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
Emeralda knew Hanson had a crush on Ivanka since high school. After Emeralda learned about it, she gave her consent to have the two of them get together. After all, they were a good match for each other. Unfortunately, it did not happen that way. Emeralda sighed silently. Ivanka sighed. She turned to Emerald and saw her smiling gently. Emeralda did not look as cool as she usually did. A hint of guilt and complication grew stronger in Ivanka’s eyes. “Aunt Emeralda, you know my current situation. I’m no longer a match for Hanson.” Emeralda’s eyes flickered with some emotions. She subconsciously turned to Ivanka. “We don’t mind about it.” Ivanka was a little stunned. Both Anna and Sandy looked slightly puzzled. Even though the trio was close with Hanson, they had little contact with his family. Hence, the trio did not know his parents well. Emeralda obviously did not mind that Ivanka was a divorced woman. As long as they were willing, they consented to Ivanka to be togethe
Ivanka’s eyes flashed with guilt. “Ms. Emeralda. Sorry. I was the one who caused the trouble, yet you have to bear the consequences on my behalf. Unfortunately, I’m truly at my wits’ end. I’m worried that he’ll become agitated again if I tell him all this.” Anna sighed. “She’s right. Based on Hanson’s condition, he can’t afford to be agitated again. On the other hand, if this continues, he’ll find out the truth eventually. I hope he’s mentally prepared for this and won’t collapse after knowing about it in the future.” Sandy pursed her lips. After sipping some orange juice, she could not help but say resignedly, “Hanson is truly a loyal man. He has been in love with Iv for so many years, and his love for her has never changed. If he opens another window, he will learn that there’s a woman whose love runs as deep as his and has always been very fond of him.” Emeralda was a little surprised. When she saw Sandy turning to Anna, Emeralda rested her gaze on Anna in puzzlement. Anna cou
“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