Ivanka kept her emotions under control. Michael frowned and said in a deep and charismatic voice, “I said rest here tonight.” Ivanka paused and turned to him. He sounded as if he was ordering her about. Despite this, Ivanka had no qualms with his tone. After all, he was an arrogant man. Instead, she wondered why she needed to stay. “You’re aware of our relationship. Why do you still want us to stay under the same roof? As I mentioned, I won’t get back together with you.” Right after Ivanka finished saying, she immediately headed out as she did not want Michael to chase after her. She said, “I’ve asked my friend to pick me up.” Michael stared at her silhouette coldly. Ivanka thought she could finally walk out at ease because she did not hear any sound behind her. But Michael grabbed her wrist all of a sudden. She frowned and said wearily, “Michael, you—” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted, “You never set foot in the master bedroom even to this day. Wh
When Ivanka saw the caller, she answered the call. “Hi, Naila.” “It’s me. How are you recovering?” Naila had visited Ivanka when Ivanka was resting at home. They had been keeping in touch. Ivanka smiled. “Never been better. I started work today.” Naila frowned. “With your current health, are you sure you’re able to work?” “Yes. I’m fine. I’m ready to handle your case. Just give me a call,” said Ivanka in a relaxed fashion. Naila sighed. “The opposition is still finding chances to drag the case. They even stopped me from submitting the evidence. The trial will continue after seven days.” Ivanka nodded. “No problem.” “Iv, I’m counting on you. I can’t afford to lose my son’s custody.” “Got it. Don’t worry.” The duo exchanged some pleasantries before hanging up. Ivanka entered the company again. The company’s plans in various aspects were executed because of her presence at work. Chiara was still trapped in the mental asylum. It served as both a haven and jail f
Ivanka and Bryan turned to the door. A waitress stood at the door. She raised her hand and smiled at the man behind her. “This way, Sir.” Fabian nodded and strode in with his slender, long legs. He wore a bespoke black suit with a matching royal blue necktie. His hair had been styled simply. He had deep features, angular jawlines, and a prominent nose. His sexy lips curved upward as he said, “It’s been a while.” Ivanka smiled. “Yes. It’s been a while.” Fabian had only addressed Ivanka. After all, Bryan and Fabian lived closer to each other, and they often played games together. The duo occasionally went out to have meals together. It was far more inconvenient to meet Ivanka. Moreover, she decided to quit the job. Hence, she seldom contacted them. After Fabian sat down, Bryan turned to the waitress. “Serve the dishes when they are ready.” “Okay. Please wait for a moment.” After the waitress finished talking, she went out and closed the door. Fabian sized Ivanka up
Ivanka frowned. Sometimes, she did not know what to say or do. They were all the same. Ivanka thought she had finally married her true love, only to suffer because of her love for Michael. Ivanka, Fabian, and Bryan preferred to carry themselves as they did. They did not want to be bothered by love for the rest of their lives. After all, humans do not survive by love alone. Ivanka paused for a moment before grinning. “It’s good to see you guys like this. You don’t need to endure the pain. Human desires are a burden.” Fabian smiled. “Forget about it. We have a new order today. It looks interesting.” Ivanka felt puzzled. “What order is that?” She had been busy with work today, so she had not seen the orders from the website. Bryan raised one of his eyebrows and rested his gaze on Ivanka. “It has something to do with you. Do you want to take it?” Ivanka took out her phone in puzzlement. “Something to do with me?” Ivanka clicked on the website as she asked. The hacker
“Are you really going to take up this job?” Bryan stared at Ivanka. “Yep. I am.” Ivanka just smirked. She looked exceptionally relaxed. They chatted for a bit more before leaving. Before they parted ways, they even told Ivanka not to handle everything on her own. After all, they were practically family. Ivanka smiled and nodded. “Alright.” They were truly Ivanka’s brothers. They were not interested in women romantically. Of course, they were not interested in men romantically either. They just did not care much about them. After they left, Ivanka went back to her office. She opened up the hacker’s backend system. When she saw the commission, she accepted it. … Back in Theodore’s office, his eyes lit up the moment his cell phone alerted him that his commission had been picked up! He immediately said, “They agreed!!!” Lyla looked at Theodore, shocked. “Agreed? The one you’re going to hack is Barkworth’s Group. Are they really agreeing to it?” “Of course,
Lyla was afraid that Theodore would not read it carefully. So, she read it out directly.“This software has 20 layers of encrypted security. Each layer has nine digits, with payment required for each layer. No refunds if you can’t break through! Click to pay and agree to the terms to continue.”Lyla gritted her teeth. “Look, they are clearly out to scam you!” “20 layers. That’s two billion dollars. What would you do if she purposely stopped at the 19th floor?” Lyla insisted and persuaded again. “You know what kind of company Barkworth’s Group is? Aren’t you afraid she has some connection with Barkworth’s Group?!” “I’ve checked. They haven’t worked with Barkworth’s Group before.” Theodore sneered. His eyes were full of disdain. Lyla was so angry at this idiot that she laughed outright. “You have to know that they are hackers. How would you find out?” “What would a woman like you know! It’s better to do things discreetly, and not out in the open like you. Stay out of my busines
After clearing out the layer, she sent proof directly to Theodore. Theodore was delighted and made another payment for the second tier in the link Ivanka gave. After about another hour of waiting, the second layer was done. He was so stoked that he paid for the third layer! This afternoon, he had already given Ivanka $500 million! And Ivanka was still taking it easy. In fact, she did not even need that long to crack it. However, she wanted to let Theodore wait anxiously while not letting him know how easy it was to crack it.In the evening, Ivanka gave more evidence that she had successfully broken through this layer. Then she added some captions to it. [That’s all for today. We’ll continue tomorrow. Have your money ready. No credit allowed.] Theodore’s face changed slightly. No credit allowed. He had already made payments for these. He did not have two billion dollars on hand… The main thing was that he did not expect Ivanka to be this fast in the first place. Where
“How long does it take to fix it?”The technicians did not dare to say anything. Only the leader wiped his sweat and confessed, “The other party just cracked the code and did not continue to dig deeper. There was no intention to destroy it. It was as if they were just coming in for a stroll.”Michael did not say a single word. His bony hand tapped lightly on the table. However, everyone was uncomfortable like they were sitting on pins and needles.The irregular tapping kept their hearts pounding non-stop. It was like their hearts would pop out the next minute and they would die. Michael’s icy face did not have a hint of a smile. His eyes were icy and dark. No one dared to peek.The next moment, he suddenly laughed.That light voice made everyone want to jump to their deaths. That feeling was just too torturous. “Give me a time frame on how long it will take to fix it.”“Tonight. We’ll try to fix it by tonight!”“Try?” Michael sneered.The technicians were on the verge of
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A