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
Evan looked at the employees and said calmly, “Everyone, Ms. Lane will go over the plans we have for this collaboration. If there are any issues, or if you have any opinions, you may voice them after she is done.”No one said a word. Evan turned to Ivanka and nodded.She inserted her flash drive into a laptop and projected the screen.Michael’s gaze fell on her slim, fair hands. He could not help recalling the day he watched her hack his company’s security system.Ivanka did not look at Michael before immediately starting her presentation.Everyone listened closely. Some of them were increasingly impressed and surprised by her idea.They had heard that Ivanka had come up with this entire plan on her own.It caused quite a stir. Even if no one said it aloud, Barkworth’s Group and Sadler’s Group had known about this. Even the people in Lane’s Group were talking about it.But these employees only found out about the details of the plan during this meeting.Ivanka spent two hours
Veta asked this question for the sake of the project as a whole.Ivanka glanced at Michael from the corner of her eye and noticed that he did not intend to say anything. He wanted her to solve this problem herself.If she was not aggressive in this situation, her job would become much harder afterward.If this project had nothing to do with Ivanka, she might not care much about the question. She could push the responsibility to someone else and say that it was Michael who invited her over, and there was nothing she could do about it.But if this project brought them a ton of revenue, Ivanka could secure her position in Lane’s Group.Under everyone’s gaze, she said calmly, “Ms. Lopez, do you doubt my ability to lead the team because you have never heard of my experience in this regard?”“George McClellan, for example, was one of those generals who looked ‘good on paper’, so everybody said. But when it came to the actual battle, things would inevitably go wrong. Our project is a hu
Checkmate!Veta was indeed in charge of this aspect of the project.Earlier on, when she brought this matter up, she had meant to challenge Ivanka a little. But since Ivanka had pointed out this fact, Veta could not keep pushing, or else it would reflect badly on her ability. It was her job, after all.Veta nodded. “Yes, good point. Let’s move on to the second question.”No one else said a word. Deep down, they were excited to see what happened next.They thought. “Indeed, Ivanka is competent.”She was a prodigy in every aspect.Ivanka nodded without a word.Veta cleared her throat and said, “I notice that the late stage of the project requires many talents. We need at least over two hundred people, the best from each industry. Although our company is never short of talented people, we still need those with different expertise. I wonder what you do about this issue?”“When it comes to talent acquisition, I’ll take care of it myself. Those who meet the requirements will be hi
As expected, Michael averted his emotionless gaze from Ivanka and turned to the others.“We’ll begin executing the plan tomorrow. Everyone will cooperate with Ms. Lane and listen to her.”“Sure, boss.”Some people responded, while some nodded.Ivanka, on the other hand, said nothing. After talking for so long, her throat felt a little parched.In the next moment, Michael got up and left the room.Evan immediately said, “The meeting is adjourned. You all may get ready for the work we’re about to do.”The staff said nothing. They gathered the documents they had brought and left one after another.Ivanka was assigned to Barkworth’s Group as a director rather than starting her career in this company. Everyone’s attitude toward her varied. Some were neutral. Some disliked her because they thought she was all empty talk. Some chose to observe her and did not get involved. She did not care about their thoughts and actions.After all, there were always challenges in everything she d
Michael opened the document, which contained a bunch of data.This was not in Ivanka’s job scope at all.The sight of the document puzzled her as well.“Have a look at the data. It needs two people working together to crack the software. Help me out?“ Michael’s voice sounded calm. Even though she was asking for her help, his tone of voice did not sound that way. To be even more accurate, his request sounded like an order. Just as she hesitated for a moment, Michael had already taken out a laptop from his drawer and handed it over.Ivanka was speechless. Still, she took the laptop. Since Michael had not stopped her when she hacked his company’s security system a while ago, she opened the laptop calmly.Michael gave her the flash drive, and she opened it as well. Then, the two of them started cracking the software.The only noise in the quiet office was the sound of them tapping on the keyboards.The two of them were staring at the computers attentively. As they cracked the soft
Ivanka pursed her lips and did not bother to say anything. She ignored Michael as she stood up and walked away.Michael remained seated and motionless as he watched the leaving Ivanka with an intensely piercing gaze. Others would have succumbed to the pressure with trembling legs and shaking hands, but not Ivanka; she stormed off. She could not stand him any longer.In the past, she would have felt sad because he did not like her. But she felt extremely disappointed because everything he did seemed to be motivated by selfish motives. She realized how blind she had been.However, if Jonah had said those things instead, Ivanka would not become overly angry or upset.Even though his intentions were more obvious than Michael’s, she considered it normal.Perhaps it was because the expectations from someone you once loved were different.Realizing that the person she once loved had become someone terrifying made her feel indescribably agitated.Once she was back in her offic
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