Ivanka chuckled and stopped offering to cook. Instead she said gently, “If you’re hungry, you can cook downstairs or order food delivery.” “Yeah, got it. But what if they refuse to leave?”Ivanka’s lips curved into a disdainful smile.“Michael’s pride and ego will not allow him to do something like this. Ignore them. They will be off soon.”She understood Michael to a certain extent. After all, she had spent three years trying to understand what he liked. She had wanted to make him the best dishes and give him the best of everything.She was once truly infatuated. She kept giving without complaint. But it was futile, and Ivanka was tired of it.“Well, there’s nothing we can do.” Since Ivanka had made her point, Sandy did not delve into this. As she got up, she said, “I’ll cook downstairs then. You get some rest. By the way, when was the last time you ate? Are you hungry?”“I’m not. I ate something shortly before you came over.”As a matter of fact, Ivanka lied. She had not eat
Sandy immediately pulled a long face. When she stared at him, her eyes were filled with annoyance. “Get out of here! This is Iv’s home. That makes me an owner too, and I say you’re not welcome here!”Ivan was so furious that he let out an angry bark of laughter. At this point, he had already uncrossed his legs and said with clenched teeth, “Ivanka didn’t tell me to leave. Who are you to kick me out?”Sandy was flabbergasted.Furious, she refused to say another word to him. She turned around and strode into the kitchen right away.“Anger is venom!” She told herself internally. “It’s not worth getting high blood pressure because of this idiot!”It was best that she simply ignored him!Sandy had already washed her hands and taken some ingredients from the fridge. She was going to cook for herself.After all, one would not starve if they could do everything themselves. She assumed Ivan could not cook, but even if he could, she would not let him cook for her. She refused to owe him a
Sandy had just reached the bedroom door when she heard Ivan’s words. She became furious and had a strong urge to tear Ivan apart!However, she restrained herself. She chose not to stoop to the same level as that idiot. Otherwise, she would be no different!She walked straight into the room. She no longer felt hungry; Ivan truly had the effect of spoiling her appetite.Meanwhile, downstairs, Ivan was still frustrated.That damn woman! She had not eaten for such a long time. She must be starving!He stood up abruptly as he gritted his teeth.Michael looked at him coldly and mocked him, “You’re just eating her leftovers.”Ivan could not stand being mocked by his best friend. He glanced at Michael and sneered, “Speaking of which, Ivanka came out late at night. I’m sure she hasn’t eaten anything. She’s still injured. She hasn’t changed her dressing today, either. With an empty stomach, no energy, and not having changed her dressing, her wound won’t heal anytime soon.”Michael’s expr
If Ivanka went downstairs, Sandy would follow. However, if Sandy went downstairs first, Ivanka might not follow her.Michael did not reply to him.Ivan perked up and said, “Just go get them.”Michael stayed silent as his expression darkened.However, he still decided to call Ivanka.The call failed to go through because Ivanka’s phone was still switched off.Michael’s expression turned cold, and he remained unmoving.Ivan sat with his legs crossed leisurely and said, “You should just go get her. She’ll only come down if you go get her.”Michael looked at him coldly. “I have a way to get Sandy down. Ivanka will then follow.”“Bullsh*t.”“Want to bet?!”“Sure, I’m in! What’s the wager?” Ivan looked at Michael, brimming with confidence as if he was sure Michael would lose.Michael calmly replied, “If you lose, you’ll have to take Sandy away today. If you can’t manage that, you know what happens next.”“Oh, wow. I see how it is! You’re playing hardball, aren’t you? What if you
In an instant, Sandy’s appetite returned. She was sure she could eat like a horse!Ivanka, on the other hand, quietly remained by Sandy’s side.Even though she did not want to see Michael, she followed Sandy downstairs anyway because she did not want to make her best friend worry.Besides, she had to admit that eating would help her wounds heal faster.She would just ignore Michael and Ivan.Ivanka and Sandy washed their hands and sat at the dining table. As they started eating, Ivan and Sandy stood up and sat down at the same time to get more food. Sandy looked at Ivan as he continued to scoop more food. She could not help but feel appalled as she said, “Are you a pig or something? How could you eat seven or eight meals a day? Even pigs can’t eat as much as you!”Ivan’s expression darkened. He had a strong urge to kill this damn b*tch!But he lost the bet. He had to take this woman away tonight, so he could not afford to provoke her at that moment.He took a deep breath
Ivan pretended not to notice Michael’s gaze as he casually looked away.If Michael had not called a doctor, she would have contacted her own doctor herself. However, since the doctor Michael called was already on her way, she chose not to call her own doctor to avoid them running into each other.After a while, the doctor arrived.She was surprised to see that it was the same female doctor who changed her dressing yesterday.Had Michael called her over?Ivanka instinctively looked at Michael.Michael said calmly, “It’s better to have only one person handle your wound.”Sandy looked at Michael with confusion.Was Michael this caring before? Did he really have feelings for Ivanka?He seemed genuinely worried when Ivanka was not around this morning. The way he knocked on the door sounded very urgent. He even snatched her phone quite rudely. He looked extremely concerned. His behavior seemed almost instinctive.Well, she did interact with him before. He and Ivanka were married be
Michael had always believed that being so self-reliant was a way for a person to flaunt superiority.However, Ivanka never troubled him with anything. He was always the one who took initiative.He frowned as his expression soured.Sandy could not bear seeing the pain and exclaimed, “It’s really f*cking painful, isn’t it?! I’ve never experienced this level of pain, but even much milder injuries are hard for me to handle! Voicing the pain can actually help relieve it a little, you know?”The female doctor did not interrupt their conversation. It could be a distraction that could lessen Ivanka’s pain. The doctor tried to be gentle with her movements to ease Ivanka’s discomfort as much as possible.Ivanka smiled and replied softly, “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”Her voice was light and dainty. There was no sign of pain at all.Sandy sighed resignedly. “Iv...”She knew that Ivanka could endure a lot of pain. Plus, Ivanka probably did not want to worry her or become Michael’s laughingstock
Ivan’s expression darkened. “Why do you want to stay?”He tried to restrain his anger as he silently mouthed, “Are you planning to keep being a third wheel here? If you stay, their relationship will only become more strained!”He did it slowly enough for Sandy to catch most of it and understand enough.She hesitated and felt conflicted for a moment.Should she stay?It did not feel right.But if she left, Ivanka would be alone. What if Michael did something extreme to her?Ivanka was still injured. Michael seemed very strong and capable. There was no way Ivanka could stop him.Ivan thought there might be hope when he noticed Sandy hesitated. But before he could speak, Sandy said firmly, “I’m not leaving. I’m staying here tonight! Since Ivanka is injured, it’s inconvenient for you two big guys to stay here. Obviously, I should stay to take care of her!”Ivan’s expression turned grim. Sandy was being reasonable, but the way she said it sounded absurd. He gritted his teeth and re
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