Suki paled instantly and quickly turned around.When she spotted Sandy, she heaved a sigh of relief.Sandy was a little surprised. “Hey, Suki, you’re here!”After all, Ivanka had told her not to tell Suki anything.Suki nodded. “You’d still keep me in the dark if I hadn’t come over.”Sandy chuckled. “Don’t be angry, Suki. You can’t blame me for this. Iv didn’t want you to get worried, so she told me to keep this a secret.”Suki sighed helplessly. “What am I going to do with you lot?”Ivanka simply smiled wordlessly.Since Sandy was here, Suki stopped discussing how they were going to take down Chiara.Similarly, because of Suki’s presence, Sandy did not talk about Michael with Ivanka.Because of that, Ivanka felt rather relaxed.They chatted merrily for a while before Ivanka grew visibly tired.Suki immediately got up. “Alright, I’ll visit tomorrow. Get proper rest tonight.”Ivanka nodded and smiled. “Okay.”Sandy quickly said, “Suki, I’ll walk you to the hospital entranc
“Iv, I found something regarding your father.”Ivanka’s face expressed shock and disbelief. She blurted out without even thinking, “What did you find?”“It isn’t convenient to talk about it over the phone. It’s not particularly important, but I think it may be useful to you. When I’m back, I’ll come over and discuss this with you, alright?”A strange emotion flickered in Ivanka’s eyes. She said nothing, but she did not want to hang up the phone either.Perhaps people around her did not know how much any piece of information about her father meant to her. But Jonah had been watching her all this while. He must have known what she wanted.Besides, she had to put everything in perspective. If Jonah had to be in person, this was no small matter.Now, Ivanka needed to get her hands on every piece of evidence.After a pause, Ivanka said in a low voice. “Did someone call you? Or did you find any documents? Can you send them over?”There was a pleading tone in her voice.Jonah gave
“Then get some rest. I’ll get confirmation on this matter as soon as possible and contact you.”“Alright, thanks.”Jonah frowned. “I don’t like hearing that from you. From now on, if you want to thank me, you can say, ‘Jonah, I like you.’”Ivanka frowned silently.But Jonah added with a smile, “That way, I’ll know that you are thanking me. Rest assured. I won’t get the wrong idea.”Ivanka was speechless.“Alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Go to bed.” Jonah’s voice was gentle as always, but he hid his bitter sorrow well.“Um.”That was all Ivanka said in response. Without another word, the two of them hung up.Ivanka tightened her grip on her phone. She had not been sleepy to begin with. Now, she definitely did not feel like going to bed at all.“Iv, why aren’t you asleep? It’s late!”Sandy’s voice rang from the bedroom door. Ivanka quickly said in reply, “I’m going to sleep soon.”She had not fully recovered from her injuries and still needed someone to look after her. Theref
Chiara was dumbfounded.She gaped at Lyla with disbelief. “Mom… at this point, do you seriously still think we can get engaged?”“Chiara, why are you overthinking?” Theodore frowned. “I’ve already told you. If they really want to call off the engagement, they wouldn’t make a last-minute decision. This is not how they handle things.”Chiara furrowed her brows tightly. “Y-you’re not listening to me! But it’s exactly what I’ve felt!”Sometimes, one’s sixth sense was highly accurate!More accurate than any presumption!There was really something off with Michael!He was up to something! Lyla frowned slightly. “In that case, I’ll pay Mindy a visit. I’ll talk to her and see if there’s anything strange going on.”Chiara quickly nodded. “Yes, mom. Go over and look, or else I won’t rest easy. Lately, whenever I call him, his assistant would answer the phone instead. He was busy every time I reached out. I didn’t even have the chance to speak to him. If this goes on, then the two of us
Lyla frowned. “How could this be? She’s probably preoccupied. Maybe she is using the bathroom or something?”Chiara paled a little. “Call her again!”Lyla said wearily, “She’ll surely call me back when she sees my missed call. It’s rude to keep calling. What did I tell you last night? Be calm!”Chiara was speechless.At this juncture, there was no point in keeping calm anymore!She was totally helpless. All she could do was sit on the couch anxiously.Frustrated, she scrolled through her Twitter feed. But after fifteen minutes passed, Mindy still had not called them back.“Why don’t you call her again?” said Chiara.“Wait a bit longer.” Lyla’s expression darkened slightly. She sensed that something was off.But she thought that Mindy might really be busy with something, so she decided to wait for a while.However, after waiting for an hour, she had not received any call from Mindy. Lyla could not wait any longer.“Mom, call her again!”Lyla furrowed her brows tightly and to
Mindy immediately said regretfully, “That’s… bad timing. You’re outside my house? But I’m not home.”Lyla froze, but she quickly said with a smile, “I see. In that case, we…”She wanted to say that they could meet up some other day, but Chiara began talking to Mindy.“Hi, I’m Chiara.”Since Lyla had put the call on speaker, it was not too abrupt for Chiara to chime in.“Chiara?” Mindy’s voice was soft and casual.“It’s just bad timing. I happen to be out. What’s the purpose of your visit today? Why don’t you come back some other day?”Chiara paled a little. She had wanted to say that she and her mother would wait for Mindy to come home.Since Mindy was obviously asking them to go home, Chiara did not know what else to say.She looked over at Lyla in a panic and hoped that she would help her out.Lyla inhaled and said, “I see. Then we’ll come back another day. Have fun, Mindy.”“Alright, let’s meet up again someday.”Her voice was soft and gentle, but one could sense her urg
Seeing Samuel, Mindy immediately sighed in relief. Her son might not listen to her, but he would certainly obey his grandfather.However, Mindy was sorely mistaken.Michael firmly said, “We won’t get engaged.”He looked very calm and composed.Samuel nearly exploded with anger. “Y-you promised. Are you really going to call it off?”“Yes.” Michael looked at Samuel coldly and said, “I won’t get engaged with a liar.”“You brat… What liar?” Samuel clenched his teeth. “Do you know that if you call this off, our partnership with the Lanes will…”As he spoke, Michael cut him off with a solemn voice. “We don’t necessarily need to work with the Lanes in the future.”Samuel regarded Michael with a shrew look in his eyes. “What do you mean by this?”In truth, Samuel had been eager about the marriage of convenience between Michael and Chiara mainly because of Lane’s Group…But now that Michael had said that, Samuel could sense that he was up to something.Even Mindy turned to Michael.
Surprised, Sandy turned to Ivanka. She whispered, “Isn’t that Chiara? Why is she here? Did she call you beforehand?”Ivanka frowned and shook her head.Sandy’s expression turned sour. She then said in a low voice, “What should we do? Should we let her in?”Ivanka pursed her lips. Without hesitation, she said sarcastically, “Let her in. Since she decided to come here, it means that she doesn’t mind having witnesses see that she’s here, which also means she probably wouldn’t dare to do anything to me. Honestly, I want to see what tricks she’s up to.”Sandy looked worried and conflicted. However, seeing Ivanka’s determined look, she opened the door.When Chiara entered, she was stunned to see Sandy. “Why are you here?”Sandy looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked, “Is there a problem with me being here? What’s it to you anyway?”She was already being quite polite to Chiara, given how lowly she thought of her at the moment. Chiara’s expression changed instantly. She d
“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