That afternoon, they said this matter had to be confidential, and no one else could know about it. Hanson immediately let out a sigh of relief when he heard this. “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just checking. What are you doing?” “Driving.” “Hm? Where are you going this late?” “I just ate with my colleagues at the office. I’m coming back.” In reality, she was not going back. She was going to visit Rosie. However, Rosie was from the Barkworth family. She was her ex-husband’s grandmother. Saying it outright might make Hanson feel bad. She did not want to get him too worked up. Hanson’s gaze flickered. “I see. Since you’re driving, be careful on the road.” “Alright.” Ivanka had no plans to ask him to stay at all. Though Hanson was a little disappointed, he could only ask her to take care of herself and hung up. He subconsciously gripped his phone. The fear in his heart continued to build up. “Iv… were you really lying to me?” Hanson looked down at his phone’s screen
Ivanka smiled and looked at Rosie. “Grandma, shall we continue to walk further up?”Rosie instantly nodded excitedly. “Yeah, let’s go.”Michael was silent. Looks like what he said to Rosie earlier was futile after all.Otherwise, she would have just been disgusted at the sight of him.That was proof enough that she did not care about this matter anymore. Without Rosie’s guidance and help, things would become harder for Michael. He has never faced any setbacks before, so why was he facing them now?Michael frowned slightly. He had a bad feeling about this.He did not say anything and strode up to follow them. He maintained a distance from them both while also remaining in their line of sight.Ivanka was used to many things. Moreover, she was on speaking terms with Michael, and they still had to work together in the future. It was not too awkward. Just then, they stopped in front of a Black-eyed Susan.Rosie was a little surprised to see the flower. “Why is a flower like
If the bystanders heard Rosie say this, they would probably look at her oddly.Only Rosie would dare to say such a thing. Who else would dare to?Mr. Barkworth was not attractive? What a joke. The line of women who liked Michael would overflow Bostone, and it would even spill into multiple states around it. How many women would kill to get married to Michael, but they never caught his eye? Rosie glanced at her grandson and said with mild concern. “So, what’s the situation in the company now?”Ivanka was silent. Michael, on the other hand, said calmly. “Everything is fine. The other party cracked up to the last layer and gave up.”“Gave up on the last layer? They could get to the 19th layer but gave up on the last one?” Rosie felt like something was amiss there. “Mm.” Michael did not go into the details. “You don’t need to worry too much about things in the office.”“Hmph. I’m just curious. What does the company getting bankrupt have to do with me? Things are not as goo
Rosie truly felt that it was a pity, but she already knew that she could not continue persuading her. “Alright then, it’s late. I won’t keep you any longer. Go home earlier. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be safe too late at night.” Ivanka smiled and nodded. Just as she was about to say something, Michael had beaten her to it. “I’ll send her back. There’s some work matters I need to discuss with her.” Ivanka frowned. She balked at this. But at the thought of their partnership soon, he might really need to brief her as her boss. She did not say anything either. Rosie was suspicious and wanted to say something. But at the sight of Ivanka’s mood, she kept quiet and did not make a sound. Ivanka smiled at Rosie. “I’ll take my leave then Grandma” “Alright. Come over when you’re free, Iv. But you don’t need to come to visit when you’re very busy. Your work comes first.” Ivanka smiled and nodded. “Yep. I understand.” Just like that, with some small talk, Michael and Ivanka left toge
Immediately afterward, he saw a man in a royal blue suit with a slender and upright figure. He was looking straight at Ivanka. Ivanka saw him stride over once she turned to look. There was a food box in his hand too. She was stunned. Why was he here?Michael had just opened the car door when he heard that man’s soft voice. “Why are you home so late?” Michael’s expression turned absolutely chilling! Ivanka spoke with a calm expression. “I had something to do. Why have you come here?” “I’m here for you.” There was a gentle smile on Jonah’s face. Michael looked at Jonah coldly. “Do you think it’s appropriate at this late hour?” The voice suddenly rang out abruptly, but it did not surprise Jonah. After all, he knew this was Michael’s car. Jonah narrowed his eyes, as he kept smiling elegantly. “What a coincidence, you are here too, Mr. Barkworth.” Michael’s sharp gaze flashed toward him. His gaze was chilly. He had no intention of paying attention to Jonah. Jona
Michael looked at Jonah coldly. He did not want to waste time with him here. But at the thought of Jonah looking for Ivanka again once he left, he frowned. Suddenly, he stood still and did not move.Jonah seemed to have the same thought as Michael. He just smiled. “Why don’t we have supper together?” Michael frowned slightly. Clearly, he did not want to agree, much less spend time with him. However, his desire to defend Ivanka was stronger. He took a breath and said calmly, “Okay.” Jonah smiled wordlessly. The two of them each went back to their respective cars and drove off together. Ivanka went to the balcony and saw this scene until she could no longer see their cars. Then she withdrew her gaze and pulled the curtains back. She was going to take a shower and then rest. It was also kind of satisfying now that everything was going in the direction she had hoped. On the other hand, the two men were not so happy. Michael simply did not want to eat with him. However, he
