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
There was a commotion outside. Doska shouted into the yard with a thick accent, “Ivanka, I’ll definitely come back to marry you during the Heroes Meeting!”Then he screamed in pain.It seemed that Madam Wright had chased him off.When Madam Wright returned, she was muttering to herself. She was probably cursing Doska.Ivanka asked curiously, “Madam Wright, what is the Heroes Meeting?”Madam Wright hesitated. She looked uneasy and glanced at them before sighing. “Did you both hear that?”They did not answer, but their silence spoke for itself.Madam Wright muttered, “I told you Doska was a troublemaker. I told him not to come. Now look at what happened.”Her usually rosy face turned pale. It left Ivanka more confused.Michael was just as confused.Madam Wright sighed again. She looked at them seriously and asked, “Do you really want to know?”Michael looked at Ivanka, and she nodded.Madam Wright locked the yard gate and then walked toward the house.As she walked, she said
Mdm. Wright was so furious that she had a strong urge to drag Doska back and continue to give him a beating.“Outsiders can participate,” she explained. “There’s no rule against it.”Ivanka and Michael exchanged a glance. Without a word, they both knew what the other was thinking.If the Heroes Meeting was so important and meant so much to the village chief, they could use it to ask for the compass.Mdm. Wright hesitated momentarily before continuing, “This competition is meant to find brave warriors. Not only is it incredibly dangerous, but as outsiders, you’ll be targeted more aggressively, especially by Anais. She can’t compete by herself, but she has three older brothers.”Hearing this, they both understood how dangerous it would be for Michael to participate.The competition might allow outsiders, but it would not be fair and would put them at significant risk. It even seemed like a death trap, especially with Anais involved since she was the village chief’s daughter.It al
This must surely be what it meant by family ties were the strongest. Ivanka nodded. Her eyes stung. “It has indeed been a long time since I’ve seen you, Uncle. Why did you ask me here?” Nothing had changed in the casino. There were plenty of people by her uncle’s side. He seemed well and was in high spirits. Even that big Tibetan Mastiff wagged its tail and came up when it saw her. Throughout the whole trip here, Ivanka had thought about it and kept this matter at the forefront of her mind, yet she could not understand and was also anxious. “I can take you back this time because of your mom’s matter. I think there are some things you should know. Knowing will be better than your current situation. I can’t just watch you continue to be influenced by Michael,” Vincent said seriously. At first, Ivanka had said that she wanted to look into it. Also, she meant that there were still some things in Bostone that had not been dealt with. So, he had let her go back. Yet what happe
Regarding Michael’s previous scheme against Njord, he knew Njord was still angry with him. Therefore, when Njord cussed at Michael in front of the crowd, Michael decided to compromise the situation. But since Njord proposed to have a duel with him, he would not allow somebody else’s subordinate to flaunt by overwhelming him. On top of that, he would not allow anyone to look down on him like this. Njord refused to give up. He rose, then charged at Michael and attacked him. Since Michael was able to take him down in the first round, he was able to prevail against Njord again in the second round. As a result, Njord was knocked to the ground. He lost the energy to get up again. Meanwhile, Michael bent slightly in front of Njord. Michael looked down at him and smirked. “I know you’re very angry with me. But you’ve been working under Vincent for so many years, don’t you still get it?” That was, one had to create an opportunity. If one lacked the capital, no matter how great t
By the time Ivanka and Michael got off the plane at Mirvania, it was already 9 p.m. Before boarding the plane, Ivanka had WhatsApped Vincent. Therefore, the moment they got off the plane, Vincent had Njord to pick them up. They saw Njord immediately after getting off the plane. The moment Njord spotted Michael behind Ivanka, his expression instantly turned black. Njord recalled how Michael had schemed him before this. “Why are you coming with Ms. Lane? Ms. Lane, have you hired him as your bodyguard?” Njord cussed at Michael before asking Ivanka. Ivanka was aware of the grudges between Njord and Michael. But since Njord came with a group of people, Ivanka looked solemn and rebuked him, “He’s my friend. Njord, you can’t say that to him.” “Ms. Lane, if he’s truly your friend, I’ll naturally show him my respect. But the truth is, after being with you for such a long time at the casino, how can a person like him be considered your friend?” Njord said without hesitation when ment
