However, the neighbor quickly took note of Michael’s hostile demeanor, so he shrank back and quietly closed the door.Ivanka was at a loss for words.The violent knocks on the door were deafening. Ivanka was afraid of offending other people, but neither could she stop Michael, so she had no choice but to open the door.Michael walked in with a gloomy expression.Ivanka closed the door and glared at him. “Mr. Barkworth, your actions make me think you are finding it difficult to forget about me!”‘Even if something has popped up, can’t we resolve it during the day?’She thought Michael had found out about what happened on the Internet when he was somewhere else just now, so he was calling to question her. However, if she had taken the timing of events into consideration, she would have known that he was already near her home when he called her.Michael glared at her and scoffed. “Do you actually believe that I can’t forget you? Ivanka, I only have sound reason to suspect that you
She decisively opened the door.A slender figure appeared before Ivanka’s view.Michael also stood up and walked over.The corners of Ivanka’s mouth curled up. She turned and looked at Michael. “It’s not my so-called paramour. It’s your lover. Are you embarrassed?”Chiara slightly narrowed her eyes. ‘Lover? If I want, I can change Ivanka’s status from a legal wife to a lover by lifting a finger.’Michael’s expression turned gloomier. He looked at Chiara unhappily. “Why are you here?”Chiara hurriedly spoke up, sounding worried. “I wanted to discuss something with you, so I tried to reach you through your friend. However, I heard you were in a bad mood today, so I was worried and asked about it. After knowing you were here, I hurried over here as I was afraid there might be some misunderstandings between you two. Iv, Mic, you two should hear each other out to solve the problem. Don’t let this misunderstanding escalate.”Ivanka smiled. “It doesn’t matter. He’ll marry you soon, and
He snatched Ivanka’s phone and hung up.Ivanka looked with a perplexed expression. “What’re you doing?”Michael stared at Ivanka. It was as if his sharp gaze would skewer her if she dared to do anything.“Ivanka, this is my last warning. If you dare to seduce other men, don’t blame me for not sparing you!”Chiara looked stiff. ‘Seduce other men?’She had always thought that Michael meddled with Ivanka’s affairs because of his pride as a man. No man could stand to watch his newly divorced wife fool around with another man.But…A bad premonition popped up in her mind.Ivanka seemed as nonchalant as ever. “I don’t need your sparing. Goodbye.”Chiara grabbed Michael’s arm worriedly. “Mic, Iv is still young and immature. Don’t take her words seriously.”Michael pursed his thin lips. He shot Ivanka a cold glance and left.Only Ivanka and Chiara were left in the house. Chiara looked at Ivanka with mockery.Ivanka sneered. “What’re you still doing here? Waiting for me to kick you
“You’ll find out when the time comes.”“What? F*ck you! Are you still my best friend?”“Yes, and I’ll cook for you tonight.”“Really?!”Sandy was a major foodie, and Ivanka had cooking skills that were even better than chefs. She was easily enticed by Ivanka’s words.“I meant it, of course.”“I want braised pork, meatball, tomato fish stew…”Sandy did not hold back and listed eight dishes in one breath.The corners of Ivanka’s mouth twitched. “Can you finish them?”“Of course I can! I’m a big eater!”“Okay, I’ll do as you said.”The two talked and laughed on the way home. While they were washing the vegetables, they heard the doorbell ring.Sandy was puzzled. She asked, “Who could it be? Did you give anyone this address?”Ivanka frowned a little. Besides Michael and Chiara, only Sandy would know about this.Jonah knew her whereabouts, but he did not know her specific house number.There was no way that Michael and Chiara would pay her a visit at this time.She put down
Ivanka was speechless.At that moment, Sandy was acting like a scout and gathering intelligence about the two of them. Something must be going on between them!Iv had never told her about this. Could she have taken a fancy to Jonah?Her expression slightly changed. How could that be?She directly asked, “Iv, you’re being a stranger. When did you two know each other? You two seem quite close. Why didn’t you introduce your new friend to me?”When Sandy spoke, she winked at Ivanka.Jonah smiled and said, “We haven’t known each other for a long time, but we get along well in our relationship.”Sandy was dumbfounded. “Relationship?”She thought. ‘What kind of relationship would that be?’ The corners of Ivanka’s mouth twitched. “Wash the vegetables.”Jonah smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”Sandy looked confused.She repeated the phrase in her mind. ‘Yes, ma’am?’She stole frequent glances at Ivanka. She kept wanting her to give some hints, but… Even after all the food was on the table, she
Sandy sounded worried. She felt Ivanka was going to face a storm in the future.Everyone knew that every time Ivanka and Michael appeared at the banquet, they were there to show their affection, but now…Jonah raised his eyebrows, but he said nothing.If Ivanka could attend the banquet with him, it would deal a painful blow to the Barkworth’s Group. It was something he wished for.Ivanka’s lips twitched. “It doesn’t matter.”She had to take this step, eventually. She had long run out of patience with Michael, and there was no need to put up with him anymore.Besides, if she did not do it, Chiara would start coming up with fresh ideas in the future. It would be better for her to be the villain and free herself sooner.Sandy sighed. “Well, maybe it’s for the better. In this case, your divorce will be smoother.”Jonah raised his eyebrows. He seemed to know nothing about it. He said in surprise, “The divorce will be smoother?”Sandy gritted her teeth. “It’s all because of that wre