Chiara understood her own mother. She would not be acting like this if something big had not happened. She could usually handle them. Moreover, whenever she ran into trouble, her mother kept trying to find ways to help her deal with all kinds of things. Her mother’s state of mind was still good, regardless of whether she succeeded or not. But now, she was completely off. Even Chiara could feel that she was holding back.“Nothing much happened. All you need to do is just to get well. You don’t need to worry about them.” Lyla forced a smile at Chiara and spoke with a calm expression.“At this point, what can’t I accept? If you don’t tell me, it’s one less person to bounce ideas off of. No matter when or where we are, we’re family. How many outsiders could be of help?”Lyla’s anger seemed to grow even more. Did they still need outsiders to do anything else? Theodore alone was enough! If not for him, how could something like this happen at home? Now that she thought about it, sh
Therefore, she was completely cut off from contact with the outside world. Every day, all she could see was trash on her phone. So, she had no idea what was happening at the company.“Where is Dad? He hasn’t come to see me lately.”She asked casually, but Lyla looked slightly annoyed as she said, “He’s been tied up with a lot of things lately. He probably doesn’t have time to visit you.”Chiara frowned again. Lyla could only sigh. “The company has a lot on its plate right now. Ivanka is still running amok. She has gained many supporters. Your dad has been worrying about these things lately. Chiara, he really doesn’t have time to come see you.”Lyla was really worried that Chiara might get too worked up again. After all, even if she did not lose it this time, she was teetering on the edge.Chiara frowned. “Was this all that was bothering you earlier?”“Yes.” Lyla sighed resignedly.Chiara continued to stare at her. She still felt that something was off.Her mother’s expression w
Ivanka nodded. What Rosie said was true. Rosie continued, “If Michael were the stranger, why are you resisting him and feeling helpless?” Ivanka was stunned. It was a fact. If a stranger courted her relentlessly, Ivanka would only find them annoying. But she would not resist them. Only she knew the reason she refused to accept them. But when it came to Michael, she treated him differently. From the bottom of her heart, she refused to give him a fair chance to court her. Was it because she was worried that her heart would move for him? Ivanka was startled by the thought. She shook her head as if trying to get that ridiculous thought out. When Rosie saw this, she chuckled. Ivanka was a smart woman. It was sufficient to say all that; too much would be meaningless. Rosie looked up at the moon. She could not help but sigh. “Tonight’s a beautiful moon night. Unfortunately, it’s time for me to go to bed.” After Rosie finished her sentence, she headed to her room. Ivanka
On the other hand, Ivanka had no idea her best friend had “betrayed” her. She helped Rosie into the bedroom. When they passed the garden, Rosie suggested walking inside it. Ivanka was too embarrassed to reject her. So, they came to the garden. The gardeners attended and trimmed the garden daily. It was naturally a sight to behold. There were many rare plants in the garden. Of course, there were also some rare herbal plants in the garden. Ivanka had planted them, and the herbal plants were flourishing. There was a botanical garden encircled within the garden. It contained the herbal plants used to nourish Rosie’s health. While they were walking along the path, the fragrance of flowers, the earthy smell of the soil, and the faint aroma of the herbal plants entered their nostrils. The fragrance lifted their spirits. On top of that, the fragrance could refresh one’s mind. Rosie felt more refreshed as she walked down the path in the garden. She grabbed Ivanka and shared
Within the blink of an eye, it was already 12 a.m.. Ivanka noticed that Rosie had been yawning but still refused to go to bed. Ivanka knew why. While they were chatting, Ivanka occasionally turned to Rosie. While Rosie was wiping off her basal tears, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances. Ivanka sat beside Rosie and patted her hands gently. Rosie looked more alert, but her eyes were still a little blurry and appeared bloodshot. She had dark rings beneath her eyes. In spite of her exquisite makeup, her dark eye rings were still visible. Of course, it was only visible when Ivanka looked closer at her. Seeing this, Ivanka’s heart ached more for Rosie. Ivanka believed Rosie must have stayed up late or had insomnia when she and Michael went missing. Rosie wanted to receive first-hand information about the missing duo, but she was also worried that she would not be able to face reality. After struggling and battling with her inner conflicts for a month, Rosie’s health de
