Michael’s face stiffened for a split second. Ivan could not read the emotion in his eyes. Ivan let it pass. He said again, “Actually, it’s fine to have flings, but don’t get too serious with a woman. Or else…” As he said that, he snorted. He considered his father as an example, but he clearly did not want to bring it up. Michael frowned slightly. “Not everyone is like your dad.” “Seeing how my dad behaves kills off any desire for me to fall for any woman. All right. I’ll get off after the turn. I will see you again some other time.” Ivan appeared to be aloof. However, there was a tinge of bitterness in his eyes. Michael could not say anything about his affairs. After Ivan got out of the car, he leaned back in his chair and rested with his eyes closed. By now, it was completely dark, so Michael drove all the way back home. Michael entered the house as usual, but there was a faint fragrance in the living room. Michael frowned immediately. A fragrance like this would have
However, little did she know that the closer she got, the more overbearing the stench became. Michael’s expression hardened. He stood right in the doorway, without even attempting to change into his indoor shoes. When he saw Chiara approaching him, Michael instantly said in a deep voice, “Stay right there!” He thought. “What on earth is that smell on her? It’s awful!” Chiara would have trembled in rage if she could have heard him say this. However, she was still very flustered. She remained on the spot and stared at him incredulously. “I didn’t want to ruin your marriage with Iv in the past, Mic. I also tried my hardest to bring you two closer together. But you’ve now turned against each other. It’s never going to work between you two.” “But you know, I knew you earlier than Iv. I like you even more than she does. You said you’d marry me. Have you changed your mind?” Chiara let out a self-deprecating smile. “I guess it was one-sided. I will never misunderstand you again.”
Chiara thought. “Why? Everything was going well! How did things turn out this way? Why?” Chiara tried to remain calm, but she could hear a car driving away from outside. “Mic…” Her tears streamed down her cheeks unknowingly as she wondered how things had turned out this way. He had already divorced Ivanka. She had driven Ivanka away from Michael. She could not figure out how things would turn so wrong. Her plan had been for her to marry Michael as soon as they divorced, but things were not going as she had hoped. Michael is currently driving away. His expression was cold. All he could think about was what had happened today, the scene of Ivanka driving without even looking at him. He also recalled what she had said to her father the last time they met at the cemetery, and what she had said to him. He thought that she had completely changed. She no longer wanted him like she used to. He was supposed to be relieved that she was leaving him alone. However, she kept going a
Ivanka subconsciously pressed the elevator’s open button because she believed someone was rushing to enter. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Michael! Her pupils immediately contracted! She was aware that she had changed her appearance, but how could she not know what was on Michael’s mind now that he had suddenly rushed here and glared at her with a sullen face? Ivanka slightly frowned and thought. “Is he here to get back at me? Because I sabotaged his plan again?” Ivanka raised her head to meet his gaze, but she said nothing. Michael, however, suddenly snorted. “Ivanka, you’re becoming increasingly impressive!” Ivanka’s eyes widened in alarm. He really had recognized her. She clutched the bag in her hand and looked at him defensively. “I’m sure you didn’t come over here at this hour just to tell me that, Mr. Barkworth.” However, the elevator had not gone up, so Michael pressed her floor. Ivanka frowned, but the next moment he suddenly grabbed her wrist, and
Ivanka started to shudder in rage. “Even now, he still thinks I’m a greedy and vain person!” She could have used that opportunity to ask for more in the divorce settlement when she got divorced, but she had crossed the mansion off the list. Even then, he still perceived her as someone greedy and vain? She let out a snort. “After I won the lawsuit for Jonah, he transferred the full amount of the ten billion dollars you compensated him to me. Do you still think I’m short of money?” Jonah did transfer the money to her, but she would not take it. She was still looking for an opportunity to give it back to him. The veins on the back of Michael’s hands bulged incessantly. Ivanka appeared to have mastered the art of making him angry because she could do so with every word she spoke! The elevator again stopped, this time on Ivanka’s floor. He dragged Ivanka from the elevator to her apartment. Ivanka had a furious expression on her face. She clearly had no intention of opening the d
Michael’s expression changed slightly. Ivanka’s words had actually rendered him speechless. He had no idea how to respond to her. Ivanka’s eyes glowed with contempt. She used to want to tell him everything. She had wanted to tell him that she was not that useless, that she could walk alongside him, that she would not weigh him down, that she was willing to contribute to Barkworth’s Group. However, she could only keep those words to herself. He would not even look at her. What was the point of telling him? Ivanka’s lip curled into a sneer as she noticed his forehead knotted in a frown, as if he was truly reflecting on himself. “Mr. Barkworth, you should leave. Also, don’t you think coming to my house so frequently is unfair to Chiara? Are you getting married soon? When the time comes, I will attend your wedding solely for Grandma’s sake.” Ivanka said those words casually. She had no idea, however, that it had completely inflamed Michael’s rage! “Rest assured. I will not meddle
