She was never his. He had been deceiving himself all along. Since the last time Anna talked to him, he had become much more clear-headed. He had been resisting the urge to reach out to Ivanka. He wanted to see if Ivanka held any feelings for him and if Anna was mistaken about it. As long as Ivanka reached out to him, he could be sure that things were not as he imagined. However, Ivanka had never once taken the initiative to reach out to him. Their relationship had even become somewhat strained. These past few days had been incredibly difficult for him. He was beginning to consider letting go. But he really could not bear to. After seeing this news, he knew it was finally time to let go. While thinking about that, Hanson instinctively took a deep breath before dialing Ivanka’s number. Ivanka, on the other hand, had already adjusted her mindset and was preparing to work for a while. Suddenly, she saw Hanson’s incoming call. She knew immediately why Hanson was callin
Ivanka’s gaze flickered with realization. She knew that Hanson had seen the trending topic.At that moment, he must be feeling very upset.However, she did not know how to tell him.If she explained, it would give him hope, but not explaining would be irresponsible.Just as Ivanka was struggling with how to handle it, Hanson suddenly said in a solemn tone, “Actually, I know. From the very beginning, when you agreed to be with me, it was because you were afraid I wouldn’t wake up.”Ivanka’s expression seemed surprised. “Hanson, you...”Hanson could not help but let out a chuckle, but if she listened carefully, she could hear the desolation in it.“Iv, actually, I had thought about that at that time, but because I loved you too much, I kept deceiving myself. I thought that as long as I didn’t say it out loud, as long as I didn’t think about it further, your wanting to be with me was real.”Ivanka pursed her lips. She was once again not sure what to say, but she also knew that sin
“Hanson, you really don’t have to do this. You don’t need to watch over me.” Ivanka finally spoke. “You need to live your own life, live for yourself, otherwise, you’re not really living.”She wanted to say that if he kept watching over her, his own life would be meaningless.However, she was afraid that saying so would make Hanson misunderstand.Yet, even though she did not say it, Hanson still misunderstood. His breath seemed to tremble. He struggled to speak, “Are you unwilling to even give me the chance to be friends? Iv, I won’t pester you. We will be just like before.”Ivanka’s expression turned concerned. “That’s not what I meant. You misunderstood. We can still be friends. You’ve always been a friend and brother to me. What I meant is that you don’t need to watch over me anymore. It’s too tiring.”Hanson breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to maintain a friendship was already enough for him.But when it came to watching over her, he would not stop. Ivanka was the most i
She pursed her lips silently.Hanson knew it was time to end the conversation. He chuckled. “All right, Iv, I won’t keep you any longer. I hope you won’t avoid me like the plague in the future, and I hope you’ll occasionally reach out to me. Let’s meet up for a meal sometime. Trust me, I’ll keep my feelings in check and remain clear-headed.”Ivanka looked conflicted. She replied, “Okay, I might be busy with work for a while. Once I’m done with that, we can meet up.”“Great, I’ll be waiting for you.” Hanson smiled. “Go ahead and get busy. Bye.”“Bye.” Ivanka replied without further hesitation and hung up the phone.However, after putting down her phone, she appeared doubtful and conflicted.How should she handle things with Hanson from now on?After hesitating for a moment, Ivanka opened WhatsApp and messaged in the group chat with Anna and Sandy.Ivanka: Hanson just called me. He talked things out with me. He knew that I didn’t really mean it when I agreed to date him.Anna: W
As Ivanka was in the elevator, she noticed the peculiar gazes from the other people in the elevator.Every single person was staring at her.Even though she tried to ignore it, she could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Looking at the surrounding faces, she softly asked, “Why are you all looking at me like this?”She began to wonder if there was something on her face or clothes that was drawing attention.Some people, upon hearing her question, quickly averted their gaze.However, there were others who remained silent and continued staring at Ivanka.And some people could not help but speak up, “Ms. Ivanka, are you and Mr. Barkworth rekindling the flame?” Ivanka’s eyes flickered with realization. So, was it because of the trending topic on Twitter?She simply calmly replied, “No.”She answered firmly and decisively.She had no intention of developing any relationship with Michael.The people in the elevator unconsciously turned their gazes back to Ivanka.
