Michael nodded. “I need some air. It’s suffocating in here.”“Alright.”Ivanka decided not to argue further.As they stepped outside, a cool breeze hit them. Ivanka tossed him a light blanket. “It’s a bit chilly. Take this if you’re going out.”Michael had been upset that she let Jonah stay, but her thoughtful gesture comforted him.Perhaps listening to Ivan and Xander was not so bad after all.“Sure,” Michael said with a nod.Ivanka had hoped that giving him the blanket would make him give up on the walk. But no, he still wanted to go.She gave up and just let him be.After walking a bit, she grew worried. “I think you’re overthinking it. I’ll bring you to another check-up tomorrow.”She suspected that Xander had fabricated the report. With Michael’s demands added to it, everything about the situation felt off.“If you’re that worried, we can go get it now. No need to wait.” Michael went along with her suggestion.He stopped and looked at her intensely.Ivanka met his gaz
Michael: Thanks for letting me stay and for going out for a walk with me today when I insisted. I couldn’t bring myself to say this in person, but I didn’t want to leave with regrets. My days with you have been amazing.Ivanka felt a sharp pang after reading those words.Things would not have ended like this if he had said this sooner.She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She did not reply and instead opened the next message.Jonah: Iv, can you come by tomorrow? My legs are hurting badly. I’m worried it’s getting worse.She knew Jonah would not lie about something like this just to get her to come over, especially with how much Margaret hated her.She could not help but worry.Ivanka: I’ll come first thing in the morning.Right after she sent the text, Jonah called.He asked gently over the phone, “Why aren’t you asleep yet? Did Michael bother you?”Jonah stayed at her place for two reasons. The first was to treat his leg, and the second was to stop Margaret and
Michael let out a long sigh.He looked at Ivanka. His eyes were misty and carried a hint of helplessness.Ivanka, however, was not moved by his expression. She replied indifferently, “Mr. Barkworth, don’t you have faith in yourself? Even if something happens, you’ll be fine. You can call Evan or Xander. You’ve been taking your medication, and I’ve been helping with your treatment—”Before she could finish, he interrupted her. “I’m afraid of dying!”Ivanka noticed that his voice was calm, but his gaze revealed a hint of panic.She hesitated, unsure how to respond to his vulnerability. After a moment, she pursed her lips and said, “If you’re afraid of dying, why did you protect me? Michael, don’t you see how you contradict what you’re saying before this?”Michael just wanted Ivanka to stay. He hoped she would pity him.He had said those words without thinking, which made Ivanka question him. But he did not panic. He explained, “Spending time with you, whether it’s eating, walkin
Ivanka was at a loss as she looked at Michael’s pale face. Michael was obviously doing this on purpose, at least to some extent.But she could not let him keep deluding himself.“Jonah said his leg hurts. It might be getting worse. I need to check on him.” She did not plan to argue and kept her tone steady.Michael frowned when she mentioned Jonah. “What? Doesn’t the Sadler family have a doctor? Or have they fallen so low they can’t afford one?”Ivanka froze. His harsh words took her aback. But she was already used to it. It was a good thing Jonah was not here. Otherwise, they would start fighting again.She pursed her lips and said, “Can you watch how you speak? Your words are harsh. You know the accident happened. He didn’t guilt-trip me, but I can’t ignore the fact that it happened because of me.”Michael’s expression changed from annoyance to worry. “His mom doesn’t even like you. Are you really going just to get scolded?”Margaret’s face came to mind.She understood
Ivanka smiled faintly in return.Jonah’s words felt sincere.She knew she had not come to Jonah’s room just for a visit.She quickly looked away and nodded at Jonah. “Come here, let me see your leg.”Jonah suggested, “Let’s go to the balcony. The weather’s nice today.”“Alright.” Ivanka agreed.She placed her hands on the wheelchair handles and pushed him toward the balcony.Jonah spoke softly, “Are you sure you don’t fancy anything here?”Ivanka shook her head. “Everyone has a childlike side. But at my age, I’m focused on my career. I don’t even have time to organize my place. If I took your things, they’d just end up being neglected.”Jonah disagreed. “That wouldn’t be neglect. You could use them as decorations. They’d look great.”Ivanka gestured toward him. “First, roll up your pant cuffs. I’ll check those later.”“Okay.”Jonah quickly rolled up his pant cuffs as she instructed.Ivanka reached out and placed her hand on his leg.Jonah tensed when he felt her cool, sof
She looked aggrieved and said, “Jon, I only barged in because I care about you. Don’t you see? This wretch is the one who caused all of this. If it weren’t for her, you wouldn’t have ended up like this!”Laura pointed at Ivanka as she spoke.Ivanka was not about to let Laura act so recklessly. She slapped Laura’s hand away and smirked. “Who are you calling a wretch?!”“You! I’m calling you a wretch!” Laura shouted. Her face was red with anger.Ivanka laughed. “Well, Ms. Laura, don’t you think you’re describing yourself?”Laura froze. She realized Ivanka had turned her words against her. Her face flushed with embarrassment.She lost it. Ivanka’s smugness around Jonah pushed her over the edge. In a burst of rage, she lunged at her.Ivanka easily stepped aside. Laura missed.Laura tried again, but this time, Ivanka grabbed her wrist.Ivanka twisted her wrist with a little force. A crack followed.Laura’s eyes widened in panic. “Ivanka, what did you do to me?”Ivanka sneered. “C
“Get lost!”Before Laura could say another word, Jonah snapped at her with a frown.His expression was cold and stern. He looked furious.It was the first time Jonah had ever scolded Laura like this. Even when he did not like her before, he always showed her some respect, whether in private or in front of others. But at that moment, he was yelling at her in front of everyone, especially Ivanka, the person she hated most!In an instant, Laura lost her composure and started sobbing loudly. “Jon, how can you treat me like this? I’ve devoted myself completely to you! I’d die for you. What could this divorced woman do for you?”She then added hysterically, “She’ll only hurt you if she stays with you. She brings you nothing but trouble. She even made you turn against Margaret. What’s so great about Ivanka?”She knew she might not be the smartest, but she was not stupid. She could tell how much Margaret hated her, how Jonah kept his distance, and how he looked at her with disgust at t
Ivanka realized a bad phenomenon. When she inserted the syringe into Jonah’s skin, blood began to ooze out of it. Ivanka instantly took measures. She wiped away his blood with a cotton ball before inserting the syringe into his skin again. He did not bleed a lot, so she continued to administer the medicine. Although it was a natural phenomenon, it had never happened before whenever she gave him a jab in the past. Ivanka observed his condition while giving him the injection. She pressed his calf and asked with concern, “Do you feel pain?” Jonah shook his head. “I feel something, but it doesn’t hurt.” The pain which he felt was most likely a nerve reflex. This complication could be due to the pain he felt when the weight of the car fell on him during the car accident together with the treatment given after the surgery. Based on Jonah’s current situation, Ivanka had to follow up on him closely. “As for your mom, you need to ensure that she won’t show up at this time. I
“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