Candice initially seemed like she wanted to say more, but as they reached the rooms, she stopped.Ivanka’s room was in the middle. Candice’s room was to the left, Michael’s to the right, and across the hall were Ivan and Sandy’s rooms.If Sandy had not still been upset about how easily Ivanka had agreed to Coco’s request, she might have tried to switch rooms.Then again, perhaps it was better to leave the two bickering frenemies together.At the door, Michael said something to Ivanka. Whatever it was, Ivanka simply smiled and seemed to reassure him before swiping her card and entering her room.Candice kept her eyes on Coco to look for any sign of emotions. However, Coco appeared calm and unaffected.Michael, however, stood in place and watched Ivanka enter her room. Coco noticed that the moment she stepped into her own room, Michael had already shifted his gaze away.Though it stung, Coco kept her frustration hidden.Patience was key. Since Rosie was already taken care of, C
Sandy sent a winking emoji, and the group chat quickly became active with conversation.Candice chimed in. Candice: Hey, hey, hey! You all need to come check out the balcony! You can see the entire hot spring from here. Everything is in full view. It’s the perfect spot. Mic, Iv, come and look!Since the layout of the rooms was different, Sandy and Ivan could not see the view from their balconies. Frustrated, Sandy vented in the group chat.Sandy: Just my luck!The underlying message was obvious. Not only could she not see the hot spring, but she was also stuck in a room next to the insufferable Ivan.Ivan, however, seemed oblivious to Sandy’s implied meaning and replied cheerfully.Ivan: Really? I think this spot is pretty good. At least it’s quiet at night, right?Sandy did not bother responding. Instead, she knocked on Ivanka’s door. She decided to join her and check out the view from her balcony.Ivanka did not turn her down. After all, they were here to enjoy themselves.
Coco felt disrespected.But when she turned around to look at Michael, he was already gone.For a moment, she felt defeated. But mostly, she felt resentful.What more could she do to stop them from being so judgmental?And then there was Ivanka. She said she did not care, but her actions clearly suggested otherwise.To Coco, it felt like Ivanka was trying to play both sides.Fuming, Coco returned to her room.When it was time for dinner, the group had already decided what and when to eat in their chat.As Coco was about to leave, Ivanka called out to her.“Ms. Coco, dinner’s ready. It’s at the restaurant downstairs. Do you want to join us?”But Coco seemed to be waiting for something. Perhaps she was hoping for a chance encounter with Michael.Or maybe she was hoping for an unexpected meeting with him, which was why she declined.“Ah... no, it’s fine. I’m still changing. You go ahead.”Ivanka did not insist. She knocked on Candice’s door, and the two of them went downstair
Sandy and Candice had developed a good rapport over time. Sandy casually remarked, “Well, we came together because we admire each other, after all.”This comment was a subtle jab at Coco, one that Rosie had subtly planted in Sandy’s mind.Coco caught the implication but chose to stay silent.Her face flushed red. She probably had not expected the situation to escalate so quickly. It was her first time causing trouble and getting caught this fast.She realized that Sandy would likely become even more hostile toward her from now on.Coco regretted her actions. She had undoubtedly exposed her position.Candice laughed openly. Sandy was someone who never forgot a slight, and this reaction was entirely typical of her.After all, Coco had tried to take advantage of Sandy’s absence to talk behind her back.She deserved it!Ivanka did not let the tension linger between the two sides. She quickly urged Sandy to take a seat.Sandy let out a short huff and sat down beside Ivanka without
Almost everyone was there. The group entered the large hot spring pool one by one.At first, they were just hanging out in the large pool. There were quite a few people, but the atmosphere was not very lively. No one seemed to be having fun.Coco especially felt awkward. She did not enjoy anything at all.Even Sandy, who saw Coco fumbling awkwardly, could not help but complain, “I don’t get why she insisted on coming. Did she not think about what this situation might be like?”Candice glanced at Coco and whispered, “She probably didn’t. Just standing next to her gives me chills. I can’t believe she has no sense of embarrassment.”Sandy nodded seriously and added, “But even if she did think about it, she’d still come. After all, Michael’s here, right?”Candice glanced at Michael and then at the two men nearby.Both of them were topless, their bodies muscular. She looked down and could see the faint outline of abs.But there was not much more to see beyond that. Fortunately, it w
For a moment, Coco piqued Ivan’s interest. He stared at her face seriously before asking with amusement, “Did you put on makeup? I hope not. If you did, your makeup would wear off inside the hot spring.” “As if she didn’t!” On the other hand, Sandy played along with Candice’s lines. “If you can’t see if she’s put on makeup, it shows that she has great makeup skills. There are many waterproof cosmetics these days. We’ve seen her bare face before. To be honest, her facial features are considered average. Her skin condition is quite poor. We can’t make our skin look healthy in just a day or two.” Upon hearing this, Candice thought Sandy’s words made sense, so she nodded. Candice hardly put on makeup, so she did not quite understand all this. Meanwhile, Sandy put her hands on her hips and looked sulky. “Not everyone can look like Ivanka.” Ivanka was stunned. She turned to Sandy and blinked. She looked like she was quite confused about why she was dragged into this. Sandy wa
While the trio were discussing their summer trip next year, they heard the sound “brr…” “Brr… Very cold…” They turned to the direction of the sound and saw Ivan in his bathrobe walking toward them. He seemed to be carrying something in his arms. Something was protruding from his stomach. “This is a pool filled with roses. Do you want to take a dip too?” Sandy asked Ivan. At that moment, Michael came with him too. He exchanged glances with Ivan, and they grinned. It looked like they had been plotting something. “Three, two…” Ivanka realized something and shouted, “They’ve brought along ‘weapons’!” Ivanka’s reminder to her group drowned out Ivan’s voice of counting to one. The next second, Ivan and Michael jumped into the rose pool, took out their water guns, and started to unleash the water from their guns. Ivanka and her group were squeezed to the side and attempted to escape the men. Sandy had no way to escape. Ivan had targeted her. He unleashed the entire tub
Meanwhile, Candice was free from being anyone’s target. Michael and Ivan aimed at their own targets. As such, Candice was happy and carefree. No one attacked her. Since none of them had noticed her, Candice walked to the edge of the steps. She wanted to leave the pool with the two couples alone. Before she left the pool, she looked back at them. She had no intention of escaping the men. She just wanted to buy water guns. While looking back, she bumped into a stout figure. Candice cried out in pain. She subconsciously pushed away that person. Her forehead was bruised. While stroking her forehead, Candice apologized to that person indignantly. Then she heard laughter coming from that person. His voice was familiar. “What a coincidence to meet you here, Ms. Barkworth!” Upon hearing this, Candice froze and looked up at the person. The man wore short pants and revealed his muscular upper body. His eight-pack abs were well-defined. The corners of his lips curved upwar
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