“Fine, fine.” He glanced at the couple standing before him, then at his daughter sobbing in his arms.Everyone in the village knew that Matthias doted on Anais more than anything else.In the end, he relented.“My health can hold out until the next Heroes Meeting. My precious daughter will wait for a true hero to marry,” Matthias said and patted Anais’s hand gently in reassurance.Anais nodded and signaled that she was okay.She had finally come to terms with everything.In the past, she had been highly pampered. She had been too willful while blinded by her own privilege and was unable to see herself clearly.Ivanka, on the other hand, was admirable. She was brave, intelligent, and kind-hearted.Anais had once witnessed Ivanka tending to an injured wild rabbit. It was at that moment she completely changed her view of her.Would someone who cared enough to save a wounded rabbit be a bad person?If Ivanka was not a bad person, then why had Anais felt the need to oppose her s
Ivanka and Michael ultimately failed to reach an agreement with Matthias.Anais tried to intercede, but she was taken away by Matthias before she could say anything further.Ivanka and Michael returned home together.Mdm. Wright had prepared a full table of food. Seeing them enter, she warmly greeted them, “Come, sit down and eat.”Noticing the expressions on their faces, she assumed they had not won the championship and chose not to bring up the subject.They could not enjoy the dinner, as each of them was lost in their own thoughts. After finishing, Mdm. Wright set down her spoon and offered some heartfelt advice. “Sometimes, letting things take their natural course is the best option. As long as you’ve tried your best, regardless of the outcome, you should have no regrets.”Michael and Ivanka understood her message. It was a reminder that some things simply could not be forced.However, how could they easily let it go when they were so close to their goal?Ivanka managed a
On the boat, there were also two young girls and a burly man.Ivanka recognized him as the village’s best swimmer and most skilled sailor.She guessed this arrangement must have been Michael’s doing.If Matthias had wanted to monitor her closely, he could have sent anyone along. There was no need to assign the village’s top sailor.The two young girls were the sailor’s children.When Ivanka woke up, they rushed over. They spoke in slightly broken English, “You’re awake! Are you okay?”The girls were clearly fond of Ivanka for no other reason than that she was beautiful.People were naturally drawn to beauty.Ivanka, unused to their concern, simply shook her head.“I’m fine. I just need a moment alone.”Though a little disappointed, the girls did not press her. They nodded. They respected her need for space and left the room.Ivanka’s hands trembled as she picked up the envelope. Inside was Michael’s handwriting, one she knew all too well.[I’m sorry for lying to you. By the
Who would have thought that Candice would actually agree to the arrangement?No matter how often Mandy made things difficult for her, Candice had pulled through and stayed in the company all this time.She had even barged into the meeting room.They could have kicked Candice out, but doing so would have made them look suspicious, as if they had something to hide.In truth, they did have something to hide.Ferris shot Candice an impatient glance. “Board meetings are scheduled according to our schedules, so what if we decide to hold the meeting sooner or later? Ms. Ivanka has already passed away. Naturally, it’s up to the living to run the company properly. Why are you against that? Do you think she would want to see Lane’s Group close down shortly after her death?”Seeing how self-righteous he was, Candice wanted to cuss him out.“All I know is that Ms. Ivanka would never want to see her company end up in your clutch because you’re a sc*mbag!”At that point, Ferris was truly enr
Rosie absolutely hated despicable scumbag bootlickers who schemed against others. After learning that Ferris wanted to steal Ivanka’s company when she was not around, Rosie did not even bother to put on a smile in front of him.When she spoke, her words were harsh.Rosie shot him a glance and snorted coldly. “If I hadn’t come over, my granddaughter-in-law’s company would have ended up in somebody else’s hands, and my granddaughter would have been thrown out like a piece of trash!”With that, everyone in the room finally knew Candice’s real identity.She was Michael’s cousin!They all looked toward Candice, who stood behind Rosie.With her grandmother here, Candice finally had the support she needed.Ferris’s expression was a little grim.He did not understand why it was so difficult for him to take over the company even though Ivanka was gone.He pondered for a bit and said, “I call you Mdm. Barkworth out of respect. No offense, but I suggest you refrain from intervening in th
