Mandy’s once-beautiful makeup was smudged beyond recognition. It was as embarrassing as it could get.They had planned to sneak away unnoticed and find a room to freshen up.Actually, the crowd was immersed in the joyous atmosphere. No one seemed to notice them.However, Candice, always sharp-eyed, spotted them immediately.After Ivanka finished speaking, it was Candice’s turn to address the crowd.She smiled as she stepped onto the stage. She took the microphone and began by expressing her gratitude to Ivanka. Then, feigning surprise, she looked toward the back of the crowd. “Mr. Clark, Ms. Cruella, what happened to you? Why are you in such a state?”The crowd turned to follow her gaze and spot the disheveled duo.At that moment, Mandy wanted nothing more than to strangle Candice.To make matters worse, the lighting technician, mistaking them for special guests, spotlighted them.It threw their embarrassing state into full view.If not for the inappropriate setting, Mandy mi
Michael had just stepped out of the restroom. To get back into the event, he either needed to take the direct route or make a long detour around half the venue.And yet, this woman was shamelessly occupying the passageway. She seemed completely at ease with inconveniencing others.Mandy flushed, not from coyness, but from sheer embarrassment.Thinking back to her earlier assumptions and behavior, she wished she could disappear into the floor.She whispered, “Sorry,” before stepping aside to clear the way.Michael said nothing, but the disdain in his gaze cut deeper than any words could.Mandy watched as Michael walked straight toward Ivanka.Even when Ivanka was not speaking to him, Michael simply stayed quietly by her side.The sight made Mandy’s grip on her wine glass tighten abruptly. Her eyes flashed with intense jealousy.Her emotions, too intense to contain, did not go unnoticed by Ferris.When Mandy snapped out of her thoughts, she realized Ferris was staring directly
Ivanka sneered and thought to herself. “So this is why the fox is suddenly acting friendly toward the hen. Now their intentions are clear.”Mandy, seizing the moment, raised her glass of red wine. Apologizing was not easy for her, but she convinced herself that everything would return to her favor by the end of the night.She forced herself to say it. “Ms. Ivanka, I was out of line before. Let me toast to you. I hope we can put our past grievances behind us. You’re magnanimous. Please forgive me.”Perhaps imagining Ivanka’s downfall later tonight, Mandy’s lips curled into a smile. It carried just enough of an impression of sincerity to make her words seem genuine.Ivanka smiled and said, “Sure. If you want to come back, just go through the interview process. I won’t stand in your way. But whether or not you can return to the company will depend on your own abilities.”Ferris and Mandy’s faces immediately darkened.Ivanka clearly understood they were asking for Mandy’s reinstateme
Ivanka rarely stayed alone after boarding the boat and spent most of her time on the deck.She was curious to see how Mandy would execute her plan if she did not isolate herself.More than that, anyone bold enough to plot against her must be prepared for the consequences.Under the moonlight, Ivanka held her wine glass and downed its contents in one go. An enigmatic smile lingered on her lips.At first, seeing Ivanka remain on the deck and not return to her cabin made Mandy visibly uneasy.What about the surprise she had prepared for her if she did not go back? Mandy, growing increasingly anxious, turned to Ferris. “Do you think she’s noticed something? What if she traces it back to us?” Her face was pale with fear. It seemed like she was traumatized by the lesson Ivanka had taught her.Watching her panic, Ferris chuckled and patted her shoulder. “Stay calm. We’ve been discreet. How could she possibly figure it out? Even if she suspects something, there’s no evidence to prove w
Mandy lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor.When she woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.Could someone please explain why a man was lying beside her?It was not just any man, it was the very one she had arranged to send to Ivanka’s room!Although she could tell she had not been violated, the sight of herself and a man not fully dressed in the same room was a disaster waiting to happen if anyone saw them.Suppressing the urge to strangle the man, Mandy tried to wake him up.However, he too had been drugged and would not wake up no matter how hard she tried.Sweat poured down Mandy’s forehead in large beads.Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway. Like a startled bird, she frantically searched for a place to hide.As the footsteps grew closer, she had no time to think and quickly darted into the closet.Outside, she heard Ferris’s voice accompanied by a woman’s, one she did not recognize.Ferris’s tone dripped with lust. “I’ve missed y
Ferris, irritated by the chaos, opened the door to step out for some air and think of a solution.As soon as he opened it, he came face-to-face with Ivanka.To be precise, she had a group of people with her.Ferris cursed inwardly.Instinctively, Ferris tried to close the door. He knew full well that the mess would reflect poorly on him no matter how it unfolded.However, Candice was not about to let him have his way.It was all part of the plan, after all.Just as the door was about to close, Candice slipped inside.“Oh my!” Candice exclaimed. She covered her mouth with an exaggerated look of surprise.Ivanka feigned confusion and asked, “What’s going on?”She stepped forward as if to check, but Ferris quickly blocked her path.His face darkened. “Just a personal matter, Ms. Ivanka. There’s no need to trouble you with it.” His eyes flicked nervously toward the people standing behind her.If they saw what was inside, things would spiral out of control.Forcing a strained s
There was another version of the story closer to the truth. Allegedly, Mandy had slept with some man in Ferris’ room.Meanwhile, Ferris cheated on her with his female secretary.When the four of them ran into each other, tension broke out.Mandy got jealous and started fighting the female secretary, who was an intern.Ferris could not talk some sense into her, so he had no choice but to leave the room and get a breather.He had not expected to be discovered that way.Of course, Ivanka was partly responsible for this version of the rumor.She would not let Ferris appear faultless and innocent in the rumors.She looked forward to seeing how he explained himself to his wife.In the meantime, after Mandy calmed down in Ferris’ room, she did not dare to face what came next.Ferris had sent the female intern away a while ago. Once he and Mandy cooled down, they realized Ivanka had set them up.Candice’s phone was on the table. She must have dropped it when she eavesdropped on them
On the cruise, Mandy was a little shocked when she saw Michael leap into the sea. She wanted to save him and tossed a lifebuoy off the deck.It was attached to a rope, which meant that if Mandy pulled it, Michael would be dragged onto the cruise.But Michael wanted to save Ivanka, so he put the lifebuoy on her.Mandy hesitated.Ferris had told Mandy that Ivanka knew how to swim. Therefore, Mandy had not intended to let her drown. Of course, it would be ideal if Ivanka drowned. But even if she survived, it would have been a humiliating experience for her.However, Ivanka suddenly had a cramp for some reason and almost drowned in the sea.Seeing that, Mandy thought that she lucked out.Who would have thought that Michael would show up and ruin her plan?“Pull her up!” Michael held onto the lifebuoy and shouted at the people on the cruise.Deep down, Mandy was conflicted.But the commotion had drawn some people from other parts of the cruise.Hearing their approaching footste
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t