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
When Mdm. Wright heard that, she asked in discomfort, “Why do you care? It’s none of my business.”Michael just smiled. Mdm. Wright had been distracted since she arrived here. She still cared about Doska in the end.He was her last remaining relative, after all. Mdm. Wright’s sons and daughters had died one after another, leaving behind only this one grandson. It would be a lie to say that she did not care.It was just all to keep her pride. By the grace of Mdm. Wright, he would let him off the hook once when he met Doska on the field. But if Doska repeatedly provoked him or tried to get in his way… Then he would not care who he was.With that, Michael tidied up and prepared to enter.Before he was about to go in, Michael looked toward Ivanka quickly.By that time, Ivanka had already stood very obediently next to Anais.When she saw Michael look over at her, Ivanka gave him a small smile.“Take care of yourself.”Michael had mouthed those words to her.Ivanka smiled. “B
“So, Mdm. Wright, even if we go back, Michael and I won’t forget you, nor will we forget this place.”Mdm. Wright’s body froze visibly.Ivanka spoke to her heart. She spoke to the most vulnerable, most profound part of her heart.To put it bluntly, the old lady was also afraid of being alone in her old age.Ivanka continued, “If conditions permit, we will come back to see you, or we can pick you up and take you out for a few days.”Mdm. Wright said nothing as she held back her tears.She was afraid that she would cry the moment she opened her mouth. Ivanka affectionately took Mdm. Wright’s hand. She looked at Mdm. Wright with eyes that twinkled like stars in the sky.“Mdm. Wright, give Michael and I a local name for this place.”“Alright…”Mdm. Wright could not hold back her tears any longer.The warm liquid dripped onto Ivanka’s arm. It was so warm that it felt like it was burning her skin.Ivanka took out a tissue and gently wiped away the tears off her beloved Mdm. Wrig
“The question struck my mind at this moment.” Michael did not trust Ivanka’s statement. When she asked him that question, she looked serious. She did not look like she asked it spontaneously; she seemed to have prepared it a long time ago. Michael thought about it carefully before answering her. “You’re serious, bold, smart, and beautiful.” Ivanka had many excellent qualities. Her beauty was unquestionable, yet it was the least worth mentioning. She nodded. After that, she looked up and stared at Michael. Her gaze was so razor-sharp as if she could pierce him through her gaze alone. She said, “I’m not some sort of a delicate, rich young lady. We’re currently facing a situation that is unfavorable to us. If we want to return to our homeland, it’s going to take more than your effort alone to get back, it’s going to take us all working together. Since you mention we’re a team, why can’t I contribute to our team?” Michael’s lips parted, but no words came out of his mouth.
Michael grabbed Ivanka’s hand and wanted to leave together. He could not bear to watch Ivanka suffer. But Ivanka stood motionlessly in place and stared at Anais. Meanwhile, Anais recovered from her shock and gave Ivanka a strange look. Then she asked skeptically, “Have you made up your mind? Are you sure you’re not kidding me?” Michael was about to answer her, but Ivanka interrupted, “Yes. I’m very certain about it. Can we register now?” Anais raised her head proudly. “Of course.” Right after she finished her sentence, she gave the registrar a look. The registrar naturally did not want to mess around with the troublemaker, so he instantly added Michael’s name to the list. After Michael’s name was added to the list, it was only then that Ivanka heaved a sigh of relief. She turned around and realized that Anais was staring at her. Ivanka was undaunted. She met her eyes. Anais moved her lips silently to say, “I’ll wait for you.” After that, she gave Ivanka a profound
The moment Candice saw Mandy, she instantly recalled the night Ivanka and Michael fell into the sea. She knew Mandy and Ferris were the main culprits behind it all. At that moment, Candice had the urge to tie them up and toss them into the sea so that they would sink underneath. It seemed to be the only way to get rid of her hatred toward the duo. Unfortunately, she could not take action just yet. Mandy moved in front of Candice and removed her sunglasses. Then, she raised her chin and asked the security guard, “What’s with all the noises?” The security guard listened to all her whims and said, “This mad woman is being so unreasonable and insists on entering the building. She said she’s the project director of the company.” Upon hearing this, Mandy looked like she finally noticed Candice’s presence. Without caring much less about the hatred and disgust in Candice’s eyes, Mandy cradled her mouth and pretended to look surprised while saying, “Oh, no! Aren’t you the project di
