Since they had not officially collaborated yet, Ivanka naturally refrained from divulging too much. It would suffice for the plan to remain unknown to outsiders and be safe from plagiarism.The plan needed to maintain a level of secrecy and potential for development.Now, it was time to meet that person.When she was about to leave, Ivanka decided to phone Suki.“Hello, Iris. You finally thought of me, huh?”Ivanka guiltily apologized. “Sorry, Suki. It’s been a busy couple of days.”“Come on, I was just teasing you. What do you need?”“How much have you learned about the last incident?”“Oh, this woman is excellent at hiding her tracks. For now, I couldn’t find anything useful. Your attacker has severed ties with his father, and his father left the Lane family several years ago. There’s a definite connection, but I can’t pin down the details.”Suki paused, then exclaimed, “I’ve been thinking about something.”“What is it?”Ivanka walked outside while holding her phone. She r
Just as Evan was contemplating that, he noticed Michael’s expression darken further.Evan was speechless.Was Michael asking about Ivanka?Just as Evan was hesitating on his answer, Michael spoke in a deep voice. “Go on.”Evan subconsciously sighed in relief and continued, “The leads are the same as last time, all cut off. This might have nothing to do with Ms. Chiara, or she might have managed to erase any traces completely.”“What about that man?”Michael was referring to the man who had pushed Ivanka.“He ran away. We’re still tracking him down. His father is in their hometown, but...”“Continue investigating through his father.”Evan paused for a moment, then nodded, “Okay, I’ve already sent someone to inquire.”Michael remained silent.However, he gave no indication for Evan to leave.Evan sensed that Michael might want to know the information about Ivanka. After a moment’s hesitation, he continued reporting.“Ms. Ivanka went to see Ms. Chiara yesterday to propose a c
Michael frowned again. The office air seemed colder than before.The atmosphere permeated through the phone and sent a shiver down Chiara’s spine.She turned a little pale. After taking a breath, she said softly, “I’ve been suspended from work.”Michael’s gaze flickered thoughtfully.However, in the next instant, he feigned ignorance. He attempted a softer tone. “What happened?”Chiara frowned. She had been against calling Michael, but her mother had been very insistent. She said this would fuel Michael’s disdain for Ivanka and pave the way for their perfect plan. But could this work?Chiara gritted her teeth. At this point, she had no choice but to continue speaking.“It involves some company secrets, so I can’t say. I just never expected Iv to misunderstand me. Mic, it seems like we’re really drifting apart. Iv has started threatening and mocking me. What should I do to mend things with her?”At this moment, Chiara played her role well. She did not come off as someone sowing
“Don’t worry too much about it. Besides, there’s no need to maintain any relationship with her. It’s unnecessary.”Chiara was speechless.She thought Mic would say something harsher about Ivanka, but was this all?“Mic, I…”“I have some matters to attend to here. I’ll visit you when I have time. Go home and take care of yourself.”Chiara parted her lips. She wanted to say something, but sensing Michael’s impatience, she chose to stop there. “All right, you go ahead. Make sure to get some rest. Don’t overexert yourself, Mic.”“Okay.”Michael’s voice was magnetic, but upon closer listening, a hint of impatience could be discerned.Chiara’s expression changed slightly. She could only say, “Well, then, I’ll hang up.”“Okay.”Chiara took a deep breath and reluctantly ended the call.The next moment, she looked furiously at Lyla beside her. “See, I told you I shouldn’t call him! Look what happened! What are you and Dad trying to achieve?”Her mother had been advising her on what
Ivanka immediately declined the call and sent a message on WhatsApp.Ivanka: I’m outside. It’s too noisy to talk. What’s up?Sandy: Oh, really? Where are you? I heard your cousin got suspended from work.Ivanka: Yes, it’s thanks to your blessing. I owe you one. I’ll make you your favorite braised beef brisket when I have time.Sandy: Hahaha! You’re the best, bestie! Where are you now? Why can’t you talk on the phone?Ivanka: I’m in a bar.Sandy: No way! Not cool, bestie! You went to a bar without me! Who did you go with?Ivanka: Just myself. I came here to handle something today. I’ll come with you next time.Sandy: Just you alone? Where are you? I’ll come and find you. If you’re handling something, I should at least be there with you. You can’t be alone!Ivanka: It’s okay. I’ll be fine.Sandy insisted several times, but Ivanka assured her that she would be fine. Unable to persuade her, Sandy could only remind Ivanka to be careful.Ivanka slowly put down her phone. She was w
The woman froze. She gritted her teeth and wanted to deliver an insult. But the moment she met his icy gaze, she dared not say another word. Holding back her anger, she left.The people around them overheard their conversation. They knew that Elio was unapproachable, so they left him alone.But those who sat further away merely assumed that Elio simply did not like that woman, so more women approached and hit on him.As a result, they faced the same treatment as the first woman did.At this point, some women seemed to grow competitive and excited to take up the challenge. One after another, they started going over to test the waters.In the end, Elio was annoyed.He produced a dagger out of nowhere and stabbed the table with it.In that instant, no one dared approach him.Everyone realized that he was short-tempered and uninterested in women.Some people could not help sneering in secret.In a corner, two men with beer bellies drank together and said with mockery.“Women the