Speaking of which, this was Michael’s first time seeing Ivanka looking this helpless, and he found this a novelty. Whenever Rosie said things like that, Ivanka usually looked expressionless. She either looked calm, or she pretended to be deaf. Based on her unease and embarrassed look, did that mean her heart began to move for Michael? With that thought in his mind, Michael was eager to find out the answer. At that moment, they heard Candice’s voice. “Why are you staying outside? Did I come at a bad time? I thought I could have dinner immediately after I returned from work.” Ivanka and her group turned around and saw Candice standing not far away from them. She smiled as she looked at them. When Candice noticed Rosie’s teary eyes, she looked surprised and approached them. “Grandma has a sharp tongue, but she’s soft-hearted. She said the two of you were so cruel that you left her and a whole mess behind. She said she would teach you a lesson when you return.” While speaki
Everything had been fine just a moment ago.Why had she suddenly started to distance herself from him?It was probably true that a woman’s mind was unpredictable. Even a strong woman was no exception.Soon, they arrived at the Barkworth family’s mansion.Michael wanted to get out first and open the door for Ivanka, but she stopped him by tapping her soft hand on his shoulder.He looked down at her hand and then looked at her.“Don’t get out yet. I’ll grab a coat for you from inside and come back.”Michael wanted to refuse, but Ivanka had already exited the car.He watched her walk away. He then leaned back against the seat and felt a wave of relaxation.It felt as though he had finally found someone who had his back.He could not help but find it funny when he thought about it. He glanced at the spot where Ivanka had touched his hand and chuckled quietly.In the front seat, the driver felt so awkward about what he had just witnessed that he wished he could hide behind the st
The motorcycle approached them with no sign of slowing down.Michael’s expression turned grim. He quickly pulled Ivanka to the side and turned to shield her with his back.Ivanka felt a sudden spin. By the time she regained her balance, she found herself in Michael’s arms.His embrace was warm and strong. She could smell his familiar scent.It felt as if everything around them had slowed down.Then she heard the sound of water splashing on Michael. She pulled away from his embrace.Michael felt his arm grow light and stared at the empty space where she had been. He could still feel her warmth lingering.He shifted his gaze to Ivanka.Before she could speak, he quickly asked, “Are you okay? Did you get splashed?”She blinked and shook her head.“I’m fine. What about you?”He shook his head, but she did not buy it. She was sure the sound of the water splashing had been loud. There was no way he was not wet.Without hesitation, she grabbed his arm and turned him around.His b
Both Ivanka and Michael walked side by side as they maintained just the right distance between them. They looked great together, and their presence naturally attracted many gazes.It was worth mentioning that it was difficult to tell whether Michael did this on purpose or if it was just a coincidence.Both of them wore black trench coats that day. The styles were quite similar. This made them look even more like a couple in matching outfits.Ivanka’s wavy hair and red lips were striking. The beauty mark by her eye was the perfect finishing touch, which made her look stunning.Despite her beauty, Michael standing beside her did not go unnoticed either. He seemed to be a perfect complement to her.They looked like a perfect match.Ivanka noticed it but said nothing.Michael broke the silence and asked about Ferris and Mandy.“What are you going to do about Ferris and Mandy?”Ivanka did not answer right away.Michael continued, “Just having them arrested seems like getting off t
Mandy was rushed to the hospital.She fainted, but Ferris was not as fortunate.It seemed that he could not accept the fact that he had kicked his own child. He kept shaking his head and muttering, “This can’t be. How could this happen?”He looked like he was losing it.However, the law would not overlook his actions just because of his mental state.Ivanka had seen enough of their mess and was no longer interested in watching them tear each other apart. She asked the police to explain why they were there.“Mr. Clark, Ms. Ivanka has filed a report requesting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding her fall into the water. Following our preliminary inquiry, both you and Ms. Mandy are now considered suspects. We are required to take you both in for further questioning.”Ferris did not respond. He was still unable to process what had just happened.The police followed protocol and arrested him.Ferris was led away with his hands cuffed. He was completely dazed.N
Still, Ferris kept quiet. However, the others in the room did not.A portly shareholder stood up, smacked his lips, and forced a flattering smile. “Isn’t it obvious? Ferris wants to take your place, Ms. Ivanka. Everyone can see it. He’s nothing but a complete traitor!”Once he spoke up, the rest quickly chimed in.“Yeah, he’s a traitor!”Ferris looked around the room. He already knew these people were untrustworthy, but he had not expected them to turn on him so easily.Ivanka, on the other hand, did not seem surprised.She had not taken any action on Ferris and Mandy because she wanted to watch the chaos unfold. These shareholders had sided with Ferris when she was gone, and they switched back just as quickly when she returned.Ferris was no fool. He knew that too. But the sense of isolation he felt at that moment drove him into despair.Still, he was not one to back down easily.He spat in the portly shareholder’s face.“And who the hell are you?” Ferris sneered. “You were