“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?
The furrow on Michael’s brows deepened. Displease was written all over his face. He shot Ivan a cold glare. It implied that he did not want to hear such a thing from his friend again.But there was no way Ivan cared about what he thought. On the contrary, Ivan continued calmly, “Perhaps even before this, a long time ago, you have begun to care for her. But there was a great misunderstanding between you. You always believed that she and her father had conspired together and coerced you into marrying her. You hated marriages that came with a price, but you ought to know that…”Here, Ivan paused on purpose. Michael stared at him grimly.“Are you done?”There were surveillance cameras in this place. Michael did not want Ivan to keep talking. But Ivan said all this while knowing full well that cameras were around. It meant that he intended for Ivanka to learn about this.Unbothered by Michael’s warning, Ivan said, “Sometimes what you see and know isn’t necessarily the truth. It could b
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