With that belief, Candice returned to Lane’s Group. Rosie suggested going with her, but Candice shook her head and rejected Rosie. Candice said, “Grandma, don’t worry. Just leave them to me. I can handle them. You can stay at home in peace.” After Candice finished her sentence, she smiled at Rosie and left. Rosie was worried, and she watched Candice until she disappeared at the end of the building. The driver turned around and comforted Rosie, “Mdm. Barkworth, don’t worry. Although Ms. Lane isn’t around the company, her prestige stays within. Candice won’t need to suffer much.” In spite of the driver’s comforting words, Rosie still frowned deeply. “I’m worried that the people’s hearts have changed,” Rosie murmured, as if both talking to herself and replying to the driver. As Rosie had expected, the moment Candice reached downstairs, she faced an issue. Candice was about to enter the inside of the building after passing the biometric facial recognition system, but the
Anais’s gaze was filled with obsession while staring at Michael. After not seeing him for a few days, he was still as good-looking as ever. No matter how calm and composed Anais was, her heart always skipped a beat whenever she saw him. Michael had gotten a bit tanned. This suited Anais’s preference even more. Anais stood next to the crowd and said indifferently, “I can help you with the registration.” The crowd turned in the direction of her voice and saw Anais staring at Michael and Ivanka calmly. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of teasing. Michael frowned. He subconsciously wanted to reject her. Anais’s gaze was unfriendly, especially when she rested her gaze on Ivanka. She looked as though she wanted to ask for some request in return. As Michael expected, Anais pointed at Ivanka and sneered, “But I have a request. I need her to stay by my side throughout the Heroes Meeting. She’ll be my follower.” Meanwhile, Rosie bailed Candice out of the police station. The mome
After some time, Mdm. Wright turned around and entered the house. A hint of disappointment flashed across Ivanka’s eyes. Michael sensed her depression. He tightened his grasp to cheer her up wordlessly. Ivanka’s glum mood quickly faded. She had always been like that. She had experienced falls, suffered heartbreaks, and encountered hurdles when facing setbacks in life. But she always recovered from them. She carried so much burden on herself to the extent that she could hardly take a break. Michael admired her for that. At the same time, his heart ached for her. “Never mind. I’ll find other ways out. But our relationship with Mdm. Wright may end here,” Michael looked at Ivanka while comforting her in a whisper. Ivanka nodded and looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled, and she looked calm as if she was unaffected even the slightest bit. “It’s okay. We aren’t on the same path from the beginning, after all.” Michael knew that she was a little sad in spite of her sentence
They supposed they would not be able to see such a scenic starry sky again. The next day, Michael woke up early in the morning. He dressed up to attend the Heroes Meeting. But he could not open the door. Then, Mdm. Wright showed up in the compound. Her face was devoid of any expression. She looked very calm, and her tone was flat as she said, “Stop wasting your energy. I’ve locked the door. The key is with me.” With a frown, Ivanka turned to her. Her gaze was questioning. Mdm. Wright sighed. “I know you haven’t given up on it. You insist on attending the Heroes Meeting, but it’s too dangerous. Besides, our village’s fate depends on the Sonder fish. I can’t just sit there and watch you guys take it away from us. “The registration for the Heroes Meeting will end after noon. Until then, you’ll stay around with me.” Before this, Ivanka had thought of Mdm. Wright stopping them. But she did not expect Mdm. Wright to use such a forceful and extreme method to stop them. Ivanka’