Elio froze. This woman knew his name, so she must have known about his situation.Unlike what others had assumed, he did not plan to do anything to her. He retracted his hand from the dagger and said flatly, “I’m not interested.”The surrounding people did not hear what they were saying, but they were all baffled.“What’s going on? He didn’t attack her? Is he interested in that woman?”“Are you joking? That woman has acne all over her face! Who would be interested in her?“But Elio didn’t see it!”Everyone was staring at the two of them. At that moment, Elio suddenly became the center of their attention.It was mostly due to his striking demeanor. Besides, he had shunned and turned down so many women earlier on. Out of instinct, everybody was eager to find out if he would accept the woman before him.Ivanka did not care about Elio’s reply. She calmly gazed at him and said, “I remember that you had someone very important in your life. You once said that he was your greatest savi
Michael glanced at Evan coldly. “Why are you following me?”Evan was confused.Should he not follow Michael around?But in the next second, he realized what his boss meant and finally said in defeat, “Alright, I’ll wait for you here.”Michael said nothing. He glanced at the clueless woman, who was still sitting comfortably in her seat, and kept walking.As for Evan…He went over to a corner and sat down with a resigned gaze. Mr. Barkworth’s behavior had become increasingly odd. His actions kept contradicting his words. Michael had needed Evan’s help today, but now Evan had to stay here to watch over Ivanka.Michael was getting worse at hiding his motives, and he always betrayed his intentions so easily.Evan had no idea what to do with him or Ivanka. He could only sit still and watch her from afar.…Ivanka focused on Elio the entire time and did not notice what happened between Michael and Evan.She calmly stared at Elio and said, “Can you spare Naila Kirk’s son?”Elio
“Who would believe that he didn’t get any help?”The statement set off an uproar. Indeed, many people had been eliminated at this stage. Michael’s advancement as an outsider was suspicious in itself. Or maybe it was not just Doska. Many people had this suspicion; they just did not say it out loud.Once someone brought it up, it naturally led to the dam breaking, and a steady influx of skepticism started.“Yes. How long has an outsider been here? How was he able to find these herbs so precisely?”“Isn’t that so? I even saw Doska’s grandma take Michael out this morning to look for herbs. I hadn’t seen him before. Did he memorize it after just one turn? I don’t believe it.”“There’s something shady. He must be cheating. The Heroes Meeting would never tolerate cheating. They never need a hero who cheats.”“Get out of here. Disqualify him!”The noises continued. Under Doska’s lead, some people were agitated and said they wanted to disqualify Michael from the competition.Mdm.
“Yo, how dare you return with a handful of wild weeds?” Doska snorted lightly in mockery.Michael did not pay any attention and ignored him completely.He just handed over what he had in his hand straight to the referee.Seeing that he was being ignored, Doska immediately wanted to speak again, but the surrounding people talked him out of it.A few of the men scowled at Doska while grinning evilly. “Let’s watch. He’ll be embarrassed in a moment.”Doska also calmed down. The corners of his mouth curled in mockery.Obviously, he did not think Michael would be able to pass the first stage.Or rather, no one believed it but Ivanka.Even Anais added in her two cents and said with a look of regret, “I didn’t expect the first stage to be this. It looks like Michael is going to end at the first stage. What a pity.”Even Madam Wright was worried for him.Ivanka heard and did not comment on it. However, she still believed in Michael in her heart. The referee took over and conducted a
Ivanka was done with her mutiny. On the other side, Michael was moving fast on the mountain.In about ten minutes, he found about two dozen different herbs.It was a combination of luck and skill.On his way to look for other medicinal herbs, Michael also encountered Doska’s group.Surprisingly, Doska also had a dozen handfuls of herbs in his hand.But then again the others around him were empty-handed, it was plain to see.They probably knew that if they were spread out, there was a chance none of them would advance. Putting all their herbs in one person’s hands would be better. Micheal had no idea why they had picked Doska. He shook his head in slight confusion.When he saw that Michael was about to leave, Doska could not resist and spoke.“Stand still.”Michael did not want to pay any attention to it, but a man was already blocking the way.Michael stopped. He did not want to make a move for the moment.He looked at Doska. His gaze was chilling.“What do you want?”Do
