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
Sandy sneered. “I am Iv, and Iv is me! I’m not a stranger. I’m not some outsider. I’m way closer to Ivanka than you. You’ve only been a manipulative cousin to her. Back then, your whole family enjoyed exploiting her generosity, but now you’re trying to control her assets and pretend to give her challenges under the guise of fairness. Why not just let her quit and leave? Then you all can reap the rewards without lifting a finger! You know you’re shameless, don’t you?” “You—!”Chiara had always been accustomed to her high and mighty attitude outside. For years, no one dared to confront her like this. She never expected Sandy to say such things!Despite any personal dislike they had for each other in private, they had never openly clashed, unlike today!“Sandy.”Ivanka grabbed Sandy’s hand and pulled her back. She did not want Sandy to get involved. Chiara’s family was ruthless. She did not want Sandy to be dragged into this and end up getting hurt for no reason.But Sandy did not
Ivanka smiled at Chiara, She said, “I never intended to get along with Michael. So, you can rest assured about that.”Sandy sneered, “Exactly! You should focus more on Michael, Chiara. Have you been slipping up lately? It seems like you can’t maintain your lofty image anymore. Otherwise, why does Mr. Barkworth always ignore you and persistently pursue Ivanka?”Ivanka was speechless for a moment.She propped up her head with one hand. Sandy deliberately said those words to vent her frustration.“Sandy, that’s enough.” Ivanka emphasized.Sandy pouted unhappily and said, “I just couldn’t help it, okay!”Of course, she would happily confront her when an opportunity like this arose. Chiara was such a wicked person! She even started trouble in Ivanka’s place! She must be the kind of parent who would spoil her children!As Chiara clenched her fists, her eyes turned red. She could feel her whole being was on the verge of losing control and bursting with endless rage. But, she took a dee
“You—!” Chiara’s chest heaved with anger.Ivanka smiled calmly. “When Michael said that he wanted me to be in charge, you guys were stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter who you chose, not only would I still have to intervene, but you would also offend either side. In such a tough spot, you came up with another plan, am I right?”Chiara clenched her fists tightly. She had a strong urge to scream and to beg Ivanka to stop talking!Sandy gritted her teeth.So cruel! Iv would not be in such a miserable state if they had not been so overbearing. Seeing her endure such pain during a time like this broke her heart!She held Ivanka’s hand. Even though she did not say anything, her gaze was filled with pain.Ivanka just smiled at her, then calmly looked at Chiara. “Later on, despite your best efforts, I only ended up with a broken rib. But Michael got freaked out over this and worried that I might die. He really liked my proposal. So, if I’m dead, he would lose a very importan
She could pass this unedited recording to Michael later on.With the engagement coming up and zero activity from Barkworth’s Group, she should probably throw in some evidenceThe next moment, Ivanka smiled. “Chiara, are you sure you want to stay and make a fool of yourself? I don’t mind waiting for you to try to attack me again.”“Ivanka, don’t be smug! Sooner or later, you’ll end up in the mud and become the world’s laughingstock!”“The world?” Ivanka narrowed her eyes. “Are you suggesting that you want to survive this time?”Chiara took a deep breath to calm herself down. She did not want to be provoked by Ivanka again. She gritted her teeth and said, “Don’t get ahead of yourself!”After saying that, she turned and left.Chiara actually came over today to try to reason with Ivanka. If Ivanka was willing to give up, it would have been a good solution. However, Ivanka clearly refused to reconcile and instead chose to confront her aggressively. This made it pointless for Chiara t
Ivanka nodded. What Rosie said was true. Rosie continued, “If Michael were the stranger, why are you resisting him and feeling helpless?” Ivanka was stunned. It was a fact. If a stranger courted her relentlessly, Ivanka would only find them annoying. But she would not resist them. Only she knew the reason she refused to accept them. But when it came to Michael, she treated him differently. From the bottom of her heart, she refused to give him a fair chance to court her. Was it because she was worried that her heart would move for him? Ivanka was startled by the thought. She shook her head as if trying to get that ridiculous thought out. When Rosie saw this, she chuckled. Ivanka was a smart woman. It was sufficient to say all that; too much would be meaningless. Rosie looked up at the moon. She could not help but sigh. “Tonight’s a beautiful moon night. Unfortunately, it’s time for me to go to bed.” After Rosie finished her sentence, she headed to her room. Ivanka
On the other hand, Ivanka had no idea her best friend had “betrayed” her. She helped Rosie into the bedroom. When they passed the garden, Rosie suggested walking inside it. Ivanka was too embarrassed to reject her. So, they came to the garden. The gardeners attended and trimmed the garden daily. It was naturally a sight to behold. There were many rare plants in the garden. Of course, there were also some rare herbal plants in the garden. Ivanka had planted them, and the herbal plants were flourishing. There was a botanical garden encircled within the garden. It contained the herbal plants used to nourish Rosie’s health. While they were walking along the path, the fragrance of flowers, the earthy smell of the soil, and the faint aroma of the herbal plants entered their nostrils. The fragrance lifted their spirits. On top of that, the fragrance could refresh one’s mind. Rosie felt more refreshed as she walked down the path in the garden. She grabbed Ivanka and shared
