Ivanka chuckled. “Yes. I’m ready.” Sandy could not help but heave a sigh. She then said resignedly, “Sigh. Iv, I feel like I’m still a child compared to you. Even though we’re the same age, you’re more like my older sister.” Ivanka could not help but giggle. “Just follow and listen to everything I say, then.” Sandy said gruffly, “Darn it! How dare you take advantage of me!” Ivanka could not help but smile. “Okay. We’ll take a rest now. I’ll prepare breakfast for you tomorrow.” “That’s great! I’ll go to bed now so that I’ll have the spirit to enjoy breakfast tomorrow!” Ivanka smiled silently. The duo returned to their room. After they washed up, they went to bed. The next day, after taking their breakfast, Sandy went to work with contentment. Ivanka went to the company as usual. She looked spirited. Rebecca was a little puzzled when she saw Ivanka. Rebecca could not help but say with admiration, “Iv, you’re looking great! I was worried that you’re in low spirits becaus
Several people arrived at the meeting room. “Iv?” Some people were puzzled. The meeting had been impromptu. They did not know what exactly was going on. Moreover, it was Thomas who called the meeting. Thomas was regarded highly in the company. They wondered why they would bump into Ivanka at that moment. Hence, the audience stared at her. Ivanka smiled. “Hi, everyone.” Despite their puzzlement, the audience nodded at her politely. Ivanka walked into the meeting room and sat down by the corner. She sat at the most inconspicuous seat. One could say that it was the seat where only the people with the lowest ranking would sit. The audience looked at her. A hint of complication flashed in their eyes. After all, they were aware of Ivanka’s identity. “Sigh. Her current situation is different from what she was before.” Soon, everyone walked into the meeting room and sat at their respective places. Ivanka’s corner seat faced the entrance. The moment they entered thro
Chiara’s heart skipped a beat. Although the wrinkles between her eyebrows had faded, she was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She did not realize Ivanka could be so annoying! Chiara gnashed her teeth and tried to calm herself. She inhaled deeply and controlled her emotions. She then said softly to Ivanka, “Iv, do you think you can win just like this? Regarding the incident last time, I truly spoke from my heart.” Ivanka nodded. “I know. You’re bent on doing this for the company’s sake. However, many things have their pros and cons. There’s risk in everything we do, don’t you think so?” Chiara was so furious that she laughed. “So it’s true that you did this because of that incident!” Ivanka smiled wordlessly. Chiara did not want to talk to Ivanka anymore. She immediately figured out a way to solve the problem. Since it was Thomas who looked for Ivanka, that meant he supported her proposal and that Chiara’s word was not good enough. At that moment, Chiara already
Thomas said with a smile, “This meeting is mainly focusing on the collaboration between Lane’s Group and Sadler’s Group.” Chiara tightened her fists under the table. She stole a glance at Ivanka through her peripheral vision. Chiara gnashed her teeth. “I knew this has to be that b*tch’s dirty tricks!”Chiara immediately turned to Theodore, only to find that her father was still looking puzzled. Chiara fell speechless. “F*ck! He hasn’t read my message!” Theodore asked in a daze, “Collaboration with Sadler’s Group?” The rest of the audience stared at Thomas dumbfoundedly. One of them asked, “Mr. Thomas, do you mean we have the intention to collaborate with Sadler’s Group, or do we already have a project collaboration with them?” The collaboration with Sadler’s Group would certainly involve a big project. While everyone did not need to be informed about everything, they would definitely be informed about the collaboration with Sadler’s Group. The audience speculated that
Thomas noticed the audience had been staring at the screen for some time. They showed various expressions. Thomas grinned, and then he showed them Ivanka’s proposal once again. He smiled softly at Ivanka. “Iv, you may take a seat first.” Ivanka nodded obediently as she returned to her seat. Chiara stiffened. She stared at Ivanka. If not for the audience around, she would have questioned Ivanka furiously if Ivanka had deliberately done so at the meeting. “This is the most perfect proposal I’ve ever seen. We can certainly collaborate with Sadler’s Group. Have the people from Sadler’s Group read the proposal before?” Thomas nodded with a smile. “Yes. They wanted to collaborate with us.” The audience looked surprised with a flash of understanding. Their eyes beamed. Thomas said, “But Mr. Sadler has a request.” They turned to Thomas. “What is it?” Chiara frowned. ‘Thomas, you really got me this me.’ She swore to kick him out of Lane’s Group someday! Nonetheless, Thomas w
Seeing Ivanka’s composure, Chiara did not dare reveal too much. She faced everyone and awkwardly said, “I’m sorry, Ivanka only showed me the general outline of the document. She did not elaborate much, and I had no way to know the details.”Just as Chiara was about to blame Ivanka again, Thomas smiled and said, “Was Ivanka unwilling to give you an explanation, or did you not want her to continue talking?”Everyone gave Chiara increasingly complicated looks.Chiara’s expression changed slightly. Ivanka’s eyes flashed with mockery. She was a hypocrite? A conniving little b*tch?Sorry to say, but everyone knew how to pin blame on someone else.Learning how to be good was hard, but learning how to be bad was easy. “You can’t blame Chiara for this,” Ivanka said remorsefully before Chiara could come up with anything to say. “I was inexperienced at the time, so I didn’t consider telling her these things. Mr. Thomas, I only realized that I need to provide an explanation because you to
“Because…” After Chiara said that, she was suddenly at a loss for words.She gritted her teeth. Jillian was on Thomas’s side. She was known for her sharp tongue and tendency of asking tricky questions.Thomas was at least considerate of everyone’s mood and faced them with a smile, while Jillian always had a cold face and spoke bluntly. There was a sudden silence in the meeting room. Theodore’s expression faltered slightly, but he could not defend his daughter at that moment because it would appear as if they were targeting Ivanka.All he could do was to stay silent. He was in a dilemma! For the sake of his image, he could not be nice to Ivanka or favor his daughter. For the sake of profit, he had to agree to this plan. At that moment, he was a little torn and wavered.Ivanka sneered to herself, but it was time for her to jump in. She acted like a hypocrite once again, and with a guilty expression, she said, “Maybe Chiara didn’t think too much at the time, and just wanted to
She had a calm expression, but worry flashed in her eyes. If the plan succeeded, everyone could only imagine how much profit it could bring!Theodore would probably agree to let Ivanka do it because of the profits.If Ivanka’s reputation skyrockets, would Chiara still be relevant in the business?Was this not Ivanka’s opportunity to grow without restraint? Ivanka just smiled and said nothing. Theodore looked at Chiara again and said, “Chiara, it’s your fault for being negligent this time. Go back and send me a letter of apology.”Despite being irritated, Chiara took a breath and said, “Understood.”“Do you think that a simple letter of apology should be enough to clear her?” Jillian took the chance to ask. The storm in Theodore’s eyes seemed to thicken. Jillian and Thomas sided with Ivanka’s father, and they had always opposed him. He had not yet figured out a way to drive these people out of Lane’s Group. Theodore felt defeated as he added, “Of course not.”Clyde Wil
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