“What’s with Mr. Sadler this time?”“No way. Even though Mr. Sadler is a playboy, he won’t lose his wits over women. That’s how he still manages to play around. Ivanka may be special to him. He may be willing to spend more time and energy on her, but it doesn’t mean that he will act on impulse and make such a big investment just for her! Hundreds of billions! That’s a lot of money!”“Agree. I also think that Mr. Sadler isn’t an impulsive man. Besides, there are lots of shareholders in his company. For such a big decision, even if Mr. Sadler has a say, he still needs approval from the majority of his shareholders. In that case, does it mean that Ivanka’s proposal is genuinely brilliant?”“But I saw that proposal before. It wasn’t very good. It seems impossible for him to say yes.”“Ivanka made some changes to the proposal.”“She can do that?”“I’m telling you something, promise me that it won’t leave this room.”One of the employees suddenly spoke in hushed tones, which piqued ma
Rebecca mouthed “good luck” to Ivanka.Ivanka nodded with a smile before following Patty to Chiara’s office.Chiara felt agitated and murderous the moment she saw Ivanka.Though fleeting, Ivanka could sense Chiara’s hostility.Chiara was no longer bound to a wheelchair. Did she think about how to recover faster after they returned so that it would be easier for her to get closer to Michael?She smiled at the two and asked softly, “Oh, you two are here. How can I help you?”Patty promptly handed over Ivanka’s proposal to her and respectfully said, “Ms. Chiara, Sadler’s Group has agreed to collaborate with Ms. Ivanka. However, they’ve requested Ms. Ivanka to personally oversee the project, which may require her absence for about four months. As it’s not within my purview to decide, we require your approval.”Chiara was surprised. “He agreed to an investment worth a few hundred billion dollars?!”Was he dumb and had too much money to spare?No, that could not be it. Was there som
Chiara glanced at Ivanka mockingly before continuing. “Iv, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just that your expertise lies elsewhere. If you specialize in this area with loads of experience, I’d definitely be all for it. But you need to understand how crucial this project is. Even if we turned down Sadler’s Group’s request, I can’t have you in charge of this project. You guys better get back to work.”Chiara’s voice was firm yet tinged with resignation.Patty felt it was a pity that the project could not materialize. But since Chiara made the call, she could not object to her decision. She looked at Ivanka and said, “Let’s go, Ms. Ivanka.”Ivanka glanced at Chiara and smiled, “Chiara, does this decision speak for the whole company?”Patty was stunned but remained silent.Chiara did not immediately respond; she only stared at Ivanka, seemingly waiting for her to continue speaking.However, this time, Ivanka said nothing. She smiled and said, “Since you disapprove, I’ll just
The crowd began to speculate.Why did Chiara disapprove of the project?Could it be...Ivanka, on the other hand, was not in a hurry to do anything. She continued to work.As the workday drew to a close, Jonah called her again for dinner. However, she declined because Sandy was already waiting for her at home.She went straight home after work.Sandy had the keys to Ivanka’s house and had been waiting for her there for a while. When she saw Ivanka finally come home, she said, “Why are you just back now? You’re such a workaholic! Can’t you take at least a day off?”Ivanka put down her bag and changed her shoes.“I can’t slack off. Chiara is trying to pick on me now.”Sandy frowned, “I wonder when will this ever end. What’s your plan?”Ivanka shrugged helplessly, “I can’t be sure. After all, it won’t be long before I’ve to take charge of another project. It’ll take around four months. During that time, I might not be able to contribute much.”Sandy looked at her suspiciously,
Ivanka recounted today’s event to Sandy.Sandy grinned and said, “Iv, why didn’t you tell me earlier? I might not be adept at the official, fancy counterattacks, but I have the perfect rogue-style strategy! Do you want to hear it? I swear, Chiara won’t stand a chance to counter, and you’ll be making waves all around!”Ivanka’s eyes gleamed and said, “Tell me.”Sandy, an expert in such matters, had a knack for both brilliant ideas and mischief.She giggled and said, “Make a scene! Jonah wants to collaborate with you, right? Have him communicate with Lane’s Group’s people. He’s the best bet to make a splash. You can reap the benefits without much effort. No way Lane’s Group will pass up this golden opportunity!”Ivanka chuckled, “That’s a good idea, but I don’t want to ask Jonah for favors and end up further in his debt.”Propping her chin with one hand, Sandy said amusedly, “I see. Well, I have other tricks up my sleeve.”Ivanka laughed helplessly. “Go ahead.”“First, make sure
Ivanka sighed, asking, “What happened between you and your father this time?”“Ugh, it’s so irritating! He won’t quit nagging me to go back and try to convince me not to hold a grudge while giving me his spiel. But his explanation is just weak. My mom died because of him, and I’ll hate him for the rest of my life!”Ivanka’s eyes flickered as she calmly spoke to the grim-faced Sandy, “Some things you’ll have to face sooner or later, and lots of it might just be your mix-up. If you don’t believe him, why not try to investigate what happened back then?”Sandy gritted her teeth and said, “Back then, my mom straight up jumped off a building right in front of me because he cheated. It was clear as day. What is there for him to explain?”She looked up at Ivanka. “Now, he’s keeping me locked up at home. He wants me to forgive him and wants me to get married the way he wants. Why should I listen to him? Seriously, for me, he’s no longer my father! Doesn’t he have other children anyway? He h
