Hearing that, the waitress nodded eagerly.Zenith wanted to protest, but Ferris cut him off.“Alright, it’s not the time to argue about this. Let’s see what’s the deal with the message Ivanka had mentioned.”Mandy obliged. With a smug smile on her face, she held up Candice’s phone for everyone to see.The text message sent to Ivanka from Candice’s phone was shown on the screen.“Both witness and evidence point to you, Candice. What do you have to say for yourself?”Ferris was secretly relieved.Due to Ivanka’s disappearance and Candice’s grief, everything went smoothly and was according to plan.Ferris immediately ordered others to tie Candice up and throw her into the cabin.Throughout the whole process, Candice did not struggle or argue with them.“Everyone else will head back to their room immediately. You’re not allowed to discuss this matter further. I have called the cops. Once we reach the port, the police will step in.”The others were reluctant to follow his order,
Michael paused. Even at that moment, he could still remember how anxious and horrified he had been when Ivanka had fallen into the sea and nearly drowned in the cold water.Fortunately, he had managed to save her in time.Michael shut his eyes. When he opened them again, clarity had returned to his eyes.He said, “Later on, you fainted. We both drifted to this place, where the locals saved us. You drank a lot of seawater and hurt your throat, so you need time to recover. This medicine is for your throat. It was a local remedy made from herbs.”As he spoke, he picked up the medicine and wanted to feed Ivanka.But she shook her head and turned him down.She reached out to take the medicine. “I’ll take it myself.”Since she had said that, Michael did not protest, but a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.The medicine tasted very bitter as Ivanka ingested it.Herbal medicine tended to be more bitter than pills. Even Ivanka frowned as she swallowed it.Perhaps the medicine
Just like that, Ivanka rested in the hut for three more days.Throughout that time, Michael was the one who brought her food and medicine.She was not sure how the remedy was made. It was very helpful regardless.Her throat slowly recovered everyday, and her body gradually regained its strength.But Ivanka realized that Michael always had some strange wounds on his body.He kept them covered at all times and refused to let her examine them.When Ivanka asked about the injuries, he would evade her questions.But the situation only lasted two days. His condition improved on the third day.On the fourth day, Ivanka stretched and said as she looked out the window, “It’s sunny today. Let’s go out for a walk.”Michael paused, but he did not say no to her suggestion.When they left the hut, they ran into an old lady.The old lady had a milkmaid’s yoke on her shoulders. She must have just collected water from somewhere.Seeing Michael, she greeted him warmly.Ivanka looked at him
Ivanka pointed to the house and turned to Michael. She asked, “Why is that house different from others?”Michael glanced at the house and snorted coldly.“It’s the village chief’s home.”Ivanka could tell he disliked the village chief, but since he did not elaborate, she naturally refrained from delving into this subject. She nodded, and the two kept on strolling.It was afternoon. One after another, more people left their houses to work.Even from behind, Michael and Ivanka looked like a match made in heaven.People started discussing this matter among themselves.“Are they the outsiders Mdm. Wright found the other day?”“Yeah, the lady is drop-dead gorgeous. I want her to marry my son.”“You wish! She and her man look so good together. Besides, Mdm. Wright has a son herself. You won’t stand a chance!”“Hey, stop running your mouths. Don’t forget that…”Before the person even finished, a shrill voice rang out. “Look good together?”Everyone looked toward the source of th
Even Anais, who hated her, had to admit that Ivanka was beautiful.Her beauty was unlike anything seen around here. It was rare, extraordinary, and one in a million.Ivanka casually took Michael’s hand, which made him grin. He tightened his grip on hers when he realized what she was doing.Ivanka looked straight at Anais and said, “Well, like this.”Anais became livid. She snapped her whip, and the sharp crack echoed through the air.Neither Ivanka nor Michael flinched. Both stood tall. They were unshaken and defiant.Anais raised the whip again and aimed it at Ivanka. The crowd tensed, and many shut their eyes. They were unwilling to witness the young, beautiful woman being hurt.Just before the whip struck, Michael caught it.Blood began dripping from his hand as it soaked through his fingers.Anais tried to yank the whip back, but Michael held on firmly. He refused to let her strike Ivanka again.Anais looked at him with a mix of hurt and disbelief. It was as if Michael wa
After Ivanka left, everyone began discussing the incident.“Did Ivanka really just stand up to Anais?”“Looks like it.”“I was so nervous for her. I thought Anais was going to lose it and attack her. But after what happened, the village chief probably won’t let them off easily.”“Who knows? Let’s just hope they’ll be okay.”Ivanka was not concerned about how her words might have shaken Anais or what others were saying. She focused on supporting Michael as they returned to the straw hut.On the way, Michael leaned against her, using his injuries as an excuse for his difficulty walking.Despite his efforts to lighten the load, Ivanka still found it physically tiring to support his five-foot-eleven frame.She said exasperatedly, “You hurt your hand, not your legs. Do you really need to lean on me like this?”Michael did not retort. He merely muttered something about how badly he was injured.Ivanka sighed but did not say more. She continued to support him as best as she could.
