Ivanka was not interested in wasting any more time. She cut straight to the point.“Our collaboration with your company ends here. As for accountability, we’ll pursue it to the very end.” She tapped her fingers on the table twice. It was a habit of hers when deep in thought.The sound seemed to echo in Mr. Parker’s chest like a hammer blow.Seeing Ivanka’s assertive and unyielding demeanor, Mr. Parker’s pride could not take it. He slammed his hand on the table and pointed a finger at Ivanka’s nose. “Don’t push it too far! Bernard and I are your seniors. You can’t just come here and accuse us! So what if a mistake was made? It’s not like anything actually happened! Besides, you guys nearly crushed Bernard’s testicles! He was almost rendered incapable. What more do you want?”Ivanka could not help but laugh at the absurdity. She had not even gotten to the real accusations, yet the guilty party was already pointing fingers at her? Was this some kind of twisted logic? And by the sound
In the end, the matter was settled in court. With the fact that they were in the right, and with Sandy’s expertise backing them up, the outcome was practically guaranteed.Bernard was ultimately sentenced to prison. Whether or not he was fired became irrelevant at that point. The result was the same either way.On the day of the trial, Ivanka did not show up. She never wasted her time on people or matters that held no value.Since she already knew the outcome, there was no reason to make the trip.After the trial, Sandy called Ivanka. She recounted Mr. Parker’s darkened expression and how Bernard had completely lost his mind and babbled nonsense in fear. Her laughter was uncontrollable as she spoke.“You have no idea how entertaining it was! By the end, they turned against each other. Mr. Parker likes to act impartially, but deep down, he’s just as crooked. From what Bernard said, it sounds like he’s been covering for Mr. Parker’s dirty deeds for years.” Ivanka could not help
Sandy did not suspect anything and stood there patiently. She occasionally glanced around to see if her ride had arrived.A car with a suspiciously familiar license plate pulled up in front of her. She started feeling something was off.As she stared at the recognizable car model, the familiar plate, and, finally, the all-too-familiar face that appeared when the window rolled down, Sandy froze in place.It took her a long moment to process what was happening.“You!”Sitting in the car, wearing sunglasses that covered most of his face but still failed to hide his cocky expression, was none other than Ivan.The realization that Ivanka’s so-called “private driver” was him made Sandy want to rewind time, march back to the earlier conversation, flatly refuse Ivanka’s offer, and then give her a scolding she would never forget.Was this how she treated her war hero? After Sandy had just helped her secure such a solid win? Unbelievable.Ivan stared at Sandy for a while. Noticing her pu
The tactic worked. Sandy looked up at him fixedly. “Lost? Unlike you, I’m no loser.”When Sandy finally said something, Ivan smiled like a sly, cheeky fox and quickly replied, “Yeah, you always win. There’s no way you would lose a lawsuit. I was a fool for running my mouth. So, are you finally talking to me?” Hearing that, Sandy kept her mouth shut once again.Ivan was hesitant to bring up more topics, so the two of them hardly said anything during the drive. They had no idea what to say to each other.Meanwhile, Ivanka called Michael and Candice over to pick her up. After that, they would head to the Barkworth family’s mansion to fetch Rosie, and then visit a hot spring resort together.Ivanka did not think Rosie had any reason to turn down the invitation.But when she called Rosie on the phone, Rosie immediately rejected the call.Ivanka was startled. This had never happened before.Normally, Rosie would answer immediately. If she was asleep, then she would just leave the ph
Ivanka was indeed puzzled and confused. She seemed absent-minded when she got into the car.Michael was the one driving. Knowing that he wanted to be close to Ivanka, Candice had left the front passenger seat to her.Therefore, Ivanka ended up sitting beside Michael. Normally, she would have teased Michael by saying something like, “How outrageous of us to let you chauffeur us around!”But she did not do that, and she seemed worried.Michael kept his eyes on the road but observed Ivanka from time to time.Candice, too, had noticed something was wrong with Ivanka, but she kept quiet.When the car entered the compound of the Barkworth family’s mansion, Michael finally asked, “Do you have unfinished business at the company?”Ivanka snapped out of her reverie, glanced at Michael, and quickly shook her head. She then said softly, “No.”Candice leaned on the backrest of Ivanka’s seat. “Is it because I haven’t been going to the company?”Ivanka shook her head again.“Then is somethi
“No, of course not.” Coco quickly shook her head. “Grandma was doing me a favor. She knows… what I want. She didn’t force me.”Candice did not want to waste time arguing with her. She was still unconvinced, and the atmosphere was rather awkward at the moment.Ivanka pondered for a while and asked, “Where is Grandma? I want to check on her.”Coco knew what she was up to. Even though Ivanka said that she just wanted to check on Rosie, she actually intended to confirm Coco’s invitation with Rosie.However, Coco could not care less about whether Ivanka would get her answer.Besides, Ivanka might not even be able to meet with Rosie.Coco said, “She is in the garden. But if you head over, you probably can’t talk to her.”Ivanka glanced at her with confusion.Coco smiled and said, “It’s because Grandma is taking a nap. It’s best to leave her be.”She sounded as if she was the hostess of the place who was turning the guests away.Candice was displeased with her attitude but she remai