Ivanka did not answer. She stared straight at the enclosure wall as if she had not heard anything.Anais was not annoyed. If Ivanka did not answer, she had others around her to do so.“It must be Michael. Who else could it be?”Anais smiled. It was a bright smile.She turned her head to look at Ivanka properly and said, “It’s because you’re with him that he’s not accepted by the community. If he was with me, the outcome would be much different. But you’re not willing to let go.”Ivanka did not say anything. In fact, the expression on her face did not change.She knew in her heart that Michael did not need to blend in or be accepted by the people here.All it took was Mdm. Wright’s acceptance.When she thought about this, Ivanka looked toward Mdm. Wright.Mdm. Wright gave her a reassuring look.Ivanka blinked and continued to look at the enclosure wall.Just like that, Anais was completely ignored.Originally, she wanted to be directly angry, but within the duration of an ey
When Mdm. Wright heard that, she asked in discomfort, “Why do you care? It’s none of my business.”Michael just smiled. Mdm. Wright had been distracted since she arrived here. She still cared about Doska in the end.He was her last remaining relative, after all. Mdm. Wright’s sons and daughters had died one after another, leaving behind only this one grandson. It would be a lie to say that she did not care.It was just all to keep her pride. By the grace of Mdm. Wright, he would let him off the hook once when he met Doska on the field. But if Doska repeatedly provoked him or tried to get in his way… Then he would not care who he was.With that, Michael tidied up and prepared to enter.Before he was about to go in, Michael looked toward Ivanka quickly.By that time, Ivanka had already stood very obediently next to Anais.When she saw Michael look over at her, Ivanka gave him a small smile.“Take care of yourself.”Michael had mouthed those words to her.Ivanka smiled. “B
“So, Mdm. Wright, even if we go back, Michael and I won’t forget you, nor will we forget this place.”Mdm. Wright’s body froze visibly.Ivanka spoke to her heart. She spoke to the most vulnerable, most profound part of her heart.To put it bluntly, the old lady was also afraid of being alone in her old age.Ivanka continued, “If conditions permit, we will come back to see you, or we can pick you up and take you out for a few days.”Mdm. Wright said nothing as she held back her tears.She was afraid that she would cry the moment she opened her mouth. Ivanka affectionately took Mdm. Wright’s hand. She looked at Mdm. Wright with eyes that twinkled like stars in the sky.“Mdm. Wright, give Michael and I a local name for this place.”“Alright…”Mdm. Wright could not hold back her tears any longer.The warm liquid dripped onto Ivanka’s arm. It was so warm that it felt like it was burning her skin.Ivanka took out a tissue and gently wiped away the tears off her beloved Mdm. Wrig
“The question struck my mind at this moment.” Michael did not trust Ivanka’s statement. When she asked him that question, she looked serious. She did not look like she asked it spontaneously; she seemed to have prepared it a long time ago. Michael thought about it carefully before answering her. “You’re serious, bold, smart, and beautiful.” Ivanka had many excellent qualities. Her beauty was unquestionable, yet it was the least worth mentioning. She nodded. After that, she looked up and stared at Michael. Her gaze was so razor-sharp as if she could pierce him through her gaze alone. She said, “I’m not some sort of a delicate, rich young lady. We’re currently facing a situation that is unfavorable to us. If we want to return to our homeland, it’s going to take more than your effort alone to get back, it’s going to take us all working together. Since you mention we’re a team, why can’t I contribute to our team?” Michael’s lips parted, but no words came out of his mouth.
Michael grabbed Ivanka’s hand and wanted to leave together. He could not bear to watch Ivanka suffer. But Ivanka stood motionlessly in place and stared at Anais. Meanwhile, Anais recovered from her shock and gave Ivanka a strange look. Then she asked skeptically, “Have you made up your mind? Are you sure you’re not kidding me?” Michael was about to answer her, but Ivanka interrupted, “Yes. I’m very certain about it. Can we register now?” Anais raised her head proudly. “Of course.” Right after she finished her sentence, she gave the registrar a look. The registrar naturally did not want to mess around with the troublemaker, so he instantly added Michael’s name to the list. After Michael’s name was added to the list, it was only then that Ivanka heaved a sigh of relief. She turned around and realized that Anais was staring at her. Ivanka was undaunted. She met her eyes. Anais moved her lips silently to say, “I’ll wait for you.” After that, she gave Ivanka a profound
The moment Candice saw Mandy, she instantly recalled the night Ivanka and Michael fell into the sea. She knew Mandy and Ferris were the main culprits behind it all. At that moment, Candice had the urge to tie them up and toss them into the sea so that they would sink underneath. It seemed to be the only way to get rid of her hatred toward the duo. Unfortunately, she could not take action just yet. Mandy moved in front of Candice and removed her sunglasses. Then, she raised her chin and asked the security guard, “What’s with all the noises?” The security guard listened to all her whims and said, “This mad woman is being so unreasonable and insists on entering the building. She said she’s the project director of the company.” Upon hearing this, Mandy looked like she finally noticed Candice’s presence. Without caring much less about the hatred and disgust in Candice’s eyes, Mandy cradled her mouth and pretended to look surprised while saying, “Oh, no! Aren’t you the project di