Ivanka scoffed disdainfully as her gaze turned icy cold.After seeing the proof of the transaction, she continued hacking. She was already ignoring Michael, who was beside her.On the other hand, Michael was surprised by how casually he could interact with Ivanka at the moment.In the past, whenever they interacted with each other, they could never sit down and have a calm conversation. Even though they were not presently talking to each other, their interaction felt calm and peaceful.Meanwhile, everyone in the technical department of Barkworth’s Group was confused. The burly man from before was dumbfounded. “What the f*ck? They’re already up to the eighteenth level! Why isn’t Mr. Barkworth letting us fight back?!”The man with golden-rimmed glasses seemed perplexed, too. He then said, “Mr. Barkworth isn’t even getting involved. He instructed us not to interfere either. There might be some hidden motive behind his decision.”The other people were glued to the computer scre
“You think you know everything! The Three Musketeers are like top dogs worldwide. Barkworth Group’s hacking skills may be impressive, but the Three Musketeers are much better!” Lyla was unconvinced. “Do you think the Three Musketeers can disrupt Barkworth’s Group’s status?”“Of course!” Theodore retorted disdainfully. “You think the Three Musketeers are just amateurs?”“But...!”“We did it! We cracked it! Next up is the twentieth level!” Theodore cut her off as he eagerly looked at the evidence Ivanka sent them. Simultaneously, he texted happily, [I’ll send you the money right away!]He instructed his subordinates to transfer the money. Lyla felt close to collapsing.“You still owe them five billion dollars?! How are you going to get that back later?!”Theodore replied nonchalantly, “Hey, are you implying that my shares won’t make money in the future?”Lyla was at a loss for words.She felt something was off, but she could not help but ask, “Is it really the last level?”
If Michael left it to her, Ivanka would have been able to save time and effort.Even so, she ignored him and messaged Theodore’s message on the computer.Black-eyed Susan: [Failed]It was a concise message. She did not even use punctuation.At that moment, Michael felt slightly sorry for Theodore.After all, twenty billion dollars just went down the drain like that.When Theodore, who had been waiting all night, suddenly received a message, he exclaimed, “She did it!”Although Lyla had been scolding Theodore and thinking he got tricked, at that moment, her heart filled with anticipation. She quickly went over to check out Theodore’s phone.However, it was not the message they were looking for.Theodore was completely dumbfounded. Lyla reacted faster than him. She instantly cried out angrily and stomped on his foot fiercely.“So, this is your idea of success?! She did this purposely at the final level! Theodore, you’re an idiot! How did I end up marrying an idiot like you!”L
When Theodore saw Lyla typing on his phone, he dashed over and tried to snatch his phone back.“You’re crazy! Give me back my phone now!”Lyla clutched the phone tightly. She retorted, “Who’s the crazy one here?! Why can’t you ask for your money back if she can’t deliver? That’s twenty billion dollars! With all the debt you have now, our house will be gone! Theodore, you’ve been a shareholder for a long time. Did you just help others make money? Is earning twenty billion dollars really that easy? How many freakin’ years did it take you to rake in this little cash?!”Theodore frowned and rebuked angrily, “That’s because I didn’t have that much share before! Nor did I have my current status. Haven’t I made bank multiple times this year? Lyla, you must not act rashly! Maybe she just wants to stall me. She’ll eventually agree to crack it for me!”Lyla felt frustrated and said furiously, “In the end, she clearly didn’t want to offend the Barkworth’s Group. She knew when to fold. She jus
Michael quickly returned to his senses and said with a frown, “Nothing.”He stood up abruptly.At that moment, he needed to stay calm.He said in a deep voice, “Don’t forget what you promised me.”Ivanka nodded slightly. “Yeah, got it. I’ll visit Grandma twenty times. Even if you don’t remind me, I’ll still do it.”Without saying anything further, Michael turned and walked out.Ivanka had grown accustomed to Michael’s sudden comings and goings. When she heard the door shut behind her, she stood up and lazily stretched.She picked up her phone, took a shower, and then returned to the bedroom to lie down.She blocked Theodore when she saw him continuously messaging her.Asking for twenty billion dollars was already lenient on her part.However... this was not the end. It was just a temporary advantage for her. She would redouble her efforts to reclaim the company and ensure the Lane family’s failure.Meanwhile, Theodore could not sleep all night.He stayed up all night only t
Michael was already driving to Barkworth’s Group. He was indifferent toward Theodore’s affair.Theodore was insignificant to him, and he had no intention of taking any action against him.If Evan were in the passenger seat, he would probably have noticed that Michael was... in a good mood.Time passed quickly todayWhen he reached his desk, to his surprise, he felt alert and decided to continue working.However, when he saw his computer, images of Ivanka sitting in front of it and focusing on cracking the secrets of Barkworth’s Group, surfaced in his mind.She was able to handle the levels of security so effortlessly. He knew that as long as she was determined to crack them, no one could stop her.Twenty levels might be just a simple game for her; she did not even need to exert much effort.How much more had Ivanka still hidden from him?!He could not fully comprehend his emotions when he found out she was Black-eyed Susan.He used to think she was worthless, greedy, and ruth
Rebecca awkwardly cleared her throat silently.“I’m sorry for losing my composure earlier. I know I shouldn’t have...” Despite feeling guilty, she could not help but speak up again. “But Iv, you’re such a good person. I hate the thought of seeing you get bullied. I wanted to give you a heads-up, but honestly, considering how awesome you are, I don’t think I even need to bother.”Ivanka smiled and nodded, “I understand, Rebecca. You don’t need to explain.”When Rebecca heard this, she grinned and nodded. “I know. Well, just take a look at these files whenever you have time. Let me know if you need anything.”Ivanka then replied, “Okay.”They exchanged a few more words before Rebecca left.After Rebecca left, Ivanka stared at the closed door for a while before returning to work.Time flew by in the blink of an eye for Ivanka in the afternoon.Over the next week, Ivanka visited Rosie three times. She took pictures and sent them to Michael as proof each time. She did not keep track
Ivanka pursed her lips silently. Sandy shook her head again. “Our case is different from theirs. Hanson grew up with us. Our families are very close. Besides, no one would have wanted this to happen. I believe Aunt Emeralda won’t do that to us.” Anna sighed. “Still, I’m worried about it. Logically speaking, Aunt Emeralda won’t do that to us.” Anna looked down after finishing speaking. She still felt guilty for everything she accused of Ivanka that day. Emeralda cared about Hanson more than Anna did. After all, Hanson was her son. Anna grew increasingly worried. Meanwhile, Ivanka was calm. “Regarding the incident that day, it was my fault. It’s normal even if Aunt Emeralda blames and complains about me. Ann, don’t overthink it. Sometimes, we just have to bear the consequences.” Sandy frowned. “We’re friends. Anna, you feel guilty because you treat Hanson as your friend. Iv and Hanson are the ones who decide whether they want to get into a relationship. Since he refused to g
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