The hostility in Michael’s eyes was so great that it looked like he was about to kill her with his gaze alone. He then left without a single word.Chiara’s lips curled upward. Her poise was one of elegance and regality.Unbothered, Ivanka looked away and continued the discussion with Flint.After the discussion was over, Ivanka called a cab.She touched her neck habitually, and her expression changed suddenly.Where did her necklace go?!“Sir, please turn around and go back to the Imperial Mansion.”She must have been in a hurry to leave and forgot to put it on.After an hour, Ivanka entered the mansion.The moment she entered the bedroom, Michael was already standing before her dresser. He was lost in his thoughts as he examined his watch.Ivanka was puzzled. Over the past three years of their marriage, he had never entered their bedroom. Today, he was looking at the watch that she once gave him. He used to despise the watch and threw it on the floor. Ivanka was the one wh
It took a little over an hour before Ivanka arrived at the Barkworth family’s mansion. She felt conflicted. As soon as they entered the mansion, they heard a cry of excitement. “Iv, my beloved granddaughter-in-law! Come and sit with me. I’ve been longing to see you day and night. Oh, you’re finally here!”Ivanka’s mask of calm cracked, and she could no longer hide the complicated emotions in her eyes. She forced a smile. “Grandma, I’m sorry. I’ve been busy—”Before she finished speaking, Rosie Johanson patted her hand gently and said softly, “Say no more. I know of all your troubles.”Ivanka instinctively looked at Rosie. In her puzzlement, she asked tentatively, “You… know everything?”That was impossible. If Grandma had known about their divorce, she would not talk to Ivanka in this manner.Michael also stared at Rosie in puzzlement.Rosie glared at Michael. Her heart ached for Ivanka as she spoke gently to her, “Yes, I know everything. Mic has absolutely stepped out of line.
Ivanka gave Michael a sarcastic smile. She knew that he must be thinking that she complained about him to Rosie.In the past, Ivanka had tried to avoid having Michael misunderstand her. But now… hah!Even if he misunderstood her, it no longer mattered to her.It was not as if it would do any harm to her.“What’re you staring at?! Iv is not the one who snitched on you. You’re the one who saunters to the hospital every single day and don’t even bother going home. Do you think I’m blind?!”Michael pursed his lips and remained silent.Rosia continued nagging at Michael throughout dinner and did not show him the slightest bit of mercy.Meanwhile, Ivanka was happy to see this. In fact, she felt as if she had vented her anger. Ivanka chatted with Rosie a little longer before she left the mansion with Michael.But this put Ivanka on the spot.Grandma was unaware that they had divorced, so she had to get into Michael’s car.However, she no longer wanted to have any sort of contact w
Michael gnashed his teeth and hissed, “Ivanka…!”Ivanka smirked. She turned into a corner without looking back. Then, she went down the hill through a path that could only fit one person.After some time, she reached a large road. By then, Michael’s car was out of sight, and Ivanka felt relieved.She wrapped her arms around herself and walked under the moonlight and streetlights. The grass was green, and everything appeared to be at peace.She heard the sound of insects. In the past, she was usually in a hurry whenever she passed by the place. She hardly had the time to take a stroll and admire the panoramic view like today. She waited for a while before the cab arrived. Once it sent her home, Ivanka took her bath and felt refreshed.Although she had been living alone in the past as well as the present, she felt an indescribable sense of relaxation at present. In the past, she always had Michael in her mind. Yet now, she could focus on her career. However, she could not help but
Jonah chuckled. “So, you’ve come prepared. Mrs. Barkworth, what’re your thoughts on this matter?”After he finished speaking, his smile froze upon seeing Suki behind Ivanka, and he thought. “Why are they together?”Suki cleared her throat and said sheepishly once she entered the room, “Mr. Sadler, I couldn’t tell you everything about Iris earlier, because the circumstances around Iris’s work status had been unclear. However, since we’ve agreed to take up your case, we’ll lay out the facts for you.”Jonah was taken aback. He cast a glance at Ivanka, and his eyes were filled with shock.After a brief moment of silence, he said calmly, “Ms. Moore, are you telling me that the elite lawyer that I’ve gone to great lengths to hire is my rival’s wife?”The corners of Ivanka’s lips curved upward. “Ex.”Regardless of how calm and composed Jonah had been, at that moment, he could not help but cry out in shock, “Ex?!”Ivanka offered a hand to him. “Mr. Sadler, I’m Iris. Nice to meet you.”
