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
Lyla’s eyes flickered maliciously. She said helplessly, “I... probably shouldn’t bring this up, but avoiding talking about it might cause some issues for everyone down the road.”Mindy paused for a moment. She looked at her understandingly and sighed. “It’s not that I’m not worried. I barely get a chance to talk to him because he always locks himself in the company; we hardly see each other in a day.”Lyla’s expression changed slightly. She spoke resignedly, “But if this drags on... Chiara genuinely likes Michael. I can’t let her keep pining after Michael. It’s fine for men to get married in their thirties, but it’s not the same for girls.”Mindy became anxious when she heard Lyla reconsidering the wedding. “Oh, come on, Lyla. We’ve agreed to be in-laws. You can’t let someone else snatch my future daughter-in-law away!”Lyla sighed resignedly. “I just want Michael to be my son-in-law, but with the way things are now...”She seemed unable to finish her sentence.However, when Mind
Mindy nodded and fell silent when Lyla lost interest on the topic.Lyla sighed helplessly, “After Chiara got suspended, she was all gloomy at home. She even called Michael. She just couldn’t keep it to herself, so she told him everything.”Mindy was stunned and felt guilty. “What happened then? I had no clue about any of these things.”Lyla nodded understandingly, “Children develop minds of their own when they grow up. Mindy, you don’t need to feel too guilty about it.”Mindy sighed resignedly as Lyla continued. “Chiara was feeling pretty down back then. Michael tried to cheer her up and suggested she take a good break. He also said that as a woman, she didn’t have to go all out for work. So... I was wondering, does Michael really plan to marry Chiara?“If he is, I’ll definitely watch Chiara and give her some good advice. You know, show her the ropes of being a daughter-in-law. But if he isn’t... then, I’ll have Chiara return to the company.“She’ll be heartbroken without Michael
Michael’s expression turned colder. He silently looked at Mindy. There was a questioning look in his eyes.Even though Samuel was the company’s chairman, he was not truly taking charge at the moment. Michael was the one in control now.However, Mindy always tended to approach Samuel for specific matters, such as Michael’s marriage, much to the latter’s annoyance.Under the scrutiny of Michael’s questioning gaze, Mindy frowned and stepped closer. “Why are you staring at me like that? You’re not getting any younger, and you still don’t have any kids. How long are you going to keep dragging it out?! Chiara saved your life, and instead of appreciating her, you repeatedly hurt her. I really feel like cracking your head open right now to see what’s going on inside!”Michael frowned. “Now is not the time to get married.”“Then, when is it?” Mindy retorted sternly.If outsiders were to witness this, they would inevitably be surprised. No one would dare to reprimand their own son, let alo
Michael thought. “Ivanka is vain and conniving. She has been plotting against me from the beginning. She and her father have caused so much trouble. I must’ve been so disgusted with her that I thought of her just now!”He tried his best to restrain himself.Samuel looked at him coldly. “So, what’s going on? When are you going to get engaged? Give me a specific time. Don’t keep the Lane family hanging.“Everyone knows you and Chiara are a done deal, but you’re dragging your feet. Do you know how it’s going to end up if this goes on? We will lose our dignity! You can afford it, but I can’t! I’ve been known to be wise all my life; I don’t want you ruining my reputation by doing such appalling things!”Michael then said, “But Grandma is unwell.”Samuel snorted and continued, “So, you care about her health now? Grandma wishes for you and Ivanka to remarry, but you don’t want to fulfill it because you refuse to marry that vain woman. And here you are, saying you’re concerned about her h
“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