Ivanka was no longer standing after Michael slammed the door behind him. She immediately sagged to the ground, and her face was as white as a sheet.“I thought I’d be able to forget everything about him. But his harsh words are as sharp as swords!” She thought as she gritted her teeth. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She buried her head in her arms and hugged her curled legs. Her back trembled as she cried. Michael had just stepped into the elevator at the same time. He was not feeling any better than Ivanka either. Even the veins on his forehead were bulging. God knew how strong his urge was to break Ivanka in half after she made such infuriating remarks.As the elevator descended swiftly, his mind was filled with images of Ivanka’s insanity.“Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’ve seen Ivanka so upset. It seems like I finally successfully provoked her.” He thought as he closed his eyes.When the elevator door opened, his eyes were clear. He wa
“N-No. That isn’t the case.” Chiara’s eyes were bloodshot and she appeared dazed. Lyla’s smile faded slowly. Even Theodore, who had been grinning the entire time, had a feeling something was wrong as he looked at the phone his wife was holding. Chiara’s body trembled, as did her lips. “I wouldn’t be so scared if what you say is true. I’m here because it isn’t. Yes, he did return home. But when he saw me, he turned away in disgust! He’s already tired of me! Mom, he doesn’t even want to marry me now!”Lyla and Theodore’s expressions shifted dramatically. Theodore could care less about anything else. He snatched the phone from Lyla’s grasp and exclaimed, “What happened?!”Chiara’s body trembled as she said through her gritted teeth, “He told me to leave this place! He clearly no longer likes me. He doesn’t want to marry me! But he made a promise! What happened? Is he unable to forget Ivanka?!”“Nonsense! He never liked her!” Theodore’s expression darkened. Lyla frowned. She fin
“I deserve everything that’s happening to me now. But please don’t involve my family in my mistakes…” Ethan clasped his hands together and sincerely begged everyone to spare his family. Ivanka spared him a brief glance before turning off her cell phone. Although she was helping herself to some meat, Michael could see how she felt at the moment. “Why don’t we…” Michael asked for her opinion. But before he finished speaking, Ivanka interrupted him. “Now that he’s released a video like that, if I continue to hold him accountable, I’d be the one in the wrong.” Michael immediately replied, “I can step in—” “You? It’s better if you don’t. Everyone knows your relationship with me now.” Before Michael could finish his sentence, Ivanka immediately interrupted him. Although they were not officially remarried, Michael often went out with her. If anyone else were to see this, what difference did it make? Michael understood, but he really could not bear to see Ivanka getting bulli
After they finished taking pictures, Ivanka greeted everyone politely. “After finishing your meal, go home early. It’s snowing, so drive safely. Bye…” Ivanka subconsciously reminded them. She belatedly realized she had been acting as though she was really an idol. Nonetheless, she treated them with sincerity. She had not done this for Michael’s sake. She did this mostly for the sake of the innocent, inexperienced young ladies who had yet entered the society. These young ladies raised their phones warily and asked, “Could we take a picture together?” They were so worried that their invitation would be turned down, so much so that when they talked, they almost bit the skin off their lips. Ivanka could not bear to reject them. It had not been easy for her to finally reach the private room. Michael teased her, “Our celebrity finally arrived. It looks like you’d best wear shades wherever you go in the future.” Ivanka glared at him and said gruffly, “Stop teasing me.” She paused
After that, Ivanka politely bowed to the people who had been watching the drama in the main hall. She smiled at them. “Sorry for making a fool of ourselves. We encountered two tricksters who wanted to eat the meals for free by calling themselves the friends of the restaurant owners. It happened that I know the restaurant owner, so we easily uncovered their tricks.” By saying that, Ivanka was able to save the hot pot restaurant’s and the Barkworth family’s reputation. Her statement could result in a win-win situation, and the reason was acceptable. Ivanka continued, “Sorry for causing a stir and affecting your dining mood. I’ll foot the bill for everyone who dined on the first floor. How does that sound?” She was not trying to curry favor with the people or to show off her wealth. She simply did not want the people to hate the wealthy. One could not deny that this method worked. Right after Ivanka made her statement, the crowd thanked her. The commotion was no more than ju
