But it did not matter much to Mr. George.Ivanka managed to fool the man, but before she sighed in relief, he took out two black gunny sacks and said with a ferocious smile, “Please put these on, ladies.”Ivanka glanced at the gunny sack and sighed internally.She could not avoid being treated like that.Therefore, she did not hesitate to accept her fate because it was pointless to hum and haw.Ivanka took one of the gunny sacks and put it on Sandy. She adjusted it to make sure that her friend could breathe properly.Then Ivanka took the other one and put it on herself.The man flashed her an odd smile and said nothing.Ivanka shut her eyes with unease.…Meanwhile, Michael and Ivan went to a French restaurant, and Ivan was ordering.As he flipped through the menu, he said he would order the most expensive items and bankrupt Michael.Michael did not even react or look up from his phone as he tapped on the screen. He was waiting for Ivanka to contact him.Soon enough, he re
On Ivanka’s side, the car drove for a while before stopping at an unknown location.Ivanka guessed they were in the countryside, likely near a factory. The sounds of honking cars from the city had been replaced by roosters crowing, dogs barking, and the hum of heavy machinery.Her hood was yanked off. The sudden light made her squint, and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. She narrowed her eyes and looked around. After a brief glance, she confirmed she was right. It was an abandoned factory.“Let’s go, Ms. Ivanka,” Mr. George called out from ahead. He signaled the people behind him to escort her and Sandy into the factory.Ivanka pulled her arm free from the hand trying to grab her. With a cold gaze, she said, “I can walk on my own.”“Well, will you look at that?” the man sneered. He pointed at her and smirked at the others around him. “She’s a feisty one. I wonder if she’ll be this feisty when pinned under me.”Ivanka frowned when she heard the crude joke and lewd laughter
The most important thing was that once they located the small town, it was underdeveloped and barren. Even high-tech surveillance would be completely ineffective here.Once they arrived, they lost their bearings.This area covered at least thirty acres, all of which was industrial land. Checking each factory would take forever.So, they needed to reach out to others for urgent help quickly. “We have to find a way to escape the factory,” Ivanka said with a serious expression.Sandy nodded and looked warily outside. She lowered her voice and asked, “What do we do now?”Ivanka paused for a moment and then said, “We wait.”At that moment, waiting was their only option. The most important thing was to figure out why Mr. George had taken them.It could not be for money. If it were, he would have contacted Michael for a ransom already.When they stole the Ganoderma Nebula, Mr. George must have realized that she and Michael were close. If he wanted money, it would have been a large
Ivanka felt hurt when she heard him say “good price.” It practically confirmed that her suspicions were correct.The man was completely unaware that he had just exposed something. He smugly leaned against the doorframe and stared at them.Ivanka raised an eyebrow. “Are you drunk?”The man’s expression froze. His confidence visibly faltered.“What... what’s it to you?”Ivanka smiled. She stood up, dusted herself off, and walked over to him.“If I’m not mistaken, you’re on night watch tonight. Does Mr. George allow you to drink while on duty?”Something clicked for the man. His body suddenly trembled.Ivanka’s smile widened.She knew she had guessed correctly.She patted his shoulder.“Let’s just pretend you didn’t do anything wrong. We’ll all turn a blind eye. But if you get caught drinking tonight, the punishment won’t fall on you alone. Your whole group of friends will be in trouble too.”Ivanka said no more. The man was smart enough to understand.After thinking it throu
Ivanka held out her hands. “Untie me, will you? Or are you planning to pull my pants off for me?”The man was caught off guard by her blunt words. Partly because he had not expected such a brazen remark and partly because it was the kind of thing he might say.Despite his initial hesitation, he foolishly untied her hands.Once her hands were free, Ivanka and Sandy headed behind the large tree.The tree appeared to have been alive for a long time. Its massive trunk was so wide that it would take three adults linking arms to encircle it. It was the perfect spot to stay hidden from view.Ivanka shot Sandy a look and silently signaled to her.Meanwhile, the man guarding them kept glancing toward the tree. He craned his neck and hoped to catch a glimpse of what they were up to.Then, out of nowhere, there was a loud thud. It sounded like something heavy had hit the ground.A moment later, Ivanka’s shoe appeared from behind the tree. Sandy’s voice followed as she said in a trembling
Ivanka used her gun to hold off Mr. George’s men while urging Sandy to leave quickly.Sandy cried desperately. She wanted to leave with Ivanka. She wanted to tell her she could not make it on her own, but they had no other choice.Ivanka was not just helping her escape. She was creating a chance for both of them. This was the only way either of them could survive.Sandy sobbed and said, “Stay safe and wait for me. I’ll come back for you.”Ivanka smiled and nodded. Then she said in a serious tone, “No matter what you hear, don’t stop. Just keep running up the mountain. That’s the only way you’ll be safe. Got it?”Sandy nodded vigorously. Once she saw Sandy leave, Ivanka turned to fight back.Her gun did not have many bullets left. She did not want to hurt anyone because she knew it would only make Mr. George angrier, and she would have to pay for it.She only wanted to hold them off for a little while, but one of the men recklessly charged forward.Ivanka had no choice but to
Mr. George did not say a word. He just stared at Ivanka with a cold, menacing glare.She stood tall and composed. After a moment, Mr. George broke into a slow chuckle. “Ivanka, you’re something else. I really underestimated you.”Ivanka smiled faintly but remained silent.In an instant, Mr. George’s expression darkened. He pulled out his gun, cocked it, and pointed it directly at her forehead. He said ruthlessly, “Do you have any idea how many of my men, who fought alongside me, you’ve killed?”Ivanka said nothing. The truth was, she also was not sure either.Earlier, her shots had been meant as warnings. The bullets were intended to intimidate, not to kill. But in the heat of the moment, the last six bullets had been aimed directly at people. She had no idea if they had hit vital areas or caused fatalities.Mr. George held up three fingers. His face twisted with rage as he shuddered. “Three! Three of my brothers are dead because of you!”Ivanka shrugged and said calmly, “Mr.
She waited, but no car showed up. Instead, her pursuers arrived.Five men armed with machetes closed in on her.Their eyes were fixed on the helpless Sandy with menacing grins.Sandy screamed in terror, but her desperate cries only excited them as they watched her helplessness.She found herself in an isolated, helpless situation. She was utterly alone, and there was no way out.She could only watch as the five men closed in on her. In her mind, she kept thinking of Ivanka, who had desperately tried to clear the way for her escape.Sandy shook her head and backed away. A tear slid down her cheek.Eventually, she stumbled and fell to the ground. Exhausted and helpless, she could do nothing but watch as the men drew closer.The leader smiled and said, “Hey, gorgeous. Let me send you on your way.”When she saw them pulling out knives in front of her, she quickly shut her eyes and cried out, “No!”... After Ivanka was captured, she was taken back to the same abandoned factory.
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