She dragged Michael over to the couch.Michael did not understand her intentions, but seeing Ivanka angry made him feel satisfied.Because he saw it. Ivanka was angry because of him. That showed that she still cared about him. That meant he still had…“Michael, are you seriously smiling? Do you have any idea how critical your condition is right now? One wrong move, and you could rupture your artery and die on the spot! Now, lie down properly!” Seeing the grin on Michael’s face, Ivanka was furious.Her frustration was palpable, but Michael grabbed her hand and asked, “If my condition is so bad, why are you telling me to lie on a couch instead of a proper bed? Don’t you think I deserve something a little more comfortable?”Michael understood what Ivanka meant. He continued to smile and questioned her. Ivanka rolled her eyes at him. “Lie down now. I’m calling Xander to have you transferred to the hospital immediately. Don’t worry, this time, it won’t be the ER. I’ll have Evan arran
Michael was not going to let her leave.He grabbed her hand tightly and refused to let her go.As Ivanka tried to shake him off, her fingers brushed against his wrist. She felt his pulse.It was weak and irregular.Xander’s warnings flashed through her mind along with the vivid memory of Michael throwing himself in front of a bullet for her.In the end, her tone softened. “Michael, what am I supposed to do with you? Your stubbornness is doing you no good at all.”She was worried that Xander’s warning of the worst-case scenario would become a reality.Ivanka sighed. “Just lie down and rest, okay? Stop running around for now. I’ll let you stay here, but we need to set a few ground rules.”The next moment, she reached out to help steady Michael.They were married once after all. Plus, he had stood up for her in front of Margaret earlier. She could not just let him, weak and on the verge of collapsing, leave her place in such a condition.Noticing her softened attitude, Michael w
Michael remained silent, but a wave of bitterness surged in his chest.He had not expected his heartfelt words to be dismissed by Ivanka as ridiculous.But what could he say? For the time being, he had to follow the plan Ivan and Xander had laid out for him. He would take things slow with her. As long as he could stay by her side, their past as a married couple still gave him a better chance to be with her than Jonah.He finally nodded and agreed. “Okay.”Seeing him agree, Ivanka turned and walked into the kitchen.Jonah had been forcibly taken away. He only began to resist fiercely once he was in the car. He disregarded his condition and tried to maneuver his wheelchair out of the vehicle. Even if it meant falling out of the wheelchair entirely, he was determined to return to Ivanka.Margaret, however, stared at him coldly. “You worked so hard to maintain your dignity in front of Ivanka just now, and now you’re throwing it all away to chase after her? Do you really think you
Back at the office, after handling an urgent case, Sandy called Ivanka. “Michael hasn’t been bothering you again, has he?”“Jonah’s mom took her away. Michael’s here now.” Ivanka chose to be honest.On the other end of the line, Sandy could hear a range hood running in the background.Her face immediately darkened. She had not expected Michael to still shamelessly linger after everything that had happened. However, what infuriated her even more was Ivanka’s kindness toward him.Sandy, seething with frustration, abruptly ended the call without another word. She stormed to her feet. At the door, Anna stepped in and blocked Sandy’s way. “You’re going to see Ivanka, aren’t you?”“Of course I am! She’s driving me crazy. I couldn’t stop her last time, and if I don’t stop her now, she’s just going to fall for Michael’s tricks again!”Sandy’s tone was sharp. Her irritation was bubbling over as she thought about Ivanka’s lack of resolve.Anna held onto her arm and said, “Sandy, between
At the mention of Ivan, Sandy’s expression darkened instantly. “What about me and Ivan? This has nothing to do with him!”Her tone was sharp, fueled by her frustration with Ivan’s behavior. Just hearing his name and the thought of him soured her mood.Anna chuckled. “I’m just drawing a comparison. Ivan came to me for help, and I’m sure he’s asked Iv, too. But neither of us interfered too much in your situation with him. Because when it comes to relationships, outside meddling doesn’t help. If two people are meant to be together, they’ll find their way. And if they’re not meant to be, like you and Ivan, with your crystal-clear attitude, how could we possibly match the two of you?Sandy had to admit Anna made a good point.However, Michael was still a problem.Seeing Sandy fall silent, Anna added, “Everyone deserves a second chance. Michael and Chiara never had anything real between them. If Michael is genuinely repentant and serious about making amends, it wouldn’t be a bad thing
“Hurry up and eat. I still need to clean up, and I’ve got a lot to deal with tomorrow.” Ivanka urged Michael after he answered.The next second, Michael began coughing uncontrollably. He had choked.Seeing that, Ivanka quickly leaned over to pat his back. Mindful of his injuries, she kept her movements gentle.When he finally managed to catch his breath, she handed him a glass of water.“Feeling better now?”Michael nodded and thanked her. “Thank you. Honestly, if it were anyone else, I doubt they’d be as attentive as you. I know you’re not thrilled about me staying here. How about this, I’ll have Evan buy the place next door. When you’re home from work, you can stop by to help with my treatment. How does that sound?”As Michael spoke, his gaze was fixed intently on Ivanka. There was even a faint trace of humility in his tone.His unrelenting stare gave Ivanka the distinct impression that he was determined to keep staying here if she would not agree. Her objections would not c
Ivanka frowned. She stared at him in confusion. “Why can’t Evan come over to help? I’m not your full-time caretaker. I have my own things to do and my personal life.”Michael’s expression turned serious. His voice was firm. “Evan’s a man.”She stared at him, incredulous. Was he serious?She glared at him. “Aren’t you a man too?”Michael, however, made a clear distinction. “It’s different with me and Evan.”The moment he said it, Ivanka instantly understood what he meant.Michael was referring to the fact that he was her ex-husband and once lived under the same roof. However, during those three years of marriage, the number of times they saw each other could be counted on one hand.Since they were divorced, there was supposed to be a clear line between them.Michael’s logic was absurd. Not wanting to argue further, Ivanka said, “If you don’t want Evan, then call Xander, or hire a female caregiver. That works too.”Michael rejected the idea. “Xander’s tied up with academic lec
Anna had heard enough and decided not to be the third wheel anymore. “Since you have something to attend to, I shall take my leave first, Sandy.”“Hey, wait…”Sandy wanted to grab Anna, but Anna turned around and left quickly.Ivan was the only person who remained in front of her.Sandy crossed her arms. “Why do you assume that we both will back down together? Also, what are we? Why would I go on a trip with you?”Puzzled, Ivan asked her instead, “Aren’t we friends? Besides, if we’re no longer in charge of this case, why can’t we go on a trip together?”The case they were dealing with was a divorce lawsuit. Although the man was not as rich as Michael, he owned some assets. The woman was a homemaker. Her ex-husband had cheated on her.The man had asked his ex-wife to leave without paying him a penny while also getting child custody. Before the woman was married, she had worked as a secretary. Sandy represented her while Ivan represented her ex-husband.The woman held many pieces
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