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
Michael froze instantly.He gazed at Ivanka coldly.She seemed calm and composed. One could not tell that she was getting back at Michael at all.Rosie looked at Michael in shock. “What’s the surprise?”Michael forced a smile. “I can’t tell you, of course.”“Then you should at least reveal it here. I want to see it with Ivanka.”Mockery flashed in Ivanka’s eyes. She knew that Michael had prepared nothing. In that case, she ought to insist on getting a surprise. He was a man of his word, right?Seeing him in a bind pleased her.Michael said nothing and kept eating.Meanwhile, Ivanka smiled. “Perhaps he has not prepared anything. We were just putting on a show in front of the others. He said that to justify my departure.”Rosie immediately frowned and looked at Ivanka unhappily. “You must put your money where your mouth is. Didn’t I always teach you that since you were young? Now that you’re grown up, you have forgotten about that?”Michael pressed his lips together tightly, b
Michael was so angry that he guffawed. He looked at Ivanka. “You’re right. So I’ll post about the surprise I’m about to give you and let everyone see I’m not lying. I said that I’ll surprise you, and I’ll keep my promise.”Ivanka was baffled.What a jerk!Somehow, she could not get one up on him at all. He managed to retaliate every time!Rosie was suddenly delighted deep down. Her grandson was quite smart.Posting about his grand romantic gesture online was a great move. He finally learned that he needed some effort to woo a lady. At the very least, he should make it public and let everyone know about his intention. That way, some people would back off. Although Jonah was outstanding, he was a playboy. If Ivanka were to marry Jonah, she might as well get back together with Michael. At least Michael was not a playboy.As for Chiara, Michael might have agreed to marry her, but Rosie knew that he was tricked into the arrangement because he thought Chiara had saved his life and only
Michael’s expression was calm. “Alright, I’m going to get ready for her surprise. Grandma, draft a post and help explain her situation.”Rosie immediately nodded. “Okay! You better put more effort into this, or else I’ll never let you hear the end of this!”Ivanka was speechless.Meanwhile, Michael had finished his meal. He put down his spoon and got up.“That won’t be necessary! Michael, get back here!” Ivanka cried out in a panic. She was worried that he would actually do it.But Michael did not stop walking. Rosie went to the bathroom to wash her hands with a smile. Then she sat back down at the dining table and said, “Ignore him. Let’s keep eating.”Ivanka had an odd expression on her face. She immediately finished all the food on her plate and said, “Grandma, it’s getting late. I have some work to do. I’ll head back now.”Rosie frowned. Seeing that Ivanka was about to run off, she seized her hand at lightning speed. “You can’t leave, dearie.”Ivanka was puzzled.With an a
A flicker of emotion flashed in Ivanka’s eyes, and she said nothing.She wanted to leave, but she could not.Meanwhile, outside the Barkworth’s family mansion, Michael had already driven off.But he did not go far. People simply could not see him from the house.He stopped his car and slowly produced a blue box from the trunk.He put it in the front passenger seat and returned to the driver seat.Michael was not in a hurry to start driving. He seemed to be waiting for the right moment.His cold expression did not betray much emotion.Suddenly, his phone started ringing. He snapped out of his reverie and answered the call.“What are you up to? Come hang out with us.” Ivan sounded rather frivolous.Micheal said calmly, “I’m busy.”Ivan immediately chuckled. “What are you busy with? I see you getting into the car, but you didn’t start driving. You call this ‘busy’?”Michael was speechless.In the next second, Ivan began chuckling again and said, “You finally know to make the
Ivan’s words felt like a venom that seeped into his heart and corroded Michael’s mind. Michael never believed that he fancied Ivanka. He simply thought they were a good match.That was all.Then, he said in a solemn voice, “If you have so much time on your hand, you might as well think about Sandy.”“Heck!” Ivan was relaxed just a moment ago. Once he heard this name, he exploded with rage.“Why do you have to mention her? What’s wrong with you?”Ignoring him, Michael snorted coldly and rolled up the car window. The glass panel raised and forced Ivan to withdraw his arm. He said with a sullen expression, “Shit, you really want to leave me here? My car broke down, and I don’t have a spare now. Let me in!”Michael frowned impatiently.But Ivan still saw him click something, and the car door was unlocked.Just as Ivan wanted to go over to the front passenger seat, Michael said in a somber voice, “Take the back seat.”Ivan halted in his tracks and did just that. He was grumblin
