“Beg me.” Ivanka was stunned. She helplessly stared at him. “Michael, do you have a few screws loose in your head?” Michael’s expression immediately darkened. “If not for me, you would still be drowning. My phone was soaked because of you. Don’t you think I deserve that much?” Ivanka chuckled. “I’m not trying to be ungrateful. The fact was, you saved me not for my sake, but because you don’t want Grandma to get worried. Even if you weren’t around today, a Samaritan would have saved me too.” But then again, even if her savior was not Michael, or even after knowing that her savior had an ulterior motive, Ivanka should thank her savior anyway. After all, it was a fact that her savior had saved her. Unfortunately, her savior was Michael, and she could not gather herself to thank him. “He can take me as someone who is extremely vengeful.” As expected, Michael’s expression grew darker. Meanwhile, Ivanka looked at Michael fearlessly. “Must I beg you to gain permission to buy t
After Michael returned to his bedroom, Ivanka went to the couch and opened the bag. She saw a phone case on top of a medicine box. Ivanka felt surprised. She took out the medicine box and realized that it was an ointment to improve blood circulation and remove blood stasis. She became slightly stunned. “So, he noticed my leg when I lifted my gown at the banquet. “Why would he be so thoughtful to me?” Ivanka ignored the ointment. After setting up her phone, she immediately returned to her bedroom and contacted Suki. Suki promptly answered her call. “Iv?” Ivanka’s eyes flickered slightly. “Suki, I dropped my phone into the water. I just replaced it with a sim card.” Suki asked worriedly, “What exactly happened?” Ivanka pursed her lips. “I’m not sure about the details. I went out to catch some air when someone shoved me.” Suki grunted, “Who has the galls to lay their hands on you?! I’ve had someone investigate the incident. We can find the source soon. Luckily you info
“I’m fine.” Michael sounded softer to Chiara compared to Ivanka. Ivanka raised one of her eyebrows while eating her food. At that moment, she did not feel any heartache. Instead, she found it amusing. She was amused by how fate led her to overhear the gossip between her ex-husband and her b*tchy cousin. While Michael and Chiara talked on the phone, Ivanka sat opposite her ex-husband and listened to their sweet nothings. Ivanka wondered if she was being a shameless third wheel. Suddenly, Chiara heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank God! I was so worried that you two would get injured. How did Iv fall into the water?” A hint of stillness shown in Michael’s gaze before he looked up and cast a glance at Ivanka. Seeing that Ivanka was eating her food, he quickly held back the hint of sarcasm in his eyes. His eyes darkened as he said calmly, “Because of her own stupidity.” Ivanka’s hand froze. “Pff! Is he worried that Chiara will worry about me?” “Iv is so careless. The inci
After they hung up, Ivanka felt the atmosphere settling down and the food tasting better.The food tasted pretty good, to be honest. Enraged, Michael suddenly lost his appetite, but he was unable to understand the strange feeling.He set down his spoon abruptly, and his sullen face worsened the already gloomy atmosphere in the room. However, Ivanka remained unaffected. She was used to his presence, after all.Michael gave her a cold look and wanted to chastise her, but he suddenly felt an uncomfortable weight in his chest when he looked at her current state. Ivanka’s mouth twitched. She said in resignation, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to drive a wedge between you two. I really couldn’t help it.”After all, it was difficult not to laugh at Chiara’s actions.In the past, Chiara gave herself a regal and aloof image.But at present, Ivanka thought Chiara was a major hypocrite.She seemed to be walking down the path to her own destruction, and her regal and aloof image was sl
Ivanka turned around in shock. She happened to see Michael furiously appearing at her door.She looked at him in confusion while holding her phone. She did not respond to Jonah. “What happened?” In her ear, she could still hear Jonah’s voice. However, Michael had already approached Ivanka with a grim face. He snatched her phone before she could even react. “You’re crazy, Michael!” Ivanka said angrily. Michael’s eyes immediately turned cold. “I don’t want to see you flirt during working hours.”Michael said that and ended the call on Ivanka’s phone.Jonah’s expression darkened. He immediately called his assistant, James.“Mr. Sadler.”“Book me a ticket to Springvale right now.”James was stunned.“Mr. Sadler?”He was aware of Jonah’s whole schedule, so there was no reason for him to travel to Springvale at this time. He was the one who usually reminded Jonah of his appointments, but what happened now?“Just book it.” Jonah said again with a dark face. James came bac
Was he trying to apply the ointment on her himself?!Ivanka looked at Michael as if he was a lunatic. Ivanka gave up trying to break free since it was not working at all. She glanced at him in disbelief and asked, “What on earth is wrong with you?”It was not as if she had not gotten hurt during their marriage. He had seen them, but did he not always turn his cold back on her?This time, he wanted to put ointment on her just because her heels were hurting?Ivanka could not even describe the strange feeling she was experiencing. This man was toxic. Completely ignoring Ivanka’s words, Michael opened the ointment and carefully applied it on her. Ivanka was dumbfounded. She was speechless and utterly shocked. She could sense the slight coolness of the ointment and the gentleness of his fingertips on her skin. Ivanka felt goosebumps rising all over her body. Ivanka came back to her senses after he was done applying ointment on one leg. She immediately reached out to take t
She was a little confused when Jonah’s phone number appeared on the caller ID. “Mr. Sadler?”“Hi, have you had breakfast?”“Yes, I did. What’s the matter?”“Where are you? I’ll come find you. We can talk about the collaboration.”Ivanka was a little surprised. “Are you in Springvale?”Jonah’s lips curled. “Yes.”Ivanka was taken aback. “I only have time this morning. I’m not sure about my plans later,” she replied after a pause. “I’m okay with that. We can have lunch together.”“You can set a place. I’ll find you.”“Alright.”After Jonah sent the location, Ivanka packed up and went out.It was at a club. It was a luxury place for rich people. Ivanka followed Jonah’s instructions and entered one of the private rooms. Jonah was already there. He looked up and smiled when he saw Ivanka’s slender figure. “You’re here. Come have a seat.”Ivanka nodded and walked towards him. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”Jonah’s smile remained as gentle as it always was. “I ju
Ivanka pursed her lips. He was right. This deal would be very beneficial to her, but she seemed a little hesitant and uncertain. Jonah took the chance to give her another push. “If this plan works, you might be able to join the company right away. I can assign Lane’s Group’s projects to you, because you are the only one who can pull it off.”Ivanka slowly looked at him and was met with his gentle smile. She calmly asked, “Mr. Sadler, you are so willing to help me to the extent of paying such a price and making such a huge gamble. What do you want from me?”Not wanting to miss the emotions on his face, she stared straight at him.Jonah smiled. Though he wanted to respond with the word “you,” he spoke freely on the surface. “Putting aside my feelings for you, I can honestly say that I’m very optimistic about this plan as it stands. Without a doubt, nobody in the organization can come up with a plan this flawless. Also, Lane’s Group excels at development projects. However, I have n
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