Michael was unable to reply.Rosie’s words today were particularly harsh and left Michael struggling to respond. If it were someone else, Michael would not have tolerated it, but then again, nobody else would dare to speak to him like Rosie did.Taking a deep breath, Michael calmed down and spoke to Rosie again, “I’m willing to change for the better now, but Ivanka doesn’t want to see me. So, I hope you can help me with this. Surely, you wouldn’t want to see her become someone else’s granddaughter-in-law. You’ve seen Jonah’s new attitude towards Ivanka.”Rosie’s expression changed at Michael’s words, which hit a sore spot. That was true. How could she bear to see Ivanka marry someone else and become another family’s granddaughter-in-law? She felt a pang of jealousy.However, her grandson was just too unreliable!Rosie found herself at a loss for words for a moment. Her lips parted slightly as she struggled to form a response. Michael could see the grievance in her eyes.However
Michael was dumbfounded.While his grandmother adored Ivanka like her granddaughter, she relegated him, her actual grandson, to someone unrelated to her.He sighed with resignation.Meanwhile, Rosie began talking again. “So, not even YOU are allowed to go near her. If you can’t give me a good reason, not only will I not help you out, but I’ll even stop you!”Michael was speechless once again.If Ivanka was here, she would be very moved.Michael sighed and said in defeat, “That’s right. I like her.”In order to achieve his goal, he did not mind telling a lie.Besides, Ivanka was no longer a girl who fantasized about love and romance. They were a good match. A good match.Michael ruminated on this phrase repeatedly. He seemed to be suppressing some complex emotions.“You…”At that moment, Rosie was at a loss for words. Her eyes were filled with disbelief.Did he really like Ivanka?Michael stared at Rosie wordlessly, but he had made his answer clear.He wanted to remarry
Given the current state of their relationship, Ivanka would have walked the other way at the sight of Michael. She did not want to breathe the same air as him.If not for Rosie, Ivanka would surely not dine with him.Certainly, it was impossible for them to meet up.Michael frowned and stared at Rosie. “Grandma, I need your help with this. After we remarry, I’ll treat her as my wife, the only woman I’ll ever be with. I won’t let her suffer even an ounce of pain. I’ll be a decent husband.”He promised to be a decent spouse, but that was all.Ivanka would enjoy everything that other women had, just not his love.But Michael seemed to have forgotten that Ivanka was never short of material comfort.Apart from love, she wanted nothing else from a man. She had wealth and talent, with a wide social network. She could solve any problem she faced. Besides, she never planned to commit any crime, let alone need help to get out of trouble.Moreover, she no longer needed love.Rosie furrow
Rosie had no idea how to word this. She wondered if she should tell Jay at all.“Huh?” It was the first time Jay had seen his mother so hesitant.“Is it something you can’t tell me?”A glimmer of emotion flashed in Rosie’s eyes. She eventually told Jay about everything that had happened earlier on.There was a look of astonishment in Jay’s eyes. “He wants to get back together with Iv?”Rosie nodded. “But I keep feeling that he’s lying to me. Does he really like Iv? If he doesn’t, I don’t want him to hurt her again.”Jay fell into silent thought.Meanwhile, Rosie prattled on. “I’m just worried. I don’t know what to do. If I urge them to get back together like I used to, it will be unfair to Iv. But what if Michael really regrets it this time? Iv used to love him so much. Even if she has gotten over him now, her love toward him might still linger. What if…”Speaking of that, she paused. But she could not help but start talking again. “Oftentimes, I can’t make them do whatever I w
“Are you home?” Ivanka replied calmly, “Yeah, I’m going to rest.”Jonah chuckled. “Alright, let’s get lunch tomorrow?”Ivanka smiled awkwardly. “Sorry, I won’t be free.”“Tsk.” Jonah raised his brows. “Can you put a little more thought into your rejection?”Ivanka did not want to waste time chatting with him, so she said calmly, “Do you have something else to talk about?”“I do.”“What is it?” Ivanka was not in a rush to hang up.“I miss you.”Ivanka was speechless.She did not want to waste her breath talking about such a trifle subject and intended to hang up right away.But Jonah easily predicted her. Before her finger touched the hang-up button on the screen, he started speaking again.“Have you had any idea what to do with the business plan?”“Not yet. I’ve been contemplating it lately.”Most importantly, she was preoccupied lately. Besides, she could not start working on the project with Jonah anytime soon, so she was not in a hurry to work on Jonah’s plan.“It’s
The IT department staff could not help discussing this matter among themselves.“Is Mr. Barkworth using some kind of strategy? Why didn’t he intercept the hacker? Why pry on their identity?”The person who said that was a young man. Despite being in his twenties, he was one of the best hackers in the country. He had a gentlemanly demeanor. Wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, he was the type who would attract attention from girls.Just as he spoke, a man with a rough voice immediately refuted him. “That’s impossible. Are we really going to let the hacker steal our top-secret data?”The young man frowned slightly. He stared at the man and said in a deep voice, “But you know how skilled Mr. Barkworth is, and he isn’t stopping the hacker. I meant to say that he might have a plan. Perhaps he will find some clues on their identity when they get carried away.”Listening to their conversation, the others could not help nodding. “Yeah, that’s possible.”Just as they were discussing, Iv
