Ivanka carefully wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes with a tissue. If she rubbed them with her hands, the skin around her eyes would become even more reddened. She noticed that Michael had been staring at her. She turned from weeping to laughing. “Do I look ugly now?” She only meant to liven up the atmosphere by cracking a joke. She did not want the atmosphere to become any graver. Michael, on the other hand, fixed his gaze at Ivanka like his eyes were glued to her. He looked as though he was staring at his treasure. Then he looked solemn and answered her question clearly, “No, you don’t. You look very good.” He added, “You always look good.” Ivanka’s hands froze. A hint of anxiousness darted across her gaze. “Let’s go. It’s time for business.” Ivanka attempted to escape the awkward situation. Michael stared at Ivanka’s back. His eyes crinkled with smiles. They were filled with affection. Back inside the room, everything was just about ready. Ivanka a
Zeus: This is my first time seeing the boss of a company apologize to the public. I find this a novelty indeed. Barney: That’s right! No matter what, at least this is the right attitude to do things. Donaldduck: This has nothing to do with one’s attitude. It’s about one’s principles. ... The crowd gave mixed reviews. Nonetheless, Ivanka did not respond much to this. Instead, she talked about the issues related to the donation icon. “I notice many of you are wondering why I close the donation icon on all the platforms.” Ivanka put on a light smile, but her smile did not reach her eyes. “I’m going to answer your questions now. I’m here not because I want to interact with you or to capture worldwide attention. I’m here because I want to clarify the rumors and admit to my mistakes. Therefore, I don’t need your donations. That would only alter my original purpose of showing up here. “On top of that…” Ivanka paused for a moment. “I’m not short of money.” Right after she finis
Ivanka already had a framework for her speech in her mind before speaking in front of the crowd. Although she did not write them down, she had a good memory. Therefore, she could deliver her speech smoothly and perfectly. Although she occasionally forgot what she needed to say, it seldom happened. Moreover, she had a wealth of experience in delivering speeches in front of the crowd. In other words, she was good at applying the right tones and wordplay at the right time. Occasionally, she would crack some jokes to ease the atmosphere as well as to relieve her own stress. In short, she delivered her speech eloquently and calmly. The way she delivered her speech made her listeners feel comfortable. At the same time, it was only then that they finally realized the truth. They knew it was Lane’s Group’s subsidiary that was the main culprit instead of Lane’s Group. Lane’s Group was like a tree, and its subsidiaries were like its branches. A tree had many branches. When one of
With that, Ivanka caught everyone off guard as she turned off the live broadcast. The netizens still had not had enough of it. This was especially so when they seemingly detected something, only to see Ivanka go off the air abruptly. As a result, they had no more drama to watch. After stopping the live broadcast, Ivanka heaved a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Michael stared at the comments from the sharp-eyed netizens, and his gaze grew increasingly dull. Monkeyking: Who’s that who just showed up in front of the camera? I can tell that he’s a very handsome man just by looking at his side profile! Kingkong: Although I’ve no idea who that man is, I believe he’s Ivanka’s partner. Didn’t you see how close they are? Besides, they are a good match for each other… Gorilla: I screenshot him and sent it to my boss. He told me that man comes from a powerful background. It’s a bit inconvenient to talk more about him here. Just see and wait. ... There was a hint of a smile in Michael
Sandy laid quietly on the bed without any signs of life. Ivanka found it strange. After so long, Sandy still did not show any signs of improvement. Ivanka had questioned the attending physician. But the physician gave her a very vague answer. “Even to this day, we don’t knaow the exact time she would regain her consciousness. There’s no way for me to give you an accurate answer. What I could say is, fate will decide. Perhaps she will regain her consciousness by tomorrow, or perhaps she will never regain her consciousness for the rest of her life. In the meantime, her family and friends can stay around and chat with the patient as this can stimulate her will to live on to a certain extent.” Ivanka thought the physician might as well have said nothing at all. Did that mean she could not do anything to help Sandy and could only let fate decide? Ivanka was an atheist. She never trusted in any gods or fate. Judging from the current situation, it looked like the physician was unr
Ivan said this not just because he trusted Ivanka’s medical skills, but mostly because he believed in Sandy. Although a paralyzed person could neither move nor talk, they could hear sounds. Ivan believed Sandy heard Ivanka’s calls. It would help her regain her consciousness. Ivanka felt extremely grateful for their trust in her. She swore to herself that she would not disappoint them. Since Sandy’s family members agreed with this, the physician had no reason to stop Ivanka. When the physician watched Sandy being carried up to the ambulance and sent to Ivanka’s home, he shook his head and sighed. The physician believed Sandy’s family members’ blind obedience and foolishness would only get Sandy killed. Nonetheless, it was out of his hands. The physician could only pray for Sandy. Ivanka did not know what the physician was thinking, nor did she even care. She accompanied Sandy’s mother and talked to her. They had a heart-to-heart talk. After that, she had someone se
After walking out of the room, Ivanka received Candice’s call. Candice called to report her good news. Ever since the live broadcast, things had clearly improved for the company. The company’s stock had rebounded when it was once on the verge of falling. It was undoubtedly a good sign. Candice informed Ivanka all of this happily while Ivanka was still caught in a daze. “The company is back on track, all thanks to your move in saving the day! The other companies are regretting their decisions now. Iv, you’re awesome!” Ivanka smiled. “I’m glad to hear that the company is operating as usual. I hope nothing else will go wrong again. But I somehow find it odd when things get resolved a bit too smoothly.” Candice, on the other hand, dismissed that thought. She believed Ivanka had been too vigilant. What mattered most was the company’s reputation had been salvaged. Other than that, she could not think of any other problems. Ivanka parted her lips, but no word came out of her
Ever since she ended the call with Candice, Ivanka was troubled. She always felt like another incident was just around the corner, especially over the last two days; that feeling had gotten stronger. Ivanka had told only Michael about this feeling. After Michael heard her through, he said that he had the same thoughts and feelings as Ivanka. One thing was certain: the large batch of media reporters appearing at the company’s entrance at the same time was obviously organized and premeditated. So, it was definitely not an accident. That person obviously had some power, and to be able to make so many media companies respond to them meant that they must also have some power financially.What was more, the person behind this was very mysterious. Both Ivanka and Michael could not find out who that person really was, no matter what strings they pulled.There was not even a single clue leading to the person.Michael looked at Ivanka, who seemed a bit worried, and comforted her by
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