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 recovered her senses and shook her head. “Nothing.” She remembered Chiara. But she did not think sharing this with Michael was necessary. Michael and Chiara’s relationship was a strange, enigmatic thing. Although he already knew that Chiara was not his savior, he always treated her differently. Michael’s expression darkened upon noticing Ivanka’s silence. He thought. “At the end of the day, I’m just a busybody. She never considered seeking my help. Bah!” Michael sprang up. He stopped talking to her and headed out. He casually closed the door. Still, Ivanka sensed that he was upset. She leaned against the headboard and did not bother to call Michael. She did not bother to explain to him. After all, she never considered seeking his help. They were worlds apart in many aspects. Her actions explicitly showed this to him. Hence, she believed he would stop helping her with the investigation. ... While most people slept soundly that night, some did not. Ivanka woke
Michael was not around that day. Ivanka made herself at home. Sandy kept her company. They had a good chat. Sometimes, Sandy forced Ivanka to go to bed. It was almost evening when Sandy turned to Ivanka and asked with a smile, “Bestie, what do you want to eat?” “Anything.” Ivanka was not a picky eater. “Good. I’ll prepare dinner now.” “Thank you.” “Don’t mention it. I’ll remember the number of times I prepare meals for you. You’ll return the same favor in the future. As the saying goes, one has to return the favor by multiple folds. I’ll call someone to prepare the meals for you and in return, you’ll cook for me. Okay?” Sandy looked pleased as she said. Ivanka could not help but let out a bark of laughter. “You’re right.” Sandy was amused. She often had Ivanka treat her meals for free. Sandy said, “Fine. I’ll have someone to prepare the meal for you.” “Okay.” Sandy headed out. Meanwhile, Ivanka’s phone rang. When she saw the numbers, the smile in her eyes faded. She
Chiara thought. “No way! That’s impossible! “Why did my dad sell off our properties all of a sudden? He’s the president of Lane’s Group. Why would he end up like this?” Chiara instantly refuted, “You’re lying!” At that moment, there was a hint of rebuke in Chiara’s voice. Yet, she was on tenterhooks and listened attentively to Ivanka as she did not want to miss a single word from her. Ivanka chuckled. “I don’t know if it’s true. After all, I did not have firsthand experience of it. I only learned it from others.” Chiara was angry. If Ivanka spoke with certainty, it could be true, and Chiara would be skeptical about it. However, Ivanka gave her an ambiguous answer. As such, Chiara grew increasingly uncertain and worried. She wondered. “How did we become like this?” She lost interest in talking to Ivanka. Ivanka seemed very understanding and said, “It looks like you’re unaware of it. Instead of calling me, ask your dad what he’s been up to recently. I also heard that some
Ivanka simply did not feel like talking to Chiara anymore.Her earlier words were enough for Chiara to understand what was going on.Chiara was smart; she probably had already figured it out. She would likely uncover more through arguments with Theodore and Lyla tonight.Ivanka smiled. She felt uncomfortable seeing Chiara lead such a leisurely life without any sense of urgency.Chiara had been anxious lately due to her involvement in various incidents that attracted the police’s attention. This had led her to depressive tendencies. Consequently, Ivanka surmised that Theodore would not inform Chiara about what happened to him. As a result, Chiara remained unaware of the situation and continued to live naively. However, Ivanka understood that this was not what Chiara desired. Therefore, it was only natural for Ivanka to help fulfill Chiara’s wish to uncover the truth.Just as Ivanka was thinking about this, her phone rang once more. She thought it was Chiara calling again, yet to
Jonah raised an eyebrow. “Are you already at your breaking point?”James’s expression changed. He could only awkwardly clear his throat and narrow his eyes.He touched his nose and said, “Mr. Sadler, you knew she was hurt, and you were really worried when you found out. Why didn’t you ask about her injury?”“Asking would just make her think I’m spying on her.”James was at a loss for words.Jonah watched Ivanka around the clock. Was that not basically spying on her?She would surely think he had crossed the line if she found out, even though he did not intend to harm or protect her.But James did not dare say that. He could only nod and say, “Mmm... Yeah, you’re right.”Whatever the boss said was right, no doubt!Jonah glanced at him casually. James tensed up and hesitated for a moment before asking, “So... should I continue preparing the item you requested last time? They might not return soon.”“Yes,” Jonah replied promptly.James acknowledged it. When he noticed that Jona
“You...”She spoke briefly before forcing herself to stop.Her quiet voice contrasted with Lyla’s loud enthusiasm as she exclaimed, “Chiara, Theodore, I made your favorite fish and chips today! Try them and tell me how they taste!”Chiara took a deep breath and decided to wait until they finished eating before questioning them.Theodore said excitedly, “Oh, that sounds delicious. Let me try!”Despite having no appetite, Chiara forced herself to eat because she did not want Theodore and Lyla to go hungry that night.After pushing herself to finish the meal, she calmly set down her utensils and observed her parents as they wiped their mouths with napkins.Her expression became stern as she said seriously, “I have something to ask you.”Theodore and Lyla glanced at her with puzzled expressions. Lyla frowned and asked, “What’s wrong? Why so serious?”Chiara ignored Lyla and directed her gaze solely at Theodore. “What has been happening recently? How long do you plan to keep hiding
Chiara took a deep breath as her frustration became more apparent. “Why are you still keeping things from me? Do you think I’m immature and that I’ll eventually reveal the secrets? Or do you doubt my ability to handle these matters or find solutions? Regardless, we are a family. I’m your only child. Why won’t you just share these matters with me? Let me help shoulder the burden with you!“Don’t keep things from me just to protect me. It’s unfair to me! You might think you’re protecting me, but all you’re doing is deceiving me!”Chiara was noticeably louder than before. She looked profoundly aggrieved.Theodore’s expression changed as he sighed helplessly, “What’s it going to take for you to trust us?!”Chiara shook her head in disbelief and looked at them incredulously. “I’ve told you so much! Yet you’re still keeping secrets from me!”Lyla quickly intervened, “Chiara, calm down. It’s not about hiding things from you or not. We’re genuinely puzzled by what you’re saying. Why would
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