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
Chiara inhaled deeply. “OK, I understand.”With that, the two ended the call. While Lyla started making arrangements, Chiara sat in her bedroom with jittery nerves.Twenty minutes flew by.Chiara clenched her phone, finally summoning the courage to call Mindy.“Mindy has also eased my transition into the Barkworth family. She has been waiting for tonight as well.”When Mindy’s phone rang, she thought that Chiara and Michael had done the deed. “Chiara, why are you calling at this hour? Are you two not asleep yet?”Chiara inhaled, but her nose was stuffy from crying earlier. “Chiara, dear, what happened?” Mindy asked, frowning.Chiara took another deep breath, as if she was trying hard to hold back her anger, and said softly, “Aunt Mindy, I... I’m coming home.”As she said the last few words, her voice shook as her tears spilled.Mindy’s worried expression was immediate. “Chiara, what happened? Why are you suddenly returning home? Where’s Michael?!”Chiara sighed. “Aunt Mindy
“Ah!” Chiara panicked and let out a loud cry. “Let me go! Have you all lost your minds?!”“You *sshole!”At that precise moment, a man rushed over and punched the thug square in the face!“What the—?! Who’re you? Who the hell hit me?! My nose is bleeding! Beat him up!” Chiara looked at that man, terrified. She had never met him before. He was a stranger to her.Even at night, she could see his well-defined face and thought he was very attractive. “Who is he? Did Mom send him?” She wondered.She dashed to the side, but the thug from earlier caught her and asked, “Do you really think you’re safe just because someone has come to your rescue? You’re destined to be mine!” He then dragged her away.She screamed in terror. The thug said, “Ms. Lane, in a while, hit me. I’ll pretend to beat you up in rage. Try to make it as authentic as possible. After that, you’ll be sent to the hospital.”Chiara was stunned. She quickly agreed to everything he said. “Do you think you can escape j
“Mrs. Barkworth?” Lyla sounded a little drowsy. “What happened? Why are you calling so late at night?”“Mrs. Lane…” Mindy took a breath and said with a complex expression, “I’m truly sorry!”Lyla paused on purpose, as if she had just become fully alert. But, before she could speak, Mindy spoke, “I tried calling Chiara, but she didn’t answer me. When the call finally went through, a man answered it. He said that she was surrounded by a group of thugs, and he saved her. She’s on her way to Ternary Hospital. I-I…”“Did something happen to Chiara?” Lyla sounded panicked. “They’ll reach Ternary Hospital in another ten minutes or so. Mrs. Lane, let’s go there before we talk any further!”“Okay!” Lyla hung up and looked at Theodore, who was next to her. She no longer looked as flustered as she did before. “All right, let’s go,” she said calmly.Theodore had a frown and was feeling worried. “Are you sure that this plan is going to work?”“Of course!” She glanced at his worried face and
When Mdm. Wright heard that, she asked in discomfort, “Why do you care? It’s none of my business.”Michael just smiled. Mdm. Wright had been distracted since she arrived here. She still cared about Doska in the end.He was her last remaining relative, after all. Mdm. Wright’s sons and daughters had died one after another, leaving behind only this one grandson. It would be a lie to say that she did not care.It was just all to keep her pride. By the grace of Mdm. Wright, he would let him off the hook once when he met Doska on the field. But if Doska repeatedly provoked him or tried to get in his way… Then he would not care who he was.With that, Michael tidied up and prepared to enter.Before he was about to go in, Michael looked toward Ivanka quickly.By that time, Ivanka had already stood very obediently next to Anais.When she saw Michael look over at her, Ivanka gave him a small smile.“Take care of yourself.”Michael had mouthed those words to her.Ivanka smiled. “B
“So, Mdm. Wright, even if we go back, Michael and I won’t forget you, nor will we forget this place.”Mdm. Wright’s body froze visibly.Ivanka spoke to her heart. She spoke to the most vulnerable, most profound part of her heart.To put it bluntly, the old lady was also afraid of being alone in her old age.Ivanka continued, “If conditions permit, we will come back to see you, or we can pick you up and take you out for a few days.”Mdm. Wright said nothing as she held back her tears.She was afraid that she would cry the moment she opened her mouth. Ivanka affectionately took Mdm. Wright’s hand. She looked at Mdm. Wright with eyes that twinkled like stars in the sky.“Mdm. Wright, give Michael and I a local name for this place.”“Alright…”Mdm. Wright could not hold back her tears any longer.The warm liquid dripped onto Ivanka’s arm. It was so warm that it felt like it was burning her skin.Ivanka took out a tissue and gently wiped away the tears off her beloved Mdm. Wrig
“The question struck my mind at this moment.” Michael did not trust Ivanka’s statement. When she asked him that question, she looked serious. She did not look like she asked it spontaneously; she seemed to have prepared it a long time ago. Michael thought about it carefully before answering her. “You’re serious, bold, smart, and beautiful.” Ivanka had many excellent qualities. Her beauty was unquestionable, yet it was the least worth mentioning. She nodded. After that, she looked up and stared at Michael. Her gaze was so razor-sharp as if she could pierce him through her gaze alone. She said, “I’m not some sort of a delicate, rich young lady. We’re currently facing a situation that is unfavorable to us. If we want to return to our homeland, it’s going to take more than your effort alone to get back, it’s going to take us all working together. Since you mention we’re a team, why can’t I contribute to our team?” Michael’s lips parted, but no words came out of his mouth.