Within the blink of an eye, it was already 12 a.m.. Ivanka noticed that Rosie had been yawning but still refused to go to bed. Ivanka knew why. While they were chatting, Ivanka occasionally turned to Rosie. While Rosie was wiping off her basal tears, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances. Ivanka sat beside Rosie and patted her hands gently. Rosie looked more alert, but her eyes were still a little blurry and appeared bloodshot. She had dark rings beneath her eyes. In spite of her exquisite makeup, her dark eye rings were still visible. Of course, it was only visible when Ivanka looked closer at her. Seeing this, Ivanka’s heart ached more for Rosie. Ivanka believed Rosie must have stayed up late or had insomnia when she and Michael went missing. Rosie wanted to receive first-hand information about the missing duo, but she was also worried that she would not be able to face reality. After struggling and battling with her inner conflicts for a month, Rosie’s health de
Speaking of which, this was Michael’s first time seeing Ivanka looking this helpless, and he found this a novelty. Whenever Rosie said things like that, Ivanka usually looked expressionless. She either looked calm, or she pretended to be deaf. Based on her unease and embarrassed look, did that mean her heart began to move for Michael? With that thought in his mind, Michael was eager to find out the answer. At that moment, they heard Candice’s voice. “Why are you staying outside? Did I come at a bad time? I thought I could have dinner immediately after I returned from work.” Ivanka and her group turned around and saw Candice standing not far away from them. She smiled as she looked at them. When Candice noticed Rosie’s teary eyes, she looked surprised and approached them. “Grandma has a sharp tongue, but she’s soft-hearted. She said the two of you were so cruel that you left her and a whole mess behind. She said she would teach you a lesson when you return.” While speaki
Everything had been fine just a moment ago.Why had she suddenly started to distance herself from him?It was probably true that a woman’s mind was unpredictable. Even a strong woman was no exception.Soon, they arrived at the Barkworth family’s mansion.Michael wanted to get out first and open the door for Ivanka, but she stopped him by tapping her soft hand on his shoulder.He looked down at her hand and then looked at her.“Don’t get out yet. I’ll grab a coat for you from inside and come back.”Michael wanted to refuse, but Ivanka had already exited the car.He watched her walk away. He then leaned back against the seat and felt a wave of relaxation.It felt as though he had finally found someone who had his back.He could not help but find it funny when he thought about it. He glanced at the spot where Ivanka had touched his hand and chuckled quietly.In the front seat, the driver felt so awkward about what he had just witnessed that he wished he could hide behind the st
The motorcycle approached them with no sign of slowing down.Michael’s expression turned grim. He quickly pulled Ivanka to the side and turned to shield her with his back.Ivanka felt a sudden spin. By the time she regained her balance, she found herself in Michael’s arms.His embrace was warm and strong. She could smell his familiar scent.It felt as if everything around them had slowed down.Then she heard the sound of water splashing on Michael. She pulled away from his embrace.Michael felt his arm grow light and stared at the empty space where she had been. He could still feel her warmth lingering.He shifted his gaze to Ivanka.Before she could speak, he quickly asked, “Are you okay? Did you get splashed?”She blinked and shook her head.“I’m fine. What about you?”He shook his head, but she did not buy it. She was sure the sound of the water splashing had been loud. There was no way he was not wet.Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and turned him around.His b
Both Ivanka and Michael walked side by side as they maintained just the right distance between them. They looked great together, and their presence naturally attracted many gazes.It was worth mentioning that it was difficult to tell whether Michael did this on purpose or if it was just a coincidence.Both of them wore black trench coats that day. The styles were quite similar. This made them look even more like a couple in matching outfits.Ivanka’s wavy hair and red lips were striking. The beauty mark by her eye was the perfect finishing touch, which made her look stunning.Despite her beauty, Michael standing beside her did not go unnoticed either. He seemed to be a perfect complement to her.They looked like a perfect match.Ivanka noticed it but said nothing.Michael broke the silence and asked about Ferris and Mandy.“What are you going to do about Ferris and Mandy?”Ivanka did not answer right away.Michael continued, “Just having them arrested seems like getting off t
Mandy was rushed to the hospital.She fainted, but Ferris was not as fortunate.It seemed that he could not accept the fact that he had kicked his own child. He kept shaking his head and muttering, “This can’t be. How could this happen?”He looked like he was losing it.However, the law would not overlook his actions just because of his mental state.Ivanka had seen enough of their mess and was no longer interested in watching them tear each other apart. She asked the police to explain why they were there.“Mr. Clark, Ms. Ivanka has filed a report requesting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding her fall into the water. Following our preliminary inquiry, both you and Ms. Mandy are now considered suspects. We are required to take you both in for further questioning.”Ferris did not respond. He was still unable to process what had just happened.The police followed protocol and arrested him.Ferris was led away with his hands cuffed. He was completely dazed.N
Still, Ferris kept quiet. However, the others in the room did not.A portly shareholder stood up, smacked his lips, and forced a flattering smile. “Isn’t it obvious? Ferris wants to take your place, Ms. Ivanka. Everyone can see it. He’s nothing but a complete traitor!”Once he spoke up, the rest quickly chimed in.“Yeah, he’s a traitor!”Ferris looked around the room. He already knew these people were untrustworthy, but he had not expected them to turn on him so easily.Ivanka, on the other hand, did not seem surprised.She had not taken any action on Ferris and Mandy because she wanted to watch the chaos unfold. These shareholders had sided with Ferris when she was gone, and they switched back just as quickly when she returned.Ferris was no fool. He knew that too. But the sense of isolation he felt at that moment drove him into despair.Still, he was not one to back down easily.He spat in the portly shareholder’s face.“And who the hell are you?” Ferris sneered. “You were