William’s eyes twitched as his expression drastically changed. He hurriedly shook his head. “No, no! Mr. Quinn, this is a misunderstanding!”He was now on the verge of tears.Everyone knew that Ivan, Xander, and Michael were really close.But now, Ivan has eaten the spiked food!Ivan’s expression darkened. “You spiked the food too?! What’s your problem?!”William shook his head hastily. “No... it’s not... I...”Michael’s expression darkened.“Damn it! I was really drugged. Where’s the antidote?” Ivan started feeling restless.Now that everyone has found out what happened, there is no way he could defend himself.Xander did a tap test to check Ivan’s condition and made a call.Michael slowly walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.He did not utter a word, but his serious expression displayed his bad mood that teetered over the edge of an outburst. Parker Corporation might turn into ruins at any moment.Xander sensed that something was about to happen. He hung up the p
Surprised, Ivanka raised her eyebrows. She had only talked to Oliver a few times. Though he had been polite before, this time, she sensed a hint of flattery in his voice.What had just happened between Ivan and William?Did Ivan help her?She pursed her lips and said, “Alright, I’ll have the commissioner contact you. Here’s to a good collaboration.”“Here’s to a good collaboration, indeed. Is there anything else that you need?”Anything else that she needs? Pfft.Ivan must have done something that made William compromise so readily with her. Apparently, she owed him a favor now.“No, goodbye.”“Okay, goodbye, Ms. Ivanka.”With that, she hung up the phone.She had finalized two contracts out of five. Michael would not mess up for Chiara’s sake, and William would not dare to either.As for Jonah...She narrowed her eyes. If he did not respond in the next few days, she would have to call him.Next, there were two projects left to discuss.One of them involved dealing with
“Did she fall into William’s trap?”He was a cunning man. Not only did he want to screw women, he simply tossed them aside after the fact.Many people suffered humiliation without making any progress in their careers.He would take advantage of them, whether he genuinely liked them or was using them to pursue a project of his interest.In any case, he would never suffer losses.He would not sign a project directly; instead, he would consider it after gaining some advantage.So, did that mean Ivanka... Many people started gossiping about her. “Did Ivanka sleep with William?”“I don’t think so. She’s too special. Even if William is bold, he wouldn’t dare to do anything to her, right? Maybe her proposal is really impressive.”“You’re so naive! This time, Ms. Chiara clearly wants to trouble her. No way Ms. Chiara would make things simple for her. Maybe the proposal is inadequate. In that case...” “The chances are slim.”Rebecca was worried about Ivanka. She had a complicated
They initially thought highly of Ivanka as an impressive lawyer. However, it seemed like she was just slightly more skilled in the legal field.Chiara smiled as she observed the disdainful looks from everyone toward Ivanka. She then said to everyone again cheerfully, “So, I’m hosting a celebration tonight! Let’s all have dinner together. Are you all free? It’s okay if you already have plans. It’s not compulsory.”Chiara was Theodore’s daughter, after all. Of course, no one would decline.Even if they did not want to, they would still have to show up.Also, of course, many were intrigued to witness the unfolding drama between Chiara and Ivanka!“Of course, since Ms. Chiara is being so generous, count me in! I’ve got no plans tonight.”“Me neither!”... When Chiara heard their response, she smiled and said, “Okay, it’s decided. Everyone, don’t head home after work, alright? We’ll have dinner straight away.”Ivanka sneered. Chiara had not discussed any of this with her at all.
Ivanka nodded and walked over. “Let’s go,” Evan said and brought Ivanka to the elevator for the CEO. The receptionist whipped out her phone to begin gossiping in the work group chat. Peggy (Receptionist): Ivanka Lane just dropped by, and Mr. Evan even brought her up via the CEO’s elevator!Those words caused the employees to go wild. A series of messages full of shock, disbelief, aspirations, and jealousy popped up. Jason (Admin): Holy! Seriously? They’re still talking to each other?!Lisa (Sales): I have a relative who’s working at Lane’s Group’s Public Relations Department. Ivanka Lane has been going back to work recently, and they have a project with Barkworth’s Group. I heard that Mr. Barkworth is only agreeing to Ivanka Lane’s proposal because of Chiara.Peggy (Receptionist): I see. But Ivanka Lane sure is lucky. She might be divorced with Mr. Barkworth, but she’s still in contact with him. Lady Luck must really love her.While the people were talking about this, Iva
Ivanka picked up the documents he threw over and headed outside without saying anything else. She could wait for Evan to tell her the specifics. However, once she returned to the company and wanted to go to her office, Belle blocked her path. Ivanka recognized her. She was Chiara’s assistant. Belle gave her a complicated look. After a brief pause, she said, “Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Chiara is asking for you. Please come with me.”Ivanka nodded silently. They went to Chiara’s office. When Ivanka saw Chiara still bound to her wheelchair, mockery flashed briefly in Ivanka’s eyes. She had already begun looking into the things Chiara did in the past and hoped that Chiara could handle all that was going to happen in the future. Belle shut the door and left. Chiara looked at Ivanka. “Did you go to Barkworth’s Group?”Ivanka’s gaze turned a little darker. In the next moment, with a faint smile, she said, “That’s right. Thanks to you, I managed to secure the deal. Mr. Barkworth wants m
“So, Chiara, if you’re worried about him falling in love with me, you’d better think of something quick, or I’m going to be leaving with him on a business trip tomorrow.“If our positions are switched and this happened in the past, what would you say in my place? Let me see… I believe you’d say something like, Iv, some things are just out of our control. I don’t want to ruin your relationship like this either, but he just wants me to go. For the sake of making our company better, I have to. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep my distance so that you won’t misunderstand things between us.”Ivanka’s tone and expression were the perfect imitation of Chiara. Chiara was so agitated that she slammed her fist on the table. “You’re crossing the line, Ivanka!”Ivanka sneered. “I know. Since you don’t like me, I’m just going to go work now.” Then, her smile widened. “I’ll be looking forward to the party you’ll be throwing for me at night.”Without waiting for Chiara’s reply, she made to le
“Who knows? But there’s an old adage that goes: money makes the world go round.”“Is Ivanka even in need of money? She’s Iris!”“I’m just quoting an adage. Besides, now that Ivanka has joined the company, she has to do something outstanding to build a good reputation.”Chiara sneered. Perhaps Ivanka had been able to predict that Chiara would do something to her during the party, but she definitely did not predict that she would ask William to come here. Perhaps Ivanka was just too charming. When William heard that Ivanka wanted to invite him to her celebration party, he had eagerly agreed to come. She would tell Ivanka about this later. But at the moment, she wanted Ivanka to know the consequences of provoking her. Since they had told the manager the number of people who would be coming here ahead of time, there were no extra chairs in the room. The only spot left was the one beside Ivanka. Mockery shone in Ivanka’s eyes, but she did not care about this particular detail.
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