Ivanka was stunned and slightly flattered. There were even a few moments of discomfort in his eyes.Was this Michael? After a pause, she said softly, “Anything is fine.” Michael frowned. When he saw her being so strong and not the slightest sense of dependence on people around her, he surprisingly felt a little annoyed. Without speaking, he stepped outside and closed the door to her room behind him. Evan was in the living room. He did not leave. He was still waiting for Michael’s orders. Michael walked to the sofa and suddenly took out a cigarette. Evan looked a little stunned. Michael seldom smoked. He saw that he had already taken out his lighter but as he was about to light his cigarette, his movements suddenly stopped and he swiftly took it away. Evan’s eyes paused slightly. He was afraid that the smoke would enter Ivanka’s room and harm her. Evan lowered his gaze slightly and did not speak. Michael, on the other hand, said softly, “Go prepare something nutr
Michael’s expression seemed to grow even colder. “How much longer do you intend to hold out for?!” When she heard the fury in his tone, Ivanka looked at him with some surprise. “What’s wrong with you?” Michael instantly frowned. He also wanted to know what was wrong with him! Ivanka did not see why, and said calmly, “I’ll be fine on my own. You can go out.” As she said that, Ivanka had already gotten up. Her movements were so smooth. If Michael had not seen her originally fair and flawless shoulder bloody and marred with his own eyes, he would have suspected that Ivanka was never injured at all. She could eat easily with one hand. Michael even felt that if he continued to stay, it would look like he was just overstaying his welcome. He did not say a single word and got up to leave. Goodness knew how irritated and cranky he was on the inside right now. Ivanka looked at his back. Although she was not surprised that he was so temperamental, she found him gloomier than befo
Ivan snorted coldly. “Yeah, right, sure. Why were you so worried if you weren’t interested? Why would you send Sandy over to care for her if you weren’t interested? Put up a real act and let me see that you aren’t interested, then. You’re still so stubborn even, yet you are still caring for her from behind the scenes. Do you take me for an idiot?!” Ivan was also a bit annoyed at this moment because Michael had called Sandy away. He was a bit furious. Many people could take care of Ivanka. Why did it have to be Sandy? Michael stared sharply at him. His eyes seemed to show his displeasure as well. But Ivan was not afraid and sneered. “Look at you! Stay single then! You don’t deserve Ivanka!” After saying that, Ivan did not want to talk to Michael anymore. He turned and walked out the door. If he continued to stay, he was afraid that he would quarrel with Michael! Michael’s expression was chilling. After Ivan left, he sat quietly on the sofa alone again. At that moment, he lit
Seeing that Ivanka had opened her eyes, Sandy smiled and said, “I knew that you’d wake up any minute now. My timing is really accurate. Come on, drink this soup. You need to nourish your body!” Ivanka lifted the quilt off her body. Sandy felt a little anxious. “Don’t! Let me help you up! You’re a patient now! You should at least let yourself have a moment of weakness!” Ivanka was speechless. Just as Sandy finished speaking, Ivanka had sat up as usual. It was as if she was not injured in the slightest. “Are you acting tough in front of me and pretending that you aren’t injured badly?” Sandy judged Ivanka. Ivanka burst out laughing helplessly. “No.” Sandy instantly sighed in annoyance. “You just love putting on a tough front. You should be a little more delicate.” Just as she said this, Michael returned. But Ivanka and Sandy were inside the bedroom, and the door was closed. They did not hear the soft sounds from the outside. Michael paused in place. He stood in place w
Sandy frowned. She turned to Ivanka and could not help but ask, “Exactly who attacked you? Were you injured by mistake or did someone target you?” “I don’t know for the time being. “Ivanka grinned. “Go back first. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”Ivanka did not tell Sandy the truth. She did not want Sandy to worry about her. Sandy sighed in resignation. “Okay. Take a good rest. Reach out to me for any problems. I’ll come over at any time. Michael isn’t reliable!” Ivanka chuckled. “Alright.” Sandy then left hesitantly and worriedly. After she returned home, she saw Ivan sitting on the couch and looking grim. Sandy frowned and questioned him, “Why didn’t you tell me about Iv getting hurt?!” Ivan glanced at her coldly. “She stopped me from telling you.” “And you listened to her?! She needs someone to take care of her, and Michael can’t do that. What would happen if they get another mole when you’re trying to get someone to take care of her?!” Ivan frowned. “She’s a grown-up.
“I can’t tell you everything yet. You’ll find out soon. It’s not the time to kill Ivanka yet.” The young girl’s voice was silky, but contained a tinge of creepiness that sent chills down one’s spine. Chiara was confused and irritated. She ignored her tone. She held her phone tightly and asked in annoyance, “Tell me. When are you going to kill her?” The person on the other end of the line paused for a moment before saying in a relaxed fashion, “It won’t take long. I won’t let you wait for long either.” Right after she spoke, she hung up. Chiara put down her phone in frustration. She frowned deeply. “I don’t think she’s reliable. Why is she still telling me all this even to this day?! Ivanka and Michael are in an entangled relationship, and Jonah is courting Ivanka. Ivanka will only grow stronger. By then, it’ll be even harder to attack her. What is that person waiting for? She told me I don’t need to wait for long, but I think there’s still a long time to go!” Lyla frowned.
Chiara remained silent. Theodore was helpless. He sat beside her and hugged her. He comforted Chiara, “You’re the apple of my eye. Why would I even shout at you? I lost my composure and accidentally raised my voice. Besides, I was worried that you might say something else and people overheard it. Don’t you trust me?” Theodore looked at Chiara dotingly. There was some stubble on his face. He looked haggard. When Chiara turned around and stared at Theodore, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. In the past, Theodore was a neat person. Despite his portly figure, he looked like the typical wealthy man. However, at that moment, Theodore had clear eye bags under his eyes. He had stubble on his face even during working days. Chiara sensed something amiss. She turned to him and frowned. “Dad, are there any problems with the company?” Chiara stopped throwing a tantrum. The company became her priority. Theodore grinned. “Nothing could possibly happen to the company. Don’t overthink i
At that moment, Chiara knew nothing. She may find the answer in the company.It was very late at night.Michael had not gone to bed.He was inside his room and had just taken his shower. He looked grim. Apparently, he was still angry with Ivanka.His phone rang. It only showed the numbers without the caller’s name.Michael and Ivanka shared the same habit of not saving anyone’s phone number. They all had good memories. The phone number was Evan’s. Michael picked up the call.“Mr. Barkworth, I already have someone investigating the incident. The culprit is very well hidden. Hence, we couldn’t discover many clues.”“So this is your answer for me?” Michael sounded creepier.Evan continued, “The bunch of people who insulted Ms. Lane last time are different from this batch. Someone paid them to do the job. After an investigation, we can confirm that it was from the same employer. I suspected Chiara, but I can’t find any clues from her.”Michael frowned deeply and said nothing.E
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