“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
“Looks like you really enjoy arguing with me.”Ivan sighed with resignation.Meanwhile, he stepped forward and approached Sandy while still maintaining distance. Sandy frowned. “What do you mean by that? When I took the case, I didn’t know you were hired by my client’s ex. Besides, what’s the point of talking about all this? Do you have anything important to discuss? If not, I’m leaving now.”She and Anna were shopping. Ivan had interrupted them.Sandy detested him!Seeing that she was about to leave, Ivan chased after her. “Why are you leaving? Anna is gone, but I can shop with you.”Sandy stared at Ivan, who caught up to her, with a grim expression. “Aren’t you broke? If you shop with me, can you afford to pay for my things?”Hearing that, Ivan had to address this issue, since he was the one suggesting that they shopped together. “I can’t afford them right now, but I can carry your stuff.“This is why I asked you to drop the case. I’m penniless and need money, but I don’t wan
After Michael hung up the phone, Ivanka started tidying up his room.She initially planned to let him stay in a spacious room so that he would not run into furniture when he moved around. Moreover, she was worried that since he grew up with a silver spoon, he might not get used to staying in a small room.The larger room was quite a distance away. It was not really a big deal to Ivanka. On the contrary, she thought that it was a good thing. It was better for them to leave each other alone and coexist in peace. But Michael did not like this arrangement.He said that if they were too far apart, Ivanka would not be able to learn about Michael’s condition should anything happen.Ivanka was quite bewildered. What was the worst that could happen?“Given your condition, I don’t need to keep monitoring you. There won’t be any issues.” She crossed her arms and looked at Michael casually. She wanted to see what other excuses he could come up with.Michael did not plan to make any excuses
Michael stared at Ivanka greedily and hungrily. She knelt before the coffee table with slightly disheveled hair. There was an air of sensibility, restraint, and passion in her beauty. Michael’s eyes traced her eyes to the round tip of her nose. He swallowed reflexively.She was even more beautiful when she focused on doing something. Perhaps he was seeing her through rose-tinted glasses? She was more stunning than ever.Unaware of his thoughts, Ivanka put down the pen and handed the shopping list to Michael. He reflexively looked away and refused to meet her eyes, which puzzled her.Michael turned away and inhaled deeply. After he was certain he had regained composure, he looked back at her and took the list.He looked through the list and picked up the pen to add a few items. It did not take long. Ivanka had gotten almost everything covered.Michael returned the list.Ivanka wondered why he became so considerate all of a sudden. Perhaps there was a catch. When she got the list b
Ivanka’s intention was clear. She wanted him to deal with the young women without getting her involved.But Michael would not let her get away with it.He smiled at her. It sent a chill down her spine. She had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.Ivanka’s fear came true when Michael said to her gently and pleadingly, “Let’s go, my dear wife. Aren’t we going to shop for my underwear?”Stunned, the two young women gawked at each other. For a moment, they were too shocked to excuse themselves and leave.Awkwardness spread among them.He had called her his wife and even mentioned underwear. Anyone would get the wrong idea about their relationship.But the only people feeling awkward were the young women who asked for Michael’s number. Ivanka’s eyes widened with disbelief. She gave an angry bark of laughter.Meanwhile, there was a sly, smug smirk on Michael’s face.“What the heck? She’s his wife but she said nothing when we approached him. She just wants to embarrass
Michael found the worked-up side of Ivanka was adorable.Every time he saw her like that, he would wonder why he had never noticed this side of her before.But it was not too late. He had a chance to make it up to her.They shopped around the food aisles and the fruit section. Ivanka did the picking. Michael did not have anything that he particularly wanted to eat. Once in a while, he would take some items, but they were all Ivanka’s favorite food. No one could say for sure that it was on purpose or just a coincidence.After buying the groceries, Ivanka took Michael to the underwear store.Perhaps it was because of their exchange with the two young women earlier on, Ivanka stopped feeling awkward. She was rather at ease.The strange, romantic tension between them gradually faded.The sales assistant asked who Ivanka was shopping for. She pointed to Michael and let him tell the sales assistant what size he wore.Noticing that Ivanka was not in a good mood, Michael stopped stalli
