She had not remained in contact with the McNeil family ever since Ivan’s mother adopted her.Anything that happened with the McNeil family was none of her concern. She carried the surname because of her father, not because of the rest of that family.She would never forgive how they had mistreated her.Just as Thomas was about to speak, Sandy cut him off. “Thomas, if there’s nothing else, can you drop me off at the intersection up ahead?”Thomas did not argue since Sandy had rejected his invitation. He told the driver to follow her request. Before Sandy got out of the car, he said, “Think about it. Your grandfather’s birthday is still a while away.”Sandy replied bluntly, “I won’t go. He has plenty of kids and grandkids. They don’t need me. I’m really busy. I’m going off now.”She did not wait for him to respond and walked away.After the encounter, Sandy felt very angry. She went to the bar, reserved a table, and sent her location to Ivanka.Sandy: Bestie, come hang out with m
These design drafts were the ones she had made before going to Mirvania. She had not had time to revise them properly.She was meeting him to provide an update. Finally, she could discuss the collaboration. It had been settled for a while. However, due to her busy schedule, things had been delayed.Jonah snapped out of his thoughts when Ivanka spoke. He looked at her and noticed how serious and focused she was. He shook his head and said, “There’s nothing wrong with your drafts. Iv, you’re amazing. If you give me more drafts, we’ll crush our competitors at the launch. I’m confident we’ll make Sadler’s Group and Lane’s Group the center of attention.”Jonah held Ivanka’s drafts while excited at the thought of the launch event where all eyes would be on her.Ivanka shared his excitement. She knew she had to seize these opportunities to make Lane’s Group more powerful. Through these collaborations, she could also prove herself to those who doubted her in the company.A few drafts alon
Jonah looked at Margaret with a frown. He was clearly annoyed.Margaret, on the other hand, was unhappy. “She can treat you at home. Why does she need to take you out? Jon, you know your condition.”His legs were weak and needed treatment. If he was not careful, he could end up permanently disabled.Jonah was fully aware of his situation and was frustrated that Margaret had brought it up in front of Ivanka.Even though he had a chance to recover, he was still stuck in a wheelchair. This made him feel worthless. He felt his confidence slipping away as he faced Ivanka.Jonah tried to shake off the feeling and spoke calmly. “I know. That’s exactly why I need to make the most of my treatment time. If you’re that worried, you can come with us. But I’d prefer you not say anything harsh. I’d rather you keep your distance when Ivanka is around.”After saying that to Margaret, Jonah looked at Ivanka and said, “Iv, let’s go.”Ivanka obeyed and gently pushed him toward the door.Margaret
Jonah felt a sharp pain in his chest when she said that.Ivanka knew how he felt, but she still kept her distance. She would not give him a chance, even though she had no one else in her life and was not planning to get back with Michael.The recent news had been weighing on Jonah. He did not want to upset her, but he could no longer hold back.“Iv, you know everything. So why won’t you give me a chance?” asked Jonah. His gaze was serious and filled with sorrow as he looked at her.In a low, hoarse voice, he added, “You’ve divorced Michael. What does he have that I don’t? Or do you think less of me because I’m crippled?”Hearing that broke Ivanka’s heart.She shook her head. “No, you’re better than he is. But love doesn’t work like that. I know how you feel, and I know you’ve let go of the reason you first approached me. When you protected me back then, I saw you as someone I could trust with my life. You risked your life for me, and I’d do the same for you.”“I’ve never looked
“Let me pay for you and Mr. Sadler’s bill today,” Chiara said confidently.Ivanka smiled. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”After she ended the call, Jonah asked, “What would you like me to do?”He noticed the playful smile on Ivanka’s face. From the start, she had been dropping him hints. He could tell she had a plan, but he wanted to know what it was and why she was involved with Melanie.Ivanka explained, “She’s after the Willy suburbs project. She’s trying to bait me into her game. I’m going to pull her into mine instead.”She wanted to have Chiara completely under her control.Jonah nodded. He understood what was going on. Soon, Chiara arrived and busied herself tending to both Ivanka and Jonah.When pouring a cup of water for Jonah, she “accidentally” spilled it all over him. She said, acting shocked, “Mr. Sadler, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!”Jonah smiled calmly. “It’s fine.”If Ivanka had not mentioned Melanie’s plans earlier, Jonah might have believed it was just a m
Ivanka continued to observe Chiara from the side. She did not expect Chiara to target Jonah and wanted to play her dirty little tricks on him this time. If not for the fact that Ivanka wanted the game to go on for a while longer, she would be very tempted to record the scene and send it to Michael. Ivanka wanted him to see Chiara’s true colors. For Ivanka’s sake, Jonah continued to behave like a gentleman until Chiara left. It was only then that Jonah revealed his true thoughts to Ivanka. “Iv, are you causing me trouble? She doesn’t look like a smart woman. I wonder why you would think of getting close to her to play the game. There isn’t any project from the Levine family that is worthy for you to nail down.” Although Lane’s Group was no longer how it used to be, it still had collaborations with Sadler’s Group and other existing collaborators. Besides, Ivanka had Michael to back her up. Jonah knew all this. This was what he thought, and so he asked the question. Ivanka
Ivanka instantly made herself clear. Upon hearing her sentence, Jonah’s heart sank. He looked sad. He asked, “If I don’t help you with this, you’re not going to help me out, right?” Ivanka felt embarrassed upon hearing his question. She quickly explained herself. “I don’t mean that. I’m playing along with what you said and giving you my word.” While saying this, she looked anxious. Seeing Ivanka in her current demeanor, Jonah felt sad. Even though he knew it, he still wanted to ask to make himself feel better. He smiled. “I understand. Iv, in return, I wish you could… Forget it. I won’t say anything more. After all, you certainly won’t agree with it. To say anything more than this would be me wasting my breath.” There was a tinge of misery to his smile. Seeing Jonah in his current state, Ivanka felt sad too. She was the reason Jonah fell to this state. She pursed her lips and said, “I understand how you feel, but I think our friendship can last longer than if we’re
Ivanka wondered if this was the real reason Sandy came to her house without hesitation. She felt speechless and resigned. Ivanka shook her head. “You already said that to me many times before, and I’ve stopped associating myself with Michael. I already did everything I could and explained to him. If I still stay beside him, that will only reflect badly on myself.” While saying this, Ivanka sighed. Sandy sneered, “What’s the point of you telling me all these? You should look at yourself in the mirror at how you react to the real situation. Whenever I rebuke you, you still glued yourself to him. If this were the past, I believe you would have had a few children with him.” Ivanka fell speechless. She wondered if gods had given Sandy the guts to mock her this way. She had, indeed, been very perseverant and passionate about Michael in the past. Speaking of which, she wondered why she never showed her passion toward Michael during their three-year marriage. Although she was v
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