Sandy felt sorry for Ivanka when she noticed her smirk. She sighed in resignation. “Forget it; let’s not talk about this anymore. We should go to my uncle’s place first. Bring your proposal with you.”“Okay.”And so, the two of them packed up and set off together. They arrived at Thomas’s house just in time.Thomas had prepared a variety of snacks and fruits. He looked surprised when he saw the person Sandy brought was Ivanka. “Iv?”Ivanka quickly nodded respectfully. “Hello, Mr. Thomas.”Back when her father was the chairman, she would come to the company and assist him with some matters. She had interacted with the higher-ups during that time.Naturally, they had met before.Moreover, even if they were not acquainted, Thomas would easily recognize Ivanka, as she had recently gained considerable fame.Thomas swiftly stepped aside and smiled at them. “Come in and have a seat.”Sandy chuckled, “Uncle Thomas, did you miss me?”“You little rascal.” Thomas feigned anger.They th
Ivanka nodded and said, “Well, I’m not planning to keep this a secret from you. The original proposal requested Sandler’s Group to cough up all the funds while Lane’s Group plays along. I didn’t change the core requirements of the plan or the technological direction; I just revamped the entire implementation and reshaped it based on the original outline.”Thomas’s eyes widened with astonishment. “You wrote all of this?!”Ivanka nodded. “I’ve also revised the projects I collaborated on with Sadler’s Group before.”He looked at Ivanka delightfully. “Haha, great job! If your father sees you right now, he’d be thrilled, wouldn’t he?”Ivanka’s gaze dimmed slightly.Her deepest regret at the moment was that, because of her relationship with Michael, she was not able to spend time with Fernando. If only she had realized it earlier, he would not have died. It was the most regrettable and helpless moment of her life.Thomas sensed it and immediately explained, “Kiddo, the past is past. Do
“I deserve everything that’s happening to me now. But please don’t involve my family in my mistakes…” Ethan clasped his hands together and sincerely begged everyone to spare his family. Ivanka spared him a brief glance before turning off her cell phone. Although she was helping herself to some meat, Michael could see how she felt at the moment. “Why don’t we…” Michael asked for her opinion. But before he finished speaking, Ivanka interrupted him. “Now that he’s released a video like that, if I continue to hold him accountable, I’d be the one in the wrong.” Michael immediately replied, “I can step in—” “You? It’s better if you don’t. Everyone knows your relationship with me now.” Before Michael could finish his sentence, Ivanka immediately interrupted him. Although they were not officially remarried, Michael often went out with her. If anyone else were to see this, what difference did it make? Michael understood, but he really could not bear to see Ivanka getting bulli
After they finished taking pictures, Ivanka greeted everyone politely. “After finishing your meal, go home early. It’s snowing, so drive safely. Bye…” Ivanka subconsciously reminded them. She belatedly realized she had been acting as though she was really an idol. Nonetheless, she treated them with sincerity. She had not done this for Michael’s sake. She did this mostly for the sake of the innocent, inexperienced young ladies who had yet entered the society. These young ladies raised their phones warily and asked, “Could we take a picture together?” They were so worried that their invitation would be turned down, so much so that when they talked, they almost bit the skin off their lips. Ivanka could not bear to reject them. It had not been easy for her to finally reach the private room. Michael teased her, “Our celebrity finally arrived. It looks like you’d best wear shades wherever you go in the future.” Ivanka glared at him and said gruffly, “Stop teasing me.” She paused
After that, Ivanka politely bowed to the people who had been watching the drama in the main hall. She smiled at them. “Sorry for making a fool of ourselves. We encountered two tricksters who wanted to eat the meals for free by calling themselves the friends of the restaurant owners. It happened that I know the restaurant owner, so we easily uncovered their tricks.” By saying that, Ivanka was able to save the hot pot restaurant’s and the Barkworth family’s reputation. Her statement could result in a win-win situation, and the reason was acceptable. Ivanka continued, “Sorry for causing a stir and affecting your dining mood. I’ll foot the bill for everyone who dined on the first floor. How does that sound?” She was not trying to curry favor with the people or to show off her wealth. She simply did not want the people to hate the wealthy. One could not deny that this method worked. Right after Ivanka made her statement, the crowd thanked her. The commotion was no more than ju
