“Everything is about money! All they care about is money. Is money really that important? I wish the Barkworths could go bankrupt right now! Our lives were much happier when we didn’t have money! Your grandpa used to be a different man! But now… Oh, it all changed! Everything changed!” Resigned weariness flashed across Ivanka’s eyes. “Grandma…” “Oh, they even cost me such a good granddaughter-in-law. It makes me sad.” Ivanka smiled. “But Grandma, I’m still your granddaughter, aren’t I?” “That’s right! Yes, you’re my granddaughter! I don’t want them anymore!” Ivanka talked with Rosie a little longer to soothe her feelings before hanging up. She used to hear Grandma complain that the Barkworths had become so rich that their hearts and minds had changed. She had said several times that she wished the Barkworths were not so rich. So, next… Ivanka’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. Jonah turned his head and looked at her. “I suddenly crave for your roasted pork. Can I dine at
Chiara immediately got up and picked up the phone. The caller had already finished reporting before she said anything. The grin on Chiara’s face widened. “I see.” Then, she hung up and looked at her parents with a smile on her face. Lyla was very surprised. “They’re divorced?” Chiara smiled and nodded. “Yes, they are.” Theodore was also surprised. “What a wealthy family. They just gave up on a ten-billion-dollar contract so easily.” Chiara smiled. “None of that matters. The point is, I will be able to marry into their family soon. Michael has always been good to me. His grandfather and mother love me.” Lyla smiled and nodded. “Of course. Our daughter is such a wonderful girl! I raised you and cultivated you personally. You are elegant and noble, generous, and exceptionally smart. Everyone loves you.” Theodore laughed. “That’s right! If I had worked harder before, you and your mother’s lives would have been better. Ivanka wouldn’t have been the one married into the Barkw
Ivanka subconsciously looked up and turned around to look at the man beside her. The car had stopped at that moment. Jonah looked at her with a smile. “The Internet is full of nonsense. If it makes you upset, there is someplace I can take you to.” Ivanka smiled a little. “I’m not upset. I was just observing the current situation. I was wondering if I would be pelted with eggs when I leave my house.” Jonah just stared at her in silence. Ivanka took the phone back from his hand and said gratefully, “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Sadler. Just let me know when the hearing is going to be held. See you again, Mr. Sadler.” As she finished saying that, she got out of the car. He watched her close the door and enter her unit. He did not move from the spot. His phone suddenly rang, and Jonah answered it. “Mr. Sadler, they are divorced.” “Okay.” “Should we execute the plan, then?” As Ivanka had walked out of his sight, he withdrew his gaze and said with an indifferent expressi
Ivanka frowned slightly and remained silent.On the other hand, Sandy said softly, “I’ll get the door. We don’t even know who it is.”Jonah might have invited himself for lunch, or Michael was here to throw another tantrum. Sandy was afraid that Ivanka would have a hard time if she opened the door, so she decided to open it.She swung the door open. Her eyes flashed with surprise when she saw an office lady. “Who are you?”“Is this Iv’s place?” Suki had a tender smile on her face.Sandy subconsciously nodded. “Yes, but who are… Aren’t you Ms. Moore?” Suki smiled. “You know me?”“Of course, I know you! The person I admire most is Iris!” Sandy looked slightly excited. “Are you a good friend of Iv?”Suki’s eyes twinkled with a smile. She nodded. “Yes.”Sandy hurriedly stepped aside. Iris was the one she admired most. Her assistant Suki was also a capable woman in her own right! However, she did not start her own business and had been working with Iris. She loved them both very
Suki smiled. “Yes.”“Wow!”Sandy was so happy that she almost jumped up and started cheering. Ivanka’s eyes flashed with guilt. Sandy was her best friend, but she knew absolutely nothing.She thought. “If she finds out the truth of what happened today, will she hate me?”Ivanka felt conflicted. However, she still pursed her lips and did not tell her.Ivan was a talented person and an elite lawyer. Even though she felt she could win the court case, she might lose if Ivan knew in advance that Jonah had hired Iris. Ivan would do everything possible to win, and there might be some trouble when that happened.Unfortunately for her, it just so happened that Ivan and Sandy were in contact with each other. The relationship between the two was quite odd, but Ivanka did not ask much about it. However, one could never be too careful. She was worried that Ivan would find out if Sandy accidentally spilled the beans.She knew Sandy would not betray her, but she was worried that Ivan would dis
Suki was used to calling her Iris, so she was not used to it when she suddenly had to call her by another name.Ivanka nodded. Under everyone’s gazes, the two of them walked inside.Many men were still looking at Ivanka’s back.The man who talked to Ivanka just now put his hands in his trouser pockets and leaned against the computer desk. He was dressed in a black suit and always radiated an evil vibe.There was a mole on the right side of his handsome face, but it did not make him look ugly. Instead, it made him look even more attractive.He just turned twenty-eight yesterday and was single. However, he was a playboy who had countless girlfriends.He looked at Ivanka’s back and could not help but admire her. “Only an extraordinary beauty like her can be Mr. Barkworth’s wife. I thought she was beautiful when I saw her on the screen, but after meeting her in person, I realized she is more beautiful in real life!”A woman stood opposite him. She had always hated this man for being
Suki frowned. “What nonsense are you spouting? Besides, being a lawyer has never been your job. You can do whatever you want as long as you return occasionally.”Ivanka smiled. “I’ll stay here for the time being and work obediently.”“Pfft…” Suki could not hold back her laughter. “Did you say you’ll work obediently? Why does it sound so awkward to me?”Ivanka just smiled and said nothing.Suki smiled. “All right, you can continue your work. I’m going out for some private matters.”“Okay.”After Suki left, Ivanka began to work officially. Although she was sure to win this lawsuit and knew every law of the country by heart, she still found some information to read. People outside were even more confused to see Ivanka remaining in the office after Suki left.They wondered what was going on.Why was Ivanka still inside the office?Time flew, and it was already noon. It was time for the lawyers to take a break and have lunch.Everyone subconsciously looked at Suki’s office. They
Drury glanced at her and said in disappointment, “What nonsense are you talking about? In today’s world, women need to be capable. Otherwise, we might encounter trouble after we get married in the future!”Abel looked at Drury speechlessly. “There’s something wrong with your way of thinking. Women who focus on their careers are indeed capable, but it doesn’t mean other women will take advantage of men. Ms. Lane has a career of her own, so you don’t have to hold a prejudice against her.”“You!” Drury was furious, but Abel just took his phone and left.On the other hand, Ivanka had walked out with Jonah.Ivanka looked at him. “How can I help you?”“I do need your help, but let’s eat first.”Ivanka frowned slightly. “I’m not hungry yet. Why don’t you just tell me here?”“You still have to eat even if you’re not hungry. You don’t have to eat only when you’re hungry. If you continue practicing this habit, it’ll be bad for your health.”Ivanka raised her eyebrows and looked at him wi
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