Chiara took a small breath. She thought. “Never mind. Even if Ivanka completed this mission, it wouldn’t make much difference. She still has five missions to complete this month. Besides, given the rules, there’s no way she can leave the company this month.”After resigning herself to the situation, Chiara turned to Michael. “Mic, since you still have work to do, I’ll leave with Iv now.”Michael slightly frowned. In the end, he said in a deep voice, “You haven’t fully recovered yet. Don’t always think too much for others. It’s a waste of energy, and they may not appreciate it.”Ivanka had just reached the door when she heard what Michael said.The corner of her lips twitched. She continued to walk out.Chiara’s eyes flashed with a hint of pleasure. She liked the conflicting dynamic between them. Now, she was more convinced that Michael only approved Ivanka’s proposal out of consideration for her feelings.Ivanka got lucky.After all, Barkworth’s Group was a big corporation. Lane
Belle was a little surprised. She quickly glanced at Chiara through the rearview mirror.Without Chiara’s instruction, Belle could not do as Ivanka said, or else Chiara would punish her when they got back.Puzzled, Chiara turned to Ivanka. “Where are you going?”Ivanka said with indifference, “I know you’re doing this just for show. There’s no need for us to take the same car. I have something else to attend to, so let’s not waste time dancing around in circles.”Chiara’s brows were knitted in a tight frown. Chiara thought. “Has Mic contacted her?“Are they meeting up again?”With that in mind, she immediately said, “Where are you going? I’ll ask Belle to give you a ride.”Ivanka smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. I won’t meet Michael again.” Chiara scowled and said grimly, “Pull over!”Belle turned the steering wheel and slowly stopped the car on the side of the road.Without a word, Chiara stared at Ivanka coldly.She wanted to warn Ivanka to behave, but it seemed pointless. I
Ivanka said, “We can’t act rashly just yet. Without enough evidence, I can’t send them to prison once and for all.”Suki pursed her lips. “Alright, let me know if you need anything.”Ivanka nodded. “Regarding my father, keep investigating. We may have missed something.”“Okay.”After a brief discussion, the two of them left the office.Suki drove Ivanka home.On the way back, Ivanka was deep in thought. Theodore wanted to take over Lane’s Group. Taking her shares was just an excuse.In fact, he had recently won the loyalty of some people in the company.If that was the case, Ivanka could surely uncover some clues from the shareholders.So, she ought to infiltrate the board of directors as soon as possible!She pondered over this throughout her ride.But she could not figure it out, even after Suki pulled up outside her home and stopped the car. Suki looked at Ivanka and said in a somber voice, “So, how did they do it? What did they do to your father? Did he really have
The person on the other end of the line was a little shocked. “Ms. Lane?”“Yes, it’s me.”Mr. Parker’s assistant paused before saying in a low voice, “Noted. Mr. Parker is in a meeting. I’ll relay your message and call you back.”“Okay, thanks.”After this brief exchange, both Ivanka and the assistant hung up.The assistant put down the phone and headed straight to Mr. Parker’s office.Meanwhile, Mr. Parker was sitting at his desk. He had a beer belly, and his breathing was a little ragged. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, which could barely fit him. He seemed to be in his forties and wore a pair of white-framed glasses. His hair was parted in the middle and made a sight for sore eyes.Knowing that the person coming in was his assistant, he did not even bother to look up from the pictures of beautiful women on his phone.The assistant had long gotten used to Mr. Parker’s behavior. He walked up to his boss’ desk right away.Even though Mr. Parker was a lecherous man, he
“But…”Before she finished, Ivanka interrupted her with a smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”Rebecca opened her mouth but failed to form words. In the end, she sighed resignedly. “Alright then… You should watch out.”“Okay.”…Ivanka stayed and waited until it was time to meet up with Mr. Parker.She packed up and headed to their rendezvous. When she arrived, to her small surprise, Mr. Parker was already there.Mr. Park’s eyes immediately lit up with excitement at the sight of Ivanka. Not even her formal attire could hide the curves of her perfect figure. He quickly got up and stared at Ivanka with a grin. “Here you are, Ms. Lane. Thanks for asking me out for dinner. I’m so honored.”Ivanka smiled. “Drop the formalities, Mr. Parker. I’m grateful that you agreed to meet.”Mr. Parker’s grin broadened instantly. “Come over here and take a seat. What do you want to eat?”He extended a hand and signaled her to sit down at the dining table.At that moment, Mr. Parker still appe
Xander and Michael both glanced at Ivan’s phone.Ivan saw the incoming call and grinned. “Look, my favorite girl is calling me. I really like this girl. Do you want me to bring her over and introduce her to you guys?”“No need,” Xander and Michael replied in unison.They clearly were not interested in wasting time meeting a woman who would not be in Ivan’s future.Ivan’s expression darkened slightly. “Screw you guys!”He stood up and headed out. “I’ll take this call outside. I’ll be back in a bit.”Xander and Michael remained silent as he strode out.While pacing back and forth in the corridor during the call, he noticed a group of waiters carrying food pass by. He touched his stomach and realized he was hungry.The door of a private room opened, and Ivan instinctively glanced over.His expression changed when he spotted two familiar figures.He hurriedly told the person on the other end of the line, “Babe, something important just came up. I’ll call you back later.”He made
Ivan knew for sure that Michael had not gotten over his ex-wife, yet he feigned indifference.Ivan would like to see how Michael reacted if he found out what she was dealing with.Crossing his legs, Ivan looked forward to seeing what happened next. There was a smirk on his lips.Xander looked at Michael and tried to talk some sense into him. “William Parker is capable of getting anything he wants. He is gutsy. Besides, you have already divorced Ivanka. She no longer poses any threat to him.”Ivan laughed. His legs remained crossed as he said languidly, “That isn’t true. Isn’t Jonah quite fond of Ivanka now? With him around, Mr. Parker probably wouldn’t dare do anything to her. I saw them sitting at the same table just now, and he has been behaving himself. He might just give in and sign the agreement this time.”Michael was speechless.Noting his inaction and darkened expression, Ivan let out a hearty laugh. “Alright, I was just gossiping with y’all. Let’s mind our own business a
Mr. Parker was not in a rush to say anything. Instead, he stared at Ivanka in seemingly deep thought.Ivanka remained composed as usual. Her calm expression gave nearly nothing away.He had indeed spiked the food with something.But with only the two of them in this room, Ivanka was not afraid.Mr. Parker smiled. “You’re right, Ms. Lane. It’s just that… You ought to know there’s no such thing as a free lunch. You have been in business for a while and got to where you are today, so I suppose you know how things work in this industry, yes?”As he spoke, he raised his hand.As his hand was about to touch Ivanka’s, she evaded his touch with composure and ignored his hand, which was frozen stiff awkwardly.The smile on Mr. Parker’s lips was a little tense. But he soon recovered from his embarrassment. Staring at Ivanka, he said smilingly, “Ms. Lane, it is how it is in our industry these days. You ought to know what I want from you and what you should give in return. I heard that you
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A