Ivanka pursed her lips and said nothing.Jonah smiled. “Don’t be afraid. If you’re worried, I’ll go up the stage with you.”Ivanka slowly took a deep breath. Jonah was right. At this point, there was no turning back.She thought. “Well, forget it. If Michael is planning to be merciless, I’ll be merciless too.”At that moment, Adrian was smiling on the stage. “At gatherings like this, people will usually discuss some cooperation in private. I’ve prepared a ‘convenience car’ for you all. Here’s a wall I prepared.A wall?Everyone was confused. They saw Adrian waving his hand, and two slender, tall women came out with a cardboard wall.There were a lot of white stickers neatly pasted on it to block the words inside.Adrian smiled. “I have specially prepared this. Everyone’s name is on it.”Everyone was shocked.They were all curious to know what Adrian’s plan was.Ivanka pursed her lips. She knew that her name was among them.“For the sake of fairness, both men’s and women’s n
The people’s hearts were racing out of nervousness. They had been thinking about what to say if they were chosen. They were all scared of being the first person.Ivanka did not think much about it. She knew that Jonah would not let her be the first pick.She took a deep breath and said softly, “I need to use the restroom.”Jonah looked at her with deep eyes and said softly, “Okay. Iv, don’t get stage fright.”He had an underlying meaning when he told her not to get stage fright. They were all people of high social status. They could keep calm and would not get stage fright.After all, they were all sociable and were used to attending this kind of occasion.However, he still told her not to get stage fright. In truth, he was telling her not to be afraid of Michael.Ivanka nodded. Then, she turned and walked to the restroom.Chiara saw Ivanka leaving and hurriedly said to Michael, “Mic, I need to use the restroom.”Michael nodded lightly and continued to drink.Ivanka was a lit
Michael looked at Ivanka coldly. “Are you satisfied after making a fuss?”“Am I satisfied?” Ivanka chuckled. “You’re the one who made a fuss.”In the past, she devoted herself to being Mrs. Barkworth and made the Barkworth family the focus of her attention. She would never do anything that would embarrass the Barkworth family. Many people praise her for being a perfect wife and daughter-in-law. However, Michael never spared her a glance and fooled about with Chiara. Now that they were getting married, she had become a laughingstock. In spite of all that, Michael was claiming that she was making a fuss.Michael’s thin lips pursed when he saw the mockery in Ivanka’s eyes intensifying. “If you leave the banquet now, this matter ends here.”Ivanka looked at him indifferently. “Will you go to the City Hall with me tomorrow to collect the divorce certificate, then?”Michael immediately sneered. “Ivanka, quit dreaming and stop testing me. I’ll divorce you sooner or later.”When Chiara
Chiara was just as surprised. What was Ivanka going to do on stage?Michael would not have planned this, so only Jonah could have set this up. What were they planning?Chiara was genuinely curious. Jonah would never help Michael and Ivanka to reconcile. If Ivanka and Jonah got together, she would reject Michael and she would not be together with him anymore. After that…Chiara eagerly waited. She hoped that Ivanka could continue being proud and never meet Michael anymore!Jonah turned to look at Ivanka with a smile. “Should I accompany you?”“I’m good.”Ivanka was calm and at peace with herself.Jonah and Michael became everyone’s center of attention. Ivanka stood beside Jonah, and everyone could see her at a glance. They stared at Ivanka as she got up on the stage.Mr. Morris sat in the head seat and looked over. He immediately frowned. “Who did this?”Adrian’s expression darkened. “I’ll ask someone to investigate.”The Morris family would never do something that would offen
Everyone was shocked.She was so bold!In other words, she was announcing to them that she had broken up with Michael!Otherwise, why else would she no longer be Mrs. Barkworth?She had become single again!Jonah had been watching Ivanka. At that very moment, he suddenly smiled, and a hint of joy shone in his dark eyes.He turned to look at Michael. Michael had a gloomy expression but otherwise did not react much.He had probably brought Chiara over today to put on a show.However, Ivanka’s actions had made his show in vain. Everyone knew their relationship had fallen apart, and Barkworth Group became the laughingstock.Michael sensed Jonah’s gaze and looked at him. They were not sitting at the same table. Many people were between them, but that did nothing to stop them from shooting murderous gazes at each other.Jonah smiled and raised his glass. Although it was champagne, he could still drink a toast to him.Michael stopped looking at him. Instead, he got up and walked ou
Jonah smiled. “I still have matters to attend to, but I’ll find a chance to make it up to you later, Mr. Morris.”One should never be angry with someone who was smiling so widely. Mr. Morris could only return the smile. “I’m flattered, Mr. Sadler. Since you have to take care of something, I’ll leave you in peace.”Jonah nodded and left with Ivanka. The other guests were still giving their speeches. However, the departures of the two important figures left the guests feeling a little empty. It was just turning out to be such a good show, but they were going to prematurely end it here.They could only follow up through the media later.The two of them walked to the car. Jonah opened the door of the front passenger seat for Ivanka, and Ivanka got into the car.After Jonah closed the door, Ivanka said, “Now that the banquet is over, when will you make the appeal?”“Let’s wait until after your divorce. I must take care of something, but it won’t take long.”Ivanka nodded and did not
Ivanka’s eyes twinkled. “No, I’m a little tired today. Some other time, maybe.” Sandy seemed to have understood something right away. “All right. Get some rest. Remember to give me a call if you’re bored. I will go and keep you company,” she could only say. “Okay.” They said nothing more and hung up. Jonah swept a glance at Ivanka without asking anything. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove all the way to the front of her building. Ivanka glanced at Jonah. “Thanks for today.” Things would not have gone so well for her if it had not been for Jonah’s arrangement. Jonah cocked his eyebrow. “We both win from this. You don’t have to thank me.” Ivanka smiled slightly. “You should go home early and have some rest too.” Jonah cracked a smile and looked at her dotingly. “Are you worried about me?” Ivanka was speechless. She had only said that out of politeness. She wordlessly responded with a smile and quickly got out of the car. Jonah had always been trying to take ad
She finally reached the mansion after an hour’s drive. The looks in the servants’ eyes were unusually odd as she walked in. Even though it was a closed party and no press could sneak in, there was still a large crowd. The guests at the party could also take videos. Even if no one dared to post it online, word must have spread in private. Besides… With Chiara around, there was no need to be concerned about people not knowing. Mindy was sitting on the sofa. Even her dark green casual outfit could not hide her fury. She had been holding in her anger for Ivanka’s arrival. The moment she saw Ivanka in person, she said coldly, “How dare you show up here!” Ivanka looked up at her. Mindy was still as smartly dressed as ever. She exuded a more aggressive aura. If it was in the past, Ivanka might have worried about what she could do to please her mother-in-law, but she looked extremely calm at the moment. “I dare not decline your request to show up, Mrs. Barkworth.” Rosie moved
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