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
Ivanka looked relaxed. She knew that Theodore and Chiara would not allow her to oversee this project, even if they compromised and punished Chiara. It was expected. Theodore calmly said, “Just like Chiara said, Ivanka is still inexperienced. If she makes a mistake, Sadler’s group will never say that it was their fault. The blame will definitely be put on Lane’s Group and our reputation will be severely impacted. Thus, our task is to find someone who holds the necessary experience and skills to collaborate with Sadler’s Group.”Clyde narrowed his eyes. “But Mr. Sadler stated that the condition for the collaboration is to let Ivanka be in charge. Will they accept it if we replace the person in charge?”Hugh said right away, “So, we have to talk to them. First, we need to choose someone competent and find another person to negotiate with Mr. Sadler. At the same time, you also need to show Mr. Sadler that you are unfit for the position, Ms. Ivanka.”Chiara glanced at Ivanka as wel
“If you’re unable to oversee this project, then there’s no need for a collaboration.”Everyone was stunned. The faces of those in Theodore’s group became grim.Ivanka’s camp were all smiles. Ivanka had expected Jonah would say something like that, and she had already talked to him beforehand, so she continued. “I’m sorry, Mr. Sadler, but I’m not qualified. My skills are limited, so I’ll probably mess things up if I do it.”“You came up with this plan. No one can be more capable than you, My Princess. So, please have confidence in yourself. Have you reported this to your company?”Ivanka paused for a moment, but Jonah spoke again before she could say anything. “Deliver my message to whoever is in charge of your company. I won’t hold back. The project will lose its soul if you’re not here, so it’s best if we don’t proceed.”Theodore was speechless. He was about to answer the phone and speak with him directly, but what more could he say now that Jonah had said that? Did Jonah
Jillian’s lips twitched. Her mocking expression seemed to indicate that Theodore’s struggle was futile.This time, the meeting ended there with no one disputing Theodore’s declarations.Ivanka stayed in her spot. She did not get up until after everyone had left.Chiara immediately followed her. She grabbed Ivanka’s arm and said, “I have something to tell you.”Ivanka turned to face her. She scanned the security-camera-filled meeting room, and smiled, “Here?”Chiara gritted her teeth. “Follow me,” she said while grabbing Ivanka’s arm without letting go.Ivanka pulled her arm out and just looked at her. Then, speaking in a low voice that was only audible to them, she said sarcastically, “Chiara, I still have a lot of work to deal with. Out of the five projects you gave me, there are still two for which I have not secured the deal. You’ve been suspended now, so you can’t give me orders even if you want to. We can talk after I get off work.”After Ivanka said that, she turned away f
Ivanka frowned deeply. Michael was in a horrible state. He had been poisoned and suffered gunshots. He had a strong tolerance to medicine and pain. But it was his mental condition that caused him to fall into this state. Not being fully recovered also added to the burden. Ivanka gave him a white pill which she had formulated by herself. After that, she had the security guard carry Michael into her car. Then, she sent him to the hospital. They arrived at the emergency department. Xavier had finished attending to his patients. When he walked out of his office, he saw Michael being carried into the hospital. He then saw Ivanka beside Michael. Xavier frowned. His expression became tense, and he asked solemnly, “What’s happened to him?” “He’s weak and had previously been poisoned. Since you’re around, you can look after him.” Ivanka summarized Michael’s condition. After hearing Ivanka’s brief explanation, Xavier gave Michael a checklist and put him on a drip. After that,
Since Jonah had come to this and Ivanka was not an ungrateful person, she nodded and gave her word. “Jonah, I’ll give this my all. Don’t worry. As long as it’s within my ability, I’ll help you.” Jonah had to be bound to the wheelchair at the moment. Since Ivanka had shared a similar experience when she took over Lane’s Group back then, she naturally figured out how wolfish and greedy his adversaries would be. Jonah was injured because of her. She swore to give her all to save him from whatever crisis he was facing. Jonah took advantage of this and asked, “What time are you coming tomorrow? I’ll have my assistant get ready.” Ivanka thought for a moment. “Tomorrow afternoon.” She needed to manage her company affairs during the first half of the day. Jonah was content upon hearing her answer. “Good. I’ll wait for you tomorrow.” “Okay.” Ivanka nodded before hanging up. When she returned to her office, she did not expect to see Michael sitting on the couch. She nearly jum
There was only one possibility. Ivanka was calling somebody else. Michael wondered who could strike up such a long conversation with her. Sandy and Ivan had returned to the country. Ivanka’s besties were around her. Even if Ivanka deliberately approached Chiara, she could not possibly have so much to chat with Chiara. If Ivanka’s phone call was business related, there was no need to chat this long. Michael eliminated the possible reasons one by one. In the end, he thought of Jonah. Michael’s expression instantly turned as dark as thunderclouds. His gaze was dull and cold. Evan noticed it. He also saw the call record on Michael’s phone. Evan quickly persuaded Michael, “Mr. Barkworth, Ms. Lane could be tied up with her work, so she couldn’t answer your call. We could go to her workplace now.” Michael said nothing. He gave a cold glance at Evan. Evan got a shock. The next second, Michael turned around and left his office. Looking at Michael’s fading silhouette, Evan wi