The young lady did not know what to do, so she turned to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager nodded in approval. It was only then that the young lady left the restaurant. Before she left, she glared at Coco. Coco glared back at the young lady and pointed at her viciously. Coco shouted, “Come back! I’m not done with you yet! Who permitted you to leave now?!” The young lady’s body shivered a little. Still, she gnashed her teeth and left. Ivanka watched the young lady’s back as she drifted away. Ivanka stood in Coco’s way because she did not want Coco to chase after the young lady. Ivanka did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. Otherwise, the Barkworth family would be the one who suffered disgrace. After all, Coco stayed in the Barkworth family’s mansion, and everyone knew that Rosie doted on her. If it continued, Ivanka was worried about Rosie’s later years… Ivanka rubbed her temples in resignation. It looked like she needed to resolve the issue as
The restaurant manager thought for a moment before saying, “Ms. Fishbourne, the restaurant has its own rules. Only three types of VIPs could reserve our private rooms while the rest could only enjoy normal seats. I have reasons to believe that our front desk told you the same when you called. We may not have empty seats now, but we’ll have one shortly after.” Coco recalled the situation and remembered that it was exactly like what the restaurant manager had mentioned. So what? Things have changed these days. Coco was no longer an ordinary woman. Her words could even move the earth. With that thought in her mind, Coco chuckled. She kept her tyranny and mockery to herself before locking her little finger with the young lady’s at the front desk. The young lady at the front desk looked down at her finger before glancing at the restaurant manager helplessly. The restaurant manager himself, too, was caught in trouble, so he could not do anything else to defend the young lady. C
Little did Coco know that her behavior was no more like a clown in the crowd’s eyes. Ivanka felt disgusted. Although she could not put herself in Coco’s shoes, she could understand the thoughts of a sensitive person. Ivanka could sympathize with a sensitive and cowardly person. But she could not find herself sympathizing with Coco. Coco’s low self-esteem should not be the reason for her to behave like a crook. Michael, on the other hand, already finished discussing with the restaurant manager and entering the private room. Ivanka lagged behind him. She had no intention of entertaining Coco, much less inviting her to eat together. No doubt that the private room was able to accommodate four people. But based on their relationship, Ivanka thought she had been kind enough to not find fault in Coco, much less eating together. Meanwhile, Coco continued to argue with the restaurant manager. She argued until her face reddened. Although the restaurant manager already made hims
The temperature was above freezing point, so the snowflakes melted before they even reached the ground. The trees were covered in snow. At a glance, they looked like a blanket of pristine snow. The big trees looked as if they had been covered in snow-white new clothes. Ivanka was a little surprised at such a scenery. Even though she often went for business trips in the north and had experienced snow, skied, and various other experiences, it was a rare sight to experience snow in their city. Instead of snow, they looked more like an ice sheet. The snow there was different from the cities in the north. They easily fell on their hair. In just a while, their hair turned snowy white. Ivanka took out her phone and took a photo. Then she shared it with her friends in her WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Michael took photos of Ivanka. Michael hardly posted anything on Twitter. After a moment, he uploaded a photo of Ivanka taking photos of the scenery.The caption was: Experiencing
Michael glanced at Ivanka.Ivanka kept her eyes lowered and focused on nothing in particular. Both of them tacitly agreed not to bring it up.“Let’s go out to eat,” Michael said. Ivanka agreed without hesitation.If they got ready and left at this time, they would be just in time for lunch.She went upstairs to freshen up. Michael did not rush her. He just smiled, as if he was telling her to take her time.Ivanka felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Truthfully, she was the one in a hurry because she was the one starving.Five minutes later, she came back down.She had changed into a long black down coat that reached her ankles. It was practical and warm.But the weather was still unbearably cold. This winter was harsher than usual.“Let’s go.” She rubbed her hands together and looked at Michael.Michael was on his phone. He was smiling and looked relaxed. With just a glance, Ivanka could tell he was probably making a reservation.Their long-standing
Ivanka slept in the next day. By the time she woke up, the sun was already streaming through the window, casting light across her bed and face.In a way, the sunlight had forced her awake.She frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. The brightness left spots in her vision, so she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself before getting out of bed.It was already past 10 a.m.She had no idea how she managed to sleep so much, especially after napping all afternoon the day before.Then again, maybe she was just that exhausted. So much had been going on lately.Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she did not have to go to the office.That was probably why her internal clock had not woken her at seven as usual.Come to think of it, her body’s internal clock was quite accommodating.On workdays, no matter how tired she was, she always woke up at seven sharp. But on weekends, that never happened. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, which was pretty great.She lay in