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
Everyone turned to Ivanka. Since David had spoken up, those who sought his favor would not let this pass.Jake, a young man in his early thirties, turned to Ivanka and said without hesitation, “Ms. Ivanka, Mr. David did nothing wrong. We also feel that your handling of this matter is inappropriate. During the interviews, you mentioned how, besides skills, you also consider the person’s character. We do agree with you. However, today’s candidate seemed quite peculiar in terms of his personality. Yet you simply went ahead and hired him without a second thought. You even gave him a pay raise.”He paused intentionally before continuing, “Not only did you put Mr. David in an awkward position, but you also criticized him in front of so many people. How is this his fault?”David had the upper hand when it came to winning people over to his side. After all, he was a senior figure in the company and excelled in terms of his capabilities in the industry. Moreover, he worked in Barkworth’s G
Jack was speechless as his face turned red.He then said angrily, “Everyone’s just having a regular meeting. Ms. Ivanka. Why are you recording it? You know that’s illegal, right?”Ivanka pursed her lips and said, “Illegal?”The expressions of the other people in the meeting changed.Rachel Adams, a lady who admired Ivanka, looked at Jack and said annoyedly, “Did you not sleep well last night? Why are you always so confused? Ms. Ivanka is Iris. Surely she knows what she can and cannot do.”She did not directly say it, but what she meant to ask was, “Was he stupid or something?!”“I—” For a moment, he was at a loss for words.David’s expression darkened.Even though Rachel did not mention his name, David felt implicated because he was the one who brought this topic up first.He clenched his fists under the table, struggling to control his anger.Ivanka looked calmly at David. “Mr. David, what do you think?”He had been vetoing her from the start.Even though he was just the
“Whatever Mr. David did in this department before has nothing to do with me. But from now on, anything under my leadership is all on me,” said Ivanka as her voice remained firm.David’s expression soured further, while Ivanka coldly surveyed everyone.“Michael’s orders for you are to obey me without question. Remember this rule. I won’t screw over anyone even if there’s a financial loss. It’s just because Michael has more money than sense. He’s willing to trust me, so you all have no choice but to obey.”What she said sounded presumptuous, but nobody thought she took advantage of Michael’s authority to do as she pleased.Instead, the attendees were overwhelmed by her dominance.She even openly addressed him by name and stated that he had more money than sense...This stirred up various emotions among many people in the meeting.What was more, Evan was in the meeting as well!Would he tell Michael what Ivanka said?At that moment, everyone looked at him discreetly.To their su
For some reason, everyone in the meeting felt envious.Some sneered inwardly, “Did she seriously think she could get away with anything just because she has got a bit of talent? Would Michael let her have her way?”Michael and Ivanka were locked in a silent gaze, both with cold and indifferent expressions.For some reason, the rest of the people in the meeting room felt as if they were non-existent to the two of them, unable to blend in anymore.No one dared to even take a deep breath. They were uncertain about Michael’s mood. In fact, some had already begun to fear his wrath might be unleashed upon them.Amidst everyone’s contemplation, Michael turned to look at them and said nonchalantly, “Did you all hear that?”Everyone was at a loss for words.They were bewildered and wondered if they had misheard him.But the next moment, they realized he was actually agreeing with Ivanka’s approach!Seriously? How could he?!David was the last to come back to his senses. He was so f
Michael ignored everyone as he continued to watch Ivanka until she was out of his sight.As he stood up, Evan also rose from his seat and glanced at his watch before saying, “It’s getting late. Let’s head back and get back to work.”No one uttered a word as Evan followed Michael out.They were moving sluggishly in the meeting room as they exchanged glances.One of them could not help but say, “From now on, let’s just obediently follow orders, or else we might really face consequences.”David’s expression darkened. Even so, he had no dignity left. Michael had stripped him out of it just to protect that flower vase!He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger as he walked out briskly.Many people in the room looked at him with contemptuous smirks.His good times there would eventually come to an end if this continued.He deserved it.Jake, who previously spoke up for David, was now nervous and confused. He walked out in a daze, unsure what to do next. ... The entire comp
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