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 shook her head in resignation. After that, she smiled. It looked like this strategy of hers and Jonah worked. Sandy had not only taken it seriously, but as her friend, she was also worried that Ivanka would get caught in it. Ivanka was touched. But she knew it would never happen. Ivanka knew herself best. She felt a whole slew of complicated emotions about Jonah. She was grateful for him, trusted him, but she never liked him. She did not have the same kind of crush that a couple normally had for him. She thought their current relationship status was the best arrangement. “Sandy, thank you for your concern. I understand that you’re doing me a favor and worrying about me. But I’m in a different state of mind these days. Love doesn’t matter so much to me anymore. This is especially after experiencing a failed marriage. I don’t want to destroy a hard-won friendship. Jonah and I are very compatible, but only as friends. Besides, I never thought of other possibilities between
Jonah rolled out on his wheelchair while looking around and asked, “Is your friend leaving?” Sandy poked her head out of the kitchen and teased him, “Jonah, it seems like you’re eager to watch me leave Iv’s house. I’m sorry to disappoint you. I’m going to clean your room with her and even stay back to have dinner. You don’t mind it, right?” Jonah smiled gently. His voice was very charming. Listening to him would make one feel soothing and comfortable. “Of course not.” Sandy smiled and revealed her pearly whites. “I’m glad you said that.” After that, Sandy helped Ivanka to clean the house inside and out. Meanwhile, Jonah did not just sit there and do nothing. He helped to serve the ladies drinks. He took his task seriously. Sandy was relieved to see this. She was worried that Jonah would adopt the habits of a typical young master, who was picky and not helpful at all. This would be especially bad for Ivanka. After cleaning the house, the three of them became closer.
Ivanka thought for a moment before giving a nod. “You’ll wait for us at home, then. I’ll buy you some daily necessities.” Ivanka explained to Jonah. He could not help but laugh. The corners of his lips curved upward, and he looked approachable. The distance between them drew closer because of his smile. Ivanka was annoyed. “What are you laughing about?” Jonah waved his hands. “You look cute when you explain things to me in such detail.” Ivanka was a little stunned. Meanwhile, Sandy was sensible enough to look away. As the saying went, it was best to ignore things that had nothing to do with her. Sandy did not expect Jonah to be so flirty. Ivanka said nothing. The atmosphere was slightly awkward. Jonah noticed this. He realized that his words had been too flirty and over the board for a friend—Sandy. Jonah said, “Alright. I’m hungry. You may go now and come back early.” It was only then that Ivanka and Sandy left together. When they left, they did not say anything
Before Ivanka burst into anger, Michael interrupted her with a smile that did not reach his eyes. “So, the rest of you are here!” When Sandy saw the “smile” on Michael’s face, she was creeped out. But her concern for Ivanka made her ignore his creepy smile. Sandy looked up at Michael. Her anger overwhelmed his creepy gaze. She blurted out, “Why are you coming over here? Don’t forget that you and Iv are already divorced. Stop pestering her!” In spite of her disdainful remarks, Michael ignored her. He only fixed his gaze on Ivanka. Ivanka was undaunted. “Mr. Barkworth, this is my house, and you have not been invited here. Please stop trespassing on my house.” “Are you threatening me?” Michael drew near to her while asking her back. There was a customary sense of oppression to his tone. Ivanka was overshadowed by his towering height. Nonetheless, Ivanka was not afraid of him at all. Seeing this, Sandy gave her a thumbs up. She thought. “Iv is finally enlightened!” Sa
“That’s none of your business. It’s between me and Ivanka. Mr. Sadler, as the only son of the Sadler family, you should also shoulder the responsibility of passing on the family name. So, mind your own business. I heard that Mrs. Sadler is busy matching you up again. There’s no telling if the other party minds your current situation. “Besides, even if there aren’t any feelings between Ivanka and me, we were once husband and wife. What and who do you think you are?” His speech struck Jonah where it hurt. He, who had always been soft-spoken and refined, was a little dumbfounded. His tone was still calm, without fluctuations. However, Ivanka could just sense that he was angry. It might have been because they had both been rivals for so long. They knew each other too well. It was the same way Michael had never considered Jonah as a serious threat. From the very beginning, Michael never treated Jonah as anyone worthy of his attention. It was just as Ivanka thought. He did not
Michael did not expect her to make such a move. He was silent and heartbroken for a bit.But Ivanka took advantage of the moment when he was not paying attention and just flung the door open.A crash rang out. It was thunderingly loud. Ivanka treated him like an enemy. She did not want to see him at all.Michael stared at the closed door with a taut and cold expression on his face. He stood in the doorway alone for a very, very long time. Inside the house, Ivanka was not in a good state after sending Michael away. She silently went back to her room alone.Jonah and Sandy both tacitly chose not to interfere.But Sandy had to leave first because of some business. Before leaving, Sandy looked at Ivanka’s closed room door and said to Jonah. “Mr. Sadler, Iv isn’t in a good state. You should keep an eye on her first. If anything goes wrong, call me immediately. As for Michael, you must be more forceful. Don’t let her see Michael again!”“Alright.”Jonah smiled and answered, but
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t