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
Lyla did not believe for a moment that Mindy had any genuine intention of visiting her daughter.As she spoke, Lyla scrutinized Mindy. She felt a level of nervousness that perhaps no one else could comprehend. While she worried, Mindy spoke up.“Nothing much.”Lyla sighed in relief. It seemed that Mindy was unaware of it, or perhaps she had no intention of holding them accountable, maybe due to lack of evidence?“I just wanted to drop by and see how you all were doing. If it’s not convenient, I’ll leave then.” Mindy’s tone was nonchalant, but beneath the calmness of her eyes lay an inscrutable depth.Lyla furrowed her brow instinctively. She wanted to ask what exactly Mindy meant by coming here, but she could not ask her directly. Saying too much might arouse suspicion, and Mindy may be here today to test her.With that in mind, Lyla decided not to engage in further conversation with Mindy. She simply nodded.“Thank you for making the effort to come, Mrs. Barkworth.”Mindy glan
He was dressed in a black tracksuit, with sunlight bathing on him. At this moment, he looked even more like a radiant youth. He was dazzling and impossible to look away from.“Hi, what a small world.”“Darn it! You scared the hell out of me!” Sandy was genuinely startled. She could not help but punch his shoulder after she said that.Ivan burst into laughter. Flashing his bright white teeth, he grinned at Sandy and said, “You’re getting rougher and rougher. But I get it, hitting is affection, scolding is love. Am I right?”Sandy glared at him angrily. “Are you insane?”“Look at you, I just said, hitting is affection, scolding is love! And now you’re scolding me again. I can tell, you truly love me.”Sandy was fuming!“You’re crazy! You keep popping up out of nowhere, saying these weird things. Aren’t you afraid this would upset your girlfriend?”Ivan casually rested his hand on the back of Sandy’s chair, which caused her to immediately shift forward as she was afraid of being p
Ivanka sensed something was off and followed Sandy’s gaze, only to find Michael already sitting beside her.Her expression immediately darkened.Seeing Michael, Ivan did not seem surprised at all. He lounged back in his chair with his legs crossed and casually rested his right hand on the back of Sandy’s chair with a demeanor of nonchalance.However, the words that came out of his mouth were prickling. “Hey, Mr. Barkworth, what are the odds of seeing you here?”Sandy snorted. “Who are you trying to fool with this act? Even an idiot could tell that you two came here together.”Ivan could not help but let out a chuckle. He leaned in toward Sandy and teased her. “Why are you calling yourself an idiot? You’re still a young girl. Don’t say that about yourself.”“Screw you!” Sandy cursed angrily. She was not one to use foul language much when she was with Ivanka and the others.However, she could not contain her rage against Ivan.This jerk had been trying to snatch that thing from h
Just as Ivan finished speaking, the atmosphere around them suddenly became tense.Ivan did not know how to respond to that.Michael swiftly stood up and walked away.“Hey, hey, hey...” Ivan’s expression seemed to darken more. Giving up when he could not win, oh, his darn ego. This stubborn man might never win Ivanka back for the rest of his life.While Ivan muttered to himself, he got up and hurried after Michael. However, before leaving, he glanced back at Ivanka and Sandy and flashed a grin. “Until next time!”“Never again!” Sandy responded without hesitation, while Ivanka could not help but curl her lips. She seemed to be suppressing a chuckle.Ivan immediately pointed a finger at Sandy. Seeing Michael had already walked far ahead, he quickly caught up with him.Sandy snorted coldly. “B*stard! Always eyeing my stuff! Can’t he just give up already?”Ivanka sighed with resignation. “The relationship between you two is actually quite complicated.”“I don’t care! Even if she’s
Ivanka pursed her lips and chose to remain silent.The situation was indeed as it was: at an impasse. Neither party was willing to back down or compromise. It seemed there was no other option but to continue this way.The food arrived shortly after. Sandy took a whiff of the fragrant pasta in her bowl and smiled. “Smells so good! Let’s dig in!”Ivanka nodded and smiled. “Agreed.”They said nothing more about Ivan. After eating, Sandy could not help but look at Ivanka. “Iv, what’s going on with Michael just now? He…”Sandy did not finish the rest of her sentence. She did not know how to continue.Ivanka frowned. “He wants to remarry me.”Sandy’s eyes widened in disbelief.She exclaimed loudly. “Holy mother of God! Seriously? He actually wants to…”She stopped abruptly and covered her mouth with her hand. She was afraid she could not hold herself back and finish the rest of her sentence. Many nearby diners had already turned their attention toward them.Ivanka felt nervous fo
After saying that, Sandy felt helpless for Ivanka. It was true that she should find a way, but what solutions could there be?With Jonah, Ivanka had always been firm in her refusal, but at work, there were always personal favors and business matters involved.As for Michael, he actively sought Ivanka out and kept pestering her.It was the same with Hanson.Anyone would feel overwhelmed in her shoes.No matter how you turned them away, they still came knocking at your door. What could be done in such a situation?Sandy sighed with resignation. “I’m starting to feel sorry for you. You’re really in a tough spot.”Ivanka raised her hand and gently pressed her temples. “It’s okay. I’ll take it one step at a time and solve each issue as it comes.”There was nothing else she could do anyway.Sandy nodded. She was unsure of what to say for a moment. They sat together on the sofa. Ivanka turned on the television.But before she could play anything, her phone suddenly rang.Ivanka anx
Hanson sighed with what felt like resignation. “Actually, someone will escort me all the way there. I won’t run into any trouble. As for cooking, you’re aware of my condition. Iv, trust me. I’m not that fragile.”Sandy was a little conflicted. She opened her mouth, only to find that she was at a loss for words.Ivanka, however, said softly, “We’ll meet when you’re fully recovered, Hanson. You must take good care of your health.”A glimmer of emotions flashed in Hanson’s eyes. He eventually said in defeat, “Alright then.”They were still on the phone, but both of them fell silent.Ivanka did not know what else to say. Hanson had so much to say to her but did not know how to articulate it.Even Sandy felt rather awkward. But in the next second, an idea came to her. She hurried to a corner and raised her voice. “Iv, come help me out with this! How should I sort these things out?”Ivanka’s lips slowly curled into a smile. Her friend was most helpful at a moment like this. Hanson mus
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