Ivanka looked at her and nodded without waiting for her to finish her sentence. “I have been left with no other choice. I’ve already done all I can for him, but he has no sense of decorum.”Sandy’s eyes were wide open. After the shock, she became even more excited. “Iv, have you made up your mind? Once you get to this point, there’s no turning back.”Ivanka raised her eyebrows. “What happened? Didn’t you try to get my mind off him? Now that I’ve decided, you’re telling me to reconsider.”“I want nothing more for you two to complete the divorce procedure so that you can stay away from that b*stard,” Sandy proclaimed boldly. But in the next second, she appeared doubtful and said, “I’m just worried that you’ll regret it and feel worse than before. People always say that it’s better to rip the band-aid off than suffer with it, but sometimes, ripping it off may hurt even more than the long-suffering.”Ivanka smiled and put her hand on Sandy’s hand. “Trust me. I won’t.”Sandy’s eyes fla
At that moment, Ivanka was already sitting in Jonah’s car.Sandy was not here because she wanted to be with Hanson and Anna.Jonah drove with Ivanka in the front passenger seat.He looked at Ivanka with a slight smile. “Why didn’t you wear the dress I prepared for you?”Ivanka turned and looked at him. “The size was not suitable, so I just picked two dresses at random. I’ll return you the two dresses when we go back later. Why don’t you give them to your other partners?”She did not know Jonah well, but she knew enough about him to be guarded and calculative. However, Jonah had not tried to oppress her into anything, so she did not need to worry too much when she spoke.Jonah raised his eyebrows. “I don’t have other partners. Aren’t you the only one now?”Ivanka smiled silently.Along the way, Jonah had been finding topics for a conversation as he did not want the atmosphere to be too dull. However, he was discreet and sleek about it. The two chatted freely in a relaxed atmosph
“One more thing, these are my team members. They’ve seen firsthand how you’ve tried to suppress me all the time. A little payback from them isn’t exactly unjustified, don’t you think?”Before Mandy could say anything, Candice turned to the employee and instructed firmly, “Call security. Have them escort her out of the building. Make sure she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Thoroughly check her devices for any company files.”Mandy completely lost her composure and started yelling.“Who do you think you are to treat me like this? You’re just riding on Ivanka’s coattails! Everyone knows how someone so young became CEO. And you? Are you sticking by her? You’re no better than… Argh!”Before Mandy could finish her tirade, Candice delivered a resounding slap across her face.Not far away, Ivanka, who had come out after hearing the commotion to see if she needed to step in, slowed her steps. While leaning casually against a nearby column, she watched Candice handle the
“I understand what you mean now.” Candice’s cheeks flushed with excitement. The gloom that had previously clouded her was swept away.Her joy was genuine. She said, “In three months’ time, I’ll secure this position and prove to you and the board that your decision was the right one.”With that, Candice stood, gave Ivanka a respectful bow, and left the office.Ivanka watched her leave with a smile.All was good.While the two of them were in good spirits, someone else’s mood was far from pleasant.Mandy returned to her office, humiliated, to pack her belongings.If she could turn back time, she might have chosen not to come at all. The shame she endured was beyond anything she could have imagined.Somehow, word of what happened in the conference room had leaked. Perhaps Ivanka had orchestrated it.When she arrived at her office, she was not surprised to see all her belongings stuffed into a tattered, broken box.The box had been placed right outside her office door. It was a
“Mr. Clarke, if you don’t like my decision and want to change it, you’ll have to take my position first to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”With those words, Ivanka coolly left the meeting room.Candice, though initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quickly adjusted to her new role. Turning to Mandy, she said, “Ms. Cruella, please ensure your office is cleared in three days, as I will be moving in.”With that, she too left the room.After they left, the meeting room erupted into chaos, with arguments flying back and forth. However, the outcome was already sealed. Ferris was powerless to change it.Though he still had cards to play, he was not about to waste them on Mandy.Sure enough, by the afternoon, employees spotted Mandy packing her belongings and leaving in disgrace.Candice, though initially satisfied, could not help but feel uneasy. After thinking it over, she decided to speak with Ivanka. And so, at that moment, she was standing in front of the door to t
