Michael’s eyes flashed with uncertainty. He was clearly conflicted.Chiara believed her words had moved him. She said with a sigh of relief, “Mic, you have to believe me. When did you start having these doubts about me? Has anyone instigated this?”Chiara’s eyes were filled with desolation. Her voice trembled as she said the final sentence.It did not seem to move Michael much. He remained quite calm.Chiara started to panic when he did not react. “What to do…”“What should I do!” she thought. If she was not sure before, she was absolutely sure now!Michael must have heard that recording!If not, why would he be on guard against her?After a pause, Michael finally said in a softer tone, “You can go back first. I need to take care of some stuff. We can have lunch together tomorrow.”Chiara’s expression changed slightly. If Michael had invited her to lunch before this, she would have been overjoyed.But now, was he inviting her to a break-up meal?!Suddenly, she had no des
Michael’s face instantly fell.He looked at Jay coldly and said, “This is my business.”“Your business?” Jay scoffed as he found it ridiculous. “Do you not belong to the Barkworth family? Do you know what the company went through since you and Iv got divorced? What will the outside world say? I don’t really care about our reputation or profit, but why do you treat Iv this way? Do you even deserve her?”Jay had to be direct with his son. Michael almost scoffed angrily. Jay lightly continued, “I’ll take care of this for you this time, but you have to consider your options carefully. Divorce and marriage are no laughing matters. You should give it some serious thought.”Jay got up and walked out after saying that. Michael sat in the same position and did not look back. His expression grew more complex as he gazed at Ivanka coldly.One hour passed.Two hours passed. Sandy was awake, but she still could not enter Ivanka’s ward. She scratched her head in frustration. “What th
She said nothing, but her eyes clearly gave the answer. The temperature in the ward plummeted. Michael’s gaze got sharper as he studied Ivanka’s face.But his strong presence had no effect on Ivanka. She just stared at him in confusion and said, “Mr. Barkworth, you can leave if there’s nothing going on.”Michael scoffed. After all this waiting, he still stayed by her side, so did she just tell him to go without even offering him thanks?For the sake of his dignity, he would never be with this woman again!He got up right away and left. Sandy and Anna rushed in as soon as he left. Sandy broke down in tears the moment she saw that Ivanka had woken up.“Iv! You’re finally awake!”Sandy hurried over and held Ivanka’s hand. She took a seat where Michael had just been and gave Ivanka a guilty look.Ivanka’s lips curled into a small smile. “Idiot. Why are you crying? I’m doing okay, aren’t I?”She already knew almost everything about her situation. Tears fell from Sandy’s ey
Anna and Sandy were momentarily stunned. They quickly grew incredulous.Sandy snorted. “I bet he’s here for your project. Even now, he won’t leave you alone. He’s insane!”Ivanka’s eyes flickered with doubt.Anna, however, spoke hesitantly. “I still think Michael may have developed feelings for you.”Sandy was speechless.She pursed her lips. Anna’s train of thought struck her as odd.Ivanka chuckled lightly. She did not believe it at all.Anna could not help but speak softly. “Not long after you were taken to the hospital, Michael came. He seemed really worried. He even specifically asked Xander over to treat you. Xander only left after he confirmed that you were fine. Then, Michael kicked us all out and stayed by your bedside alone for six hours.”Ivanka did not expect to hear that.She had not expected Michael to stay for so long. He had truly gone all out for the project.After hesitating for a moment, Anna said, “During then, Chiara came to see you, but she almost immedi
Three days passed. Michael never came to see Ivanka again.It was as if he was sulking.Ivanka remained unperturbed. She completely ignored him.Michael suddenly could not hold it back anymore.Just as Ivanka was about to rest, her ward door suddenly swung open.She opened her eyes and instinctively thought Anna and Sandy had come to her with some urgent matters.After all, they had been keeping Hanson in the dark. Since she and Hanson were in the same hospital, they had to be careful.Hanson could see neither Ivanka nor Sandy.So, Sandy had been staying in the ward with Ivanka.When she saw that Michael had entered, she frowned slightly.She looked at him in silent indifference.Michael ignored her expression and sat down beside her. He asked calmly, “How are you feeling?”Surprised, Ivanka stared at him. She was slightly taken aback.Had Michael lost his mind?He was asking about her well-being!Last time, she was still suspecting his motives… Well, there was a tiny po
“Iv, my uncle’s here to see you. We’re coming in.”Michael frowned as Ivanka glanced at him indifferently before answering, “Come in.”The door opened.Sandy came in with a smile, but when she spotted Michael, her smile froze. She thought. “What is Michael doing here again? What’s wrong with him?”Besides, she had just been gone for a while. Why was he already here? Had he been waiting for her to leave?If Anna could hear Sandy’s thoughts, she would undoubtedly retort unhesitatingly.“Does Michael need to hide from you? He would simply send you away, right?”Thomas held a fruit basket with a smile on his face. His smile momentarily froze before he caught himself. “Oh, Mr. Barkworth, what a coincidence to see you here,” Thomas said with masterful lightness.Michael glanced at Thomas and said, “I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Thomas.”Thomas was widely known in the industry. Michael had even considered poaching him, but once he knew about his relationship with Ivanka’s fath
Why did she seem so indifferent and sometimes resentful when he came to see her?Did she not know how to feel touched?Since Thomas entered, Ivanka had not even spared him another glance. She kept engaging with Thomas and Sandy in conversation and laughter.She completely ignored him as if he were invisible.Thomas noticed the awkward atmosphere in the room and turned to Michael. He still wore his gentle smile.“Mr. Barkworth, what a surprise to see you here today.”He implied that he was supposed to be too busy to be showing up here.Michael replied indifferently, “I had some free time today.”While they were cold to Michael, he was still physically present.It would be too much to blatantly ignore him.Sandy found the situation a little awkward. After a brief pause, she smiled and said, “Um... I should go out for a walk.”Ivanka nodded in response.Three people remained in the room.Ivanka instinctively glanced at Michael. She was silent, her expression seemed to convey
His voice was almost a whisper.However, Ivanka still caught the underlying sarcasm in his words. She was about to open her mouth and drive him out, but the presence of Thomas made her hesitate. If she said it, Michael’s dignity would suffer a blow. He might cause trouble for her later. She did not desire that.After a pause, she said softly, “I’m afraid I can’t agree to cooperate with you. Besides, given our relationship, we should avoid arousing gossip.”Michael frowned silently.Sensing Ivanka’s gaze on him, Thomas understood immediately. “Mr. Barkworth, Iv, I rushed here today when I heard about what happened. Seeing that you’re okay now, I feel relieved. Take care of yourself. I’ll come by to see you again tomorrow.”Ivanka shook her head and smiled. “There’s no need to trouble yourself, Mr. Thomas. I’m perfectly fine. I’ll be back at the company in no time.”Thomas sighed but knew it was not the time to stay any longer. He nodded and smiled. “Then, I’ll take my leave. I’ll
“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