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
“One more thing, these are my team members. They’ve seen firsthand how you’ve tried to suppress me all the time. A little payback from them isn’t exactly unjustified, don’t you think?”Before Mandy could say anything, Candice turned to the employee and instructed firmly, “Call security. Have them escort her out of the building. Make sure she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Thoroughly check her devices for any company files.”Mandy completely lost her composure and started yelling.“Who do you think you are to treat me like this? You’re just riding on Ivanka’s coattails! Everyone knows how someone so young became CEO. And you? Are you sticking by her? You’re no better than… Argh!”Before Mandy could finish her tirade, Candice delivered a resounding slap across her face.Not far away, Ivanka, who had come out after hearing the commotion to see if she needed to step in, slowed her steps. While leaning casually against a nearby column, she watched Candice handle the
“I understand what you mean now.” Candice’s cheeks flushed with excitement. The gloom that had previously clouded her was swept away.Her joy was genuine. She said, “In three months’ time, I’ll secure this position and prove to you and the board that your decision was the right one.”With that, Candice stood, gave Ivanka a respectful bow, and left the office.Ivanka watched her leave with a smile.All was good.While the two of them were in good spirits, someone else’s mood was far from pleasant.Mandy returned to her office, humiliated, to pack her belongings.If she could turn back time, she might have chosen not to come at all. The shame she endured was beyond anything she could have imagined.Somehow, word of what happened in the conference room had leaked. Perhaps Ivanka had orchestrated it.When she arrived at her office, she was not surprised to see all her belongings stuffed into a tattered, broken box.The box had been placed right outside her office door. It was a
“Mr. Clarke, if you don’t like my decision and want to change it, you’ll have to take my position first to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”With those words, Ivanka coolly left the meeting room.Candice, though initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quickly adjusted to her new role. Turning to Mandy, she said, “Ms. Cruella, please ensure your office is cleared in three days, as I will be moving in.”With that, she too left the room.After they left, the meeting room erupted into chaos, with arguments flying back and forth. However, the outcome was already sealed. Ferris was powerless to change it.Though he still had cards to play, he was not about to waste them on Mandy.Sure enough, by the afternoon, employees spotted Mandy packing her belongings and leaving in disgrace.Candice, though initially satisfied, could not help but feel uneasy. After thinking it over, she decided to speak with Ivanka. And so, at that moment, she was standing in front of the door to t
Ferris was panicking at the moment. He shot Mandy a disappointing and furious glare.It was one thing for her to embezzle funds, it was another for her to get caught.How foolish!Feeling the weight of Ferris’s gaze, Mandy instinctively lowered her head.That only made Ferris more enraged.She had caused all this trouble, and he had to clean up the mess.Ivanka ignored them and turned to the other shareholders. She sharply said, “Tell me, how can someone like her hold the position of project director in our company, yet Candice can’t even be promoted to team leader?”Mandy had been personally hired by Ferris, so Ivanka criticizing her in front of everyone was effectively a direct slap to his face.That naturally made Ferris extremely uncomfortable.His expression turned even darker.“In my opinion, it’s true Mandy shouldn’t have done that, but she’s been in this position for so long. While she doesn’t have achievements, she’s at least put in the effort. How about this, let’s
However, her smile did not reach her eyes.Mandy stood frozen. She was too scared to drink the water or take a seat. Just like that, she was ignored. The atmosphere was awkward. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Ferris for support.Ferris, who was standing near her, cleared his throat and said, “That’s right. Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Cruella is right. This isn’t in line with proper procedures.”Ivanka maintained her enigmatic smile. Her index finger tapped lightly on the table. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind.She glanced around the room. “What do the rest of you think?”She sounded like she was seeking opinions, but the weight of her presence was intimidating. No one dared to answer.Just as Ferris was about to say something, Ivanka picked up Mandy’s report and tossed it onto the floor.It happened too fast. Everyone was stunned by her action. Even Ferris was caught off guard.Mandy’s face turned pale.“Rules are made by people. Besides, Cand
“Please start.” Ivanka nodded. Mandy glanced at Ferris and then at Ivanka. She did not dare to speak.It was obvious that she did not want to offend either side.But she had received a lot of favors being under Ferris over the years, so naturally she did not dare to disobey him.Ferris felt like he was getting the upper hand again, and he was a lot more cheerful. His expression seemed to say, “Look, this is my staff. Look at how they listen to me and not you. You’re nothing much as the chairman. Who are you here, Ivanka?”The anger from before had completely disappeared. He said calmly, “You really don’t get the hint. If Ms. Lane lets you speak, you should just speak.”Although he sounded like he was scolding her, anyone could hear from Ferris’s tone that he was not complaining. He was gloating.Some shareholders did not want to be caught up in the mess and lowered their heads.Others wanted to see where things went.In a way, he was asserting dominance over Ivanka. Everyone wa
Ivanka suggested to Candice to go home and rest.But Candice still refused.She said, “The contract will be done soon. I’ll be able to rest properly and have peace of mind sooner when it’s finalized.”Ivanka relented. She only said that if she felt discomfort in any way, she must tell her immediately.Candice nodded her head and took note.Ivanka gripped the steering wheel tightly. She felt guilty.Candice was already in such a state, but she still insisted on working. Her reason there was not only to repay Ivanka but also to realize her own self-worth.But Ferris kept getting in the way of that report.It was really upsetting.Ivanka also secretly made it a point to get the report passed on that day.The car reached the company. Ivanka went upstairs with Candice together. Ivanka also personally helped Candice to her workstation.Despite Candice’s repeated refusals, Ivanka was very insistent.She wanted to demonstrate to everyone that she had Candice’s back. If anyone wante
Ivanka noticed that the distance between the both of them were a little too close. She moved a little to the side as a form of silent resistance to Micheal’s behavior.Michael only felt lonely for a moment. But he then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.“Candice hasn’t finished giving her statement yet. I know you have to keep her company today, but I don’t agree that you should just sleep here. I’ve booked a hotel in the neighborhood. In a moment, I’ll explain to the people from the police station and send the two of you there.” Ivanka seemed to be a little hesitant.Michael said, “It’s just nearby. It’s about a kilometre away. I’ve reserved two rooms. So, if we need to rush over at night, we can just come over together again. Besides, if you sleep in the lounge for the night, both of you will catch a cold.”Ivanka hesitated and finally nodded.She thanked him and turned to go into the lounge to wake Candice up.Michael’s voice called out from behind her.
The two looked at each other and spoke a name. “Ferris Clark.”“Ferris Clark.” Michael laughed first. Ivanka followed suit. “Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with me. When Candice came, everyone knew I brought her in. When she first came in because she did not have any experience, she was only offered a position as an intern team leader. She thought that she would be transferred to a permanent position after she did a good job. But her report never passed after that. It was stuck in Ferris’s hands. “I will go to the board of directors tomorrow and continue to submit the report. This time it will have to be passed no matter what. I will also take the opportunity to find an excuse to test Ferris. If it’s really him…” Ivanka did not finish speaking, but the ferocity in her eyes made Michael silently pray for Ferris in his heart.Ivanka changed her tone. “But if it’s not someone from Bostone, then we have to consider someone else.”The tacit understanding betwe