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 had been to Michael’s office before. This was almost a carbon copy.He never liked owning the same things as others, so what was he really up to? Ivanka furrowed her brows slightly, and there was a puzzled look in her eyes.In order to make her remarry him, Michael had surely made a lot of sacrifices.Ivanka did not check out the private break room. Instead, she went over to the chair and sat down. Turning on the computer, she pulled up the data from her flash drive and examined it. Once she made sure there was nothing out of the ordinary, she took out her document folder.The telephone on the desk suddenly rang, and Ivanka snapped out of her reverie. She picked up the handset.“Hello.”“Ms. Lane, we have informed the staff over here. You may now come to the meeting room on the top floor. The meeting will begin in about ten minutes.Evan’s voice was as polite as usual. Ivanka replied, “Okay.”After hanging up, Ivanka gathered her documents and went over to the meeting
“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