The young lady did not know what to do, so she turned to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager nodded in approval. It was only then that the young lady left the restaurant. Before she left, she glared at Coco. Coco glared back at the young lady and pointed at her viciously. Coco shouted, “Come back! I’m not done with you yet! Who permitted you to leave now?!” The young lady’s body shivered a little. Still, she gnashed her teeth and left. Ivanka watched the young lady’s back as she drifted away. Ivanka stood in Coco’s way because she did not want Coco to chase after the young lady. Ivanka did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. Otherwise, the Barkworth family would be the one who suffered disgrace. After all, Coco stayed in the Barkworth family’s mansion, and everyone knew that Rosie doted on her. If it continued, Ivanka was worried about Rosie’s later years… Ivanka rubbed her temples in resignation. It looked like she needed to resolve the issue as
The restaurant manager thought for a moment before saying, “Ms. Fishbourne, the restaurant has its own rules. Only three types of VIPs could reserve our private rooms while the rest could only enjoy normal seats. I have reasons to believe that our front desk told you the same when you called. We may not have empty seats now, but we’ll have one shortly after.” Coco recalled the situation and remembered that it was exactly like what the restaurant manager had mentioned. So what? Things have changed these days. Coco was no longer an ordinary woman. Her words could even move the earth. With that thought in her mind, Coco chuckled. She kept her tyranny and mockery to herself before locking her little finger with the young lady’s at the front desk. The young lady at the front desk looked down at her finger before glancing at the restaurant manager helplessly. The restaurant manager himself, too, was caught in trouble, so he could not do anything else to defend the young lady. C
Little did Coco know that her behavior was no more like a clown in the crowd’s eyes. Ivanka felt disgusted. Although she could not put herself in Coco’s shoes, she could understand the thoughts of a sensitive person. Ivanka could sympathize with a sensitive and cowardly person. But she could not find herself sympathizing with Coco. Coco’s low self-esteem should not be the reason for her to behave like a crook. Michael, on the other hand, already finished discussing with the restaurant manager and entering the private room. Ivanka lagged behind him. She had no intention of entertaining Coco, much less inviting her to eat together. No doubt that the private room was able to accommodate four people. But based on their relationship, Ivanka thought she had been kind enough to not find fault in Coco, much less eating together. Meanwhile, Coco continued to argue with the restaurant manager. She argued until her face reddened. Although the restaurant manager already made hims
The temperature was above freezing point, so the snowflakes melted before they even reached the ground. The trees were covered in snow. At a glance, they looked like a blanket of pristine snow. The big trees looked as if they had been covered in snow-white new clothes. Ivanka was a little surprised at such a scenery. Even though she often went for business trips in the north and had experienced snow, skied, and various other experiences, it was a rare sight to experience snow in their city. Instead of snow, they looked more like an ice sheet. The snow there was different from the cities in the north. They easily fell on their hair. In just a while, their hair turned snowy white. Ivanka took out her phone and took a photo. Then she shared it with her friends in her WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Michael took photos of Ivanka. Michael hardly posted anything on Twitter. After a moment, he uploaded a photo of Ivanka taking photos of the scenery.The caption was: Experiencing
Michael glanced at Ivanka.Ivanka kept her eyes lowered and focused on nothing in particular. Both of them tacitly agreed not to bring it up.“Let’s go out to eat,” Michael said. Ivanka agreed without hesitation.If they got ready and left at this time, they would be just in time for lunch.She went upstairs to freshen up. Michael did not rush her. He just smiled, as if he was telling her to take her time.Ivanka felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Truthfully, she was the one in a hurry because she was the one starving.Five minutes later, she came back down.She had changed into a long black down coat that reached her ankles. It was practical and warm.But the weather was still unbearably cold. This winter was harsher than usual.“Let’s go.” She rubbed her hands together and looked at Michael.Michael was on his phone. He was smiling and looked relaxed. With just a glance, Ivanka could tell he was probably making a reservation.Their long-standing
Ivanka slept in the next day. By the time she woke up, the sun was already streaming through the window, casting light across her bed and face.In a way, the sunlight had forced her awake.She frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. The brightness left spots in her vision, so she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself before getting out of bed.It was already past 10 a.m.She had no idea how she managed to sleep so much, especially after napping all afternoon the day before.Then again, maybe she was just that exhausted. So much had been going on lately.Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she did not have to go to the office.That was probably why her internal clock had not woken her at seven as usual.Come to think of it, her body’s internal clock was quite accommodating.On workdays, no matter how tired she was, she always woke up at seven sharp. But on weekends, that never happened. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, which was pretty great.She lay in