Chiara’s eyelashes fluttered. Even over the phone, she could sense the pressure emanating from Michael.After hesitating, she spoke softly, “Yes, there are some business matters I’d like to discuss with you.”Michael remained silent. He did not immediately answer her.Chiara instantly grew nervous. “Mic?”“You can come.”Chiara sighed in relief. Smiling, she said, “I’ll come to the office to see you tomorrow.”Michael simply responded with a faint “mm-hmm” before ending the call.There was no hint of warmth or concern for her well-being.He had no intention of having any small talk with her.With two out of three pieces of evidence provided by Ivanka confirmed, at the very least, Chiara was no longer an innocent person.As he thought about the accompanying recording, his phone rang again.Glancing at the caller ID, he slightly frowned and answered it.“What are you doing now? Come out for some fun.” Ivan’s voice carried enthusiasm. It was as if he would personally come to M
Michael frowned again. The chill in the room seemed to creep deeper into his neck.Ivan, on the other hand, chuckled and said, “Come on, tell us. How bad is it?”Michael pursed his lips and eventually said, “Everything except the recording has been confirmed.”“Oops.” Ivan’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “This is getting interesting.”Unlike Ivan’s playful demeanor, Xander gazed at Michael calmly and asked, “What do you plan to do next? Are you still going to marry her?”Michael pursed his lips wordlessly.Ivan chuckled. “Can’t you see how reluctant he looks? He’s just doing it out of gratitude to Chiara for saving his life. Otherwise, it’s difficult for Chiara to find a good match, especially as a former vegetable. Who would want to marry such a frail woman?”When both Michael and Xander remained silent, Ivan said wryly, “Master Barkworth wants Chiara to be his daughter-in-law, but let’s be real, it’s all about securing Lane’s Group as the main supplier for Barkworth’s Group. It
Evan: Mr. Barkworth, regarding the recording, we’ve confirmed part of it matches up, but the rest has been completely cut off.Ivan frowned slightly. “Only part of it matches? Why does it feel like the matching parts are not crucial?”Just as he finished speaking, Evan sent the recording.Michael immediately pressed play.Shortly after, they heard the conversation between the mother and daughter.They only heard enough to learn how they planned to soften Michael’s heart this time. The fake relapse was already confirmed, but the crucial part of the recording was missing.“Pfft.” Ivan could not help but scoff. “Why do I feel like Evan was playing you?”Michael’s expression turned colder. Even though he knew Ivan was joking, he was puzzled to see only part of the recording recovered. The more critical portion was missing.Michael: Why is part of it missing?Evan: That data has been destroyed. Our people recovered what they could, but that’s all they have restored for now. They’re
“Michael has already divorced once. He can divorce a second time. By then, I…”“Enough! Right now, you need to focus on getting married. Once you’re married, find a way to make Michael truly fall in love with you!”In essence, these were bedroom matters.Chiara inhaled deeply. She was on the brink of a panic attack.Lyla did not want to dwell on these matters any longer. She spoke coldly. “We’ve already destroyed the evidence. We can do nothing more. You can only deny and feign innocence. Don’t show any signs of guilt!”Chiara remained silent.Theodore’s expression darkened. “What should we do next?”“Find the person who plotted against us. And we need to get rid of Ivanka as soon as possible!”Theodore narrowed his eyes. “Getting rid of her won’t be easy, but it might be easier to arrange for someone to rape her.”Chiara’s eyes lit up. Her previous frustration vanished.“That’s right! Getting rid of her might be difficult and risky, but if we arrange for a few men to go afte
Ivanka’s eyes flashed with emotion. She eventually told them everything that happened in the past few days.Sandy guffawed. “Hahaha! What a tool! Let everyone see her true colors! These two really deserve each other!”Anna frowned. “I know it’s payback, but… then Michael won’t marry Chiara. He has been harassing you. If he learns what kind of person Chiara really is, he might grow even more obsessed with you in the future…”Her voice trailed off, and her eyes were filled with worry.Ivanka simply smiled and said casually, “No, Michael has better things to do anyway. Now, he merely thinks that I have ulterior motives. He’s still busy trying to help Chiara. When he sees her true colors, he won’t pester me anymore.”Anna frowned a little and glanced at Sandy reflexively. Sandy happened to look over at her as well. They both had the same expression and thought.Really?Was it that simple?Sandy hesitated for a while and could not help saying, “Iv, you better watch out for yourself.
After Ivanka woke up in the morning, she received a message from a Lane servant.Someone was serving as her eyes and ears.That person was an ordinary servant. She could not look after the Lanes closely, so they would not be too wary of her. Nevertheless, someone like that could make an efficient spy.Bonnie Clayton had worked in the Lane family’s residence for four to five years. She was not one of Hermes’ trusted employees, so the Lanes did not fire her.Little did they know that Ivanka had helped Bonnie repeatedly.She was secretly loyal to Ivanka, and she could observe the little things that happened in the house.However, something happened today.There was a bombshell. Everyone in the house knew about it.Bonnie: Ms. Lane, Mrs. Lane fired her assistant. She was furious. She kept asking the assistant why she would do something like that, then she kicked her out when the assistant said that she was framed.Ivanka smiled.Ivanka: Thank you, Bonnie. I still need you to watc
Chiara inwardly panicked and was at a loss for words.But Michael said nothing the entire time, so she dared not behave strangely and give herself away. She quickly said with a smile, “As usual, it’s about our partnership with your company. Iv’s friend is now hospitalized, and she is quite preoccupied, so my dad wishes to revisit certain discussions. Can we replace her? Many people are way more experienced than Iv.”If Ivanka was around, she would be impressed by how brilliantly Chiara had worded her request.Even under such a circumstance, she had not forgotten to drive a wedge between Michael and Ivanka.When Chiara mentioned that Ivanka’s friend was hospitalized, Michael’s expression darkened significantly.A flicker of excitement flashed in Chiara’s eyes. She suddenly thought that maybe she stood a chance today.Before Michael said anything, she quickly spoke. “I know… Mic. You admire Iv’s talent. Her proposal has amazed many people. But… sometimes, even if one manages to wri
After a pause, Michael picked up the phone.“What?” His voice was as cold as usual.Samuel, who was at the end of the line, was taken aback. Then he frowned and said, “Brat, how dare you speak to me like this!”Michael pursed his lips silently. He waited patiently.After a brief pause, Samuel said in a deep voice, “We have sent out all the invitations. There’s only half a month till your engagement date. Take her out for dates during this time. After the engagement, the two of you should go on a trip for a month.”Michael’s expression darkened. “Put my work aside for a month and travel with her for a month? What sort of idea is this?”“You…!” Samuel inhaled to suppress his anger. Then he said solemnly, “You don’t like Lane’s Group’s proposal, so hand it to your dad. Your dad will take care of the work.”Michael furrowed his brows. “I’m afraid that I might call off the engagement.”Samuel thought he had misheard his grandson. After a pause, he finally confirmed that Michael had
“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