Ivanka could not help but think about Candice and the others.The company was probably in chaos. Ferris would surely try to take control.That was exactly what was happening.No one had expected such a huge upheaval after the celebration banquet.Ivanka was presumed to be missing after falling into the sea. Everyone blamed Candice for pushing Ivanka into the sea. As a result, Candice became the prime suspect and was being questioned at the police station.The police started investigating and even called the coast guard for help, but they still had not found Ivanka.The night was long and dark. They had searched for 72 hours and covered twelve miles, but there was no sign of her.Everyone knew, deep down, that Ivanka was unlikely to survive.Meanwhile, opinions were divided on whether Candice had actually harmed Ivanka.In the office, some people said, “It had to be Candice. The evidence is all there. Who else could it have been? She probably wanted to take over. Too bad Ms. Iv
Ivanka had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen.She told Michael about it, but he just shrugged and said, “Don’t overthink it. There’s no point in worrying right now. Just think of it as a vacation.”Ivanka did not argue further. She lowered her head and continued chopping the vegetables.A heavy atmosphere settled between them.These vegetables were picked a few days ago with Mdm. Wright. The wild greens here are delicious when served cold.Michael was chopping firewood nearby.He was quick to learn and picked up new skills easily.In just a few days, he was already doing it well.Each of them had their own tasks, and life was going well.To Ivanka, the only silver lining in this unfortunate situation was that Anais had not come to cause trouble again.In a way, it was nice to have some peace and quiet.Ivanka and Michael were even planning when they might steal the compass and make a run for it.However, someone oblivious had to show up.That morning
Still, Ivanka made a show of reaching out to help Chiara up.Her tone, however, remained clear and unmoved. “Begging me won’t change anything. I’m not Jonah. If you’re going to plead with someone, it might as well be him.”“But he listens to you.” That was why she had to ask her to do it.Ivanka frowned. “Jonah isn’t some little pet I raised. He’s not going to do whatever I say. Melanie, you’re oversimplifying everything. You should really be focusing on how to lock down your next deal and solidify your footing in the Levine family. That’s what matters now. We should order something before a server walks in and sees you like this. That wouldn’t look good, don’t you think?”With that, Ivanka let go of her hand.Chiara had never intended to actually stay kneeling anyway, especially not after Ivanka reached out to help her up. The moment had played its part.She was not going to give up just yet.“Iv, could you at least bring it up to Jonah for me? I… There’s a show at Springvale
Seeing Ivanka about to leave, Chiara quickly got up to block her path.Ivanka smiled and said, “I don’t need anything from you. I really do have something to take care of, so let’s have the meal another time.”“But your schedule is always packed. If I want to see you again, it’ll be nearly impossible. Iv, didn’t you say we’re good friends? Are we not even close enough to share a simple meal?” Chiara drew in a breath. Her voice was laced with disappointmentHer eyes were already turning red.“Hmm, I noticed this cafe serves light meals too. Let’s just eat here.” Since she had not openly fallen out with Chiara yet, and Chiara was so insistent on putting on another act, walking out at that moment would only make her seem like a bad friend.“Iv, they only serve light meals here. I was hoping to treat you to a proper dinner. I... Actually, I was wondering if you could do me another favor?” Chiara asked tentatively.The fox finally showed her tail.No wonder she had laid it on so thic
Chiara lowered her head. “Iv, things have been really difficult for me in my family. Because of your introduction, I got the chance to meet Jonah. You talked about bringing a friend along last time, but neither of them ended up working with me. If I can’t land a deal soon, I’m afraid…”Her voice filled with hesitation, grievance, and sorrow. She sighed.“Aren’t you presenting yourself as Jonah’s fiancee these days?” Ivanka replied coldly. Seeing her act so meek and pitiful, Ivanka sneered.Since she was publicly claiming to be Jonah’s fiancee, surely the Levine family would not be treating her so poorly.“I am, but it’s all fake. And now that you’re back, do you really think Jonah would still let me keep playing as his fiancee?”The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she sounded. Tears even rolled down her cheeks.Ivanka only found the sight nauseating.Chiara’s acting had really reached a masterful level. Honestly, it was such a waste of talent that she was not in showbiz.“Ev
