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 sighed wearily. “You have work to do. You didn’t have to come here to accompany me. Even though I’m here with Michael, at the very least, for the sake of the company’s interests, he would keep me safe.”“I know that. I just came to relax. You just happened to be here too. We can take a look around when you’re free.”Sandy sounded enthusiastic, but Ivanka could see through her friend. Through her eyes, Ivanka could sense Sandy’s reluctance.She knew that keeping her company was not what troubled Sandy. Before Ivanka could think further, Sandy looked at her and asked, “Iv, which room are you in now? How about I stay with you?”Ivanka’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. “I’m staying in Michael’s suite.”“Damn it! Another suite! Why do these people do such disgusting things?” Sandy could not help but want to vent her frustration, but as soon as she said it, she regretted it.Ivanka stared at her. “Ivan made you stay in the same suite with him?”She figured out why Sandy was feel
Chiara was very clever. Most of the time, she could immediately tell when something was amiss.Lyla dreaded her daughter’s perceptiveness. She could only maintain a calm demeanor and say, “Well, the place is just being renovated. I didn’t like the layout there and wanted to make some changes. After the renovation is finished, we’ll need to open the windows for ventilation. It will take at least a few months. Let’s just stay here for now.”Chiara immediately furrowed her brow again. “But that house was just newly done. You liked the design style. Why would you want to redo it?”She stared at Lyla suspiciously.However, Lyla said with a resigned manner, “It’s all your dad’s assistant’s fault! He hired workers who used poor materials for the renovations, and now, after only a short while, the walls at home are cracking.”Chiara felt skeptical. She kept sensing that something was off, but she could not quite put her finger on it.After a pause, she spoke again, “But even if we have t
Lyla snorted and indifferently said, “I’ll make something to eat. Wait here.”Chiara was surprised. “You’re cooking? Where is our maid?”Lyla remained silent.With the house sold and no money left, there was no way they could afford to hire a maid.As she washed her hands, she replied indifferently, “Considering your situation, it’s best not to interact with outsiders anymore. They might notice something amiss, and it wouldn’t be good for you. With everyone around us now unreliable, it’s risky to trust anyone new.”Chiara frowned. She acknowledged the truth in her mother’s words and said nothing more. She walked over to the sofa in the living room and sat down. Turning on the TV, she could not shake off her inexplicable frustration. “The distance between this sofa and the TV is too close!”Although Lyla could hear Chiara’s frustration from her tone, the current situation did not permit any indulgence. She pretended she did not hear that and ignored Chiara....As the evening app
He was a little stunned as he did not expect that Ivanka was really in the shower.She was wrapped in a slightly short towel that barely reached her thighs. Water stains adorned her delicate collarbone. Further down, there was a glimpse of something more.Michael’s pupils contracted slightly. His lips pressed tightly into a thin line as he remained silent.Ivanka clutched the towel tightly. She was worried that it would slip off. Her brow furrowed with impatience. “What the hell do you want?”As Ivanka shifted, a strand of hair fell across her chest, adding to the alluring mystery. Michael’s eyes flickered with lust and his Adam’s apple bobbed subtly. Without a word, he turned and walked away.Ivanka was left baffled by his sudden departure.What was that about?Without saying a word, she was going to close the door and go back to her shower, but then she heard Michael’s voice. “Get out here when you’re done!”Ivanka’s face darkened. Gritting her teeth, she said nothing. She cl
Michael’s face darkened further. “See it yourself and see if I was finding fault with you.”With that, he tossed the laptop to Ivanka.She frowned silently. Instead, she looked toward the screen.Earlier on, she had simply scanned it.But after what Michael had said, she had to regard it attentively.There was a ten-page Word document on the laptop. From the preview in the column on the left side of the screen, each page was filled with text.If it were someone else, they would feel a headache at the sight of it. After all, it was tiring to read all these words.But Ivanka read very quickly. After reading two pages, she realized that she had misunderstood Michael.Without a word, she read all ten pages of the document.At that point, Ivanka had already calmed down. Michael had not left, and he sat beside her the entire time.There was a conflicted look in Ivanka’s eyes, but she did not feel remorse. Michael had always been moody and tried to find fault with her. Even if she m
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