The man was startled, but he dared not overthink. Evan stepped aside. The man walked out of the office.Michael’s gaze fell on Evan, who closed the door and stepped forward. He said with a somber expression, “Mr. Barkworth, Mr. Hanson is at Ms. Ivanka’s house.”Michael’s expression darkened further.He stared at the person before him coldly and said in a grim voice, “Just the two of them?”“No, Miss Baldwin and Miss McNeil are around, but Mr. Hanson is there as Ms. Ivanka’s boyfriend.”As soon as he said that, Evan sensed Michael’s sharp gaze landing on him. It felt as if he was cut by a knife.“Mr. Hanson was in a critical condition a while ago, so everyone fed him a lie. Due to his brain trauma, he could not afford to get emotional. That’s why they haven’t told him the truth. But I’m worried that if they keep this on, Mr. Hanson might just win over Ms. Ivanka with persistence and devotion.”Michael tightened his grip on his pen.In the next second, he let go of it right away.
“What do you want?”“Mic, you have to believe me! I didn’t do it!”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’d believe you?”“You have to! Mic, I swear I didn’t do it!” Chiara’s voice cracked frantically. The next moment, he heard Lyla say helplessly, “Mr. Barkworth, Chiara has been really manic ever since that incident. Every day, she’s either moping around in silence or insisting on talking to you to explain herself. Mic, Chiara has a good heart. She could never bring herself to do such a thing. You need to know this.”At this point, Michael lost his patience. “Don’t bother me anymore. My patience is limited.”With that, he hung up.He was fed up and did not want to deal with Lyla and Chiara’s act anymore.As he put down his phone, he found himself thinking about Ivanka again. His expression turned sour as he started imagining Ivanka and Hanson being intimate.Michael massaged his temple in frustration and tried to immerse himself in work again.However, he quickly realize
Ivanka smiled and nodded, “It’s all in the past now. Let’s not dwell on old matters. We’re good friends. You don’t need to sweat the small matters. I get you, and you get me.”Anna sighed in relief. She solemnly nodded and fell silent. She made a mental note that she would never act so rashly again.Being forgiven once or twice was okay, but if she continued to act like this in the future, it could still cause tension and conflict between them, even if Ivanka did not mind. She did not want to lose her good friend.With that, they chatted a little while more before parting ways. After that, Ivanka headed back.Unexpectedly, as soon as she stepped out of the elevator to get back to her floor, she saw Michael standing by her door.Ivanka frowned. Michael’s gaze was icy cold as he stared at her with a smirk.“Hey, Ivanka,” said Michael deliberately.She did not want to talk to him, let alone let him into her home. She turned around and headed back to the elevator.But before the do
Michael’s behavior was becoming increasingly erratic and left her speechless every time.He casually locked the car and turned to Ivanka.Ivanka stared at him and waited for him to speak. She wanted to see what he was up to this time!After a pause, Michael spoke in a deep voice, “What’s your relationship with Hanson?”Ivanka was stunned and looked at him in surprise. “What does this have to do with you?”Michael’s expression turned frigid. He glanced at her in cold, exasperated fury. “What does this have to do with me?”Ivanka frowned. She wondered if she had misspoke.Michael gritted his teeth. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist and lifted it before saying, “Ivanka, have you lost your mind?”How could she be so ignorant after all that he had done?!She could not possibly not know!Ivanka frowned as she looked at him with confusion. “What are you trying to say?”Michael was acting strangely.“Grandma wants to see you.”Ivanka looked at him with a puzzled expression. This again?
Amused, Ivanka chuckled at Michael’s remark. Her annoyance was replaced by an amused smile.Her eyes lit up as she revealed a gentle smile.This made Michael stunned momentarily as her cold aura softened.He observed her silently, awaiting her response.With a faint smile, Ivanka spoke, “Michael, I know you have ulterior motives for wanting to reconcile with me. You want to cooperate with me, sure, but I didn’t know you’re someone who goes back to your ex.”“I’m not that type of person,” Michael retorted pointedly.Ivanka chuckled. “Fine, you’re not. You’re just the type who won’t mind working together with your ex.”But even those sorts of people would not get back together with their exes.Michael’s demeanor became increasingly intense.Ivanka casually chimed in, “Lane’s Group is still willing to cooperate with you, regardless of your private motives. You’ve also managed to obtain information about them while knowing they intend to keep this going for a year. You’ve given La
Michael unlocked the car and said in a deep voice, “Get out.”Ivanka’s eyes twitched. She did not like this location and was reluctant to move.She even contemplated staying in the car, even though it was Michael’s.Seeing her hesitation, Michael exited the car first and then circled around to the passenger side to open the door for her.When she still refused to move, he repeated, “Get out.”Ivanka frowned at him and asked, “Why did you bring me here?”“Don’t you want to take a look? It’s been a while since you’ve been back.”His tone was mysterious.Ivanka, still frowning, said, “I don’t need to come back. I don’t belong here.”“Get out,” Michael’s tone was heavier than before.Feeling hesitant, she understood she could not stay in his car indefinitely. She eventually got out.“So, Mr. Barkworth, what’s the deal with bringing me here? Do you think playing the emotional card will work for me? Or are you just being childish?”Despite her words, deep down, she still believed
Michael closed the door and gently set Ivanka down.She did not want to stay there at all. Instantly, she turned to leave. However, he had changed the password lock. It required a fingerprint to exit from the inside.Furiously, she looked at him and screamed, “What are you up to?!”She felt like a shrew herself.Regardless of whether she spoke to him calmly or frantically yelled at him, Michael remained unresponsive and unfazed by her actions.This made her so mad that she fell silent momentarily. She never expected Michael to have such self-restraint.However, she could not help but observe her surroundings.This was once her and Michael’s marital home, or rather, her own marital home, as Michael had never lived here.But she had once meticulously decorated this place all while tirelessly asking Rosie about his likes and dislikes.There were things she really liked but did not put up because Michael found them annoying.She had lived in this mansion for three years. Naturall
Ivanka looked at Michael in puzzled silence.She walked over to the plants and carefully inspected them. They were indeed the ones she had previously cared for. Many of the small markings and growth shapes matched perfectly.There were no surveillance cameras or servants around, so it would be impossible for Michael to have found identical plants to deceive her.If he truly had a reason behind trying to reconcile with her, why did he have someone care for the plants she had been tending to before?What was Michael really up to?This time, she looked straight at him with a calm and collected expression.“So, what exactly do you want to do? You know we’re never getting back together, right? Let’s face it, you don’t have any feelings for me either. I don’t want to be trapped in a situation like that for the rest of my life. Michael, I’m tired of feeling stuck. Doesn’t that bother you at all?”Michael suddenly laughed. His handsome face bore a faint smile as his deep-set eyes were