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
Evan froze. He quickly pulled himself together and hid his thoughts, but he felt somewhat sheepish.He was not sure if Michael knew he had all those speculations about his marriage.Ivanka left the pub. She was not in a hurry to go home. Instead, she wandered the streets nearby.She seemed to be waiting for someone.She appeared to be going on a night stroll on her own.People walked in and out of the pubs.The streetlights were dazzling.Ivanka occasionally looked at the doors of the pubs. Her gaze seemed heavy with endless thoughts.Soon, her phone started ringing abruptly.Bryan: It wasn’t him.Ivanka: Alright, thanks.She was about to put her phone away.But Bryan sent her a sticker of a figure punching someone. The other person in the group chat sent something similar.Bryan: Can you change your bad habits? Must you thank me? @IvankaFabian: What’s with you, Ivanka?Ivanka: Sorry…Fabian: Are you planning to make a comeback?Ivanka was startled. She did not know h
Ivanka slowly smiled as she watched the person approach. She smiled. “Ms. Kirk, nice to see you here.”Naila had said this to her before.Naila looked her up and down, but the previously piercing look in her eyes had softened. She gazed at Ivanka calmly and said, “Are you free? Let’s grab some supper.”Ivanka’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “Sure.”Soon enough, they entered a restaurant’s private dining room.“What do you want to eat?” Naila passed her the menu.Ivanka smiled. “I’m fine with anything. I’m not picky. You may order first. I’m going to use the bathroom.”Their private dining room had a bathroom of its own.Naila silently started ordering.After all, the meal was just an excuse. They were here for business.After Ivanka took off her mask, she removed the fake acne on her face. Her lovely face was revealed.The server left the two of them alone in the room.Naila stared at Ivanka and said in surprise, “How did you do it?”She had expected trouble today.But her so
Ivanka did not move.Naila looked at her phone. She stared at the caller ID on the screen and frowned slightly. She looked up at Ivanka. “Excuse me, I have to take this call.”Ivanka nodded.Naila answered the phone.Ivanka could not hear the person on the other end of the line.But Naila pulled a long face. Ivanka raised her brows and thought. “Did something happen to her son again?”Things should be fine on Elio’s end by now. What else had gone wrong?“Got it.”With that, Naila hung up.Ivanka looked over at her subconsciously. There was a hint of confusion on her face. “Is it about… your son?”“No.”Ivanka sighed in relief. After all, she could not fully guarantee that Elio would listen to her.Naila looked at Ivanka and said awkwardly, “Ms. Lane, I… might need your help with something.Even though she was straightforward and decisive, it did not mean that she felt entitled to ask for someone’s help.Ivanka was a little surprised. “Tell me what happened. I’ll do anythi
Naila silently stared at Ivanka as she left. Ivanka went straight home. Her journey was smooth, and no one got in her way.The next day, Ivanka went to work as usual. She handed in the signed agreement to Rebecca, who said in shock, “Oh my god, Iv. You got Naila to sign this?”Rebecca was genuinely surprised.She was usually poised and composed.In fact, the project Ivanka had been handling was one of the hardest feats. No one in their department, including Rebecca herself and even their department manager, Patty, could guarantee that they would succeed. It had only been a short while since Ivanka joined them, yet she had already completed four projects. Each had been wrapped up so quickly and nicely!Everyone in the office was dumbstruck. Their eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. They could not quite believe their ears.However, it actually happened right before their eyes. They were stunned.“Is it true? She convinced Naila? That lady is known to be incredibly diffi
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