Egbert stormed off in fury, but Sandy’s rage had not cooled in the slightest. She even lashed out at Ivan. “You shouldn’t have stopped me just now! If I’d given him a good scolding, or even a beating, maybe it would’ve finally knocked some sense into him. Otherwise, he’ll keep coming back. He’s always trying to use me for his own purposes!”She was so angry she was practically grinding her teeth. Ivan pressed his lips together and let out a long sigh. “With the way you looked like you were ready to kill someone, what did you expect me to do? Just stand there and watch you commit murder?”He was really worried when he saw how Sandy was losing control. “What’s the point of that old b*stard still being alive anyway?” Sandy said coldly. If she could really get rid of that old man, she would do it so she could avenge her mother and let go of that grudge she had been holding on.Ivan shook his head and said in a low voice, “Then think about it, how hard did you work to get to where yo
Sandy exploded. “Eighty million? Why don’t you go rob a bank? Or better yet, see if that wrinkled old face of yours is worth anything as collateral!”Sandy was fuming.Egbert had not expected Sandy to be so vulgar. He turned back, enraged.His black eyes shot daggers like he could rip her apart on the spot. Sandy did not flinch. Instead, she lifted her chin and gave him a cold, mocking smile. “What? Are you so mad that you’re thinking about hitting me? Do you want me to remind you of the law? We have no legal ties anymore. If you so much as touch me, that’s assault. And let’s not forget, you barged into my workplace to cause a scene.”“Sandy, I don’t know what kind of twisted morals your birth mother and adoptive mother taught you, but just look at yourself now! Do you even resemble a proper human being?”Egbert was extremely disappointed in Sandy. The one thing Sandy hated most was when people brought up her birth mother and adoptive mother. Those two women were the most import
Egbert snapped at Sandy coldly. His gaze was pressing.However, that had no effect on Sandy. Her lips even curled into a mocking smile as she said, “I’m not one of your McNeil pets. That look, your words, they cannot intimidate me at all.”At the mention of “pets,” Egbert was so furious that he slammed his cane against the floor with a loud crack. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way for a lawyer to speak? Do you even understand the meaning of respect, decency, and manners? Is that how your mother raised you?”Sandy had been mean and harsh on purpose to kill whatever sliver of hope he held onto.Just as she wished, he was angered.Watching him lose his composure, Sandy even felt a flicker of satisfaction rise within her. Her mother and herself were thrown out and lived a tough life while her father stood by uselessly. Who else was to blame, if not this old man standing before her?“My mother raised me to be a decent person. She taught me never to push away what’s rightfully mine,
Thomas stated his purpose.Sandy’s reaction, however, was full of repulsion. She frowned. Even her tone was curt. “Uncle, I made it very clear about seeing him the last time we spoke. He never once considered me part of the McNeil family. If it weren’t for my mother taking me in, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Now that I’ve grown up and suddenly seem useful, he wants to claim me back? I was abandoned by the McNeil family the moment I was born. I’m not stupid enough to become a pawn for your family!”Sandy was furious.She had always treated Thomas with a certain courtesy, but at the moment, that line had clearly been crossed.Thomas, though only the messenger, could feel the weight of her resentment. “It may not be as bad as you think. If you won’t go, Dad will come find you himself.”That was the truth. Yet Sandy did not spare the old man a shred of respect. She scoffed. “He might be your dad, your head of the family, but he’s nothing to me. From the moment I was abandoned, th