Candice followed Rosie out of the meeting room, but she was not pleased.Even though Ferris was obnoxious, he was right about one thing.Without shares in Lane’s Group, Rosie had no actual power. She had merely relied on others’ fear and respect toward her to turn the situation around. If Ivanka did not return after three days, there was nothing else they could do.Just as she brooded darkly, she received a phone call from an unknown number.After Candice answered, she nearly burst into tears.“It’s me. Are you alright, Candice?”It was Ivanka’s voice!Candice immediately handed the phone to Rosie. When Rosie heard Ivanka’s voice, she also stumbled back in surprise.She was a tough, powerful woman. Even so, she teared up at that moment.After all, she had already gotten old. Her biggest wish was to see the children in her family safe and sound.When she found out that Michael and Ivanka had both fallen into the sea, it had been like a bolt from the blue. She felt as if her
The ship sailed closer. The massive vessel alerted the islanders. They all stared at it vigilantly until Ivanka got off the ship.She wore a black tube mermaid dress that hugged her body tightly and accentuated her figure. Her almond eyes were breathtakingly beautiful and irresistible.Under the sun, her skin glowed like a pearl.She looked as if she had fallen from heaven.Ivanka stared past the crowd. Her gaze fell on Michael.Michael, too, managed to spot her among the crowd. They approached each other and slowly closed the distance between them.It took everyone a while to recognize Ivanka.By then, she and Michael were already embracing each other.Their embrace was innocent and had no romantic or sexual undertones.It was about gratitude.They were grateful to each other and themselves. It did not matter how many difficulties they had faced in the past. All was good as long as they were saved.“I’ve come back for you, you jerk.” Ivanka leaned in to whisper in Michael
“We have been a bother to you during our stay. We can’t possibly take things from you. We should be the ones bringing you gifts.” Ivanka held up her hands and insisted that she would not accept the rings.But Mdm. Wright said, “What are you talking about? Do you still see me as an ordinary acquaintance?“As she spoke, she frowned and looked at Ivanka with disapproval.Ivanka shook her head. “Of course not.”With that, Mdm. Wright smiled. “Then take the ring.”Ivanka wanted to turn down the gift, but Michael intervened. “Since Mdm. Wright has decided to give us the rings, we’ll just take them. Haven’t you brought her something too? You can swap presents.”Hearing that, Mdm. Wright laughed heartily. Even though the excuse sounded sloppy, it made both Ivanka and Mdm. Wright feel better.Ivanka accepted the ring readily.Mdm. Wright put the jade rings on Ivanka’s and Michael’s index fingers.The jade rings, which had become dull all these years, seemingly regained their glow on th
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
She said to Ivanka in dissatisfaction, “Ms. Ivanka, please go out. I have something to say to Jonah alone right now.”Ivanka did not respond. However, the way she moved out already said everything.Jonah did not make a statement but silently agreed.He also did not want Ivanka to be present to see his embarrassment.“You’re being an ingrate. You never raised me like that! Since you’ve already spoken such, why are you still holding it against Iv? Is being a divorcee her sin?” Jonah’s expression was as dark as the storm clouds. Those eyes were locked on his mother. He felt that Ivanka had been deeply wronged.However, Margaret replied blandly, “Have you seen anyone wealthy choosing to marry divorcees? Are there really no other women out there?”“You are a woman too.” Jonah frowned.However, Margaret brought up a very realistic question. “I am indeed a woman. But no parent in the world would ever settle for anything less than the best option.”Those words infuriated Jonah.“Mom,