If this had been anyone else, Michael would not have tolerated such arrogance from Jackie. He would have already beaten him up and coldly told him to get lost.However, Jackie was Vincent’s man.And Vincent was Ivanka’s uncle. For that reason alone, Michael swallowed the anger surging within him.“Let’s go then.”In the end, he conceded. It was not because of Jackie, but because of what Evan had said. He could not just let Ivanka return and find no one waiting for her.However, before leaving, Michael made arrangements. He instructed Evan to leave some men behind, ensuring that the moment Ivanka came back, he would know.He did not intend to withdraw the forces he had sent to rescue Ivanka either....Back in the country, Coco stood in the middle of the room and shouted arrogantly at the servants. “Go get Samuel! Tell him I have something to say!”She was making such a scene that the servants had no choice but to comply.After being informed of the situation, Samuel, upon hea
Coco simply smiled and stayed silent.Samuel had plenty of time to wait her out.Meanwhile, Jackie was also waiting for Michael. If he did not leave within the hour, Jackie would follow Vincenzo’s orders and put him on a plane back to Bostone.Time was running out. Just as Jackie was about to act, Michael’s phone rang. It was Samuel.Samuel had never sounded this anxious and serious before. “Michael, get back here now. Your grandmother collapsed. I took her to the hospital, but she still hadn’t woken up. Coco said that if she doesn’t see you in three days, your grandma will die.”Michael knew Coco was bad news, but he never expected her to strike at such a critical moment.Ivanka was still missing, but Rosie was his family. He could not abandon either of them.But at that moment, he had to choose Rosie.“Okay, I’ll come back now.”He immediately contacted Evan.Evan was his trusted aide. Naturally, he had to stay behind to follow up on any news regarding Ivanka.But Jackie w
Rosie liked Ivanka way more than Samuel. Besides, there was no conflict between the two of them, so why did Rosie’s attitude toward Ivanka suddenly become so frosty?But Rosie simply shot Samuel a cold glare. “Do I need any reason to start hating someone? Anyway, Coco isn’t too bad. I’m going to meet with her and talk to her about the wedding arrangement…”“Wedding arrangement? Who is getting married?”Samuel quickly cut her off. He was utterly flabbergasted and could not believe what he had just heard.Rosie glared at him again. “Coco and Michael are about the same age. Who else is she going to marry? Me? Of course she’s marrying Michael. He’s the only single one in our family.”As she said that, Rosie walked off and left him behind.She looked so determined. Recalling her tone earlier on, Samuel was increasingly certain that something must be very wrong with her.He glanced at the house staff and signaled them to follow Rosie. They immediately obliged.Then Samuel immediate
Before Michael even finished his sentence, Vincent cut him off angrily.He said to Michael with a fierce glare, “Get out of her sight. If I see you anywhere near her, you’ll suffer a fate worse than death!”With that, Vincent turned around and left. His subordinates surrounded Michael soon after.Jackie was leading those men.He was rather straightforward. “Listen, we tolerated you because of Ms. Ivanka. Now that she is in trouble, you’d better listen to my boss and leave within an hour. Don’t piss him off.”Certainly, Michael would not listen to him.But as he insisted on staying, he received a call from Rosie.From the moment he had noticed that something was off with Rosie to after he arrived in Mirvania, he had not received a single call from her. The person he had hired to watch over her had not sent him any messages either.This phone call immediately alarmed Michael.Once he answered, Rosie’s old, frail voice rang out in his ear, “When are you coming back, Mic? I have