“Got it.” Chiara behaved submissively in front of Jonah. Jonah swept her a cool glance and did not reply to her. Their meeting with Margaret had ended up unhappily. Little did they know that right after Chiara left, Laura came. Compared to Chiara, Laura, at least, genuinely loved Jonah, and Margaret knew it. In the past, Margaret did not entertain her. This time, she allowed Laura to enter the house. This gave Laura false hope. She asked, “Aunt Margaret, are you willing to accept me?” “To be frank with you, if not for the fact of Jonah’s current condition, I wouldn’t have accepted you. I’ve only allowed you to enter the house because I’ve some questions for you.” Margaret spoke without hesitation. Her tone was cold. Laura looked at Margaret in puzzlement. “Aunt Margaret, what do you want to ask me?” Laura’s gaze was filled with expectancy. Margaret pursed her lips. Then she said coolly, “You’ve fallen head over heels for Jonah, haven’t you? Since you love him, could
Margaret had always wanted a daughter-in-law. Besides, the girl had to come from a wealthy family. Jonah had done so according to her will and took Chiara home, but Margaret refused to accept her. “I want a genuine couple relationship. What are you guys doing now?” Margaret’s expression was dark and cool. She took a step toward Jonah and did not even glance at Chiara. Chiara knew it was better to fall silent at that moment. Jonah said calmly, “We’re in a genuine relationship. She needs a husband. I need a wife. Would our union cast any doubt?” Melanie had just reunited with her family. Her family did not favor her, and she had to be hidden behind the scenes all the time. As for Jonah, he was a cripple who was bound to a wheelchair. He believed no one would object to the two of them getting together. On top of that, he was just using Chiara. “Indeed, no one will doubt your relationship. But I know what you’re thinking. I don’t mind the fact that you’re using her to stop
Sandy pushed Ivan away. But she still held his flowers in her arms. It was a bouquet of pink roses. Pink was her favorite color. The bag he gave to her contained her favorite food. Ivan had put in extra effort. “Think about it carefully. I’ll come again tomorrow.” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he turned around. Looking at his gifts, Sandy felt a surge of indescribable bitterness in her heart. She did not throw his gifts away. After all, Ivan gave them to her out of his kind gesture. Sandy carried the gifts back to the office. Anna instantly spotted her. Anna raised one of her eyebrows and chuckled. “Did Young Master Ivan give them to you?” Sandy only had Ivan as her male friend. She did not deny it. Nonetheless, Anna noticed Sandy’s dull expression. Anna hesitated first before asking, “Is there any problem between you and Ivan? You don’t look happy. Is your family objecting to your relationship with him?” Sandy and Ivan had always been a quarrelsome but lo
Sandy fell silent. She looked resigned and replied to Ivan honestly, “I can’t possibly allow you to pester me for the rest of my life. My family is urging me to get married soon. With you pestering me, I think I should marry somebody else to end all this once and for all.” “Do you think I would allow that to happen?” While saying this, Ivan took a step forward. His expression darkened. He exuded an intense sense of hostility like the most horrifying creature emerging from hell. Ivan’s murderous look seemed to state that he would go to the extent of stealing the bride at Sandy’s wedding ceremony if he was not the bridegroom that day. On top of that, he gave an impression as though Sandy would either be his bride or a ghost bride. Seeing Ivan in his current demeanor, Sandy did not know if she should laugh or cry. Prior to that, she was worried that Ivan was just using her. At that moment, she finally realized the disparity of status between them. Ivanka had always believed that m
In the past, Ivan did not understand the conflicts between his parents. He thought his mother had been so cruel that she cheated on his father and abandoned him. Later, Ivan learned his mother had not been the one at fault. So, a heartless sc*m like his father was not in the position to rebuke him. If not for his parents, Ivan would not have let himself go wild and had so many girlfriends. Reuben York sounded indifferent. He made himself clear by saying, “You should, at least, marry someone with a clean background and whose parents are still around so that they could assist you—” “Does that mean I need to accept an arranged marriage by you? I’m not your only child, you can instill your way of thinking on your other children!” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he hung up. His expression turned dark. The next moment, he accelerated the speed of his car. He carried a bouquet of flowers and Sandy’s favorite food when he showed up in front of her. For a moment, Sandy was
Ivan had not lived with his mother for a long time. Meanwhile, Sandy was her adopted daughter and the direct heir to her estate. Legally, the necklace could be considered part of that inheritance.Following that logic, Ivan had no right to speak on the matter.But to him, Sandy was just an adopted daughter. He was the biological son. Their separation had been caused by a misunderstanding. Since the truth was out, it was only natural for him to take back his mother’s belongings.If things went to court, it would be a battle between them. Both had an equal claim.By blood, Ivan had an undeniable advantage.From the way he spoke, Sandy could hear his confidence and condescension. She knew exactly what he was implying. He was prepared to fight her for the inheritance. But things had not escalated to that point yet.Even if they did, she had no fear of going to court with him. In fact, she was ready to fight.“Ivan, Mom left it to me. She never said it was for you. Whatever happened