Amidst the various expressions of the crowd, Ivanka no longer dwelled on those thoughts. She briskly walked along the path cleared by everyone.At the moment, she only wanted to know what Michael was up to again!Along the way, Ivanka felt the piercing gaze of those people, as if they were daggers.She did not need to look to know that these were the looks from some of the girls.When she reached the company’s entrance, Ivanka’s gaze froze. Her expression turned sour!That scoundrel!No wonder these employees were still there!That was because the path was blocked. No one dared to disrupt it!Underneath the steps, every surface was covered with roses, a sea of red. In the center stood a man dressed in a black suit.Surrounding him were more roses, arranged to spell out the words “To my beloved.”How tacky and nauseating!Yet unbelievably, it was enough to make many girls envious to the point of tears.When Michael spotted Ivanka, he turned to her and said softly, “You’re fi
When Michael spoke to Ivanka, he seemed very gentle. He took the extra step of doing so many things for her.He gave people the impression that he was a warm and caring man, so much so that he deceived many people into thinking that he was an extremely gentle person.However, just now, Michael’s words were laced with razorblades. Even though it was a casual remark, it conveyed a sense of hostility.Even the aura he emitted was much more intense than before.“If you like it, I can give you this kind of romance every day in the future.” Michael looked at her softly. It was as if Ivanka was already his wife.The girls envied her so much!They thought. “How could Mr. Barkworth be so tender? How could he be so gentle? How come we don’t receive such treatment? Oh!”They were so envious of Ivanka!Ivanka frowned. With so many people watching, she did not know how many had already started recording, and people from the press were among them. If this continued, it would be a disaster.
Someone immediately refuted. “Isn’t it common? Mr. Barkworth is at the courting stage. Since Ms. Lane doesn’t want to get back together, of course she will throw a fit.”Everyone discussed among themselves as they watched Michael and Ivanka leave.Someone suddenly pointed out the problem at hand.“Oh my God, look at the roses on the floor. Now that they have left, what about… us?”The others were arguing among themselves earlier on. They quickly came to their senses.Sh*t!The roses were still left all over the floor. How were they going to get out?They could step on the stairs at the company entrance, but what about other places?What if they accidentally stepped on the roses, which was Michael’s gift, and he went berserk?At that point, no one else was in the mood to gossip about him and Ivanka. They just wanted to leave the company and go home.They could gossip at home!…Meanwhile, Michael had strong-armed Ivanka into the car. The moment the car door shut, she immedia
Ivanka understood everything just by looking at Stella’s expression.The drinks and pastries had to be the problem. The weakness and fatigue people were experiencing must have come from consuming them. She tested them with a test strip right away.As expected, they had been poisoned.She had not eaten anything, so she was fine. But she was unsure about Vincenzo, so she checked on him immediately. Thankfully, he was unharmed.Stella let out a deep breath.Before she could say anything, Vincenzo scolded her. “You ran back here and left Njord alone? Hurry up and get back there!”“Yes, Boss!”Stella responded quickly and ran off.Ivanka was about to speak when Michael and Evan rushed in.Michael looked anxious and was breathing heavily.Just like Stella, he was panicking.“Come here. Let me check.” Ivanka nodded at him. She knew how stubborn he was.Michael pursed his lips together and hesitated.But Ivanka had already stepped forward and checked on him. His pulse was weakenin
Vincenzo immediately noticed Michael putting some distance between them.It was not out of fear but respect for Vincenzo’s status. After all, he was Ivanka’s only family.Ivanka walked straight to Vincenzo without sparing Michael a glance.Michael could only stand there and watch her leave.Back at their spot, Vincenzo remained silent. Ivanka, however, felt uneasy.She had only gone to the restroom and had not expected to run into Michael.After some thought, she decided to explain.“Uncle, I didn’t go looking for him.”“You don’t need to explain. Even if you did, that’s your choice. I’ve said what I needed to. The decision is yours.”His tone was calm, but to Ivanka, it sounded like he was upset.She wanted to say more, but Vincenzo spoke first. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not angry. Once the banquet is over, take a few days to rest. Then we’ll head out.”“Alright.”Since he had already said that, there was nothing more to say.Caeser had hosted the banquet to trigger inte
Ivanka saw the grin on Michael’s face and immediately let go of his arm. Her expression darkened with displeasure.Michael looked like he was enjoying her frustration.“I’m not,” he denied at once, quickly adding, “I’m happy because you pulled me away. It shows you care.”Ivanka was speechless.She looked at his smiling face and shook her head. “I just didn’t want you getting into a fight with Mr. George right now. If something happened to you while I was there, I couldn’t just leave. And if I didn’t, that would make me responsible for you.”Michael frowned. “Do you really think I’m that useless?”He had fought Mr. George before and never even saw him as a threat. There was no way someone like that could take him down.“That’s not the point. Mr. George isn’t alone, but you are. This isn’t your territory, Michael. And don’t forget, the drug in your system hasn’t fully cleared, and your gunshot wound—”He cut her off before she could finish.“That injury was a long time ago. I’m