Sandy was really surprised to see Ivanka. “When did you get back?”“Today,” Ivanka answered honestly.“You have quite a packed schedule for just one day.” Sandy teased her.When they had planned to take down Coco last time, Ivanka was not around. Then Michael returned. From what Sandy could tell, they were always either together or closely following each other.Ivanka did not respond to her teasing. “I’ll only be here for a day or two, then I would have to leave again.”Sandy was speechless. She rolled her eyes at Ivanka. “Are you going to become a full-time jet setter?”“She can’t help it,” Anna answered for Ivanka. Just as she finished saying that, Anna’s phone rang. It was another case to follow up on. She had to step away to take the call.Only Ivanka and Sandy remained in the office. “You look exhausted. If you keep going like this, I’m worried you’ll wear yourself out!” Sandy shook her head and expressed her concern for Ivanka. Ivanka chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that fa
When she heard what Anna said, Ivanka immediately teased. “Why, can’t I even come to the firm?”“Well, of course, you can come. You are an important partner; why can’t you come?” Anna laughed and looked at Ivanka, annoyed. Immediately after, she made a cup of tea for Ivanka.The tea was also of fine quality. She had bought it.Ivanka also remembered how she, Anna, and Sandy, the three of them, used to work hard together in the firm after she divorced Michael. Originally, she wanted to live on her own. However, one thing happened after another, and her plans got delayed. “I don’t see Sandy. Has she gone to handle cases?” Ivanka sipped a mouthful of tea, and immediately after, she asked Anna about Sandy’s whereabouts.Anna told Ivanka truthfully. “Sandy recently took over a very tricky case. She wants to make a not-guilty defense for that person. But the father of the deceased is the Groethe family, a rather prestigious family in Bostone. How could a commoner fight with a rich ki
But as time went on, things happened one after another. While they were in contact with each other, she also slowly understood Jonah’s personality.The most important thing was that Jonah was also honest with her later on.When Jonah mentioned this again, Ivanka could not help but scrutinize Jonah again.He was starting to become unhinged!“Jonah, you need to stabilize your emotions. Sometimes, when you feel impatient, you should just close your eyes and take a good rest. You should not have such emotions.”Ivanka spoke solemnly toward Jonah and advised him. When he saw Ivanka’s serious expression, Jonah instantly also realized that he had lost himself.Ivanka was not like Chiara, who could accept him losing control. If he lost control in front of Ivanka, it would affect Ivanka’s mood. That would make him courting death too! This would put a halt to all his opportunities!Jonah also realized this problem. He was very distressed. He could not even explain why his emotions had
When Ivanka said this, she pressed her hand on Jonah’s shoulder. There was no other meaning, she wanted Jonah to calm down.But this instead gave Jonah an opportunity. He grabbed Ivanka’s wrist. Then he tugged forward forcefully… Ivanka was caught off guard, and her whole body fell on top of him.He then took advantage of the situation and held Ivanka in his arms.The faint scent entered his nose, Jonah was intoxicated for a moment.But at that moment, he felt like he was waking up from a dream.Ivanka could not be so intimate with him. The sensations of touch and warmth in front of him were so real again. It was not an illusion, it was his compulsion!After realizing this, Jonah hurriedly pushed Ivanka away. He even more quickly apologized to Ivanka. “Iv, I’m sorry. I lost control. I didn’t mean to…”“I know.”Ivanka uttered softly, but her tone was cold.She knew. Neither did she blame him. But why was she using that tone, with that look on her face?“No, Iv. you’re blami
“Jonah, I don’t like you. I told you, I only see you as a friend. When I’m unwilling to do something, no amount of moral coercion would work on me.”Ivanka spoke up bluntly. She did not want Jonah to cling to something impossible.Jonah was silent.This was where Jonah and Michael were different.“Look, you still have so many things to do. By the time you remember me, we have already missed the best time. This time when you leave, did Michael go with you?” Jonah raised his eyes to meet Ivanka’s. He wanted to hear Ivanka’s answer from her mouth.Ivanka did not reply. But the look in her eyes already said it all.Her silence confirmed it all.Jonah felt that his heart grow incredibly heavy at the moment. He had a crazy thought: Was it true that if Michael died, Ivanka would be able to focus all her attention on him?However, he was an invalid and did not even have a chance to get close!“The way you treat Michael and the way you treat me has always been so different. I know. A