Michael looked at Rosie speechlessly. “Do you not want to see me that much?”Confused, Rosie looked at Michael. Could he not see that Ivanka did not like seeing him?How was he so oblivious?She frowned and asked, “Aren’t you busy?”Michael and Ivanka could not find a response to her attitude.Ivanka was just as speechless, but she was secretly enjoying this. She loved seeing Michael on the losing end!The more, the better!Michael eventually said with resignation, “I’ll leave after you finish taking the medicine.”“Fine, I’ll take it.”As Michael watched Rosie, who usually hated taking medicine, finish the pills so willingly this time, his temples throbbed intensely for a moment.In less than a minute, Rosie had taken all the medicine.Michael could only say, “If there are any problems, you can call me anytime.”“I got it. Go now.”Michael closed his eyes for a moment and then said, “I can’t leave yet. I’m here to pick her up. We’ll leave after dinner.”Surprised, Ivanka
Rosie lazily shook her head. “I’ll pass. Besides, if I go with you, what about your grandpa then?”“However, seeing you straightening yourself out does surprise me.”Ivanka’s eyes flashed with a hint of irony, but it was for the best. It would help Rosie recover sooner. Given her health, she could not undergo too much stress and worry. Michael remained silent.Ivanka, on the other hand, completely ignored him. She continued to chat and laugh with Rosie. After dinner, they prepared to leave.Rosie contentedly looked at them standing together. She smiled gently.“Have a safe journey, you two. If you have spare time, explore the place. Don’t miss out on the local scenery. I know you are busy, but remember to take breaks. Got it?”Ivanka nodded obediently. “Got it, Grandma. You should rest early tonight. Remember to take your medicine on time. Got it?”She intentionally mimicked Rosie’s tone in the last few words.An almost imperceptible smile appeared on Michael’s face.Rosie c
Belle quickly said, “I did. I informed you about it, but I really didn’t expect Mr. Barkworth and Young Master Ivan to help Ivanka at that time, and I didn’t anticipate them running into each other.”Chiara stared coldly at Belle. “Belle, if you make another mistake like this again, your family might not remain safe!”She uttered the last sentence through gritted teeth.Belle, however, breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she had managed to get away with it this time.She had actually mentioned to Chiara before that Michael and Ivan were present.However, Chiara did not think it could lead to any conflict back then. Chiara was the one who had ignored the key information!Back then, Chiara had even hoped that Michael would witness the situation between Ivanka and William.At the end of the day, she manipulated Chiara’s thoughts. Chiara had missed it.Belle just hoped that Ivanka could bring Chiara down as soon as she could....On the plane, Ivanka and Michael remained tight-lip
“Have an early night. I’ll take my leave.”Michael remained silent. Ivanka immediately frowned. “Wait.”Puzzled, the person turned to Ivanka.His eyes flickered with incomprehension, but he still said, “Miss, what can I do for you?”After a moment of hesitation, she spoke softly, “Never mind. You can go.”The man gave her a perplexed look but, when Michael remained silent, he said nothing more. He nodded and left the room.The two of them were alone in the room.Ivanka said with a calm expression. “I’ll go book another room.”She was going to ask that man about her room, but she assumed that he did not know about her relationship with Michael. So, she did not request him for help and decided to handle it herself.Michael frowned and disdainfully said, “You can stay here. I don’t have time to deal with this in the middle of the night. We have to leave early in the morning tomorrow.”With that, Michael walked into the master bedroom.Ivanka frowned. However, seeing that Michae
Michael glanced at her coldly. “Shouldn’t you know where we are heading?”Ivanka was speechless.She gave him a look of defeat and could not help but snap at him, “How did Evan put up with you all these years?”The look in Michael’s eyes became fierce and icy, but Ivanka was done talking. She started the car.She had been to this place before and was rather familiar with it.Ivanka thought about some places and decided on one. She did not discuss it with Michael and simply drove there.As usual, no words were exchanged. The car was filled with dead silence. They did not even play music on the radio.The two of them were comfortable with the silence. It was how they interacted with each other.Ivanka, for one, certainly did not want to waste her breath talking to this man.They arrived at their destination after over an hour of driving.Ivanka stopped the car in the parking lot and looked over at Michael.“This bridal house is quite well-known. They also have a wide selection
Michael halted in his tracks and so did Ivanka. She turned toward the store manager and said with a perplexed look on her face. “Who told you we’d be here?”Michael immediately shot a cold glare at the store manager. He was silent, but she was already a little frightened. After all, he was no ordinary man.If his chilly glare could kill, she would have been maimed and dead by now. She willed herself not to pass out under his gaze.The store manager took a deep breath and delivered the speech that she had prepared earlier on.“So, our company has been looking for a business partner. We happened to find out that Barkworth’s Group and Lane’s Group are working together. I heard that you have planned to conduct a survey, and I predicted that you’ll visit in recent days. Besides, it’s hard to overlook someone with your demeanor. I have seen you on TV before, so I recognized you immediately. I work here every day. It’s my honor to meet you.”Hearing what the store manager said, Holly, th
