As she said that, Anna cried even more. Sandy’s expression changed. “Oh no! Don’t cry. Men aren’t worth it!Hanson may be our friend, but he can only be our friend. If he really becomes your boyfriend, something terrible might happen!” Ivanka and Anna were both speechless. “Forget it. I’d better handle it on my own. You’re going to be the death of me.” Anna could not help but snap. Sandy was speechless. “Hey, I’m going to take a shower first.” Anna got up after saying this. Both of them were planning to stay at Sandy’s house tonight. After all, they had to take care of Ivanka.Neither of them went to work the next day either. After all, they are all affluent ladies. No one was short of money. So, things like going to work were just something they did for fun. Anna was destined to take over her family business. Sandy might have distanced herself from her family, but she would still have to return at some point. … The next day, Ivanka had to go back to pick up
The doorbell rang suddenly and disrupted the trio’s attention.Sandy was instantly a little puzzled. “Michael couldn’t have come here, right?” Anna was a little surprised. “Huh? Would he, though? Last time, didn’t he say that he wouldn’t bother Iv as long as we were around?”Both of them seemed dubious. Then, they subconsciously looked at Ivanka.Ivanka got up instead. “I’ll go take a look.”“Don’t! You’re a patient! Why can’t you focus more on healing?!” If she was not injured, Sandy would have pushed her onto the sofa in anger.Ivanka laughed and rubbed the tip of her nose. She said nothing else.Immediately after, Sandy walked toward the door. “I’ll go take a look. If it’s Michael, I’ll send him away.”With that, she walked toward the door. When she saw that it was actually Jonah, she was a little surprised. Then, she turned to look at Ivanka. “It’s Jonah.”Her voice was not loud. She did not dare to be too loud, anyway.Ivanka’s eyes flashed with surprise, and she finall
Sandy was rather interested in the compensation.After all, she had heard about Jonah’s high emotional intelligence before. On the other hand, she and Anna wanted nothing. They were not tempted by money and jewelry, as well as those bags and other luxurious items. They would not feel like he was making up to them if he gave them those things. Rather, it would feel as if he was just humoring them. So, what else could Jonah do?At that, Anna was interested as well. Jonah smiled. “I remember that Iv’s birthday is coming soon.”Anna was confused. Sandy instantly rolled her eyes. “So the compensation you’re talking about is for us to prepare a gift for Iv for her birthday?”What kind of compensation is that?Ivanka instantly smiled. “Why would I ask you to do that?”Ivanka frowned slightly as she looked toward Jonah. Although she did not say anything, it showed all her disapproval. But Jonah did not care so much. He said elegantly as he looked at Sandy and Anna, “I want to o
Ivanka pursed her lips and did not say anything.Jonah smiled. “That’s good.”Inside the house, silence returned, and everything seemed normal.But because of Jonah’s sudden appearance, the atmosphere in the room became a little off.However, Jonah did not feel that there was anything wrong. Occasionally, he would join the conversation. Sandy and Anna were surprisingly both very interested. They started chatting with him. Ivanka pursed her lips and occasionally listened to what they were saying.It had to be said that the topics Jonah chose were still very intriguing. He was very good at chatting. Even when he was talking about something as boring as business, people would still listen intently to him.Still, Ivanka did not intend to continue talking to him like this. She just said calmly, “You guys can continue. I’m a bit tired. I’ll go rest first.”Jonah immediately said, “You should rest, then. It’s getting late, I’m also leaving. Feel free to call me if you need anything.”
Over the next ten days, Ivanka’s injury gradually improved. She decided not to stay home and started to go to the office. When she did not go to the office, Michael did not tell anyone that she was injured. Evan only said that Michael had sent her to do something else. If he said that Michael wanted it, people would not question it in the slightest. But if he said that Ivanka wanted to do it on her own, then people would talk about Ivanka. They would say that she was up to trouble again. Over these ten days, Michael had not gone to see Ivanka. But when he learned that Ivanka had come to work, he immediately frowned and walked toward Ivanka’s office. He did not voice his arrival and just opened the door. Then, he saw Ivanka working. Michael frowned harder. “Who let you come to work?” Ivanka was a little surprised. She looked up and saw that Michael had already closed the door and walked in. He was glaring at her darkly. She was surprised that Michael would come over, but
“Ivanka, you…”The woman’s angry words were cut short as she suddenly stopped in her tracks.Behind her, the other employees were all dumbfounded.What… What did they just see?!Ivanka was sitting sideways at her desk. Michael’s hand rested on her smooth back. The zipper of her dress had been pulled down to reveal her bare, fair-skinned and flawless back.Upon hearing the sound, Ivanka immediately turned her back to the desk. She was facing them, but because her shirt was loose, she had to hold it in the front to keep it from falling.However, her beautiful shoulders were still exposed. They could even see her white bra straps.The expressions of the group became even more conflicted. Ivanka frowned and glanced coldly at them. She thought. “Have people forgotten how to knock?” However, it was not the right moment to lash out at them.The men and women standing at the door were all frozen in shock. They had come to settle scores with Ivanka as her arrogance irked them. Plus, t
Ivanka’s expression was particularly grim, while Michael’s was brooding as well. So many people had just seen Ivanka’s back, which made him furious!He quickly unwrapped Ivanka’s bandage and found that her wound was as she had described. It had already healed with new flesh and scabbed over. He carefully re-applied the bandage and did up her shirt.Ivanka remained silent as she was trying to control her emotions. However, those people’s intrusion today made it hard for her to control her anger.She took a deep breath and spoke coldly, “I seriously doubt whether you have any authority at all. Your subordinates’ proposals are worse than trash. They all want to settle scores with me just because I criticized them. Even when I brought you up to intimidate them, it didn’t work. Now that they’ve seen what we were doing, they would probably say that I got my position by sleeping with you.”Michael’s expression darkened a little more, but strangely, hearing Ivanka’s last sentence seemed to
“Iv, why aren’t you taking the food? You need to eat more, you’re too thin now.”Ivanka smiled. “I am eating, Grandma.”Rosie looked at her with concern and said resignedly, “You have to eat enough. Don’t skip meals just to maintain your figure. Besides, you’re slim enough! You need to eat more to put some weight back on!”Ivanka nodded with a smile. “Okay, I’ll eat more.”Ivanka was not underweight. It was quite standard. However, in Rosie’s eyes, she looked thin enough to make her worry.The dinner was quickly over. Samuel remained silent the whole time, but at the end of the dinner, he looked at Ivanka and sternly said, “Ms. Ivanka, come to my study later. There are some things I want to ask you about.”Samuel’s tone was harsh and authoritative. What he said to Ivanka sounded more like a command than a request.Moreover, he addressed Ivanka as “Ms. Ivanka,” indicating his attitude.Ivanka remained indifferent. It did not bother her, but before she could respond, Rosie glared
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