lose. Just saying, I gave you a chance, and you got yourself a female helper. Are you kidding me?”Ivanka looked over in the direction of the voice. She immediately frowned when she found a handsome man smoking slovenly in front of her.“Ivan? I wasn’t expecting him.” She thought.He was Michael’s best friend, and he was also a young and promising lawyer. Some people praised him as the second Iris.However, since she changed her makeup and outfit today, Ivan only thought that she looked familiar but could not quite recognize her.Sandy immediately said in displeasure, “Yeah, she’s a woma
After losing this race, Ivan felt embarrassed. After all, many people were watching, and he lost to a woman.At the sight of Sandy’s provocative gaze, he immediately growled, “It’s just money, and I have plenty of it!”Sandy snorted coldly, and it made Ivan glare at her irritably. “But that thing will be mine sooner or later. Get it memorized!”Sandy said, “Bah! In your dreams!”Ivan walked away with a huff.Sandy was in a good mood. She grabbed Ivanka’s arm and said while laughing, “Let’s go, bestie.”Ivanka did not say anything. After the two got into the car, Sandy held the steering wheel and turned to look at her. “Let’s go get dinner. Do you need to cook for your husband tonight?”The calmness in Ivanka’s eyes disappeared for a brief moment. “Let’s eat out.”Sandy was about to start the engine when she heard that. She looked at Ivanka in surprise. “Really?!”When she saw Ivanka nod, she stared at Ivanka with her eyes wide open instead of driving. “Are you serious? You’re
Streetlights illuminated the night sky. Even though it was time to go to bed, the traffic was congested. Sandy eventually got through the traffic jam and found a parking spot. She wiggled her eyebrows with a grin as she looked at Ivanka and said, “Come, Iv. They’ve already arrived.”Ivanka smiled. “Okay.”Sandy smiled mysteriously as she wrapped her arm around Ivanka’s and entered the reserved room together.However, there were no lights on inside the room. It was very quiet inside. Sandy pretended to look puzzled as she looked around. “Huh? Did they lie to me? Why aren’t they here yet?”As she was speaking, she led Ivanka into the room. “Iv, we’ll wait for them here.”Ivanka was about to nod when she heard some sound.Poof!The sound of confetti popping was heard. The next moment, flashing lights were turned on. The lights inside the room flickered. Colorful confetti fell from the air and landed on Ivanka and Sandy. Then, loud cheers erupted.“Woohoo! Iv, congratulations o
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A