An hour passed.Just as Ivanka continued to crack the security system unobstructed, her doorbell suddenly rang.Ivanka froze, surprised. She immediately tapped on the keyboard to secure her position within the security system before getting up and walking to the door.She was still astonished that someone would visit her so late at night.In fact, she was reluctant to open the door. Could it be Hanson?Ivanka had chatted with him for a bit earlier that day. She was not particularly enthusiastic throughout the conversation and only responded to him sporadically.However, when she walked over to the door and saw that the visitor was Michael, she pulled a long face.Panicked, she immediately rushed back to her computer and made a few clicks. After returning to the desktop, she turned off the screen.The doorbell was still ringing. Ivanka eventually returned to the doorstep and opened the door.“Why are you here so late at night?Ivanka was still a little surprised that Michael d
Michael laughed in cold fury. Ivanka was really something!Seeing him like that, a hesitant look flickered in Ivanka’s eyes.After all, she had just hacked his company to access its sensitive data. Besides, he might not believe her.With that in mind, she could only say, “Theodore has wronged me greatly. He killed my father. Her daughter ruined my marriage. His whole family is wicked and amoral. I ought to take revenge. With each layer of security I crack, Theodore pays me a hundred million. If I fail, I don’t have to compensate him.”Michael was speechless.He looked at Ivanka wordlessly.When he heard the part about her ruined marriage, he felt tightness in his chest for some reason.She was earning two billion dollars with ease.Given her skill, she could get it done in one day.Yet, she chose to do it over a few days because she intended to keep Theodore waiting.At that moment, Ivanka was stealing the most important data in Michael’s company. Oddly enough, when he found
“I deserve everything that’s happening to me now. But please don’t involve my family in my mistakes…” Ethan clasped his hands together and sincerely begged everyone to spare his family. Ivanka spared him a brief glance before turning off her cell phone. Although she was helping herself to some meat, Michael could see how she felt at the moment. “Why don’t we…” Michael asked for her opinion. But before he finished speaking, Ivanka interrupted him. “Now that he’s released a video like that, if I continue to hold him accountable, I’d be the one in the wrong.” Michael immediately replied, “I can step in—” “You? It’s better if you don’t. Everyone knows your relationship with me now.” Before Michael could finish his sentence, Ivanka immediately interrupted him. Although they were not officially remarried, Michael often went out with her. If anyone else were to see this, what difference did it make? Michael understood, but he really could not bear to see Ivanka getting bulli
After they finished taking pictures, Ivanka greeted everyone politely. “After finishing your meal, go home early. It’s snowing, so drive safely. Bye…” Ivanka subconsciously reminded them. She belatedly realized she had been acting as though she was really an idol. Nonetheless, she treated them with sincerity. She had not done this for Michael’s sake. She did this mostly for the sake of the innocent, inexperienced young ladies who had yet entered the society. These young ladies raised their phones warily and asked, “Could we take a picture together?” They were so worried that their invitation would be turned down, so much so that when they talked, they almost bit the skin off their lips. Ivanka could not bear to reject them. It had not been easy for her to finally reach the private room. Michael teased her, “Our celebrity finally arrived. It looks like you’d best wear shades wherever you go in the future.” Ivanka glared at him and said gruffly, “Stop teasing me.” She paused
After that, Ivanka politely bowed to the people who had been watching the drama in the main hall. She smiled at them. “Sorry for making a fool of ourselves. We encountered two tricksters who wanted to eat the meals for free by calling themselves the friends of the restaurant owners. It happened that I know the restaurant owner, so we easily uncovered their tricks.” By saying that, Ivanka was able to save the hot pot restaurant’s and the Barkworth family’s reputation. Her statement could result in a win-win situation, and the reason was acceptable. Ivanka continued, “Sorry for causing a stir and affecting your dining mood. I’ll foot the bill for everyone who dined on the first floor. How does that sound?” She was not trying to curry favor with the people or to show off her wealth. She simply did not want the people to hate the wealthy. One could not deny that this method worked. Right after Ivanka made her statement, the crowd thanked her. The commotion was no more than ju
