The supervisor felt relieved, but he still said, “No, this is my oversight. How can I possibly ask you to pay them? I—”But before he could finish talking, he felt a sharp gaze set upon him. Michael was the only one who could deliver such a sharp, intimidating glare. The supervisor was close to tears. It was not as if he had said anything wrong!But Ivanka no longer looked at the supervisor. She said, “Next person.”The next supervisor quickly gave his report. The work situation at his department was pretty good, so Ivanka’s expression became somewhat pleasant. However, Michael’s expression remained stormy.After everyone finished reporting on their work statuses, everyone fell silent. Evan had been the one who notified them about the meeting, and none of them were sure about what their next specific step was supposed to be. All of them waited for Michael and Ivanka to give their orders. As for Ivanka, she showed no intention to talk; she was also waiting for Michael to spe
But Ivanka still felt gloomy about this. After all, Waterbridge Street was far away. While it was in Bostone, the fact that Bostone itself was a city-county meant that they were basically traveling from one urban area to another. Hence, if they went over in the afternoon, they would only reach by night, and they could not inspect the site at all. They might even need to stay over. This fact made Ivanka really irritated. However, this was an order, and it was a work matter. She could not decline just because she could not keep her private life and work life separate. Otherwise, people would think that she was throwing a tantrum over something so small, and she could not afford to have people accuse her of such a flaw, not when she wanted to reclaim Lane’s Group. The collaboration with Michael was really important to her. Everyone in the conference room fell silent. Some of the women began envying Ivanka. How could she be so lucky? She got married to Michael in the past, and Mi
In the next moment, Ivanka said coolly, “I’ll sit in the front passenger’s seat.”Michael’s expression turned cold. That was all Ivanka said. She made to go to the front passenger’s seat, but before she could reach it, Evan said, “Young Master Ivan is sitting in the front passenger’s seat.”Speechless, Ivanka could only return to Evan’s side and get into the car. Why was Ivan going to Waterbridge Street?She had wanted to go to the front passenger’s seat because she did not want to sit together with Michael, but things did not turn out the way she wanted. After she got in, Ivan turned around to flash Ivanka a grin. “Afternoon, Ms. Ivanka.”He was calling her that in a joking fashion. After all, everyone referred to her that way at present and were treating it in the same vein as “Mrs. Barkworth”.Ivanka scowled and did not want to even acknowledge him. Ivan cackled. “Come now, we’re acquaintances, aren’t we? If you ignore me, you’re going to put me in a really awkward spot
The server began serving their food. Evan had already ordered their food beforehand, so they could start eating at the moment they arrived. After Evan parked his car, he came back, saw their seating, and lost his desire to go in. He had already pretty much figured out Michael’s feelings, and he knew that Michael would not want him to go over at the moment. While he was wondering about whether he should leave or go in, Ivan called out to him with a grin, as if he wanted more chaos for the fun of it. “Evan, come sit! Once we’re done eating, we have to leave! Time’s precious, and we have an important task ahead!”Evan did not know what to say to that. Even if they went over today, they were going to end up going to a hotel to rest first. They would not be able to do any sort of inspection, so they were not in a hurry at all. Ivan was clearly and very deliberately asking him to go over just so that he could watch the drama unfold. Neither Michael nor Ivanka spoke. Feeling re
“What the—! There’s nothing between me and Sandy! Also, she stole my mom’s stuff! Don’t talk about my mess with her like it’s the same with yours!”Michael smiled in clear mockery. Ivan bristled. “Seriously, what the hell?! I’ve told you guys plenty of times, but you just won’t believe me! I won’t ever spend the rest of my life with that tomboy! Don’t let me hear those things come out of your mouth next time!”Michael gave him a cool look. “You’ve never been so angry when we talked about other women before.”His rage was the issue in itself. If he was mad about it, that meant that he really cared about whatever was involved between him and Sandy, and his rage as well as frustration made Ivan look as if he was about to boil over. In his irritation, Ivan snapped, “That’s because I hate her. There are plenty of pretty ladies around. Why can’t you ask me to get together with a better woman?”“I did ask you to get together with a useless woman who’s much lesser than Sandy, but you w
Ivanka did not intend to sit in the back this time. Instead, she took the front passenger seat.Michael’s stern face darkened further.It was going to be a long journey. Ivanka got in and closed her eyes. She prepared to rest.However, her phone suddenly vibrated. Ivanka opened WhatsApp.It was her group chat with Sandy and Anna.Sandy: Iv, are you with Michael now?Ivanka was surprised. Who saw them together and posted on Twitter again?Ivanka: Yes.Anna: What are you doing together? Working?Ivanka: Yes. We’re going to Waterbridge Street today to handle some matters.Anna: Waterbridge Street? That’s far. Is it just you and Michael?Sandy: Damn it! It’s actually true! That jerk didn’t lie to me!Sandy sent a selfie of a disgruntled face.Anna: ?Ivanka: ?Ivanka: Evan is with us too.Ivanka kept typing on her phone. From his position, Michael could not see what was on her screen.He raised a hand and pressed his temple before leaning back into the seat to rest with hi
Ivanka did not bother to say anything to him. She set her phone aside again and closed her eyes to rest.Her indifference only made Michael’s expression darken further.Evan felt like the car might eventually explode from the tension in the air.He thought. “Why aren’t we there yet? Why?”Without realizing it, he pressed down on the accelerator a bit more.Finally, just as Evan had hoped for, they arrived at their destination.At that moment, Evan felt a rush of excitement. He was relieved that he no longer had to endure the tension in the car.As Ivanka stepped out of the car, she took a breath of the air of the place. She felt pretty good, except for the fact that Michael was there with her.Evan parked the car in the hotel courtyard.They made their way inside together.Evan naturally handled the check-in procedure.However, when he handed over the room key, Ivanka frowned. “Why is it a suite again?”She remembered the last time she traveled with Michael, they had stayed
“Why is it a suite? There’s no way I’ll share a room with you!” Sandy’s expression soured. She was clearly reluctant.“Since it’s a suite, we’re not exactly sharing a room!” Ivan’s expression also soured considerably. This woman always spoke her mind without restraint. She had said such things in front of so many people with no regard for his dignity!The receptionist stood behind the counter in awkward silence.Sandy ignored Ivan and turned directly to the receptionist. “I’d like to book another room, please.”The receptionist repeated the same explanation given to Ivanka. It was the truth.“I’m sorry, ma’am. Our rooms require a booking in advance. There are no spare rooms at the moment.”Sandy’s expression soured further. She turned to Ivan. “Did you know we were coming here today?”Ivan scoffed. How would he know?When Michael thought of a plan, he just executed it right away. He would never give advance notice.“We keep a suite reserved here year-round. Got it? If you don’
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