It was why Ivanka still came for Jonah in spite of her unpleasant experience with Margaret in the hospital last time. Jonah had been injured because of Ivanka. She came for him only. The other people did not matter to her. Jonah’s heart sank upon hearing her words. His expression tensed up. He could imagine the indifferent look on Ivanka’s face right at that moment. She had that expression on her face simply because he was never really important to her. Jonah was upset precisely because of her indifference to him. He wanted to say something to her but did not know how to begin. He was also not in the position to say that. It did not take long before Ivanka’s gentle but rather indifferent voice rang in his ears, “Jonah, don’t worry. I’ll treat your legs until they recover. Don’t run into any conflicts with your mom because of me.” Her words pulled Jonah’s wandering mind back into the present moment. He felt a heavy weight on his heart. “Iv, I trust you. You don’t need to
Margaret became frustrated and grabbed Ivanka. She could not understand why Ivanka was fine while Jonah ended up in such a bad situation after the accident.Then, Jonah defended Ivanka. There was also all the talk about Ivanka’s treatment. Margaret was curious to see what kind of miracle medicine Ivanka could develop.In the end, Ivanka’s treatment did not work. Moreover, her relationship with Jonah, which had finally started to improve, was once again ruined because of Ivanka.Jonah scoffed. “Mom, I’m not an eight-year-old anymore. You’re saying all this because you want me to go along with your plans for an arranged date, right?”Margaret had not expected Jonah to guess her thoughts. She was about to insist on her point when Jonah spoke first. With a mocking smile, he said sarcastically, “Do you think anyone would date someone like me?”He had a point. But Laura might be one such person.However, Margaret did not like her. She would do anything to keep Laura from becoming her d
“That’s because you want him to fall in love with you!” Margaret snapped.Ivanka chuckled softly. Her tone was edged with sarcasm. “Love? Does it really matter that much?”Margaret felt humiliated and furious. She pointed a finger at Ivanka’s face with a hostile expression. “If it doesn’t matter, why are you doing all this? Stop pretending, Ivanka!”Ivanka let out a bitter laugh. “Pretending? What am I pretending for? Is being divorced a crime? Margaret, you’re a woman too. How would you feel if someone accused you like this?”She hoped Margaret would take a moment to reflect. After all, she was Jonah’s mother, and Ivanka did not want their conflict to escalate.But Margaret was unmoved. Her glare turned colder, sharper, and filled with hatred.“You think I’ll just let this go?” Margaret said sharply. “If it weren’t for you, Jonah wouldn’t be in this mess! I meant every word I said, and nothing will change that.”To her, Ivanka was nothing more than someone scheming to use Jonah
“Ivanka,” Margaret took a deep breath while trying to compose herself. When she looked at Ivanka again, her expression was calm. She said, “I don’t know how deep Jonah’s feelings for you run. What I fear most is that once he becomes fixated on you, that’s it. When he falls for someone, his heart won’t make room for anyone else. In that way, he’s just like his father.”Ivanka’s gaze wavered. She bit her lip and was unsure of what to say.“I beg you, don’t hurt Jonah anymore!” Margaret’s voice carried a note of desperation.Ivanka’s expression turned extremely complicated.There was a time when Jonah came to her only to use her. Back then, they were both using each other. It made things simple.But later, Jonah unexpectedly started talking about marriage. Perhaps it was to provoke Michael, or perhaps he simply wanted to keep her close because she was useful to him.At some point, though, it seemed Jonah had become serious about her. She could not pinpoint when it happened. Perhaps
Jonah frowned in clear disagreement, but he stayed silent. Ivanka’s confident smile reassured him and made him trust her.Eventually, he let go of her wrist.Ivanka noticed Margaret putting on her shoes. She quickly followed, stepping outside just as Margaret was about to get into her car“Margaret,” she called out.Margaret frowned slightly and stood still.Since Jonah had not come out with Ivanka, she decided she could spare a moment to speak with her.She turned and looked at Ivanka coldly.Ivanka softened her tone. “Let’s take a walk.”Margaret did not respond, but her silence was enough of an agreement.They walked slowly around the edge of the mansion. The surrounding area was all part of the Sadler family estate.Margaret suppressed her anger and glanced at Ivanka before speaking in a composed tone, “Alright. What do you want to say?”Ivanka met her gaze briefly before looking ahead and said, “Do you know what will happen if Jonah’s coughing continues?”Margaret’s he
Margaret glared at Ivanka and scoffed, “If there’s an issue, I’ll get another doctor to handle it. It’ll be anyone but you, Ivanka. Haven’t I made myself clear enough? I’ve told you this before.”She hated how Ivanka ignored her warnings and kept coming back to visit Jonah time and again. What if Jonah got too close to her and ended up ruining his reputation? If Jonah had not been here, Margaret would have been even harsher.Ivanka frowned as she met Margaret’s sharp gaze. “I’ve never tried to get close to Jonah like that. We’re just friends. I know I’m not good enough for him, so I’ve never even thought about it.”“You might not have, but he has!” Margaret snapped, raising her voice.“Mom!” Jonah’s expression darkened.Jonah was usually calm and polite. This was the first time Ivanka saw him looking so upset and was about to lose his temper.Ivanka’s eyes flickered with hesitation. She was unsure of what to say.Explaining Jonah’s coughing would do no good. Margaret would not