As she watched Michael’s increasingly cold expression, she said indifferently, “Countless women want to marry you. In fact, the heiress of the Cullen family only wants you as her husband, and Master Barkworth has always wanted Ms. Tanya. As long as you’re willing, Ms. Tanya would immediately bear children for you. So, Mr. Barkworth, you can find someone else. Even if we remarry, there’s no love between us. We’d only spend our lives together like robots. That’s lying to Grandma, which wouldn’t be fair.”She had come to terms with it now. She did not want to deceive Rosie like she used to. Even well-intentioned lies had to be considered case by case.Besides, she did not see this as a well-intentioned lie. It was pure deception.In an instant, the room grew even colder!However, Ivanka did not seem to notice anything amiss. She just said wearily, “I’m tired and want to rest. Do you have anything else to say?”Michael chuckled in frustration. So, she was kicking him out?How proacti
“Get out!” Ivan roared angrily.“Do you think I would go out just because you say so? No way!”Ivan’s face was icy cold as he tried to control his anger. He said, “If you don’t come out, I’ll break down this door! You won’t be able to sleep well tonight!”Sandy was speechless.Had he lost his mind?However, Sandy suddenly lost the courage to oppose him.Being in the same suite with him had already made her feel incredibly insecure, but now it was even worse. She was afraid he would actually break down her door. After all, he had money and power!He could afford to break down a door!Damn it!She was mad!That jerk!She gritted her teeth but could not really oppose him. She could only swallow her anger and walk out.She vowed never to have any contact with this monster again when she went home!“Why do you want me to come out?”“Don’t you know I haven’t eaten anything yet?” Ivan’s face was grim, as if he was struggling to control his anger.However, his words left Sandy b
Michael’s icy gaze fell directly on the bed, but the sheets were neatly folded. There was no one there. He looked in the bathroom, only to find it empty!His face darkened instantly. He immediately took out his phone and tried calling Ivanka, but all he got was the female voice prompt indicating that her phone was switched off.Michael’s expression darkened even more. He immediately left the room and headed toward Ivan’s room.After ringing the doorbell, he continued knocking. Ivan irritably spoke up. “Who the hell is it? Knocking endlessly early in the morning!”He had never considered Michael doing this. Irritated by the persistent knocking, Ivan opened the door, ready to give a piece of his mind.He was surprised to see Michael standing at the door grimly.Ivan was dumbfounded. “Whoa, how come it’s you? Are you crazy? Knocking like this?”“Where is Sandy?”Ivan frowned immediately. He spoke up in a protective tone, “Sandy isn’t even up, and you want her to go accompany Ivank
“Give me my phone back!”Sandy’s voice carried a hint of displeasure. She did not like her phone being scrutinized by others, especially since it was a message from Ivanka.Thankfully, it did not mention Michael at all. If Ivanka had said something bad about Michael, would it not be her fault then?Michael did not answer. With a stern expression, he swiftly walked out.Ivan quickly stepped forward and asked, “Where are you going?”Sandy frowned as she had a bad feeling about it. Michael looked furious. Was he going to confront Ivanka?At that moment, Sandy felt a little panicked.“Is he going after Iv? Maybe Michael has some unfinished business with her. I have to go find her!”Sandy was worried that Michael might go after Ivanka, which would not be good. Hearing that Sandy wanted to leave, Ivan’s expression darkened.He immediately said, “I’ll take you back right now.”Sandy had mixed feelings about that. Just yesterday, they had a heated argument, yet today Ivan was offerin
Sandy was about to reply, but she sensed that something was off. Seeing the conflicted look on Ivan’s face, she said, “I think I shouldn’t tell you, or else you’ll relay this to Michael. Iv doesn’t want him to know where she is.”Ivan snorted in cold laughter. His eyes were filled with mockery.Sandy frowned in slight displeasure.“What are you laughing about?”“Do you take both of us for fools? Do you think Michael won’t find out where she is just because you’re keeping quiet about it? You’re hilarious, aren’t you?”Sandy was speechless.She thought. “Eat sh*t, you jerk!” She knew that he would say something mean like this.In the next second, Sandy said with gritted teeth, “Let him figure it out himself, then. At least he won’t hear it directly from me.”Ivan snorted coldly and said nothing. He had nothing to do with Ivanka, after all, so he did not care how she was doing.He did not mind if Sandy kept her whereabouts secret.In fact, even if Sandy told him, he would not te
Ivanka frowned and eventually shut the door. She stared at him coldly. “What are you here for?”Back then, if she said something like that to Michael, he would have stormed out in anger.But this time, he did not leave.Even if he stayed, his overbearing aura spread about the house. It was so menacing that perhaps even the plants in the villa shriveled in fear.Ivanka’s frown deepened. “Michael, this is unlike you to overstay your welcome at someone’s place.”“Do you think I would if it weren’t for Grandma?”Ivanka snorted coldly. She thought that he was being unreasonable, but she never doubted his excuse. After all, if it weren’t for Rosie, he would not spare her a glance.In the next second, she smiled faintly and said, “If this is your concern, then I’ll clarify things with Grandma.”Michael’s expression instantly turned icy. “How dare you!”“Why wouldn’t I?”Ivanka stared at him expressionlessly, and she seemed increasingly at ease.She no longer cared about Michael, so
At that moment, the air in the room seemed to freeze. Even Ivan and Sandy, who stood outside the door, felt the tension.It was a hot and sunny day, yet Michael’s anger gave them chills.Neither of them said anything and exchanged glances out of reflex.The look in Michael’s cold eyes was murderous, but Ivanka was not afraid. She stared him in the eye.Michael nodded with a sneer. “Good. Very well.”“Good, my foot! Can you let go?”As she spoke, she suddenly gave a jerk of her hand. Michael was unprepared, and she was able to pull herself free.Ivanka quickly strode to the door and opened it. Ivan and Sandy walked in together.Ivan looked at Michael with a grin. “Bro, you’re really fast.”He and Sandy had eaten breakfast. He was sure that Michael had not eaten anything.With that, he smiled at Michael and said, “You haven’t had anything since last night, right? Then you left to find Ivanka. You probably haven’t eaten till now. Why don’t you grab a bite?”As he said that, h
Ivanka furrowed her brows slightly, only to sneer a second later.Michael had become such a great actor. He even managed to fool Sandy.Ivanka kept her thoughts to herself, but Sandy seemed to have guessed what was on her mind. She added, “Ivan and I were the only people around. Michael didn’t have to fake it. He could have gone to work as usual.”Ivanka pursed her lips. Unwilling to discuss this matter, she said calmly, “Whatever. He can do whatever he wants. I don’t want to get involved anymore. I’m fine as long as he doesn’t control my life. As long as we maintain our boundaries, I don’t care what he is up to.”She was all alone, and he could not threaten to hurt her loved ones. Besides, she knew that Michael was not a despicable man. Even though he was overbearing and obsessive, he was a decent person.Ivanka no longer wanted to deal with him, so she said calmly, “This incident has nothing to do with me. And those two probably won’t leave just yet. Why don’t you get some rest?
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