Jonah chuckled. “So, you’ve come prepared. Mrs. Barkworth, what’re your thoughts on this matter?”After he finished speaking, his smile froze upon seeing Suki behind Ivanka, and he thought. “Why are they together?”Suki cleared her throat and said sheepishly once she entered the room, “Mr. Sadler, I couldn’t tell you everything about Iris earlier, because the circumstances around Iris’s work status had been unclear. However, since we’ve agreed to take up your case, we’ll lay out the facts for you.”Jonah was taken aback. He cast a glance at Ivanka, and his eyes were filled with shock.After a brief moment of silence, he said calmly, “Ms. Moore, are you telling me that the elite lawyer that I’ve gone to great lengths to hire is my rival’s wife?”The corners of Ivanka’s lips curved upward. “Ex.”Regardless of how calm and composed Jonah had been, at that moment, he could not help but cry out in shock, “Ex?!”Ivanka offered a hand to him. “Mr. Sadler, I’m Iris. Nice to meet you.”
“I can win,” Ivanka said confidently.And Jonah believed her.As he stared at the beautiful woman before him, he fell into a daze.Weren’t pretty women supposed to be empty in the head? Ivanka did not seem to be that sort of person.Jonah nodded and said gently, “Tell me what the condition is. If I’m able to fulfill it, I will do it.”Ivanka placed one of her hands on the table and started tapping arrhythmically on the wood. She looked at Jonah and smiled as she said, “I heard that the former master of the Morris family will hold his birthday banquet in ten days.”Jonah sized her up. “Yes.”Ivanka tilted her head slightly. She asked with a grin, “Do you have a plus one?”A trace of surprise flashed in Jonah’s eyes. The next moment, he chuckled. “The pleasure is mine. I’ll pick you up at night. Give me your address.”Ivanka took a sip of her fruit juice. Her cherry lips were moistened by the liquid. She then pursed her lips and said with a smile, “That’ll be boring. I’ll go to
Ivanka waved her phone and said, “See you soon.”And she left without waiting for Jonah’s response.Jonah sat motionlessly in his chair. Suki smiled at him before grabbing her phone and following Ivanka.The duo got into Suki’s car, but Suki did not start the car immediately. Instead, she turned to Ivanka incredulously. “Iris, please tell me you’re not using that playboy to heal your broken heart after splitting up with Michael. Taking advantage of Jonah isn’t going to help you heal. Aren’t you worried about falling in love with him and getting your heart broken again?”Ivanka was stunned. It took her a moment before she recovered her senses. She laughed in resignation and said, “What on earth are you talking about? Love is the one thing I hate the most right now. Why would I fall in love with him?”Moreover, how could Jonah possibly want to date her?Ivanka could not help but laugh again. “You’re being a worry wart. Jonah wouldn’t want to date me even if I asked him.”Suki frow
For a moment, Chiara was in a dilemma. “B-But he usually takes Ivanka with him to these events to show that they’re a loving couple, and he does it for his company’s benefit. Why would he bring me along this time?”Lyla smirked scornfully. “Things have changed.”“Huh?”Lyla tugged on Chiara’s arm and sat her down. “Ivanka is no longer who she was. Your father has gotten his hands on all of her family’s belongings. Ivanka has nothing left in her name. You’re the real princess of the Lane family now, do you understand?”“If that’s the case, it’s even unlikely for Mic to bring me along to the banquet. The public will think that the Barkworth family is heartless for casting Ivanka aside at the moment her father lost his position.”“Pfft! Money is the thing that makes the world go round these days. Although your father is not as powerful as the Barkworth family, he is still one of the leading figures in Bostone. The reason Samuel Barkworth allowed the marriage between Ivanka and Michae
Rosie stood up and went over to Michael. She was upset with his refusal to change for the better. She pinched his shoulder with all her might and said, “That’s because you hurt her deeply, you brat! Make her come back to you!”“Grandma, I’ve made up my mind.” Michael’s expression darkened.“Do you want to drive me to an early grave?!”As Rosie was speaking, she thought about feigning unconsciousness, but Samuel growled, “That’s enough. Your grandma is not feeling well. I’ll be leaving with her now. You’re a grown-up. Make your own decisions.”“Noted.”Rosie’s expression turned dark. Samuel completely destroyed her plans to feign unconsciousness! Samuel dragged her out of Michael’s office before she even had time to say anything else.“Let go of me! I’m not finished!”She struggled to break herself free, but she could not overpower Samuel. In her anger, Rosie turned her head around and shouted, “I’m warning you, you’re not allowed to split up with Ivanka!”Soon, Michael was left
Michael’s expression slowly turned into one of cold fury as one thought popped up in his mind. “I knew it! I knew she was up to something!“I can’t delay the divorce anymore. Otherwise, Grandma is going to kick up another fuss. She almost jammed up my phone today with the calls she made.’Chiara’s face stiffened up as she thought. “What are the odds of meeting Ivanka here?“Both of us saw her. At this point, there’s no way I can pretend to have not noticed her.”Chiara sighed slightly and smiled as she said cordially, “Hi, Iv.”Ivanka looked a little surprised when she saw Chiara. She smirked when she noticed how close Chiara was to Michael. “What a coincidence.”When Chiara noticed Michael was looking at Ivanka from the corner of her eyes, she became nervous. But in the next moment, she produced another elegant smile. “Iv, are you here for Mic? We’re both getting something to eat, too. Why don’t you join us? He thought the worst when he saw you and your upperclassman having a dr
Chiara frowned. She looked at Ivanka like a caring sister and said, “Iv, hearing each other out would solve many problems. You can’t stubbornly insist that you have made zero mistakes!”Ivanka thought. “I can’t stubbornly insist that I have made zero mistakes?“There goes Chiara and her wordplay again. Isn’t she implying that I’m the promiscuous, disloyal wife to Michael?”Ivanka then noticed Michael’s eyes had turned colder. She pressed the corresponding floor button. With a smile, she said, “Since you two are not going to get on the elevator, we’ll leave first.”After speaking, she pressed the close-door button.Jonah gave Ivanka a slight smile. Even after the elevator door closed, he did not sense anything wrong with Ivanka. He could not hide his surprise. “So, all these years, you and your husband have been putting on a show?”Ivanka tilted her head slightly. “Mr. Sadler, you’re a smart man. Why bother asking?”Jonah smiled. He clicked his tongue when he noticed there was no
The corners of Ivanka’s mouth twitched as she thought. “What a small world.”She had initially wanted to ask Michael when he would get a divorce with her, but this man seemed to go out of his way to deliberately embarrass her. She did not plan to look for trouble, so she turned around to return to her room.However, the world suddenly spun. Before Ivanka could realize what had happened, Michael forcibly dragged her to another empty room!Bang!He closed the door.Michael clasped her wrists. She could not move.She looked at the paranoid man in front of her, frowned, and sneered at him. “Mr. Barkworth, what are you doing?”He was the one who wanted to get a divorce and date Chiara, so why did he act like this when she was only having a meal with Jonah?If she had been none the wiser, she would almost believe that this man liked her.However, she was well aware of the life she had in the past few years. She would not repeat the same mistake and naively think she could make him f
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