Ivanka gave Michael a sarcastic smile. She knew that he must be thinking that she complained about him to Rosie.In the past, Ivanka had tried to avoid having Michael misunderstand her. But now… hah!Even if he misunderstood her, it no longer mattered to her.It was not as if it would do any harm to her.“What’re you staring at?! Iv is not the one who snitched on you. You’re the one who saunters to the hospital every single day and don’t even bother going home. Do you think I’m blind?!”Michael pursed his lips and remained silent.Rosia continued nagging at Michael throughout dinner and did not show him the slightest bit of mercy.Meanwhile, Ivanka was happy to see this. In fact, she felt as if she had vented her anger. Ivanka chatted with Rosie a little longer before she left the mansion with Michael.But this put Ivanka on the spot.Grandma was unaware that they had divorced, so she had to get into Michael’s car.However, she no longer wanted to have any sort of contact w
Michael gnashed his teeth and hissed, “Ivanka…!”Ivanka smirked. She turned into a corner without looking back. Then, she went down the hill through a path that could only fit one person.After some time, she reached a large road. By then, Michael’s car was out of sight, and Ivanka felt relieved.She wrapped her arms around herself and walked under the moonlight and streetlights. The grass was green, and everything appeared to be at peace.She heard the sound of insects. In the past, she was usually in a hurry whenever she passed by the place. She hardly had the time to take a stroll and admire the panoramic view like today. She waited for a while before the cab arrived. Once it sent her home, Ivanka took her bath and felt refreshed.Although she had been living alone in the past as well as the present, she felt an indescribable sense of relaxation at present. In the past, she always had Michael in her mind. Yet now, she could focus on her career. However, she could not help but
Jonah chuckled. “So, you’ve come prepared. Mrs. Barkworth, what’re your thoughts on this matter?”After he finished speaking, his smile froze upon seeing Suki behind Ivanka, and he thought. “Why are they together?”Suki cleared her throat and said sheepishly once she entered the room, “Mr. Sadler, I couldn’t tell you everything about Iris earlier, because the circumstances around Iris’s work status had been unclear. However, since we’ve agreed to take up your case, we’ll lay out the facts for you.”Jonah was taken aback. He cast a glance at Ivanka, and his eyes were filled with shock.After a brief moment of silence, he said calmly, “Ms. Moore, are you telling me that the elite lawyer that I’ve gone to great lengths to hire is my rival’s wife?”The corners of Ivanka’s lips curved upward. “Ex.”Regardless of how calm and composed Jonah had been, at that moment, he could not help but cry out in shock, “Ex?!”Ivanka offered a hand to him. “Mr. Sadler, I’m Iris. Nice to meet you.”
“I can win,” Ivanka said confidently.And Jonah believed her.As he stared at the beautiful woman before him, he fell into a daze.Weren’t pretty women supposed to be empty in the head? Ivanka did not seem to be that sort of person.Jonah nodded and said gently, “Tell me what the condition is. If I’m able to fulfill it, I will do it.”Ivanka placed one of her hands on the table and started tapping arrhythmically on the wood. She looked at Jonah and smiled as she said, “I heard that the former master of the Morris family will hold his birthday banquet in ten days.”Jonah sized her up. “Yes.”Ivanka tilted her head slightly. She asked with a grin, “Do you have a plus one?”A trace of surprise flashed in Jonah’s eyes. The next moment, he chuckled. “The pleasure is mine. I’ll pick you up at night. Give me your address.”Ivanka took a sip of her fruit juice. Her cherry lips were moistened by the liquid. She then pursed her lips and said with a smile, “That’ll be boring. I’ll go to
Ivanka waved her phone and said, “See you soon.”And she left without waiting for Jonah’s response.Jonah sat motionlessly in his chair. Suki smiled at him before grabbing her phone and following Ivanka.The duo got into Suki’s car, but Suki did not start the car immediately. Instead, she turned to Ivanka incredulously. “Iris, please tell me you’re not using that playboy to heal your broken heart after splitting up with Michael. Taking advantage of Jonah isn’t going to help you heal. Aren’t you worried about falling in love with him and getting your heart broken again?”Ivanka was stunned. It took her a moment before she recovered her senses. She laughed in resignation and said, “What on earth are you talking about? Love is the one thing I hate the most right now. Why would I fall in love with him?”Moreover, how could Jonah possibly want to date her?Ivanka could not help but laugh again. “You’re being a worry wart. Jonah wouldn’t want to date me even if I asked him.”Suki frow
For a moment, Chiara was in a dilemma. “B-But he usually takes Ivanka with him to these events to show that they’re a loving couple, and he does it for his company’s benefit. Why would he bring me along this time?”Lyla smirked scornfully. “Things have changed.”“Huh?”Lyla tugged on Chiara’s arm and sat her down. “Ivanka is no longer who she was. Your father has gotten his hands on all of her family’s belongings. Ivanka has nothing left in her name. You’re the real princess of the Lane family now, do you understand?”“If that’s the case, it’s even unlikely for Mic to bring me along to the banquet. The public will think that the Barkworth family is heartless for casting Ivanka aside at the moment her father lost his position.”“Pfft! Money is the thing that makes the world go round these days. Although your father is not as powerful as the Barkworth family, he is still one of the leading figures in Bostone. The reason Samuel Barkworth allowed the marriage between Ivanka and Michae