Rosie’s reaction upset Ivanka. She had a bad feeling about this.After a pause, Rosie said calmly, “Something has come up all of a sudden, so I can’t go with you. Bring Coco along.” Then she added, “Don’t bully her. She’s a good girl.”Her warning turned Candice’s world upside down.If Candice had not been here to hear this herself, she would never have imagined that Rosie would say such a thing and care so much about Coco!It was bizarre.Just as Ivanka wanted to say something, Rosie left right away.Ivanka and Candice exchanged glances. Both of them saw the grim looks in each other’s eyes.What had happened to Rosie?Meanwhile, Michael and Coco were left at the front door.Naturally, Coco could not help striking up a conversation with Michael.“Mic, I’m sorry for the awful things I said and did a while ago. I shouldn’t have caused misunderstandings between you and Ivanka.” As she said that, Coco lowered her head and pretended to wipe tears from her eyes.Then she looked up
Based on that incident, Rosie’s temperament had indeed changed. It had happened out of nowhere.If someone experienced a drastic change in their personality, it was because something major had happened in their life, or it was due to immense grief.But nothing had happened to Rosie lately.A while ago, when Candice had gone missing, Rosie sounded fine when Ivanka called to check on her.Why did Rosie suddenly become a different person?Both Ivanka and Candice were puzzled.Mrs. Ruth grumbled, “It’s as if she has been possessed. What a nightmare…” As she said that, she went back to the kitchen.Possessed?Ivanka felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Snippets of memories flashed across her mind.But they were fleeting, and she had not managed to catch an epiphany.Meanwhile, Candice mumbled beside her, “What’s so good about Coco? Even Grandma has changed her mind and taken her side. How odd…”Ivanka and Candice did not linger. They walked out of the house while stil
Ivanka remained in a daze. She struggled to get to Sandy.Candice could not stop her at all. She did not dare to use force on her, either. She was conflicted. Just then, Michael walked over with a fruit basket. When he saw Ivanka wanting to get out of bed, he rushed over in a couple of steps and single-handedly pulled Ivanka back into the hospital bed.Ivanka was still struggling to get on the floor. When Candice saw Michael come, she breathed out a sigh of relief.Michael frowned and stared at Ivanka. “Do you want to die?” It was the first time he was so fierce to Ivanka.Ivanka was stunned silent for a moment as she looked at Michael. There was not much emotion in her eyes. Michael sighed and said in a soft voice, “I know you’re worried right now, but Sandy is already in the ICU. I’ve found the best doctors. Trust me, okay?”Michael saw that Ivanka was in a daze and unresponsive, so he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “Don’t worry about everything and leave it
Water. Endless water.It was as if Ivanka was trapped inside a tank of water. Everywhere she looked and her eyes and body touched, there was water.She tried to find a way out, but could not.Slowly, her breath was taken away.Ivanka held her neck, desperately trying to breathe and failing.She could even count the seconds by.“Huff—”Ivanka opened her eyes suddenly, accompanied by a violent gasping sound. It sounded a bit like a drowning person who had been inside the sea by a wave and lapped ashore again. This was a person who had escaped by chance and was finally able to breathe fresh air. “You’re awake!”In her ears, a familiar voice rang out, and only then did Ivanka’s somewhat blurred vision begin to focus.A somewhat unfamiliar ceiling. Her nostrils filled with the unpleasant smell of disinfectant. Next to her was an anxious Candice.“I…” Ivanka tried to speak, but it was as if her voice was not her own. As soon as she opened her mouth, her voice was like porcelain s
After all, when they ate breakfast, Jimothy was not there. She thought he had left first.It was only at this time that she realized that he had not left, and was still standing right behind Candice. The look in his eyes when he looked at Candice was in no way innocent.Ivanka’s and Sandy’s gazes were sharp, so Jimothy smiled slightly at the two of them and nodded.Ivanka also nodded politely at him in return.Afterward, his eyes were glued to Candice again. The two of them would whisper from time to time as if no one else was there. So, they did seem a bit like a young couple.When Michael saw Ivanka look at someone else, he probably felt very irritated. Then he coughed twice.Ivanka gave Michael a strange look. Michael explained without batting an eye, “Sorry, I guess I have a bit of a cold.”Sandy could not help but start chatting with Ivanka.“I say, this Jimothy is interested in Candice.”Ivanka did not say anything and smiled.Obviously, she thought so too.The reason
