This person… was truly an expert!Michael took half a day to crack this, but all he could see was this message.Evan was at a loss for words. When Michael started working again, Evan did not take his eyes off the computer at that moment and kept staring at the screen.Meanwhile, the person that Michael was frantically searching for was carrying a plate of fruit salad while sitting on the sofa. She was enjoying the food while watching TV.It was like she did not even remember anything she had done in the afternoon.A sudden ring from her phone diverted her attention.Sandy: [Dear, shall we go out shopping tomorrow?]Ivanka: [Tsk, are you not afraid that I’ll get hurt this time?Sandy: [Hahaha, I’m not afraid anymore. You’ve recovered very well now. Besides, Aren’t I helping you avoid it now? Don’t forget that Hanson is off tomorrow. You’ll be able to get rid of him if you come out on a date with me in advance].Ivanka instantly reacted. She replied in a hurry.Ivanka: [You’r
“Theodore!!!” Lyla’s chest was heaving from anger. “You. Are you trying to piss me off?”Theodore was not in the mood to continue this. He took a breath and said coldly, “I’m going to stay in the company tonight. So calm down. Remember to accompany Chiara.”After saying that, Theodore left. He did not care about how much Lyle ranted and fussed. Theodore did not turn back and walked determinedly away.At that moment, Lyla felt their marriage coming to an end.But… Theodore had taken all of her savings. What was she to do? …The next day, Ivanka then followed the agreed time and arrived at Sandy’s downstairs at eight.Sandy yawned and walked downstairs. One hand still covered her mouth as if she was a bit tired. “Goodness, Ivanka, how are you on time at 8 a.m. as promised? I’m still in my dream playing poker with a hottie!”Ivanka scoffed. “You’re a lady, behave.”“I’m telling the truth! That hottie is the most handsome star I’ve ever seen! I wonder if this is a prophetic dream
Ivanka withdrew her gaze, “No. You should check out what you want to buy.” The two spoke because of Michael, and Ivanka did not want to cross paths with her too much anymore. That was right. The person accompanying a girl, standing in front and listening to a guide introduce the underwear, was Tanya Cullen. Tanya was no longer paying attention to the guide. Instead, she looked at Ivanka. When she saw Ivanka and Sandy being led to the east corner by another guide, she stepped forward. “What a coincidence, Ms. Ivanka.” Ivanka slowly turned her head and saw Tanya looking at her with a smile. She also smiled slightly. “Ms. Tanya.” If Tanya did not talk to her, she would not take the initiative to greet her. But now, she could not be rude. Besides, there was never any bad blood between the two of them. Ivanka only wanted to keep her boundaries because of Michael. Sandy’s gaze was also on Tanya. Envy crossed her eyes.Tanya had been on screen before. She had seen her sever
She stopped hesitating and started introducing the products without ever seemingly pausing to breathe.Sandy could not help but feel that the saleswoman was extremely competent. She easily qualified for a promotion to store manager.Sandy bought six sets in one go.As they left, she kept praising the saleswoman for her excellent oratory skills.Ivanka could not help but chuckle. “It’s a big brand’s store, after all. Of course they would have more outstanding staff.”Sandy could not help but nod and smile. “Haha, true.”“But then again, what’s the deal with that woman? Does she see you as a love rival?”After all, the relationship between Tanya and Ivanka, and Michael… was a bit complicated.At this moment, they were already walking on the street. Although there were crowds on the street, Sandy spoke in a low voice without naming anyone.Ivanka’s gaze flickered thoughtfully as she recalled Tanya’s friendly demeanor just now. She spoke in a low voice, “She might be trying to tes
“Huh? Then why did you say hello to her just now?”Ashley was Tanya’s friend for several years. She was simple-minded but also a bit of a scatterbrain.Over the years, she had relied on Tanya’s support, and Tanya had protected her quite well. Troublemakers were often deterred due to Tanya’s influence.However, despite being by Tanya’s side for so long, her intelligence had not improved much.She was stubborn but pure-hearted.Tanya just smiled. “I simply admire her and want to have a meal with her.”“Huh? Admire? But isn’t that still wanting to be friends? But you can’t be friends. Why would you invite her to dinner then?”Tanya sighed wearily. “All right, let’s keep shopping. We’ll grab something to eat later. What do you feel like eating?”Ashley was completely confused. “Bestie, I really don’t understand what’s going on. Can you just tell me what you’re thinking?”“Nothing. I just want to get to know her. Can you understand that?”Ashley understood. “Oh... I see! You just
“In the next couple of days? Every time you say that, I feel like you’re lying again.”Rosie’s voice sounded weary and mournful.Ivanka said resignedly, “Of course not, Grandma. I’m not lying to you!”“Then do you have time tonight? Would you like to come and have dinner with me? They won’t be home. It’ll just be the two of us.”Rosie’s voice sounded particularly pitiful. She seemed afraid Ivanka would disagree.If they were talking face-to-face, Ivanka might even see her throwing puppy eyes at her.Naturally, Ivanka could not bear to see her like this. So, she smiled and said, “Sure, I’ll come over tonight to accompany you.”“Really? You’re not lying, are you?”Ivanka chuckled. “Grandma, when have I ever lied to you?”With no one else around, she felt it was okay to go have dinner and chat with Rosie. She had not wanted to do so in the past because not all members of the Barkworth family liked her.“Great!” Rosie instantly became ecstatic, then continued. “I will stay home t
“Haha, okay. I’ll be waiting for you then,” Rosie said enthusiastically. Especially after just having a good nap, she seemed even more energetic.They chatted away and exchanged words as if they were truly family. There was nothing awkward between them.They laughed and talked. Before they knew it, it was already time for dinner.“Mdm. Barkworth, Ms. Ivanka, dinner is ready. Shall we serve the food?”Rosie looked a bit surprised. “It’s already this hour? Yes, please serve the food.”“Yes, ma’am.”Rosie got up with a smile. She was still holding Ivanka’s hand as they walked.However, just as the two of them finished washing their hands and came out, they suddenly noticed the open door of the mansion.When Ivanka and Rosie both looked over and saw Michael standing there, their smiles froze on their faces.Michael raised an eyebrow slightly. “Am I not welcome here?”Ivanka’s gaze showed a hint of surprise.In the past, if she and Rosie had such expressions, his expression would
“You don’t mind, do you?” Rosie did not ask that aloud.Rosie could not bring herself to ask her, nor could she force herself to say that cheekily.Ivanka simply smiled. “Grandma, I remember this dish being your favorite.”With that, she served Rosie some food.She completely avoided talking about Michael.Rosie breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. “Yes, yes, Iv, you should eat too! I made sure they prepared plenty of your favorite dishes today!”Rosie reciprocated by serving Ivanka some food. They chatted and laughed. Michael was completely ignored. The atmosphere was so warm that Michael seemed like an outsider.Michael, surprisingly, seemed accustomed to this atmosphere and did not feel uncomfortable at all. He even found himself feeling hungry.However, due to Michael’s presence, Ivanka did not plan to stay much longer. She smiled at Rosie and said, “Grandma, I’ve been here for quite a while today, and there’s still some work I need to handle. I’ll come to see
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