Rosie stood up and went over to Michael. She was upset with his refusal to change for the better. She pinched his shoulder with all her might and said, “That’s because you hurt her deeply, you brat! Make her come back to you!”“Grandma, I’ve made up my mind.” Michael’s expression darkened.“Do you want to drive me to an early grave?!”As Rosie was speaking, she thought about feigning unconsciousness, but Samuel growled, “That’s enough. Your grandma is not feeling well. I’ll be leaving with her now. You’re a grown-up. Make your own decisions.”“Noted.”Rosie’s expression turned dark. Samuel completely destroyed her plans to feign unconsciousness! Samuel dragged her out of Michael’s office before she even had time to say anything else.“Let go of me! I’m not finished!”She struggled to break herself free, but she could not overpower Samuel. In her anger, Rosie turned her head around and shouted, “I’m warning you, you’re not allowed to split up with Ivanka!”Soon, Michael was left
Michael’s expression slowly turned into one of cold fury as one thought popped up in his mind. “I knew it! I knew she was up to something!“I can’t delay the divorce anymore. Otherwise, Grandma is going to kick up another fuss. She almost jammed up my phone today with the calls she made.’Chiara’s face stiffened up as she thought. “What are the odds of meeting Ivanka here?“Both of us saw her. At this point, there’s no way I can pretend to have not noticed her.”Chiara sighed slightly and smiled as she said cordially, “Hi, Iv.”Ivanka looked a little surprised when she saw Chiara. She smirked when she noticed how close Chiara was to Michael. “What a coincidence.”When Chiara noticed Michael was looking at Ivanka from the corner of her eyes, she became nervous. But in the next moment, she produced another elegant smile. “Iv, are you here for Mic? We’re both getting something to eat, too. Why don’t you join us? He thought the worst when he saw you and your upperclassman having a dr
Ivanka did not rush Michael for a response.The ward fell into silence. She found the sensation unfamiliar.After a long pause, Michael finally spoke. “It’s not impossible.”Ivanka exhaled deeply as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders.Thank God. If Michael did not believe her, she would not have known what to do next.Patting her chest in relief, she sighed dramatically. “Good thing you’re a smart man.”Michael smirked. “Oh? So if I didn’t believe you, would that make me stupid?”Even at such a time, he was in the mood to joke. Ivanka shot Michael a glare before continuing.“When you checked the surveillance footage, did you look at the cameras over the water?”Michael was momentarily stunned before shaking his head. “I only checked the exit footage. It showed that before the incident, you were the only one who went in. After that, I was focused on the hospital and work, so I didn’t look any further.”From that angle, everything pointed to it being an acciden
“There’s no need for thanks between us. Right now, the most urgent matter is figuring out if what happened to you was really just an accident.” Michael paused for a second. His gaze shifted to a distant point outside the window. When he spoke again, his voice was laced with an unmistakable edge of danger. “Or was it murder?”Ivanka felt a chill run through her.Murder. Yes, that was exactly what it was. What happened was a premeditated act that was aimed at her. However, Sandy was the one who ended up getting hurt. If… if Sandy never woke up, if she spent the rest of her life as nothing more than a body on a hospital bed, how was she supposed to live with that guilt? Seeing the dark cloud settling over Ivanka’s face, Michael took the initiative to shift the conversation. He brought up Coco to subtly redirect her focus.“Why did you ask me about Coco earlier? Do you suspect that she was the one who was lurking underwater?”Ivanka stared at Michael and nodded solemnly.Michael f
If Coco was not there, did that mean the pulling sensation Ivanka had felt underwater was really her?Had Coco been lurking in the water?“Could it have been her?” Ivanka murmured to herself. Michael was puzzled. He could tell Ivanka was holding something back.“Who? Coco?” he asked.Staring at Michael’s concerned expression, Ivanka hesitated for a moment. It sounded absurd, but she did not want to keep it from him. So, she decided to share her suspicions.“You know I can swim. And that hot spring isn’t even that deep. It was around 1.8 meters at most. I’ve been diving in Geronia before, and that was far more dangerous than this.”Michael nodded in agreement. That was exactly what had been bothering him.Ever since Ivanka was brought to the hospital and remained unconscious for three days, he had struggled to understand. How could someone like Ivanka, who was a skilled swimmer, possibly drown?That was the very question he had wanted to ask.Ivanka continued. “That day, I stay
