“Stop bringing up Tanya. I still remember that when we were together, didn’t your family want to introduce you to another woman too? What was her name again? Was it Jane?”Samuel turned red and said, “Why are you bringing up something that happened so long ago?”Rosie was amused. “Of course I had to. Jane’s family was also quite powerful back then, and it can be compared to Tanya’s situation, right? But didn’t you still argue with your family and choose me without hesitation?”Samuel did not know how to respond. He thought Rosie was trying to bring back old arguments, but he forgot that she had a purpose from the start. After a long pause, he finally said, “That’s different!”“How is that different?” Rosie snorted.“I met you and I had you at that time, but who does he have? I used to think everyone was the same until I met you. He must have been thinking the same things that I was.” “If so, why would he reject your idea?”“That’s because he doesn’t understand. Maybe he thi
Rosie sensed he was not in a good mood. She asked again, “What are you doing?” “I’m driving.” Michael stared straight ahead with tightly pursed lips. The veins on the back of his hand were pulsing. He could remain calm when she was not in his mind. However it had been brought up. He felt like killing that heartless woman! “Okay then. Drive safely, dear. I won’t disturb you anymore,” Rosie said without knowing what he was thinking and hung up. Michael pursed his lips and continued driving. His cold expression could send chills down one’s spine. ... Time passed. Sandy felt her brain about to explode from the onslaught of terms and proposals. These two people had been arguing back and forth for so long. It was a collision of skilled debaters. How could they be anything but extraordinary? They never stopped talking.But Sandy was ecstatic! Excited! Thrilled! She may not understand them, but she could not tell who was winning! Aalto was spending more time floundering.
“Iv, you’re so amazing! You managed to close a deal with Mr. Aalto! Oh, my God! I feel like going out and bragging about you for three days and nights!” Sandy’s excitement seemed to exceed Ivanka’s.Ivanka chuckled. “Won’t you get tired?”“How could I get tired?” Sandy tilted her head and beamed with excitement as she said, “At times like this, I’m proud to have a bestie like you! I want to show them how capable my bestie is. With you backing me up, I dare anyone to mess with me!”Ivanka smiled helplessly as Sandy continued, “Are you going to go for the handover next? But you haven’t fully recovered yet!”Ivanka smiled. “The deal’s closed. I don’t need to handle the handover myself. I just need to inform our department head, who’ll take care of it. The future collaboration will have to wait until all the processes are arranged. It would take time. By then, I should have recovered.”Sandy nodded in relief. “That’s good, that’s good.”...Theodore and Lyla had been at the Lane Hosp
Sandy was still in awe of Ivanka and had been chatting with her. Ivanka’s phone suddenly rang and interrupted their conversation.It was Anna. Ivanka’s eyes flickered slightly. “Ann?”Sandy was worried. “Did Hanson find out about us?”Ivanka frowned silently. She picked up her phone and put it on the speaker.“Ann?”Anna quickly said, “Chiara has been admitted to the hospital.”“Huh?” Sandy was surprised. “What happened? Did you see it? But doesn’t the Lane family have their own hospital?”“I just got off the phone with my mom, and she told me. Her men saw Chiara at Lane’s Group hospital. My mom owed Lyla a favor before, so she went to check on her today.”“What? What happened? Tell me quickly, let me have a good laugh!” Sandy’s face lit up with excitement, but then she fell silent. “Could it be another one of her acts? Did Michael and the others go?”Anna hesitated a bit. “I’m not sure. My mom said no one else was there. No one from the Barkworth family went, and as for how s
The three of them fell silent.Clearly, they had not figured out how to handle the situation.Anna sighed. “Yesterday, Hanson asked me if we were lying to him. He wondered if Iv never agreed to be with him.”Sandy took a deep breath. “Oh…”Ivanka pursed her lips and finally spoke softly, “It’s good for him to be suspicious. At least he’s somewhat prepared for the truth.”Anna’s eyes welled up with tears. She stood at the end of the hospital corridor and occasionally glanced back. She was afraid Hanson might show up.When he did not appear, she sighed. “Iv, why doesn’t he like me? Would he be happy with me?”Sandy opened her mouth, but she did not know what to say. She had mixed emotions about this.“Let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll give it more thought,” Ivanka finally said calmly.Anna and Sandy had no other options but to accept the situation.Anna took a light breath. “How are you doing now?”“I’m much better. I’ll be able to go see him at the hospital in a few days.”
The disappointment in Chiara’s eyes gradually turned skeptical. “Is that really the case?”“Yes.” Lyla smiled. “Why would I lie to you? But what happened to you? Why did you faint suddenly?”Theodore’s tensed expression finally eased a little.The door to the ward opened.Three doctors walked in together to examine Chiara.Once the examinations were complete, the doctor said, “Ms. Chiara is fine now. All her health indicators are normal, but her time spent unconscious is concerning. I advise staying in the hospital for three more days for observation. If everything is fine, she can be discharged. Is that all right?”Lyla immediately nodded. “Yes, let’s stay a few more days for observation.”The doctor nodded and provided a few more instructions before leaving the room.The three of them were once again left in the ward.Chiara said, “I don’t know what happened either. I just felt dizzy and gradually lost strength. The next thing I knew, I woke up just now. But I feel like I sl
Ivanka was startled. She was still covered in bubbles from the shower.Sandy was holding her phone. She was initially excited to share the important news, but Ivanka’s alluring figure unexpectedly captivated her.As a woman herself, Sandy could not help but swallow hard. She stared at Ivanka and remarked softly, “Iv, I think you might be turning me gay.”Ivanka was speechless.Ivanka said, “Get out, I’ll follow in a moment.”Unable to resist taking another glance at her, Sandy said, “Hurry up, I have big news for you!”Ivanka, resigned to her friend’s persistence, realized it must be something significant, especially since Sandy had never barged into her bathroom like this before.Only the two of them were at home, so Ivanka had not bothered to lock the door. This girl...Not long after, Sandy’s urgent voice came from outside.“Iv, are you done? Why are you taking so long?”Ivanka was drying her hair when she heard Sandy yelling anxiously from outside.She had no choice but
Ivanka remained calm and composed as she said, “That’s fine. If I take over in the future, I won’t have any dealings with Barkworth’s Group. It’s good to let them initiate this now and save me the trouble.”Sandy pursed her lips. She was hesitant to speak, but considering Ivanka’s reasoning, she nodded. “Tsk, I wonder how the Lane family will react to this situation.”Ivanka smiled. “It’s a pity I can’t go now. Otherwise, I would visit her in the hospital to express my concern.”“Hahaha! Right, I’ll go with you then! Maybe we can upset her to death and save ourselves some trouble!”Ivanka squinted her eyes. Honestly, she did not want Chiara to just die like this. How could she let them get away with what they did to her so easily?She wanted them to go through the rest of their lives....Theodore and Lyla remained at the hospital. They stayed by Chiara’s side the whole time. Theodore’s phone rang. He glanced at his wife and daughter before he said frustratingly, “It’s the compa
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