“I can win,” Ivanka said confidently.And Jonah believed her.As he stared at the beautiful woman before him, he fell into a daze.Weren’t pretty women supposed to be empty in the head? Ivanka did not seem to be that sort of person.Jonah nodded and said gently, “Tell me what the condition is. If I’m able to fulfill it, I will do it.”Ivanka placed one of her hands on the table and started tapping arrhythmically on the wood. She looked at Jonah and smiled as she said, “I heard that the former master of the Morris family will hold his birthday banquet in ten days.”Jonah sized her up. “Yes.”Ivanka tilted her head slightly. She asked with a grin, “Do you have a plus one?”A trace of surprise flashed in Jonah’s eyes. The next moment, he chuckled. “The pleasure is mine. I’ll pick you up at night. Give me your address.”Ivanka took a sip of her fruit juice. Her cherry lips were moistened by the liquid. She then pursed her lips and said with a smile, “That’ll be boring. I’ll go to
Ivanka waved her phone and said, “See you soon.”And she left without waiting for Jonah’s response.Jonah sat motionlessly in his chair. Suki smiled at him before grabbing her phone and following Ivanka.The duo got into Suki’s car, but Suki did not start the car immediately. Instead, she turned to Ivanka incredulously. “Iris, please tell me you’re not using that playboy to heal your broken heart after splitting up with Michael. Taking advantage of Jonah isn’t going to help you heal. Aren’t you worried about falling in love with him and getting your heart broken again?”Ivanka was stunned. It took her a moment before she recovered her senses. She laughed in resignation and said, “What on earth are you talking about? Love is the one thing I hate the most right now. Why would I fall in love with him?”Moreover, how could Jonah possibly want to date her?Ivanka could not help but laugh again. “You’re being a worry wart. Jonah wouldn’t want to date me even if I asked him.”Suki frow
For a moment, Chiara was in a dilemma. “B-But he usually takes Ivanka with him to these events to show that they’re a loving couple, and he does it for his company’s benefit. Why would he bring me along this time?”Lyla smirked scornfully. “Things have changed.”“Huh?”Lyla tugged on Chiara’s arm and sat her down. “Ivanka is no longer who she was. Your father has gotten his hands on all of her family’s belongings. Ivanka has nothing left in her name. You’re the real princess of the Lane family now, do you understand?”“If that’s the case, it’s even unlikely for Mic to bring me along to the banquet. The public will think that the Barkworth family is heartless for casting Ivanka aside at the moment her father lost his position.”“Pfft! Money is the thing that makes the world go round these days. Although your father is not as powerful as the Barkworth family, he is still one of the leading figures in Bostone. The reason Samuel Barkworth allowed the marriage between Ivanka and Michae
“One more thing, these are my team members. They’ve seen firsthand how you’ve tried to suppress me all the time. A little payback from them isn’t exactly unjustified, don’t you think?”Before Mandy could say anything, Candice turned to the employee and instructed firmly, “Call security. Have them escort her out of the building. Make sure she doesn’t take anything that doesn’t belong to her. Thoroughly check her devices for any company files.”Mandy completely lost her composure and started yelling.“Who do you think you are to treat me like this? You’re just riding on Ivanka’s coattails! Everyone knows how someone so young became CEO. And you? Are you sticking by her? You’re no better than… Argh!”Before Mandy could finish her tirade, Candice delivered a resounding slap across her face.Not far away, Ivanka, who had come out after hearing the commotion to see if she needed to step in, slowed her steps. While leaning casually against a nearby column, she watched Candice handle the
“I understand what you mean now.” Candice’s cheeks flushed with excitement. The gloom that had previously clouded her was swept away.Her joy was genuine. She said, “In three months’ time, I’ll secure this position and prove to you and the board that your decision was the right one.”With that, Candice stood, gave Ivanka a respectful bow, and left the office.Ivanka watched her leave with a smile.All was good.While the two of them were in good spirits, someone else’s mood was far from pleasant.Mandy returned to her office, humiliated, to pack her belongings.If she could turn back time, she might have chosen not to come at all. The shame she endured was beyond anything she could have imagined.Somehow, word of what happened in the conference room had leaked. Perhaps Ivanka had orchestrated it.When she arrived at her office, she was not surprised to see all her belongings stuffed into a tattered, broken box.The box had been placed right outside her office door. It was a
“Mr. Clarke, if you don’t like my decision and want to change it, you’ll have to take my position first to do so. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”With those words, Ivanka coolly left the meeting room.Candice, though initially taken aback by the sudden turn of events, quickly adjusted to her new role. Turning to Mandy, she said, “Ms. Cruella, please ensure your office is cleared in three days, as I will be moving in.”With that, she too left the room.After they left, the meeting room erupted into chaos, with arguments flying back and forth. However, the outcome was already sealed. Ferris was powerless to change it.Though he still had cards to play, he was not about to waste them on Mandy.Sure enough, by the afternoon, employees spotted Mandy packing her belongings and leaving in disgrace.Candice, though initially satisfied, could not help but feel uneasy. After thinking it over, she decided to speak with Ivanka. And so, at that moment, she was standing in front of the door to t
