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
Ivanka and Jonah both glanced at the door. “Come in,” Jonah lightly said. A waiter opened the door and walked in with several bottles of wine. Jonah grinned. “I ordered these for you. It’s a pity that you didn’t even take a sip, because it tastes superb. Are you scared that I’ll spike it?”Ivanka averted her gaze. “I just think that drinking is a waste of time,” she said calmly.Jonah was very interested. “Does red wine count too?”After saying that, he suddenly felt a pointed gaze. He looked up slightly and saw a long, slender figure standing at the door. Ivanka’s back was facing the door at that time. She obviously noticed that something was off, and that sharp gaze felt particularly familiar to her.Her body was a little stiff. She pretended not to notice anything. Instead, she reached out and picked up the wine glass. But how tall could the sofa she was seated on be?Michael could clearly see her from the shoulders up. Instantly, she heard footsteps behind her. I
Michael kept silent. Ivanka’s words struck him like a blow to the head. It cleared his clouded mind.What was he doing just now?!At that moment, he frowned and his face dropped.God knew how horrible and annoyed he was feeling. Michael closed his eyes, leaned back in his seat, and remained silent. Ivanka breathed a sigh of relief. Moments ago, Michael was so angry. She had no idea what might happen. Suddenly, her phone vibrated. Ivanka saw the caller ID and picked up the call without paying attention to Michael. Before she could say anything, she heard a loud voice from the other end of the line. “Ivanka! How are you? Yesterday, my dad called me out of the blue. It wasn’t until I was free that I found out that you had fallen into the water. Oh no, what happened?!”Michael frowned slightly. But since it was a woman, he collected himself to regulate the atmosphere in the car again, so he did not stop her. Ivanka’s gaze steadied. “What did your dad do to you?”“Oh, i
Ivanka remained silent.Michael was still fuming. She felt that she had crossed a line.For once, Ivanka wisely kept her mouth shut.Michael, however, remained frustrated. He snorted. “Ivanka, if I hear that again, there will be hell to pay for.”Ivanka did not bother to argue with him. She silently closed her eyes.Evan felt that it was hell trying to drive today. Even the engine did not seem cooperative. His foot was on the pedal, but everything felt so slow.However, the speedometer was already on the cusp of the speed limit.Ivanka thought they were heading back, but the route Evan was taking seemed different. Puzzled, she asked, “Where are we going?”“We’re meeting those designers.”Ivanka’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. She wordlessly pursed her lips.A question remained lodged in her throat. Was morning not her break time? It was still clearly morning.Before long, they arrived at the meeting place. It was another private room.However, it differed from the previous e
Ivanka surveyed the designers. She noticed their scrutinizing and slightly bemused gazes and spoke again, “This time, put individual styles aside. I want you to work together to create each design piece.”The group was perplexed.“I’ve carefully observed your wedding dress designs. You each possess strengths. I hope you can blend those strengths to create outstanding designs as a team.”Lina, the oldest among them, expressed her surprise. “We have different strengths, but our styles may not be cohesive.”“Each wedding dress style should be unique. There should be seventeen styles for you all to experiment with. For instance, Ms. Lina, your forte lies in necklines and bust design. Mr. Pike excels at waist and cuffs, while Ms. Boydell specializes in the skirt hem.”She went through the strengths of each person. They realized that they could seamlessly piece together an entire wedding dress.The group found themselves unexpectedly astonished. This might just be a new challenge.Mi
Michael looked at the design again.The wedding dress was innovative. The design quality was outstanding. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.From head to toe, every detail sparkled and shone.It was not just about an abundance of pearls in the design. It was inherently filled with highlights, especially the embellishments on the chest and waist. Michael suddenly felt the urge to ask Ivanka to try on this wedding dress immediately for him to see the effect.“Speak.”Ivanka nodded. “I know her.”Seeing that Michael was about to say something, Ivanka interjected. “She’s not available for more. This is the only piece she can do.”As she spoke, she concealed the irony in her eyes.This wedding dress...She seemed to stare off into the distance again, tinged with a hint of bitterness and unresolved emotions.Michael pursed his lips and did not utter another word. However, his eyes remained fixed on the design. The subtle and elegant style somehow felt familiar to him.
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t