At Margaret’s rebuke, Ivanka was annoyed. “If you say so.”Whatever Margaret wanted to think was her own business. She would not interfere.Margaret immediately choked out in response, “You!”“You don’t have to target me. You know very well that I won’t get together with your son. I’m only here to administer treatment for your son.”Ivanka gave Margaret a bland look. Even her tone was bland.Margaret burst out laughing coldly. “It’s what you should do!”“I didn’t say that I shouldn’t,” Ivanka shot back indifferently. She no longer bantered with Margaret. She kept looking at her cell phone.In Margaret’s eyes, Ivanka was playing with her cell phone, and was playing intently too!There was a parasol over her head as she was leaning on a rattan chair. Most importantly, there were also refreshments on the round table to Ivanka’s left.Sheesh!“Ivanka, are you here to treat Jonah’s leg, or are you here to enjoy yourself?” Margaret chided Ivanka in dissatisfaction.When someone di
Jonah was concerned about Ivanka. But before he could finish speaking, he automatically lowered his voice.He was not the same as before.Call for him. With his weak legs, what could he do for her?Ivanka heard his tone but did not expose or console him. She only followed suit and said, “Rest well. I know my place.”“Alright.”Jonah answered half-heartedly. Ivanka turned around and left her back to him.On the terrace, there was a parasol and a rattan chair.She had only laid down on top of the rattan chairs for a few minutes when she heard footsteps from behind her. As the footsteps drew closer step by step, she subconsciously turned around.She only saw the servant who had just helped her carry a tray of food and walked towards her slowly.“Ms. Ivanka, the young master asked me to prepare some refreshments for you.”Ivanka nodded wordlessly.She was here to treat Jonah’s legs, not to enjoy the sunshine and eat. She did not eat anything. Her gaze was on the phone screen.S
As he said that, Jonah turned his wheelchair and moved closer to Ivanka.The delight on his face was hard to hide. Margaret did not see it. She was still in the hospital. It would have been better if she did not see her, but Ivanka also understood very clearly what Margaret meant by this. If she really wanted to have a long-lasting relationship with Jonah, they would have become a couple already. Why wait until that moment? As long as she agreed, it was not impossible, and that was what Jonah thought: he thought she would say yes.Ivanka gently laughed and shook her head. “Jonah, why are you still lying to yourself and others?”Even she understood it, so how could Jonah not know about it?However, Jonah was not willing to dwell on the matter. In the next second, he changed the topic. “It’s better to go to my room. The second floor has plenty of fresh air.”Ivanka saw that he was not willing to talk about it, so she did not say anything more. She nodded. Then a servant came
“If it’s my fault, you can always vent out your anger on me.” Michael made himself clear. It was not his fault, so he refused to accept being treated unfairly. Ivanka sneered, “It seems like you’ve forgotten that you were the cause of everything. If not for the fact that you refused to give up on me, I wouldn’t have invited Jonah for a roleplay. I don’t want to get into the details with you.” In the face of Ivanka’s mockery, for a moment, Michael felt as if something had stuck in his throat, and he did not know what else to say. Ivanka was utterly furious. It was pointless to speak any further to her. But he refused to become a punching bag on Jonah’s behalf for free. “You need to calm down. No one can get in the way of your choices. But I’ll never give up,” said Michael in a low voice. “I see. Since you refuse to give up, are you planning to steal the bride at her wedding as well?” Ivanka raised one of eyebrows. She felt amused. Michael blurted out a single word with
“Michael, I just didn’t want to upset Grandma. If you want to keep her posted on our progress, you might as well find someone else and get married so that there’s no more possibility between us. She will also stop thinking about me and you.” Ivanka had blurted it out without hesitation. Her tone was serious. She really meant it. Michael did not expect Ivanka to say this to him. Rosie had told Michael that Ivanka agreed to let him be her bodyguard because of her. At that time, Michael was over the moon thinking that Rosie had caused another miracle. But based on the situation, it looked like Ivanka did not plan to take other people’s concerns into account anymore. Michael’s mood turned foul. He could not say anything about Ivanka’s decision. “Iv, I refuse to accept this.” After a moment of silence, Michael said that to Ivanka. At that moment, he looked serious. Even though Ivanka could not see his expression, she could imagine his demeanor through his tone. “I know y