Ivanka sneered. Sandy’s gaze was contemptuous. This woman was hypocritical! She had quite the skill for lying with a straight face!“Oh, I had no choice. Your cousin is still young. If she stays like this forever, what is she going to do in the future?”Ivanka sat down on the chair next to Chiara’s bed and stared at her. She simply grinned and uttered, “Chiara.”Chiara’s eyelids twitched. Had Ivanka not been recording? Why else would she call her like this?However, the next moment, she understood. After all, so many recordings had already been leaked online. Ivanka did not bother to keep up with the facade anymore, did she?While Michael was the one who released the recordings, they had also tarnished Ivanka’s reputation somewhat. Perhaps Ivanka had not wanted them released in the first place? Sensing Ivanka’s scrutiny, Chiara quickly pulled her drifting mind back and stopped dwelling on it.Ivanka chuckled and said, “A lot of times, people need to give themselves a sense of s
She was clearly there to mock and upset her daughter!How could she tolerate this?Ivanka simply smirked and glanced at Lyla.“Aunt, Chiara turned out like this because you have always indulged her. She is always yearning for treasures beyond her reach. How could this go on?”“You...” Lyla was furious. She wanted to retort, but she was afraid that Ivanka might be recording. If the recording was released, everyone would blame their family for being ungrateful!Darn it!This vile girl!Theodore’s expression darkened, but thinking of the matter concerning the company, he had to control himself. He looked at Ivanka and spoke softly, “You came just in time. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”Ivanka nodded. Even though she knew what he was about to say, she responded calmly. “Please, go ahead.”Theodore took a deep breath to restrain his emotions before speaking indifferently, “The company has decided to collaborate with Barkworth’s Group. From now on, you will personall
Chiara’s pupils contracted slightly, but she kept her face down and out of view.Ivanka did not bother to glance at her. She knew full well what Chiara was thinking.When Chiara remained silent, Ivanka simply smiled. “If you truly wish to wallow in self-pity like this, by all means.”It sounded like she was deeply disappointed at her, but to the three of them, her words carried a different weight.It was highly likely that this was Ivanka’s genuine intention. She wanted Chiara to spend the rest of her life in this state.Lyla’s expression grew grimmer. She took a deep breath. “Iv, how could you say such things? You two are sisters!”Ivanka smiled indifferently and replied, “That’s just how the world works. It’s survival of the fittest. If you don’t have the ability, you’ll be eliminated. If Chiara chooses to wallow in self-pity and melancholy like this, then it’s better for her to stay here. It could become her refuge, where she can isolate herself in her own world and perhaps fi
Chiara bit her lip and exclaimed angrily. “I know! But that woman is despicable!”She was confident of outsmarting even police interrogations, but Ivanka easily got under her skin!She harbored deep-seated resentment and hatred toward Ivanka!Her restraint from the recent encounter was already commendable!There was intense anger in Theodore’s eyes. “I’ll teach her a lesson one day!”Lyla glanced at him wordlessly. Ivanka had changed. She often led them by the nose.Several times, she left them unable to resist. How could they possibly teach her a lesson next?...Ivanka and Sandy laughed heartily as they left. “Iv, you really have a knack for this! I nearly died from laughter! But Chiara really knows how to disguise herself. You can’t tell anything’s wrong with her at all.”Ivanka sneered. “If she gave herself away that easily, the police would have already noticed something by now.”“Are we just going to let this slide then? Would she keep pretending to be crazy?”“No way.
She finally spoke after some hesitation. “Where are you?”“I’m heading out of the airport. Let’s meet up somewhere nearby. Just find a place and wait for me.”Jonah must be aware of the current situation’s development, yet he had not intervened. He had always respected her decisions. Ivanka was grateful for this.If Jonah had interfered, the situation could have become much more complicated, or their plans could have been thwarted.“Okay.”With that, they hung up.Sandy’s lips curled up. “Wow, looks like you’ve got another admirer knocking on your door.”Ivanka lightly tapped Sandy’s forehead with a hand. “What’s going on in that head of yours every day?”“I think about important matters, of course! But seriously, have you never considered Jonah? He’s handsome, powerful, wealthy, and he’s at the top of the pyramid.”Ivanka sighed. “I’ve said it before, I’m not considering him. I’m meeting him later, so let’s find a restaurant nearby.”“All right. I’ll go with you, but I’ll wa
“Iv, do you know why Barkworth’s Group was able to snatch your proposal so easily?”Ivanka pursed her lips. “Yes.”Jonah handed her a spoon and spoke softly, “Lane’s Group is your biggest priority, so I’m willing to help you, but I won’t let you rekindle things with him.”Ivanka looked calmly at Jonah. “I’ve said this before. We will never go back together.”Jonah sat opposite her. His gentle smile remained, but the danger in his eyes was palpable. It would frighten others.Well, except for Ivanka, of course.Sandy, who was sitting in the adjacent room, suddenly felt a chill in the air. Puzzled, she looked outside. It was a bright, sunny day and most definitely not winter....Jonah narrowed his eyes silently.Ivanka looked at the dangerous man before her and said, “Nothing will ever happen between Michael and me or between you and me. Jonah, if possible, we can be friends.”“Friends,” Jonah murmured.After saying that, he chuckled and smiled faintly. “Seems like I’ve made s
Ivanka never liked playing games or leading men on. It was a matter of integrity.“All right, I understand.” Jonah chuckled. He did not seem uncomfortable at all. He even seemed oddly pleased.Previously, she used to address him as Mr. Sadler, but now, whether it was out of guilt or for some other reason, she was calling him by name. It was already a significant improvement. He was very satisfied.Ivanka frowned slightly. She was unsure of what he was thinking. However, she had made herself clear. If she emphasized further, she would be overreacting.She dropped the matter and spoke calmly, “I’ll come up with a project within ten days. What aspects are you interested in, and when do you want to execute it?”“We can wait until you have some free time to execute it, and it can also involve substantial investment. However, it must be kept confidential. I don’t want anyone to sabotage our collaboration.”Jonah implied that he did not want Michael to know.Ivanka did not object to th
Ivanka did not move.Jonah’s phone was ringing.Jonah glanced at Ivanka, gave her a light nod, and picked up the call.“What’s the matter?”“Mr. Sadler, Miss Munroe is here for you. She said she’s got a project that interests you greatly.”When Ivanka heard that name, she immediately knew who it was.Miss Monroe was Athena Monroe.She was the heiress of the Munroe family. Munroe’s Group was also a well-known corporation in Bostone. Although they were not as famous as Barkworth’s Group and Sadler’s Group, they were much bigger than Lane’s Group.Besides, Athena was the only daughter of the chairman of Munroe’s Group. Adored and pampered, she was inarguably the heiress-apparent. She was smart and competent, but she was also a steadfast romantic. She had fancied Jonah for many years.Although Jonah was known for his playboy persona, he never had any intimate contact with Athena, who had both beauty and brains.They were not close, but Athena never stopped trying to win his hea
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