The store manager went slightly pale. She immediately got in their way before they headed for the door. Her voice carried a note of panic. “Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane, you haven’t seen all the designs. Our current designers are quite talented as well. The situation is not as bad as you imagine, or else a big brand like us would’ve been done for.”Ivanka did not get up. She only stared at the store manager. “Then show me what you think is good. We don’t have time to go through the designs one by one.”The store manager quickly walked over. She picked some wedding gown designs and displayed them on the screen.Ivanka browsed through them. The disappointment in her eyes only grew.The store manager was so anxious that she almost broke out in a cold sweat. She quickly said, “We have also received some new designs today. Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane, please have another look at them!”Both Barkworth’s Group and Lane’s Group were big clients. If she missed the chance to work with them, her supe
Ivanka did not expect Michael to be such a jerk!After all, Michael could easily ostracize her and force her out of Lane’s Group if he wanted to.But she could not let this guy find and take advantage of her weakness!Michael looked mockingly. “You got me in trouble multiple times, but I let it slide for grandma’s sake. If you keep testing my patience, I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine!”Ivanka was at a loss for words.She gritted her teeth. “Fine, I’ll do it! But you’ll be the one reaching out to them, right?”Michael said nothing.But Ivanka knew that he had agreed, so she wordlessly drove to the hotel.Now, the most important thing was to track down those designers.If she could win them over, she would not have to work with another bridal house.However, Michael seemed to be messing with her. The moment she arrived at the hotel and parked the car, he had already forwarded her the phone numbers of those designers.“Talk to them yourself.”With that, Michael got
Margaret had always wanted a daughter-in-law. Besides, the girl had to come from a wealthy family. Jonah had done so according to her will and took Chiara home, but Margaret refused to accept her. “I want a genuine couple relationship. What are you guys doing now?” Margaret’s expression was dark and cool. She took a step toward Jonah and did not even glance at Chiara. Chiara knew it was better to fall silent at that moment. Jonah said calmly, “We’re in a genuine relationship. She needs a husband. I need a wife. Would our union cast any doubt?” Melanie had just reunited with her family. Her family did not favor her, and she had to be hidden behind the scenes all the time. As for Jonah, he was a cripple who was bound to a wheelchair. He believed no one would object to the two of them getting together. On top of that, he was just using Chiara. “Indeed, no one will doubt your relationship. But I know what you’re thinking. I don’t mind the fact that you’re using her to stop
Sandy pushed Ivan away. But she still held his flowers in her arms. It was a bouquet of pink roses. Pink was her favorite color. The bag he gave to her contained her favorite food. Ivan had put in extra effort. “Think about it carefully. I’ll come again tomorrow.” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he turned around. Looking at his gifts, Sandy felt a surge of indescribable bitterness in her heart. She did not throw his gifts away. After all, Ivan gave them to her out of his kind gesture. Sandy carried the gifts back to the office. Anna instantly spotted her. Anna raised one of her eyebrows and chuckled. “Did Young Master Ivan give them to you?” Sandy only had Ivan as her male friend. She did not deny it. Nonetheless, Anna noticed Sandy’s dull expression. Anna hesitated first before asking, “Is there any problem between you and Ivan? You don’t look happy. Is your family objecting to your relationship with him?” Sandy and Ivan had always been a quarrelsome but lo
Sandy fell silent. She looked resigned and replied to Ivan honestly, “I can’t possibly allow you to pester me for the rest of my life. My family is urging me to get married soon. With you pestering me, I think I should marry somebody else to end all this once and for all.” “Do you think I would allow that to happen?” While saying this, Ivan took a step forward. His expression darkened. He exuded an intense sense of hostility like the most horrifying creature emerging from hell. Ivan’s murderous look seemed to state that he would go to the extent of stealing the bride at Sandy’s wedding ceremony if he was not the bridegroom that day. On top of that, he gave an impression as though Sandy would either be his bride or a ghost bride. Seeing Ivan in his current demeanor, Sandy did not know if she should laugh or cry. Prior to that, she was worried that Ivan was just using her. At that moment, she finally realized the disparity of status between them. Ivanka had always believed that m