Seeing that, Vincent immediately gave Njord and Stella an order without hesitation.“Find out where his hideout is. I want to make him die a terrible death!”His bellow of rage rang out.Njord and Stella noticed his grim expression and the fierce glint in his bloodshot eyes.They had been working for Vincent for many years, but neither had seen him so angry. He was even angrier than the time Stella defamed Ivanka!Naturally, Njord and Stella got to work right away.As for Michael, he could hear the commotion at the front door earlier on. After Vincent left and Evan returned to him, Michael asked before Evan even said anything, “What’s the matter?”Evan replied with a solemn expression, “It’s Vincent. He’s here for Ivanka.”Hearing that, Michael’s face instantly darkened.Ivanka had already left. If Vincent showed up to look for her at that hour, it must have meant that something was up with Ivanka!Michael immediately pulled the blanket off himself and tried to get out of bed
Mr. George intercepted Ivanka at the hotel entrance.He had brought some men with him. Ivanka narrowed her eyes.Before she said anything, Mr. George smiled and said, “Greetings, Ms. Lane.”“What’s the meaning of this, Mr. George?” Ivanka knew what he was clearly up to when he brought so many men with him to intercept her. But she was not afraid.Mr. George’s smile broadened. “You’re a smart girl. I just want to befriend you, and I need your help with something. Do you mind going to the Middle East with me?”He had a plastic grin on his face as he said that.It was very fake.Ivanka knew the underlying meaning of his “invitation”. If she refused, then this “invitation” would turn into kidnapping.He would order his men to take her to the Middle East by force.Clearly, Mr. George no longer had reservations about offending Vincent.Ivanka immediately chuckled. “Do you think I’m here on my own?”“I never assumed that,” Mr. George smiled as he replied slowly.He stepped forwa
As Michael asked this question, he looked over at Ivanka with his dark eyes.At that moment, he seemed very serious.The firm and determined look in his eyes seemed to imply that he would gladly die for her.Ivanka knew that Michael was in love with her. After all, they had been through so much together.But she still could not get over their unpleasant past.“If you’re actually looking forward to that, then I won’t do it. How about that?” Ivanka snapped and quickly averted her gaze from Michael. After she stopped paying attention to him, she worked a lot faster.Soon, Ivanka started giving Michael a massage and pressing on all the sore spots.Michael did not dare move.It was mostly because he did not want her efforts to be in vain.Seeing the serious look on her face, Michael pressed his lips together and said slowly after seconds of silence, “If you can vent your anger by chopping off my limbs, then why not? Besides, you won’t be held accountable for it.”If Ivanka ever wa
The man in front of Sandy sneered again and strode toward her. Other men followed him.When they all approached her at once, Sandy felt a sense of tension.After all, she was alone in the basement parking lot and facing a bunch of hostile men.“How dare you!”Sandy clenched her fist and shouted at them in a steely voice.“Do you know who I am? I’m Ivan York’s girlfriend—Ahh!”Before she even finished, someone knocked her out from the back with a bat.Then they put a gunny sack over her head and tossed her into a van.…In a hotel near Kingzillion Casino, Evan brought Ivanka some food and milk tea when he came back.Of course, he bought them because Michael had told him to.Michael thought that Ivanka would not throw these things into the trashcan right in front of him and Evan.But Ivanka glanced at the food and knew that it was Michael’s idea.As an assistant, Evan would not ask around to figure out what she liked.When Ivanka did not take the food and drink, Evan said t
Since Robin’s dad had chosen a criminal defense lawyer who would represent him for free, he would not agree to switch lawyers.It would be hard for Ivan to persuade him unless Sandy backed down willingly.But based on her current attitude, she was not going to do that.She was such a difficult woman!“You’re asking me to talk to his dad? You might as well tell me to keep persuading you. Given the situation, you know full well that the man can’t be convinced.”As he spoke, Ivan heaved a long sigh.Sandy ignored him.Soon, the car arrived at Ivan’s law firm.It was time for him to get out of the car, as he said he would.Sandy did not urge him to get out. She hoped that he would not go back on his own words.Ivan noticed that she did not intend to say anything. There was a cold look on her face.Eventually, he summoned up the courage to put his arm around her neck and pull her closer.“I love you, Sandy. I’ll love you till the end of time!”With that, he kissed her hard on t