Michael grabbed Ivanka’s hand and wanted to leave together. He could not bear to watch Ivanka suffer. But Ivanka stood motionlessly in place and stared at Anais. Meanwhile, Anais recovered from her shock and gave Ivanka a strange look. Then she asked skeptically, “Have you made up your mind? Are you sure you’re not kidding me?” Michael was about to answer her, but Ivanka interrupted, “Yes. I’m very certain about it. Can we register now?” Anais raised her head proudly. “Of course.” Right after she finished her sentence, she gave the registrar a look. The registrar naturally did not want to mess around with the troublemaker, so he instantly added Michael’s name to the list. After Michael’s name was added to the list, it was only then that Ivanka heaved a sigh of relief. She turned around and realized that Anais was staring at her. Ivanka was undaunted. She met her eyes. Anais moved her lips silently to say, “I’ll wait for you.” After that, she gave Ivanka a profound
The moment Candice saw Mandy, she instantly recalled the night Ivanka and Michael fell into the sea. She knew Mandy and Ferris were the main culprits behind it all. At that moment, Candice had the urge to tie them up and toss them into the sea so that they would sink underneath. It seemed to be the only way to get rid of her hatred toward the duo. Unfortunately, she could not take action just yet. Mandy moved in front of Candice and removed her sunglasses. Then, she raised her chin and asked the security guard, “What’s with all the noises?” The security guard listened to all her whims and said, “This mad woman is being so unreasonable and insists on entering the building. She said she’s the project director of the company.” Upon hearing this, Mandy looked like she finally noticed Candice’s presence. Without caring much less about the hatred and disgust in Candice’s eyes, Mandy cradled her mouth and pretended to look surprised while saying, “Oh, no! Aren’t you the project di
With that belief, Candice returned to Lane’s Group. Rosie suggested going with her, but Candice shook her head and rejected Rosie. Candice said, “Grandma, don’t worry. Just leave them to me. I can handle them. You can stay at home in peace.” After Candice finished her sentence, she smiled at Rosie and left. Rosie was worried, and she watched Candice until she disappeared at the end of the building. The driver turned around and comforted Rosie, “Mdm. Barkworth, don’t worry. Although Ms. Lane isn’t around the company, her prestige stays within. Candice won’t need to suffer much.” In spite of the driver’s comforting words, Rosie still frowned deeply. “I’m worried that the people’s hearts have changed,” Rosie murmured, as if both talking to herself and replying to the driver. As Rosie had expected, the moment Candice reached downstairs, she faced an issue. Candice was about to enter the inside of the building after passing the biometric facial recognition system, but the
Anais’s gaze was filled with obsession while staring at Michael. After not seeing him for a few days, he was still as good-looking as ever. No matter how calm and composed Anais was, her heart always skipped a beat whenever she saw him. Michael had gotten a bit tanned. This suited Anais’s preference even more. Anais stood next to the crowd and said indifferently, “I can help you with the registration.” The crowd turned in the direction of her voice and saw Anais staring at Michael and Ivanka calmly. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of teasing. Michael frowned. He subconsciously wanted to reject her. Anais’s gaze was unfriendly, especially when she rested her gaze on Ivanka. She looked as though she wanted to ask for some request in return. As Michael expected, Anais pointed at Ivanka and sneered, “But I have a request. I need her to stay by my side throughout the Heroes Meeting. She’ll be my follower.” Meanwhile, Rosie bailed Candice out of the police station. The mome
After some time, Mdm. Wright turned around and entered the house. A hint of disappointment flashed across Ivanka’s eyes. Michael sensed her depression. He tightened his grasp to cheer her up wordlessly. Ivanka’s glum mood quickly faded. She had always been like that. She had experienced falls, suffered heartbreaks, and encountered hurdles when facing setbacks in life. But she always recovered from them. She carried so much burden on herself to the extent that she could hardly take a break. Michael admired her for that. At the same time, his heart ached for her. “Never mind. I’ll find other ways out. But our relationship with Mdm. Wright may end here,” Michael looked at Ivanka while comforting her in a whisper. Ivanka nodded and looked up at him. Her eyes sparkled, and she looked calm as if she was unaffected even the slightest bit. “It’s okay. We aren’t on the same path from the beginning, after all.” Michael knew that she was a little sad in spite of her sentence
They supposed they would not be able to see such a scenic starry sky again. The next day, Michael woke up early in the morning. He dressed up to attend the Heroes Meeting. But he could not open the door. Then, Mdm. Wright showed up in the compound. Her face was devoid of any expression. She looked very calm, and her tone was flat as she said, “Stop wasting your energy. I’ve locked the door. The key is with me.” With a frown, Ivanka turned to her. Her gaze was questioning. Mdm. Wright sighed. “I know you haven’t given up on it. You insist on attending the Heroes Meeting, but it’s too dangerous. Besides, our village’s fate depends on the Sonder fish. I can’t just sit there and watch you guys take it away from us. “The registration for the Heroes Meeting will end after noon. Until then, you’ll stay around with me.” Before this, Ivanka had thought of Mdm. Wright stopping them. But she did not expect Mdm. Wright to use such a forceful and extreme method to stop them. Ivanka’