In the past, Ivan did not understand the conflicts between his parents. He thought his mother had been so cruel that she cheated on his father and abandoned him. Later, Ivan learned his mother had not been the one at fault. So, a heartless sc*m like his father was not in the position to rebuke him. If not for his parents, Ivan would not have let himself go wild and had so many girlfriends. Reuben York sounded indifferent. He made himself clear by saying, “You should, at least, marry someone with a clean background and whose parents are still around so that they could assist you—” “Does that mean I need to accept an arranged marriage by you? I’m not your only child, you can instill your way of thinking on your other children!” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he hung up. His expression turned dark. The next moment, he accelerated the speed of his car. He carried a bouquet of flowers and Sandy’s favorite food when he showed up in front of her. For a moment, Sandy was
Ivan had not lived with his mother for a long time. Meanwhile, Sandy was her adopted daughter and the direct heir to her estate. Legally, the necklace could be considered part of that inheritance.Following that logic, Ivan had no right to speak on the matter.But to him, Sandy was just an adopted daughter. He was the biological son. Their separation had been caused by a misunderstanding. Since the truth was out, it was only natural for him to take back his mother’s belongings.If things went to court, it would be a battle between them. Both had an equal claim.By blood, Ivan had an undeniable advantage.From the way he spoke, Sandy could hear his confidence and condescension. She knew exactly what he was implying. He was prepared to fight her for the inheritance. But things had not escalated to that point yet.Even if they did, she had no fear of going to court with him. In fact, she was ready to fight.“Ivan, Mom left it to me. She never said it was for you. Whatever happened
Sandy heard the same automated response as the one on Ivanka’s phone.Did that mean they had all left together?Realizing this, she did not press Candice further. Instead, she smiled casually. “It’s nothing. Get back to work. I’ll head out now.”As she turned to leave, she pulled out her phone and sent Ivanka a message.Sandy: Call me when you turn your phone back on. Just as she was about to get in her car, her uncle, Thomas, walked up to her.The moment he saw her, he frowned. “Still upset?”“Uncle, I don’t want to think or talk about it. If you’d been through what I have, you wouldn’t be trying to change my mind.”Addressing him as “Uncle” was Sandy’s way of maintaining politeness while creating emotional distance. She hoped Thomas would get the hint and back off.Thomas was caught off guard. He fell silent and was unsure how to respond.Before he could, Sandy got in her car.On her way out of the law firm, her phone rang. It was Ivan. “My baby, Sandy, where are you?”
Chiara’s tone was sharp. Her eyes darkened with determination.James noticed. So did Jonah.Jonah snapped out of his thoughts. Chiara was trying too hard to prove herself. It was clear she wanted to use him to elevate her own status.Fine. He would let her think she was winning only to watch her fall even harder.“They’re just regular people. They aren’t worth your energy,” Jonah said. “Let’s go home and see my mom first. Tomorrow, I’ll visit yours.” He had already made all the arrangements.Chiara had no objections.Even so, she sent Katiana a message.Katiana replied right away.Katiana: Since he’s coming, I’ll gather the whole family. You’ve finally brought some honor to us. Just do your part, and I’ll handle everything else.Chiara was not surprised that Katiana would invite the entire Levine family. As the second daughter of the Levine family, she had always been under scrutiny. Katiana had pinned all her hopes on her. Katiana wanted her to make a name for herself and sec
Eleanor narrowed her eyes coldly. Her patience was wearing thin. She never kept useless pawns. Until a job was done, no one slipped from her control.Chiara sensed the threat in her tone. Panic surged through her as she rushed to explain. “No, Boss. That’s not what I meant. I was just updating you on my progress. With Jonah, I can carry out your orders more efficiently. I would never betray you, I swear.”Her voice trembled. She was genuinely terrified.Her rewritten identity as the second daughter of the Levine family, along with her top-tier disguise skills, voice changer, and first-hand access to Ivanka’s plans, proved that the person backing her had serious influence.Crossing Eleanor meant sealing her fate.She had worked too hard to secure her new life. Even though she knew Jonah was using her, being connected to him still had value. If she died, everything she had done to secure her position would be for nothing.She refused to die.“Good. Get me results. Fast. I don’t ke
Michael’s piercing gaze stayed locked on Ivanka. He was determined to get an answer.Ivanka scoffed. “What’s on my mind? From the moment you divorced me for Chiara, I saw our relationship for what it really was. You never loved me. I had to force myself to let go. Why waste time holding on to something that was never mine? I refuse to wallow in bitterness and self-pity.”Michael looked like he wanted to speak, but Ivanka cut him off. “I told you, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Stop asking the same thing over and over. It’s pointless.”Without waiting for his response, she turned and called out, “Evan, is the food ready?”“Yes, it’s coming!”Evan had been listening the whole time. Even if Ivanka had not called for him, he had already planned to bring the food out to break the tension.Once the dishes were set on the table, Michael fell silent.Ivanka immediately noticed the meal had been tailored exactly to her tastes. From the private jet to the food, Michael had put t