The young lady did not know what to do, so she turned to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager nodded in approval. It was only then that the young lady left the restaurant. Before she left, she glared at Coco. Coco glared back at the young lady and pointed at her viciously. Coco shouted, “Come back! I’m not done with you yet! Who permitted you to leave now?!” The young lady’s body shivered a little. Still, she gnashed her teeth and left. Ivanka watched the young lady’s back as she drifted away. Ivanka stood in Coco’s way because she did not want Coco to chase after the young lady. Ivanka did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. Otherwise, the Barkworth family would be the one who suffered disgrace. After all, Coco stayed in the Barkworth family’s mansion, and everyone knew that Rosie doted on her. If it continued, Ivanka was worried about Rosie’s later years… Ivanka rubbed her temples in resignation. It looked like she needed to resolve the issue as
The restaurant manager thought for a moment before saying, “Ms. Fishbourne, the restaurant has its own rules. Only three types of VIPs could reserve our private rooms while the rest could only enjoy normal seats. I have reasons to believe that our front desk told you the same when you called. We may not have empty seats now, but we’ll have one shortly after.” Coco recalled the situation and remembered that it was exactly like what the restaurant manager had mentioned. So what? Things have changed these days. Coco was no longer an ordinary woman. Her words could even move the earth. With that thought in her mind, Coco chuckled. She kept her tyranny and mockery to herself before locking her little finger with the young lady’s at the front desk. The young lady at the front desk looked down at her finger before glancing at the restaurant manager helplessly. The restaurant manager himself, too, was caught in trouble, so he could not do anything else to defend the young lady. C
Little did Coco know that her behavior was no more like a clown in the crowd’s eyes. Ivanka felt disgusted. Although she could not put herself in Coco’s shoes, she could understand the thoughts of a sensitive person. Ivanka could sympathize with a sensitive and cowardly person. But she could not find herself sympathizing with Coco. Coco’s low self-esteem should not be the reason for her to behave like a crook. Michael, on the other hand, already finished discussing with the restaurant manager and entering the private room. Ivanka lagged behind him. She had no intention of entertaining Coco, much less inviting her to eat together. No doubt that the private room was able to accommodate four people. But based on their relationship, Ivanka thought she had been kind enough to not find fault in Coco, much less eating together. Meanwhile, Coco continued to argue with the restaurant manager. She argued until her face reddened. Although the restaurant manager already made hims
The temperature was above freezing point, so the snowflakes melted before they even reached the ground. The trees were covered in snow. At a glance, they looked like a blanket of pristine snow. The big trees looked as if they had been covered in snow-white new clothes. Ivanka was a little surprised at such a scenery. Even though she often went for business trips in the north and had experienced snow, skied, and various other experiences, it was a rare sight to experience snow in their city. Instead of snow, they looked more like an ice sheet. The snow there was different from the cities in the north. They easily fell on their hair. In just a while, their hair turned snowy white. Ivanka took out her phone and took a photo. Then she shared it with her friends in her WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Michael took photos of Ivanka. Michael hardly posted anything on Twitter. After a moment, he uploaded a photo of Ivanka taking photos of the scenery.The caption was: Experiencing
Michael glanced at Ivanka.Ivanka kept her eyes lowered and focused on nothing in particular. Both of them tacitly agreed not to bring it up.“Let’s go out to eat,” Michael said. Ivanka agreed without hesitation.If they got ready and left at this time, they would be just in time for lunch.She went upstairs to freshen up. Michael did not rush her. He just smiled, as if he was telling her to take her time.Ivanka felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Truthfully, she was the one in a hurry because she was the one starving.Five minutes later, she came back down.She had changed into a long black down coat that reached her ankles. It was practical and warm.But the weather was still unbearably cold. This winter was harsher than usual.“Let’s go.” She rubbed her hands together and looked at Michael.Michael was on his phone. He was smiling and looked relaxed. With just a glance, Ivanka could tell he was probably making a reservation.Their long-standing
Ivanka slept in the next day. By the time she woke up, the sun was already streaming through the window, casting light across her bed and face.In a way, the sunlight had forced her awake.She frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. The brightness left spots in her vision, so she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself before getting out of bed.It was already past 10 a.m.She had no idea how she managed to sleep so much, especially after napping all afternoon the day before.Then again, maybe she was just that exhausted. So much had been going on lately.Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she did not have to go to the office.That was probably why her internal clock had not woken her at seven as usual.Come to think of it, her body’s internal clock was quite accommodating.On workdays, no matter how tired she was, she always woke up at seven sharp. But on weekends, that never happened. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, which was pretty great.She lay in