Jonah was the Sadler family’s primary heir.If he was incapable, how could he and Michael have made it onto the list of Bostone’s most sought-after elite bachelors?Hearing him say such things, Ivanka felt horrible.“Jonah, I’m really not as great as you think I am. With everything you have going for you, it’d be very easy for you to find a beauty who loves you. I’ve got things to take care of today. I have to go.” As she said that, she pushed Jonah away.If she kept talking to him like so, it would only make things worse. His emotions were already unstable. If he really did something reckless, it would become a scar neither of them could ever erase.She was set on leaving. Jonah had no way to stop her.He could only ask about her plans for the next day. “Will you be coming by around the same time?”“I’ll come in the afternoon.”Since she was back in Bostone, some matters at Lane’s Group needed her attention.At that point, there was no way she could ask Jonah to move in wit
Realizing Jonah was losing control, Ivanka quickly removed the medication from his body.Her voice was calm. “Jonah, your emotions are very unstable right now. You need to rest. I’ll carefully consider the next step of your treatment.”She turned to leave, but how could Jonah possibly let her go?The moment he reached out to grab her, Ivanka swiftly stepped aside.However, Jonah did not give up.In a moment of desperation, he pushed himself off the bed, only to crash to the floor with a heavy thud.The sound froze Ivanka in her tracks.When she turned around and saw Jonah on the floor, she rushed to his side. “Why would you do this to yourself, Jonah? Please calm down and think about it. Everything I’ve said to you is the truth. Even if we could get married without caring what they think, what about later? What about our future children? Would they have to grow up being treated differently too?”She had seen the end of her marriage to Michael long before it arrived. That was wh
Margaret let out a disdainful laugh. The corners of her mouth curled in contempt. Coupled with the look of disdain in her eyes, her contempt for Ivanka was as clear as day.Ivanka could tell Margaret was trying to provoke her, but she did not take the bait. “I don’t need to go crying in front of Jonah. If I really wanted something, do you honestly think you could stop him from giving it to me?”People in love usually lost all reason.Jonah had proven how stubborn he could be when it came to her. If she so much as hinted at something, he would do it without hesitation. In fact, he would get it done immediately if it meant proving his love to her.She just did not want Jonah to be rejected by his own family. Plus, she had no real expectations when it came to love. If she had cared that much, she would have made her move long ago.To Margaret, Ivanka’s words sounded like clear provocation, so she was not about to back down. “As long as I’m still alive, you really think I’d let so
In the face of Laura’s meltdown, Ivanka’s words seemed a bit smug.She was doing it on purpose.“You! Ivanka, how can you be so shameless as to say such things? Are you still a woman?” Laura’s hand, which was pointing at her angrily, trembled uncontrollably.Laura’s tears fell like a snapped pearl necklace. Ivanka laughed in a low voice. “Of course I am, otherwise how did I become the one Jonah wakes up to every day? Laura, since things have come to this, you’d better hurry home and stop embarrassing yourself here.”“What’s the point of chasing after someone who doesn’t like you like this?”She acknowledged Laura’s persistence toward Jonah. But insisting too much would turn into clinginess. Jonah’s dislike and disdain for Laura was clear. He never once gave Laura a chance. Even so, Laura refused to give up.Sometimes she did not think thoroughly before doing things. “Whether there’s a point to it is not for you to say!”Laura was still persistent.But the next second, Iva
It would not have been nice for Ivanka to be present during Jonah’s conversation with his mother. The Sadler family’s house was large. She went directly to the grass field outside.Margaret had a Golden Retriever. When Ivanka saw the maid bring it out to play, she immediately squatted in front of the Golden Retriever. The Golden Retriever was very gentle and did not bite. Margaret saw the Golden Retriever wagging its tail at Ivanka. The gesture was clearly a sign of fondness and affection for Ivanka.Even the dog liked Ivanka, and she still did not like her. Could she really be the problem?Margaret began to contemplate and reflect on herself. As she was trying to approach Ivanka, someone had already walked up to Ivanka first.This person was no other than Laura, who she had once hated.When Laura saw the cozy scene of a person and a dog. She instantly rushed to Ivanka. “Ivanka, you’re so despicable. You won’t even spare a dog. Are you planning to drug it too?!”Ivanka kept
However, Jonah seemed to have heard some hilarious joke. “Do you really mean well? Do you mean well by trampling on my feelings?“You said everything started because of Ivanka. Why don’t you say it all started because of you?”Jonah let out another rhetorical question.He was extremely emotional.Margaret could not bear to watch him like this. She roared, “Enough, don’t think that I’ll compromise and stop interfering with you guys if you are like this!”Jonah laughed slowly. “Then what you said before was nonsense. Since I can’t get what I want, what else is left if I cure these legs?“You really don’t get it. You think that I’m driving you to your grave when it’s the opposite. Then what kind of mother-son bond is there between us to speak of?”At the end of Jonah’s speech, the mockery at the corner of his was extraordinarily obvious. His eyes even seemed determined.Margaret sensed it.“Are you going to cut ties with me for Ivanka?” Margaret found it incredulous. When she ask