“Sit down.”A familiar voice broke the silence. Ivanka stiffly turned around and saw Ivan.The once meticulously groomed man, who took great care about his appearance, looked utterly worn down. His eyelids drooped, his eyes were dull and lifeless. The only evidence he was still conscious was a slight, occasional stir. Dark circles weighed heavily beneath his eyes. The stubble on his chin had grown into an unkempt shadow, untouched by a razor.He looked like a completely different person from the Ivan she knew. He was clearly wrecked by worry and lack of sleep.Despite his frail appearance, his voice was steady and firm. That alone was enough to reassure Ivanka.At least Ivan had not pushed himself to the point of collapse. If two people ended up hurt because of her… She did not even want to imagine it.Candice helped Ivanka sit down while Ivan set down the things he was carrying and looked at her.Ivanka glanced at the items. There was a mix of toiletries and daily necessities.
After finishing his own story, Ivan shifted the conversation toward Ivanka.He wanted to ease the guilt that had been trapping her.“I can see that you haven’t been okay since Sandy ended up here,” Ivan said casually as if he were just thinking out loud. He did not even look at Ivanka as he spoke.Ivanka did not respond. She simply stared at the tips of her shoes.He was not wrong. There was nothing to argue against. They both knew it.Ivan continued. “Everyone has probably been telling you the same thing, that Sandy wouldn’t blame you. But the truth is, I don’t know if that’s true. And neither do you, do you? Right now, everything is just speculation.”Ivanka turned to look at him in confusion. She was not sure where he was going with that.Candice shot Ivan a disapproving look and shook her head subtly to remind him not to say something that would provoke her.Ivanka had already been drowning in guilt for so long. She had just begun to pull herself out of it. He had better no
Candice knew Ivanka had a point, so she did not insist any further.As Ivanka watched Candice’s slightly unsteady steps as she left, a pang of guilt hit her.She had been lying in a hospital bed for days, but Candice had been running herself ragged without rest.At least Jimothy was there to keep her company.Earlier, Candice had been constantly replying to messages. From the tone of her voice, it was clear she had been talking to Jimothy.It seemed like the two of them had grown closer over the past few days. That was a good thing.As soon as Candice left, the smile on Ivanka’s face froze.She no longer bothered pretending. Her expression turned serious as she started sorting through her thoughts.At that moment, everything in her mind was a tangled mess. No matter how hard she tried, she could not pinpoint anything useful.She needed to untangle the threads before she could make sense of it all.The most critical part was piecing together the timeline and every event relate
With that in mind, Coco’s expression changed immediately. She no longer acted meekly. Instead, she raised her brows and said with disdain, “I’m here to see if you’re dead yet, so I can decide whether I should bring you fruits or prepare flowers for your funeral.”Ivanka looked at Coco with slight astonishment.At that point, Coco no longer bothered to put on an act.As it seemed, it was time for them to be straightforward with each other. Ivanka tucked her stray hair behind her ear and stared at Coco fixedly with a penetrating gaze.“You must have been disappointed to see that I’ve survived. You spent so much effort plotting my murder, only to see me in one piece.”Ivanka gave a mocking smile. There was a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at Coco.Coco hated that look. She hated it when someone stared at her with pity.It brought back some unpleasant memories.It was all in the past, and she was no longer a country bumpkin. Yet, she had to be reminded of her background aga
Just as Coco was about to say something, Ivanka stared at her fixedly. She wanted to stay alert and listen to what Coco would say next. She did not want to miss a word.But suddenly, someone opened the door.Coco swallowed what she was about to say and turned around, only to meet Michael’s eyes. The atmosphere in the room became a little awkward.Ivanka was frustrated. Michael had returned at a bad time.His return messed everything up.He ruined her plan.The moment Coco saw Michael, she came to her senses.She realized that Ivanka had been trying to make her confess her crimes. Upon that realization, Coco was terrified. She felt a chill running down her spine.Ivanka was truly formidable.Seeing the change in Coco’s expression, Ivanka knew that Coco had caught on. She had lost the chance to get the truth out of Coco.Not only did Ivanka fail, but she had also alerted Coco. Ivanka felt rather defeated at the moment.Michael looked at Coco, then glanced at the mess on the fl
If Ivanka had gotten a recording of Coco’s confession, she could learn the truth.It would give them the answer they all deserved. She, Ivan, and even Sandy, who was still unconscious, deserved to know the truth.Michael knew that Ivanka was very upset, so he said nothing else. Instead, he took out his laptop calmly. He turned it on, inserted the flash drive, and opened a security footage.“Have a look at this first.” Michael gave the laptop to Ivanka and went away to pour a glass of water. Then he placed the glass on Ivanka’s bedside table.Ivanka opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something. But eventually, she kept quiet, gave up, and started watching the security footage attentively.Once Michael was done with his work, he sat down next to Ivanka and watched the footage with her.Ivanka was a little uneasy. She kept glancing at Michael subconsciously.Given the romantic tension between them, if anyone walked into the room, they would have assumed that these two were wa
Meanwhile, Candice wearily went to the company.Ivanka had wanted her to stay home and rest.But when Candice closed her eyes, all she could think about was Sandy lying in bed while living on a ventilator and Ivanka’s sorrow. Candice could not bring herself to fall asleep at all.Just then, her subordinate called and informed her that something was up in the company. One of their subsidiaries had not paid the construction workers on time, and the person in charge had run off without paying.It was a serious issue to withhold wages.Candice could not afford to go home and rest. She rushed to the company right away.The reporters had surrounded the company entrance. They fought each other to get into the building to interview the executives.After all, a scandal at such a scale was deadly to a big company like Lane’s Group.Even though it mostly involved its subsidiary, people tended to look at the parent company instead.In other words, the parent company was a class, and the s
Candice was slightly startled. She stared at Jimothy and felt a sense of unfamiliarity.Based on her previous perception of him, he had always been a fresh graduate with a warm smile. That was all.At this moment, Jimothy realized that he had overreacted. He looked at Candice apologetically and scratched his head before saying, “Sorry, I… I just think that it isn’t wise for you to come over right now. After all, the controversy is getting out of hand. We should be holding a press conference.”Candice raised her brows slightly. “I’m here precisely because the controversy is getting out of hand.”Hearing that, Jimothy furrowed his brows in disapproval. He seemed to want to say something, but Candice beat him to it.She asked, “You’ve been coming to the company for the past few days, right?”Even though it was a question, she sounded very certain.Jimothy was startled. He did not understand why she would ask that all of a sudden, but he nodded anyway.Candice nodded as well. “Then
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