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
Ivanka was startled. She said in surprise, “Hanson, you finally woke up!”Hanson’s hands were weak. After he grabbed her, his arms turned into jelly and drooped weakly. But his eyes were filled with panic. He said with difficulty, “Don’t… go…”Ivanka quickly said, “I’m not leaving. I’ll call the doctors now!”Hearing that, Hanson heaved a sigh of relief.“... Alright.”Ivanka immediately pressed the call bell hanging from the headboard of his bed. Shortly after that, two doctors rushed over.They walked up to Hanson with surprise and astonishment in their eyes.“Mr. Jackson, you managed to regain consciousness so soon!”Hanson’s face was a little pale at the moment. He said nothing and only managed a faint smile.The two doctors immediately performed a full check-up on him with solemn expressions on their faces.Once everything was done, one of the doctors said happily, “It’s fortunate that you were able to wake up. But we’re still surprised to find that your condition is ste
Sadness flashed in Ivanka’s eyes. She mumbled regretfully, “How could I upset him again? Ann, he… he’s my friend too.” Anna was startled. She eventually nodded wordlessly.Soon enough, the medical staff transferred Hanson to the normal VIP ward.Ivanka had already called Frank on the phone and informed him that Hanson had regained consciousness.After she and her friends pulled themselves together, they entered the ward.Due to Hanson’s health condition, the medical staff had to arrange everything from diet to treatment during his stay. Hence, his friends did not have to worry about all those things.Presently, the medical staff left the ward.Only four people remained in the room.Ivanka, Anna, and Sandy looked at the man in bed.The bandage on his face was still there, but he obviously seemed much better. His complexion was no longer sickly pale.There were multiple people in the room, but Ivanka seemed to be the only person Hanson could see.There was an expectant look i
Ivanka inhaled and said softly, “It wasn’t a dream. I said it.”With that, she lowered her head and avoided Hanson’s affectionate gaze.Both Sandy and Anna were nervous. They knew that Ivanka was too sheepish to face him.But Hanson did not think that much. He thought Ivanka was shy, and the smile on his lips broadened.He refrained from staring at her with such a loving gaze. He feared that she could not take it.Anna gazed at Hanson with a longing look in her eyes. She found his eyes lingering on Ivanka instead. She inhaled and said thoughtfully, “Since… you’ve woken up, we’ll head out and leave the room to you two. We’ll be resting in the room next door. We have been looking after you all these days. It’s exhausting.”With that, Anna got up and grabbed Sandy’s hand.Sandy looked at Anna, who faked a smile. She felt terribly sorry for her. She could only pick up where Anna left off and smile at Hanson. “Yeah, we don’t want to be the third and fourth wheels. We’ll leave you two
Ivanka froze.Hanson was still holding onto her and seemed reluctant to let go.“Iv.”Some unidentifiable emotion shone in Ivanka’s eyes as she slowly turned to meet his gaze.His eyes were filled with deep affection. “Iv, I get it. You’re just saying all this to wake me up, right? You wouldn’t really tell me the truth while I’m still recovering, would you?”Ivanka’s heart skipped a beat as she felt his intense gaze upon her. She composed herself and frowned. “Do you think I’m lying to you?”Hanson hesitated speechlessly as he continued to stare at her.Ivanka inwardly sighed. She recognized that Hanson was simply grappling with insecurity. His words were a test and a way to gauge if she genuinely meant what she said, or if it was just an attempt solely to wake him up.At that moment, though Hanson was awake, an undercurrent of hope surged within him. He wished what he said was not true, yet he could not shake the fear that it was.He feared that all his recent struggles mig
Ivanka and Hanson looked toward the door simultaneously.Frank entered. Hanson greeted him with a smile, “Oh, Dad. You’re here.”Frank immediately noticed Hanson tightly holding Ivanka’s hand. He studied Hanson, who looked well and was in high spirits. His tense demeanor eased.He pretended not to see how affectionate the two looked. He simply gazed at Hanson and asked him in a softer tone than usual, “How are you feeling?”Hanson smiled and nodded. “I’m fine, Dad. No need to worry about me.”Frank nodded. On his way here, he had already talked to the doctor to make sure Hanson was fine, which made him feel relieved.However, the doctor had repeatedly emphasized that they must not stimulate Hanson’s brain. So, they had to go along with whatever he said.After all, Hanson was his son.So... he had to be okay with him being with Ivanka.As this thought crossed his mind, Hanson lifted Ivanka’s hand and smiled faintly at Frank.“Dad, Ivanka agreed to be my girlfriend.”Frank n
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