Ferris was panicking at the moment. He shot Mandy a disappointing and furious glare.It was one thing for her to embezzle funds, it was another for her to get caught.How foolish!Feeling the weight of Ferris’s gaze, Mandy instinctively lowered her head.That only made Ferris more enraged.She had caused all this trouble, and he had to clean up the mess.Ivanka ignored them and turned to the other shareholders. She sharply said, “Tell me, how can someone like her hold the position of project director in our company, yet Candice can’t even be promoted to team leader?”Mandy had been personally hired by Ferris, so Ivanka criticizing her in front of everyone was effectively a direct slap to his face.That naturally made Ferris extremely uncomfortable.His expression turned even darker.“In my opinion, it’s true Mandy shouldn’t have done that, but she’s been in this position for so long. While she doesn’t have achievements, she’s at least put in the effort. How about this, let’s
However, her smile did not reach her eyes.Mandy stood frozen. She was too scared to drink the water or take a seat. Just like that, she was ignored. The atmosphere was awkward. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Ferris for support.Ferris, who was standing near her, cleared his throat and said, “That’s right. Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Cruella is right. This isn’t in line with proper procedures.”Ivanka maintained her enigmatic smile. Her index finger tapped lightly on the table. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind.She glanced around the room. “What do the rest of you think?”She sounded like she was seeking opinions, but the weight of her presence was intimidating. No one dared to answer.Just as Ferris was about to say something, Ivanka picked up Mandy’s report and tossed it onto the floor.It happened too fast. Everyone was stunned by her action. Even Ferris was caught off guard.Mandy’s face turned pale.“Rules are made by people. Besides, Cand
“Please start.” Ivanka nodded. Mandy glanced at Ferris and then at Ivanka. She did not dare to speak.It was obvious that she did not want to offend either side.But she had received a lot of favors being under Ferris over the years, so naturally she did not dare to disobey him.Ferris felt like he was getting the upper hand again, and he was a lot more cheerful. His expression seemed to say, “Look, this is my staff. Look at how they listen to me and not you. You’re nothing much as the chairman. Who are you here, Ivanka?”The anger from before had completely disappeared. He said calmly, “You really don’t get the hint. If Ms. Lane lets you speak, you should just speak.”Although he sounded like he was scolding her, anyone could hear from Ferris’s tone that he was not complaining. He was gloating.Some shareholders did not want to be caught up in the mess and lowered their heads.Others wanted to see where things went.In a way, he was asserting dominance over Ivanka. Everyone wa
Ivanka suggested to Candice to go home and rest.But Candice still refused.She said, “The contract will be done soon. I’ll be able to rest properly and have peace of mind sooner when it’s finalized.”Ivanka relented. She only said that if she felt discomfort in any way, she must tell her immediately.Candice nodded her head and took note.Ivanka gripped the steering wheel tightly. She felt guilty.Candice was already in such a state, but she still insisted on working. Her reason there was not only to repay Ivanka but also to realize her own self-worth.But Ferris kept getting in the way of that report.It was really upsetting.Ivanka also secretly made it a point to get the report passed on that day.The car reached the company. Ivanka went upstairs with Candice together. Ivanka also personally helped Candice to her workstation.Despite Candice’s repeated refusals, Ivanka was very insistent.She wanted to demonstrate to everyone that she had Candice’s back. If anyone wante
Ivanka noticed that the distance between the both of them were a little too close. She moved a little to the side as a form of silent resistance to Micheal’s behavior.Michael only felt lonely for a moment. But he then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.“Candice hasn’t finished giving her statement yet. I know you have to keep her company today, but I don’t agree that you should just sleep here. I’ve booked a hotel in the neighborhood. In a moment, I’ll explain to the people from the police station and send the two of you there.” Ivanka seemed to be a little hesitant.Michael said, “It’s just nearby. It’s about a kilometre away. I’ve reserved two rooms. So, if we need to rush over at night, we can just come over together again. Besides, if you sleep in the lounge for the night, both of you will catch a cold.”Ivanka hesitated and finally nodded.She thanked him and turned to go into the lounge to wake Candice up.Michael’s voice called out from behind her.
The two looked at each other and spoke a name. “Ferris Clark.”“Ferris Clark.” Michael laughed first. Ivanka followed suit. “Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with me. When Candice came, everyone knew I brought her in. When she first came in because she did not have any experience, she was only offered a position as an intern team leader. She thought that she would be transferred to a permanent position after she did a good job. But her report never passed after that. It was stuck in Ferris’s hands. “I will go to the board of directors tomorrow and continue to submit the report. This time it will have to be passed no matter what. I will also take the opportunity to find an excuse to test Ferris. If it’s really him…” Ivanka did not finish speaking, but the ferocity in her eyes made Michael silently pray for Ferris in his heart.Ivanka changed her tone. “But if it’s not someone from Bostone, then we have to consider someone else.”The tacit understanding betwe