Michael quickly realized he had crossed a line. He let out an awkward laugh and withdrew his hand.For a moment, there was an awkward silence in the air.“You…”“I…”Either neither of them spoke, or they ended up talking at the exact same time. It was an unintentional synchronicity that came from nowhere.Their eyes met, and they smiled.Michael spoke first. “You go ahead.”Ivanka shook her head. “No, you first.”Michael refused and insisted, “I don’t really have anything important to say. I was just trying to ease the awkwardness. Your matter is probably more important.”Hearing that, Ivanka did not hold back anymore and asked, “How long was I unconscious? What exactly happened that day at Fawn Hill? I only remember drowning. Everything after that is a blur. I didn’t even know Sandy was the one who saved me.”Michael sighed and started answering her questions one by one.“You were unconscious for three days and two nights. Candice and I took turns watching over you to make
Ivanka remained in a daze. She struggled to get to Sandy.Candice could not stop her at all. She did not dare to use force on her, either. She was conflicted. Just then, Michael walked over with a fruit basket. When he saw Ivanka wanting to get out of bed, he rushed over in a couple of steps and single-handedly pulled Ivanka back into the hospital bed.Ivanka was still struggling to get on the floor. When Candice saw Michael come, she breathed out a sigh of relief.Michael frowned and stared at Ivanka. “Do you want to die?” It was the first time he was so fierce to Ivanka.Ivanka was stunned silent for a moment as she looked at Michael. There was not much emotion in her eyes. Michael sighed and said in a soft voice, “I know you’re worried right now, but Sandy is already in the ICU. I’ve found the best doctors. Trust me, okay?”Michael saw that Ivanka was in a daze and unresponsive, so he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “Don’t worry about everything and leave it
Water. Endless water.It was as if Ivanka was trapped inside a tank of water. Everywhere she looked and her eyes and body touched, there was water.She tried to find a way out, but could not.Slowly, her breath was taken away.Ivanka held her neck, desperately trying to breathe and failing.She could even count the seconds by.“Huff—”Ivanka opened her eyes suddenly, accompanied by a violent gasping sound. It sounded a bit like a drowning person who had been inside the sea by a wave and lapped ashore again. This was a person who had escaped by chance and was finally able to breathe fresh air. “You’re awake!”In her ears, a familiar voice rang out, and only then did Ivanka’s somewhat blurred vision begin to focus.A somewhat unfamiliar ceiling. Her nostrils filled with the unpleasant smell of disinfectant. Next to her was an anxious Candice.“I…” Ivanka tried to speak, but it was as if her voice was not her own. As soon as she opened her mouth, her voice was like porcelain s
After all, when they ate breakfast, Jimothy was not there. She thought he had left first.It was only at this time that she realized that he had not left, and was still standing right behind Candice. The look in his eyes when he looked at Candice was in no way innocent.Ivanka’s and Sandy’s gazes were sharp, so Jimothy smiled slightly at the two of them and nodded.Ivanka also nodded politely at him in return.Afterward, his eyes were glued to Candice again. The two of them would whisper from time to time as if no one else was there. So, they did seem a bit like a young couple.When Michael saw Ivanka look at someone else, he probably felt very irritated. Then he coughed twice.Ivanka gave Michael a strange look. Michael explained without batting an eye, “Sorry, I guess I have a bit of a cold.”Sandy could not help but start chatting with Ivanka.“I say, this Jimothy is interested in Candice.”Ivanka did not say anything and smiled.Obviously, she thought so too.The reason
None of the previous questions were the ones she wanted to ask. The one she really wanted to ask was the last one. Ivanka understood this clearly. After answering the previous question, Coco nodded with a look of realization. She took Ivanka’s hand and shook it in a friendly manner.If other people saw this, they might even think that they were sisters.“Ms. Iv, you still know the best, you’re also meticulous enough to remember all of this. It’s no wonder Grandma told me to learn more from you.”Ivanka was also smiling, but her smile was a little forced.Coco seemed like she was complimenting her. But in reality, it was a roundabout way of saying that she and Rosie had a good relationship.Although she knew that there was something fishy going on, Ivanka could not help but feel her skin crawl when Coco said this.When she saw the unnatural expression on Ivanka’s face, Coco knew that her purpose had been achieved, and she immediately asked, “Didn’t you say that you’re going to c
She could not explain it all in such a short moment. Then Coco was also eyeing the situation with a fierce and intense look. It was hard to say it out loud.Candice suddenly understood. The meal was somewhat silent. Ivanka especially felt very uncomfortable.She kept feeling like she was being stared at all the time, and such a stare made her feel very uncomfortable.Coco’s seemingly elusive eyes kept looking toward Ivanka, afraid that she would say something to Michael.Under Coco’s intense gaze, Ivanka could not find a chance to speak.They ate the meal in silence. Sandy and Ivan did not come until the end.In the end, it was Candice who spoke. Otherwise, the meal would probably have been spent in silence.“Why don’t we soak in a private bath after our nap? We can still make it back in the evening.”Ivanka nodded noncommittally.Michael looked at Ivanka and was a little surprised. “Didn’t you say you want to rest for a while longer? Why are you suddenly in such a hurry aga