None of the previous questions were the ones she wanted to ask. The one she really wanted to ask was the last one. Ivanka understood this clearly. After answering the previous question, Coco nodded with a look of realization. She took Ivanka’s hand and shook it in a friendly manner.If other people saw this, they might even think that they were sisters.“Ms. Iv, you still know the best, you’re also meticulous enough to remember all of this. It’s no wonder Grandma told me to learn more from you.”Ivanka was also smiling, but her smile was a little forced.Coco seemed like she was complimenting her. But in reality, it was a roundabout way of saying that she and Rosie had a good relationship.Although she knew that there was something fishy going on, Ivanka could not help but feel her skin crawl when Coco said this.When she saw the unnatural expression on Ivanka’s face, Coco knew that her purpose had been achieved, and she immediately asked, “Didn’t you say that you’re going to c
She could not explain it all in such a short moment. Then Coco was also eyeing the situation with a fierce and intense look. It was hard to say it out loud.Candice suddenly understood. The meal was somewhat silent. Ivanka especially felt very uncomfortable.She kept feeling like she was being stared at all the time, and such a stare made her feel very uncomfortable.Coco’s seemingly elusive eyes kept looking toward Ivanka, afraid that she would say something to Michael.Under Coco’s intense gaze, Ivanka could not find a chance to speak.They ate the meal in silence. Sandy and Ivan did not come until the end.In the end, it was Candice who spoke. Otherwise, the meal would probably have been spent in silence.“Why don’t we soak in a private bath after our nap? We can still make it back in the evening.”Ivanka nodded noncommittally.Michael looked at Ivanka and was a little surprised. “Didn’t you say you want to rest for a while longer? Why are you suddenly in such a hurry aga
Ivanka still felt that she should talk to Michael about this matter.The thought weighed her down with worry. After thinking about it, Ivanka still wanted to talk to Candice about this matter in advance.As soon as the call connected, Ivanka began to talk about this matter.At the door, Coco had wanted to come and return the cleanser. She stared at it with a wry smile. It contained some small gifts that she had carefully prepared. Although it was not so bad that Ivanka would be disfigured, it was good enough to make her unable to see anyone for a couple of weeks.Coco put away her smile. Her hand had just touched the doorknob when she heard a voice from inside.The door was of good quality, and the soundproofing was naturally good. So Coco could only hear some of it in bits and pieces.But it was what she heard that made her a little surprised and even more fearful.Vaguely, she could hear Ivanka say something about Grandma, something wrong, witches, and the like.Coco was ho
The next day, Ivanka woke up early.Probably because of the hot spring yesterday, she woke up refreshed today and did not sleep in.A glance at the time told her it was around 7 a.m.. She sent a message to the group and received plenty of responses. Ivanka: Does anyone want to go for breakfast together?[Me.][Me too.] … It seemed that everyone was up. Ivanka smiled. Soaking in the hot springs really did help improve blood circulation. The group agreed to meet in the lobby downstairs at 7:30 a.m.. Ivanka washed up first. After washing up, she called Rosie, mainly to talk about Coco. The phone rang for a while before it connected. Mrs. Ruth answered it, but she sounded a bit strange.Ivanka did not suspect anything amiss. “Mrs. Ruth, is Grandma awake? Let her answer the phone.” Mrs. Ruth sounded troubled. After a pause, she seemed ready to speak.Rosie’s voice came from the other end. In the next second, the phone sounded like it had been snatched away. “It’s me.
But Ivan did not have the heart to entertain her. His mind was filled with images of Sandy’s razor-sharp gaze at him when she left. As such, he felt absolutely annoyed. As the organizer of the event, Ivanka could not bear to watch the event fall into this state. Hence, she asked everyone to return to their rooms. “You can ask for a room service to deliver the meals to your doorstep. It’s late now. Take a good rest.” Ivanka forced herself to remain calm when she said that. After she finished her sentence, she yawned. With that, everyone left. Jimothy sent Candice home. Ivan and Michael left together. Meanwhile, Ivanka stayed around with Coco. After all, they stayed together. They did not talk to each other on the way. Michael deliberately walked behind Ivanka. He wanted to guard her until she returned to the hotel safely. Ivan whispered to him, “Have I done something wrong?” He mumbled to himself. Michael ignored him. They just kept walking. ... When they arriv
Ivanka turned to Michael and thanked him in a whisper. Then she gathered her clothes. While waiting for Ivan, the wind blew directly toward them, and it was really cold. Ivanka stared at Michael. He only wore a wool sweater, so she asked gently, “Aren’t you cold?” Michael shook his head. He pulled out a stool and sat beside Ivanka. When he pulled out the stool, it released a piercing sound. Michael looked at Ivanka apologetically. Her eyes had flown wide open. Sandy was about to fall asleep and woke up in a startle to the sound. She then looked at her watch. It was already 11:30 p.m.. They had already waited for 30 minutes. Ivan was a man. Did he need to take so long to get ready? He was not even a lady. There was no need for him to blow his hair dry. While Sandy seethed in anger, Ivan finally packed up and walked out. At that moment, Candice looked slightly awake. Jimothy was beside her, and he stared at her without blinking even once. Candice stroked her face. “Is