Ivanka had never revealed her identity as Violet Cress. How did Mr. George figure it out just from her treating Caeser?“Mr. Ali, I only gave Mr. Hicks a few herbal prescriptions. It was nothing special.”“Caeser has plenty of skilled doctors, yet none of them could fix his condition. You did so effortlessly. That says a lot. Anyone who can earn his trust must be exceptionally capable. Ms. Ivanka, the Ganoderma Nebula is not something just anyone can use properly, nor does everyone have your level of confidence.”At first, Mr. George had not suspected anything. But after learning about the legendary medical expert, Violet Cress, he started making connections. She was well known by reputation, yet no one had ever seen her face. He had looked into her background and found that she was probably not elderly.There was also the Ganoderma Nebula.So, he made an educated guess.Looking at Ivanka’s calm reaction, he was even more convinced. When he first mentioned it, there had been a fl
A teasing voice broke the moment, interrupting Ivanka and Michael.They turned to look.Standing before them was none other than Mr. George. It had been a while since they last saw him.Michael narrowed his eyes. He had not expected him to show up at Caeser’s banquet.“What? Didn’t learn your lesson last time?” His tone was cold and sharp.As he spoke, he stepped forward. He simultaneously shielded Ivanka behind him.They knew they were in Mirvania, and Vincenzo was nearby. No matter what Mr. George was planning, he would not dare make a move under Vincenzo’s watch.Still, Michael’s reaction was instinctive.“No hard feelings, right? Isn’t this how friendships start?” Mr. George replied indifferently. He stepped to the side and looked at Ivanka.“Friends?” Ivanka let out a sharp laugh. “Be honest, Mr. George. Do you really think we could ever be friends?”She had taken the Ganoderma Nebula. He had tried to steal it by sending his men. She had turned five of them against him a
Ivanka tried to step aside, but Michael blocked her path.The acrid smell of smoke hit her.She instinctively covered her nose and mouth.Michael saw her reaction and put out his cigarette.“If I talk through a third party and they can’t get my point across to my subordinates, wouldn’t it be better to handle it myself?”Ivanka frowned. “Is this really the time to talk about this?”She thought about pushing him away, but she decided against it.“I know it’s not. I also know you did all that to make me give up. But I won’t. It will just hurt.”His voice was hoarse and tinged with sorrow.He looked heartbroken.If this had been before, she might have felt bad for him. But at that moment, she felt nothing. She said calmly, “That’s your problem, not mine. If you want to keep getting knocked out and run around like this, be my guest.”She stepped forward and pulled out her phone.Michael knew exactly what she meant. If he kept blocking her way, she would call Njord, Stella, and t
“Alright, go back to the casino and wait for my order.”The fight between Tanya and Blake had revealed how fragile their relationship was. If Tanya thought the stranger she met at the party was reliable, she would try to leave Blake.She would have thought that she had gotten her freedom. But in fact, it was just another circle of hell awaiting her.By then, Tanya would suffer a worse fate than death.That was what Ivanka wanted to see.After all, Tanya had disguised herself as Ivanka and put a stain on her reputation for a time. Moreover, Tanya was still planning to come after her and Michael.Ivanka would not intervene in the feud between Tanya and Michael, but since she had run into Tanya at the party, she would like to settle the score between her and Tanya.“That’s your plan?”As Ivanka hung up, Vincent could not help frowning.He knew what she was up to when she had asked Njord to assign the job to a man.But the progress was too slow!Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Yeah
Tanya was not a fool.Seeing Tanya’s reaction, the man smiled calmly and said, “Seriously? He’s just your boyfriend. He can’t possibly stop you from making friends, right?”Tanya ignored him and kept walking.She reached a junction and took out her phone to book a ride. But the Hicks family’s mansion was on the hillside. Moreover, Caeser had contacted the Ministry of Transport to impose traffic control in the area. Apart from those who attended the party, no one else’s vehicle was allowed to enter.Seeing that there was not a single car around, Tanya had no choice but to walk down the hill.Blake had told her to get lost, so she would not go back to the mansion to ask for his help.She walked for about five minutes. High heels were not made for long-distance walks, and she was in a long evening gown. She held a little purse that contained her phone, lipstick, a small packet of tissues, and nothing else. Worse still, she could not tear off the long hem of her gown.Tanya had no c
What Blake said struck a chord with Tanya.Her expression was cold, and the look in her eyes was vicious.She did not even love Blake, so everything he did had nothing to do with her. She did not care if he was involved with other women.“Do you have anything else to say? I don’t think I need to be at this party for long.” Tanya averted her gaze so that she did not have to look Blake in the eye.She had made her point clear. If he did not need her around, she would take her leave for the night.Naturally, Blake knew what she meant to say.“Get lost then!”He yelled at Tanya right away. She did not even spare him a look before lifting the hem of her dress, turning around, and walking away.Blake’s voice was filled with disgust, hatred, and rage. But Tanya could not care less about how he felt.She had come to the party with Blake, who arranged their ride. The Hicks, who organized this party, had prepared a parking lot for the guests. There were cars arranged neatly across the p