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
Right after Ivanka left, Margaret returned. Margaret realized everything when Ivanka drove off. Based on the timeline, she finally figured out the real reason Jonah had told her to handle some work in the company. It was too late for Margaret to call out to Ivanka. Hence, she immediately went to Jonah. She spoke without hesitation, and her tone was harsh. “You wanted Ivanka to come over to you. Is that why you asked me to handle the work in the company?” “Yes.” Since Margaret had figured it out, Jonah had no intention to hide the truth from her anymore. He said, “She’ll come at this time daily in the days ahead. If you don’t want to see her, you can leave. I don’t want to watch her being mistreated.” Jonah said with determination. His eyes were filled with resoluteness. Margaret noticed all this. He had quarreled with her many times because of Ivanka. For that particular instance, he spoke to her mercilessly. Margaret thought she had been acting like a clown all the
It was as though Ivanka and Michael were a loving couple, and Michael had waited for her for a long time. Soon, she recovered her senses. When she saw the delectable food on the table, she could not help but ask with a frown, “Aren’t you not feeling well?” How was it possible for a sick man to prepare a table of food? Michael said, “Evan helped me buy the food. I won’t stay here for free.” “What a waste of his talent.” Ivanka put down her bag. She went to the kitchen and washed her hands. She was famished. She noticed a problem. She saw Michael staring at her while remaining motionless. “Aren’t you eating the food? Why do you keep staring at me?” Michael shook his head. “I’m not hungry. Staring at you alone can make me full. Did Margaret make things difficult for you when you were at the Sadler family’s mansion?” It was rare to see Michael show his concern for her. Although it was too late, Ivanka did not want to argue with him. She treated him as a friend. Wi
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p