Coco felt her head spin.The realization hit her hard. The elderly woman Ivanka was supporting was the real Rosie. Had she just flattered the wrong person?Her mind went blank for a moment. Her forced smile froze awkwardly on her face.Rosie took her time settling into the main seat. She then gently patted Ivanka’s hand affectionately, which spoke volumes about their close bond.The sight made Coco’s face turn even paler.After Rosie sat down, Mrs. Ruth chuckled and said, “Clicked instantly, did she? This young lady clearly mistook me for you, Madam.”Coco’s face flushed red from embarrassment before it turned pale again. Mrs. Ruth’s words practically branded her as someone who only fawns over those in power.Desperate to salvage her image, Coco forced out an awkward laugh. “N-no... that’s not it. I felt a genuine connection with you.”Mrs. Ruth smiled politely, but it was clear she did not believe her. She chose not to call her out, though it hardly mattered. Everyone present
Rosie did not indulge her. She spoke directly, “Is it the job or the personality differences?”Candice added fuel to the fire. “She just doesn’t respect the internship position. She wants more power and took out her frustrations on people applying for jobs.”Coco shook her head. “No... it’s not like that.”“Then what is it like?” Rosie’s sharp gaze fixed on Coco.Coco felt as if Rosie could see right through her. It was as though any lie or excuse would be exposed instantly in front of Rosie.She hesitated. “I... I wasn’t familiar with the workflow. That’s why—”Rosie raised her hand and cut her off.After talking to Coco for some time, Rosie already had a good idea of what happened. Even if she did not, Coco’s stammering made it obvious that she was making up excuses.Rosie could tell Coco was trying to brainstorm ways to explain herself in a way that would leave Candice unable to refute her while also trying to shift the blame elsewhere.Rosie guessed that Coco would probabl
Rosie looked away and did not even glance at Coco again.Candice gave her a thumbs up.Ivanka watched as Coco walked away unsteadily.“Three.“Two.”Michael noticed Ivanka counting under her breath. Following her gaze, he looked at Coco.“One.”At that exact moment, when Ivanka said “one,” Coco collapsed to the floor.Everything happened so quickly. No one was prepared. Ivanka calmly signaled for someone to carry Coco into the guest room.Rosie was surprised and covered her mouth with a handkerchief.“What happened?”Ivanka frowned. “She must have fainted because she hasn’t fully recovered from her cold.”Rosie glanced toward the guest room and could not help but ask, “Should we take her to the hospital?”Candice nodded eagerly, agreeing with the suggestion.It was an unexpected misfortune, and it did not seem worth handling on their own.Ivanka shook her head. “It’s too late to get her to the hospital now. Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ve got this.”Rosie relaxed upon hearin
Just as Coco was feeling lost, her phone rang.The call was from an unfamiliar number. It was protected by international safeguards.She answered without hesitation.There was a faint static buzzing on the other end, but she could make out a woman’s voice.“Congratulations, Coco! You’ve managed to stay in the Barkworth family’s mansion. But surely you know it won’t last long, right? The Barkworth family has Rosie. She’s sharp enough to see through anything. Don’t you want to stay for good?” The woman’s tone was almost hypnotic.The caller seemed to know Coco’s situation in astonishing detail. It was as if she had conducted thorough research.Or perhaps there was an insider feeding her information.But none of that mattered to Coco at that moment.What mattered was figuring out how to stay.Coco did not respond immediately.She had no idea who this person was or what their intentions were. The amount of information she had on her made her wary. She needed to remain calm and av
After hanging up, Coco fiddled with her necklace. She hid the poisonous worm inside her necklace. Originally, she wanted to look for an opportunity to insert it into Michael’s body. That was why she was so concerned about whether Michael had been injured before. The poisonous worm was very fragile. But if it contacted any wounds and smelled blood, she would not need to put in extra effort to make it work. But getting close to Michael was still a problem. As the person had mentioned, perhaps she should target Rosie instead. Coco held her necklace tightly in her hand. It was more than just a necklace. It was a bargaining chip for her to take down Ivanka and more… The best time to execute the plan would be during lunch at noon. Ivanka, Michael and Candice were not around. Only Rosie was left in the house. No other time would work better than this! Coco dressed up and put on makeup. She did not conceal her pale look, nor did she put on lipstick. She wanted to show h
But Coco never tried to find out the reason why her boss, Ivanka disliked her. It was because Coco was overambitious, claimed all the credits, and was stupid. She only wanted to perform herself and ignored the company’s interests. Rosie was clear-headed and did not instantly point out Coco’s weaknesses. Rosie chuckled. “Since Lane’s Group doesn’t welcome you, what makes you think I’ll welcome you here?” Coco’s expression instantly changed. But she quickly kept her composure and resumed normalcy. She sucked in a deep breath and calmed herself before saying with a smile, “Mdm. Barkworth, you’re a devoted Christian, so am I. I believe we have some common topics to share. On top of that, Michael and Ivanka are seldom at home. If I stay around, I can accompany you so that you won’t feel bored. Besides…” Coco then looked down in embarrassment. “I still need to recuperate from my injury…” That was how it was. If Coco had not mentioned her ultimate motive, Rosie would have de
Coco gripped the cutlery very tightly. She swore to herself that Candice and her group would suffer on the day she inserted the poisonous worm into Rosie’s body. Meanwhile, Candice put down her cutlery and turned to Rosie. She said with a spoiled child-like tone, “Grandma, are you saying I’m a boring granddaughter and that I have failed to relieve your boredom?” Before Rosie could say anything, Candice continued, “When you asked me to return to the Barkworth family’s mansion, you mentioned that my presence could relieve your boredom. I didn’t expect you to despise me so soon.” Rosie chuckled and flicked Candice’s forehead. She said dotingly, “Candice, stop messing around here. Aren’t you aware of the rules that we shouldn’t speak while we’re eating? Ms. Coco is Michael’s wife’s savior. She has nowhere to stay for the time being. It’s only natural to give her temporary shelter. I never find your presence a nuisance.” Based on Rosie’s words, she looked like she was rebuking Can
Since the situation had finalized, it was not good to drive Coco away. Ivanka hoped Rosie could be extra cautious with her. “As I mentioned earlier, I’m not smoking without fire by saying Coco is different in the way she does things compared to others. I’ve investigated her and realized that she belongs to the witchery tribe. The witches are good at using poisonous worms to their advantage… Even newborns have to be immersed in a jar filled with poisonous snakes and scorpions for three days and three nights.” Of course, those were just hearsays. They did not know if Coco partook in such practices. But it was true that they disliked Coco at first glance. Hence, they needed to be wary of her. Candice nodded as a gesture that she would be cautious about the matter. “By the way, have you prepared all the things we need for tonight’s socialization?” asked Ivanka. Candice said with a grin, “Yes.” Ivanka stood up. She packed the things and was about to leave. While she was pack
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