Ferris was panicking at the moment. He shot Mandy a disappointing and furious glare.It was one thing for her to embezzle funds, it was another for her to get caught.How foolish!Feeling the weight of Ferris’s gaze, Mandy instinctively lowered her head.That only made Ferris more enraged.She had caused all this trouble, and he had to clean up the mess.Ivanka ignored them and turned to the other shareholders. She sharply said, “Tell me, how can someone like her hold the position of project director in our company, yet Candice can’t even be promoted to team leader?”Mandy had been personally hired by Ferris, so Ivanka criticizing her in front of everyone was effectively a direct slap to his face.That naturally made Ferris extremely uncomfortable.His expression turned even darker.“In my opinion, it’s true Mandy shouldn’t have done that, but she’s been in this position for so long. While she doesn’t have achievements, she’s at least put in the effort. How about this, let’s
However, her smile did not reach her eyes.Mandy stood frozen. She was too scared to drink the water or take a seat. Just like that, she was ignored. The atmosphere was awkward. She could only cast a pleading glance toward Ferris for support.Ferris, who was standing near her, cleared his throat and said, “That’s right. Ms. Ivanka, Ms. Cruella is right. This isn’t in line with proper procedures.”Ivanka maintained her enigmatic smile. Her index finger tapped lightly on the table. It was impossible to guess what was going through her mind.She glanced around the room. “What do the rest of you think?”She sounded like she was seeking opinions, but the weight of her presence was intimidating. No one dared to answer.Just as Ferris was about to say something, Ivanka picked up Mandy’s report and tossed it onto the floor.It happened too fast. Everyone was stunned by her action. Even Ferris was caught off guard.Mandy’s face turned pale.“Rules are made by people. Besides, Cand
“Please start.” Ivanka nodded. Mandy glanced at Ferris and then at Ivanka. She did not dare to speak.It was obvious that she did not want to offend either side.But she had received a lot of favors being under Ferris over the years, so naturally she did not dare to disobey him.Ferris felt like he was getting the upper hand again, and he was a lot more cheerful. His expression seemed to say, “Look, this is my staff. Look at how they listen to me and not you. You’re nothing much as the chairman. Who are you here, Ivanka?”The anger from before had completely disappeared. He said calmly, “You really don’t get the hint. If Ms. Lane lets you speak, you should just speak.”Although he sounded like he was scolding her, anyone could hear from Ferris’s tone that he was not complaining. He was gloating.Some shareholders did not want to be caught up in the mess and lowered their heads.Others wanted to see where things went.In a way, he was asserting dominance over Ivanka. Everyone wa
Ivanka suggested to Candice to go home and rest.But Candice still refused.She said, “The contract will be done soon. I’ll be able to rest properly and have peace of mind sooner when it’s finalized.”Ivanka relented. She only said that if she felt discomfort in any way, she must tell her immediately.Candice nodded her head and took note.Ivanka gripped the steering wheel tightly. She felt guilty.Candice was already in such a state, but she still insisted on working. Her reason there was not only to repay Ivanka but also to realize her own self-worth.But Ferris kept getting in the way of that report.It was really upsetting.Ivanka also secretly made it a point to get the report passed on that day.The car reached the company. Ivanka went upstairs with Candice together. Ivanka also personally helped Candice to her workstation.Despite Candice’s repeated refusals, Ivanka was very insistent.She wanted to demonstrate to everyone that she had Candice’s back. If anyone wante
Ivanka noticed that the distance between the both of them were a little too close. She moved a little to the side as a form of silent resistance to Micheal’s behavior.Michael only felt lonely for a moment. But he then quickly returned to normal as if nothing had happened.“Candice hasn’t finished giving her statement yet. I know you have to keep her company today, but I don’t agree that you should just sleep here. I’ve booked a hotel in the neighborhood. In a moment, I’ll explain to the people from the police station and send the two of you there.” Ivanka seemed to be a little hesitant.Michael said, “It’s just nearby. It’s about a kilometre away. I’ve reserved two rooms. So, if we need to rush over at night, we can just come over together again. Besides, if you sleep in the lounge for the night, both of you will catch a cold.”Ivanka hesitated and finally nodded.She thanked him and turned to go into the lounge to wake Candice up.Michael’s voice called out from behind her.
The two looked at each other and spoke a name. “Ferris Clark.”“Ferris Clark.” Michael laughed first. Ivanka followed suit. “Speaking of which, it actually has something to do with me. When Candice came, everyone knew I brought her in. When she first came in because she did not have any experience, she was only offered a position as an intern team leader. She thought that she would be transferred to a permanent position after she did a good job. But her report never passed after that. It was stuck in Ferris’s hands. “I will go to the board of directors tomorrow and continue to submit the report. This time it will have to be passed no matter what. I will also take the opportunity to find an excuse to test Ferris. If it’s really him…” Ivanka did not finish speaking, but the ferocity in her eyes made Michael silently pray for Ferris in his heart.Ivanka changed her tone. “But if it’s not someone from Bostone, then we have to consider someone else.”The tacit understanding betwe