“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
Chiara was confused. “What is it?”“It seems that this suspension may not entirely be a bad thing. You can’t touch Ivanka for the time being, but you can dig a hole first.”Chiara was dumbfounded. “Dig what hole?”“Go back to your mother. She’ll tell you,” Theodore said in a deep voice. Chiara frowned slightly. “Why are you being mysterious about this? Alright, I’ll go back first.”…At that time, Ivanka had already returned to her office. Everyone looked at her in confusion. Rebecca could not hold back and asked Ivanka, “Iv, what kind of meeting did you have?”Ivanka looked calm, and she just chuckled. “I’m sorry, Rebecca. We can’t announce it yet. We still have to wait for a few days.”“Ah, right,” Rebecca said with a nod. “If it can’t be made public, I won’t ask. I’ll wait a few days, but I have the feeling that you’re getting closer to success.”Ivanka smiled. “Thank you. I’m counting on that.” Her words carried a profound meaning. Everyone seemed to have noticed so
Naila halted and turned to glance at Ivanka, who was sitting next to her with a mask. Her eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.Ivanka slowly removed her mask and revealed a strikingly beautiful and unforgettable face.Naila’s gaze carried a hint of surprise. In the next second, she smiled and said, “Ms. Ivanka? What a coincidence.”Ivanka put her mask back on and said with a smile, “Is it? I came specifically for you, Ms. Naila.”Naila observed her. She said nothing, nor did she rush to leave.Ivanka smiled. “How about we talk in the private room?”Naila slowly removed her sunglasses. Her beautiful eyes carried a hint of indifference. “What is there for us to talk about?”Ivanka’s lips curled into a smile. “Ms. Naila, how would you know if my proposal is truly bad without a chat? Just take a look at it. If you don’t like it, you can turn around and leave.”After saying that, she opened her proposal and handed it to Naila.Naila simply glanced at it without taking it. However, after
Ivanka gazed at Naila with a faint smile. Seeing the anger in her eyes, she calmly remarked, “Business is all about making deals. Don’t you think so, Ms. Naila?”Naila frowned and stared at Ivanka.Meanwhile, two individuals were standing around the corner, one behind the other. The man standing in front pursed his lips and glanced sideways. Ivanka was looking at the woman next to her in a way that told him she was effortlessly handling the situation.He frowned. Annoyance grew in his eyes.The man behind him kept checking his watch. Eventually, he resignedly said, “Mr. Barkworth, we’re getting late for the meeting.”Michael’s frown deepened.In the end, he wordlessly adjusted his tie and headed outside.As Ivanka looked up, she caught sight of Michael, who was exuding an air of indifference and nobility. Her gaze carried a hint of surprise.She thought. “What is he doing here?”Following Ivanka’s line of sight, Naila glanced over but quickly averted her gaze.Unperturbed, Iv
“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