Ivanka’s lips quivered. She tried to speak but failed.Sandy suppressed her inner worry and said sadly, “Hanson... got drunk and was hit by a vehicle. He’s now unconscious.”Anna’s head hung low. Her eyes were swollen. She was unable to find words to say.Frank turned pale. “What did the doctor say?”Everyone had no choice but to tell him the truth.Frank inhaled sharply and staggered.Vegetative state?He had only heard of this condition and had never experienced it happening to someone close to him. However, now... his son may experience it.His expression was grim. However, having weathered numerous challenges and hardships over several decades, he maintained composure.He inhaled deeply and said, “We have a month. Let’s figure out a solution.”Everyone fell silent as fear lurked in their hearts.That night, Frank stayed at the hospital. Anna schooled her emotions and approached him before saying, “Mr. Jackson, given the current situation, no one is allowed in. You still
Thomas was very pleased with the current outcome. He chuckled lightly and casually said to Susan, “Mr. Barkworth and Mr. Sadler both have sharp eyes. They specifically requested Ivanka to take charge. Do you think this is merely a coincidence? If one of them isn’t thinking straight, does that imply the other is also off their rocker? Honestly, between the two, who seems more out of touch?”Thomas’s words resonated with the crowd. They fell silent. Though not entirely convinced, they had to acknowledge Ivanka’s capability. Many had already started to believe in her ability to handle the projects.On the other hand, Theodore’s faction opposed letting Ivanka reclaim Lane’s Group. They refused to entrust the company’s fate to a mere girl. If Ivanka succeeded, it would unequivocally demonstrate her leadership prowess.They would never follow orders from a girl! It would only stoke their resentment and defiance toward her.Hugh’s expression soured as he glanced at Theodore before inquiri
He held the position of chairman, but nobody truly feared him. He was merely a figurehead lacking real capability. The company had declined steadily since he assumed leadership. If Lane’s Group did not change leaders soon, it would be doomed.Many were already eager for Ivanka to take over. After all, she was the daughter of the former chairman, Fernando! She possessed the same astuteness and capability as him!Thomas felt even more confident about the situation. He spoke up again, “Ms. Chiara is currently suspended. I don’t understand why she is still meddling in company affairs. Didn’t she consider the potential consequences?”Theodore silently inhaled deeply. He tried to maintain composure as he calmly stated, “I’ll address this with her upon my return. During her suspension, she will not be involved in company matters.”Thomas smiled and responded, “I’m relieved to hear that from you. It assures me that Ms. Chiara won’t act recklessly again. Otherwise, it would reflect poorly
The room fell silent once again as the topic lingered in the air.Awaiting his response, everyone turned to Theodore. Yet, Theodore was just as uncertain.The prospect of Ivanka collaborating with the two companies, particularly with Michael, did not sit well with him.Should they proceed with the partnership with Sadler’s Group despite this internal conflict? But what about Barkworth’s Group?Theodore hesitated to express his thoughts.Thomas smiled and said, “That’s why I said we should ask Ivanka for her opinion first.”Hugh immediately objected. “The company’s interests should come first. She’s just one member. Why should her opinion dictate our decisions?”Thomas shrugged. “You all know her value. Without her buy-in, can we truly ensure the success of this collaboration?”With no consensus reached, the meeting concluded without resolution.Theodore could not issue directives unilaterally. He needed to confer with his team privately.After the meeting, Thomas immediately
Ivanka was worried it might be from Hanson’s side. She immediately picked up her phone. When she saw it was Michael’s number, she frowned and hung up without a second thought.Michael was about to speak, but instead, he heard a mechanical female voice.“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently unavailable...”Michael’s expression darkened.He tried calling again.But, it got disconnected just like before.He tried again. This time, his number got blocked.“Ivanka Lane!!” Michael gritted his teeth as he shouted her name.He immediately called Evan.“Give me your phone,” Michael ordered.Puzzled, Evan complied nonetheless. He headed to Michael’s office. As soon as he opened the door, Evan could feel the chilling atmosphere emanating from the office.In confused bewilderment, he handed the phone to Michael.Michael took the phone. He was about to call Ivanka again, but he glanced at Evan before saying in a low voice, “You may go.”Still wearing the puzzled expression, he n
Jonah said calmly, “I’m coming to you this afternoon. Please give me your spare house key and record one of my fingerprints in your system. Ivanka was stunned. She no longer wanted to talk to him, so she immediately hung up. She truly needed to rest. Before noon, someone already knocked on her door. Ivanka’s drowsiness vanished.The banging on the door darkened her face with fury. It was certainly not Jonah. It was Michael! “Is he crazy?” Ivanka lay on the bed and was reluctant to get up. However, the banging on the door only grew louder! Ivanka furiously threw off her blanket and got up from her bed. The banging on the door was so loud that it hurt her ears. If this went on, Ivanka was worried that her neighbors would come over to watch the drama again. She gritted her teeth and opened the door. The moment Ivanka saw Michael, she furiously tried to kick him in the nuts. Michael’s expression instantly changed, and he evaded her. Ivanka glared coldly. “If you
Michael sharply gazed at Ivanka. She stared at him dismissively. Michael pursed his lips. He did not want to have conflicts with her at that moment. He shut his eyes for a while before saying in a deep voice, “You need to take into consideration your collaborator’s background. Lane’s Group is your foundation, so you need to consider the outcome of its collaboration with Sadler’s Group and Barkworth’s Group and find out which one could bring greater benefits to your company.” Ivanka remained silent. Michael continued, “In the eyes of a businessman, money matters the most, while the rest could be ignored.” This time, Michael sounded uncharacteristically patient. In other words, he implied that Ivanka should be open-minded and not linger on the current situation. She should not be bothered by their relationship. Instead, she should put aside those thoughts and consider the company’s interests. This was a businessman’s mindset, and she should think like that. Ivanka frowned s
Michael froze and subconsciously inhaled deeply.Ivanka did not notice anything odd. Her slender fingers worked on the notebook as she slid to turn on an audio file. “Chiara, why did you call me at this hour? Hasn’t Michael come back yet?” Michael frowned slightly. He recognized Lyla’s voice. “Mom…” Chiara sobbed. Lyla asked in a serious tone, “Why are you sobbing? What’s going on?” Chiara sobbed again. “M-Mic came back.” Lyla smiled. “Chiara, this is just a matter of time. Even though both of you are not married yet, with Michael’s personality, he’ll certainly bear the responsibility. This is good news for you. Why are you crying? What is he doing now? Are you calling me inside the washroom?” —— The audio file paused there. Ivanka already sensed an increasing chill surrounding Michael. She chuckled. “Let’s continue. Hold back your anger first.” Michael pursed his lips silently. —— The next moment, Chiara said anxiously, “No, it’s not like this. “If things go o
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A