Although it was a frivolous statement, he made it sound so gentlemanly. He did not sound offensive. Instead, one felt relaxed when interacting with him. Ivanka raised one of her eyebrows and said nothing. Jonah knew how to pick conversation topics when they ate together, and no one would ever feel bored talking to him. Besides, he spoke with tact. He would not make one feel offended. One would always be at ease while talking to him. Ivanka had to admit that Jonah was much better than Michael in this area. After they finished eating and put down their cutlery, Ivanka turned to Jonah. “Shall we discuss our business collaboration?” The corners of Jonah’s lips curled up slightly. “Sigh, I suppose that’s the price I have to pay for letting my heart do all the thinking when I see a beautiful woman.” The corners of Ivanka’s lips twitched, and she passed him the proposal. “You’ll have to invest in this project. Trust me, you may be willing to do so after you read the proposal.
“If I take action, I can help you officially inherit Lane’s Group.” Lane’s Group was a powerful company. However, people as great as Jonah and Michael could make the company go bankrupt effortlessly. The gap in their strength was too big. Besides, Jonah was a man of his word. He could help Ivanka officially inherit Lane’s Group, and he could handle the entire process much better. However, that was not what Ivanka wanted. She wanted to take back Lane’s Group on her own. She did not want to owe Jonah too many favors. If that happened, she would not be able to return all the favors he had done for her. Furthermore, with Samuel and Rosie around, she did not want to be so close to Jonah. Ivanka heaved a sigh. “Mr. Sadler, I understand your good intentions, but I don’t need you to put in so much effort for me. I won’t be able to pay you back if I owe you too many favors.” The corners of Jonah’s lips curled up slightly. “You don’t have to return the favor.” Ivanka chuckled.
Jonah sighed resignedly and gently said, “Iv, sometimes I don’t want to put too much pressure on you, but if I say or do nothing, I might miss the chance to fight for us.” Ivanka pursed her lips. Realizing Jonah would never tell her the truth, she felt a regretful twinge. Asking him was a waste of time. Just as she was about to say something, Jonah continued. “We still have ample time. You can keep watching. See if I’m your true love.” He uttered the last few words softly, but they weighed heavy and momentarily froze Ivanka’s expression. In the next moment, she smiled and said, “You really have a knack for humor, Mr. Sadler.” … After working overtime at the office, Michael had just finished signing the last document. He rubbed his temples and leaned back in his chair. Glancing at the phone on the desk, he slowly picked it up and logged into his long-neglected Twitter account. When he saw the top trending topic, his face turned livid! Jonah and Ivanka were having di
Puzzled, Ivanka asked Jonah, “What are you…”Jonah smiled. He had no intention of asking about her destination. With a nonchalant expression, he said, “It’s inconvenient to get a cab. I’ll drive you.”Ivanka looked hesitant. If Michael learned that Jonah had driven her to Barkworth’s Group, her mission would likely be compromised. She shook her head decisively. “No need. The cab is already here. I’ll manage on my own.”With that, she got into the taxi.After closing the door, she said flatly, “Sir, please take me to the main entrance of Barkworth’s Group.“Okay.”The cab left.Meanwhile, Jonah stood in place and watched Ivanka leave.He had a hunch. Michael must have seen the trending topic about him and Ivanka spending time together. What good would regret do now?Jonah scoffed and left.Ivanka did arrive at Barkworth’s Group within half an hour.Unbeknownst to Ivanka, Michael told her to get to Barkworth’s Group within half an hour because he calculated that it would not t
Food, Drinks, and Fun: It’s such a shame that we are not Ivanka.Ivanka continued scrolling through her phone.Michael had just finished signing a document when he remembered Ivanka had come. He glanced over. His expression darkened when he saw that Ivanka showed no signs of the expected professionalism and was leisurely playing with her phone.He withdrew his gaze and resumed working on his pile of documents.He had endless work to do. He would really like to see how long she could continue playing with her phone and how long her phone’s battery would last.An hour passed.Ivanka still had not looked up. Michael’s expression darkened even more.Two hours passed.Ivanka leisurely produced a power bank.His face was so gloomy, almost as if smoldering anger had etched itself into every line.He sneered.Ivanka instinctively looked up. When he met the piercing gaze of Michael, she smiled and said, “Have you finished your work, Mr. Barkworth?”Michael coldly stared at her and m
His furrowed brows gradually relaxed.It was a subtle shift that Evan would surely notice if he were in the office. Michael was genuinely pleased with the proposal.Ivanka’s gaze finally settled on Michael as she finished the briefing. “Mr. Barkworth, that’s all about the proposal. What do you think?”Michael looked at Ivanka in cold silence.At that moment, any intention to mock Ivanka had vanished.He made a clear distinction between business and personal matters.Initially, he asked her here because he thought Ivanka was being cheap and pulling a fast one on Jonah.However, now, Ivanka’s proposal satisfied him.His current emotions were a mix of shock and anger.Ivanka actually had a talent for this. Why did she not tell him before? Why did she lie to him?Seeing Michael’s furious gaze, Ivanka frowned in confusion and asked, “Mr. Barkworth, why are you staring at me like that?”Michael sneered. “Ivanka, Iris, Wisteria… Now you are even capable of coming up with a proposal
“Mic, it’s me.”Her voice remained as warm and gentle as before.Ivanka looked at Michael and smiled. “Mr. Barkworth, you see, you owe my sister a great favor. She was worried that I might not be able to secure the contract, so she came in person. Do you really think you should make such a demand in front of my sister? It won’t look good for anyone here. Right? She’d be heartbroken.”“She’s your sister. She’s been treating you like a real sister, and yet you’re using her!” Michael’s face darkened. His voice was cold.Ivanka, however, was unfazed. She just smiled and said, “Don’t you always know that I’m a vain person who will do whatever it takes to achieve my goals? What I’m doing now is actually nothing serious. Mr. Barkworth, for the sake of my sister, I suggest you put up with it.”Michael’s sharp gaze seemed as if it could pierce through her.Ivanka merely chuckled. She took a step back to maintain a distance from him.The two of them appeared to be having a regular busines
Michael clearly noticed the provocation in Ivanka’s eyes. A surge of anger welled up within him.If Chiara was not present, he would have lost his temper already!After a moment, he pursed his lips and said calmly, “No, you didn’t.”Chiara seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and smiled. “That’s good then.”Ivanka’s smile seemed to have grown wider. At that moment, a love-struck Chiara with her judgment clouded was completely unaware that Ivanka had set a trap for her. Chiara just gazed at Michael with a smile. “Mic, how did you find Iv’s project just now?”Her smile was gentle. Her demeanor was poised and relaxed, as if she had already familiarized herself with the project beforehand and exuded a natural self-confidence.Michael cast a brief glance at her and eventually spoke in a soft tone. “It’s decent.”Chiara was a little surprised. She was well aware of the project. She did not expect to hear such impartial approval from Michael’s mouth.Could it be that it was for her sake
“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