What’s so funny?”“So what if she’s Black-eyed Susan?” The voice on the other end dripped with disdain.Chiara was a little surprised by her reaction, but she did not seem to take Black-eyed Susan’s capabilities seriously. Yet, for some reason, Chiara could not relax.But since she had said so, Chiara could not refute her. She could only say, “So what do you want me to do next?”“Well, it’s time for you to make your move.”Chiara’s eyes flickered with expectation. Just as she thought, the mystery person was asking her to act.“What do you need me to do?”...For the next three days, everything remained calm and peaceful.However, the storm within Barkworth’s Group intensified even more than the previous days.That was because, after Michael changed the system, no one could crack it anymore. However, things were different when Ivanka first learned that the company’s secrets were leaked.This led to more and more discussions among the company’s employees about Ivanka.Every t
“I understand your feelings. I know you don’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t see you to ask you to harm Ivanka. I simply refuse to accept their remarriage. If it can’t be me by his side, then I hope it’s you, not Ivanka! Do you know that she doesn’t really love Michael? It’s all just...”Chiara paused intentionally. As she expected, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging piqued Tanya’s curiosity.Tanya gazed at Chiara and waited for her to continue.Chiara sighed with resignation. “Ivanka is getting close to Michael with an ulterior motive. Why do you think we fell out? Why do you think I wanted them to divorce?”Tanya furrowed her brow and asked with a calm expression. “Why?”Chiara snorted. “When Ivanka’s father was still alive, I once overheard them plotting in a room.”Tanya’s expression froze slightly as she stared at Chiara silently.Chiara scoffed. “Do you really think they had good intentions? They were scheming from the start. After Ivanka married Michael, they planned
This way, it would make Tanya appear as if everything she did was for the sake of justice. Any action she took was merely a response to Ivanka’s excessive behavior.However, Chiara was not concerned about these appearances. As long as Tanya was willing to act, that was all that mattered to her.The next moment, Chiara spoke calmly, “I can assure you, I do have evidence to support my words. I’ll send it to your phone later. And if, after seeing the evidence, you still feel like turning a blind eye, then I won’t bother you again. If you don’t cherish Mr. Barkworth, I will do nothing more.”Tanya’s gaze flickered with mixed emotions as she watched Chiara silently.Suddenly, Chiara seemed unwilling to say much more to her. She put her mask and sunglasses back on.Seeing Tanya still staring at her, she simply said with an indifferent expression, “I’ve said all I needed to. I’m sure you don’t want to waste any more time on me, so I’ll take my leave. If fate allows, we’ll be in touch aga
Ivanka looked at the photos in stunned silence. She felt a myriad of emotions swirling inside her, but she could not articulate any of them.Suki sighed softly. “When I stumbled upon this, I was quite shocked too. You’ve been in the dark about your mother all these years, and I thought this might be of some help to you.”Ivanka had never seen her parents’ marriage certificate or divorce papers.Despite her best efforts over the years, this had been intentionally obscured. She could not find any traces at all.She did not expect Suki to find these photos.It was possible that the person behind the cover-up was not aware of the existence of these photos.Suki gazed at Ivanka, who had a solemn expression, and sighed softly. “For now, these are the only leads I could uncover. Your father’s affairs remain a mystery.”Ivanka’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. “It’s not exactly a mystery. Jonah gave me some leads regarding my father.”Suki looked surprised. “What leads?”Ivanka’s lashes
Suki sighed wearily. “Yes, he might lie to you for his own interests. He may be leading you into a trap.”Ivanka sneered. “Forget it, let’s put this matter aside for now. I’ll take my time to investigate it.”She had never seen her mother before. Although her obsession with her mother ran deep, at the moment, there were many things she needed to do. She needed to investigate all of it.Suki nodded. “All right.”Ivanka said, “It’s getting late. I’ll head back now. You should get some rest.”Suki watched as Ivanka stood up. She quickly followed suit to see her off.After Ivanka went home, she kept staring at the printed old photos.... The next day, Tanya was having a meal with her friend Maeve in a private room.Maeve noticed that Tanya was distracted. Tanya was pushing around her food with her fork and not eating much. Maeve asked with puzzlement, “What’s going on with you?”Tanya snapped out of her thoughts. “Nothing.”Maeve set down her spoon. She stared at Tanya and said
“Is Ivanka’s plot against Michael very serious?”Tanya looked at her with an indifferent expression. “Barkworth’s Group’s secrets have been stolen several times. Does that sound serious to you?”“Oh my goodness!” Maeve exclaimed, “So Ivanka really is Black-eyed Susan!”“She’s so amazing!” Maeve thought to herself.If it were not for Tanya being present, she might have blurted it out.Black-eyed Susan had always been her idol. She had such advanced hacking skills. How could she not admire her?Seeing Tanya’s silence, Maeve naturally understood what was on her mind. She said, “Since you’re already certain that Ivanka is planning something against Michael, and you’ve liked Michael for so long, how can you allow Ivanka to keep doing that?”As she said that, Maeve felt somewhat speechless. “I’m thinking, Michael is such a clever person, he shouldn’t be deceived by Ivanka, right? Could it be that he’s planning to outsmart Ivanka and those behind her, and take them down once and for al
These words tugged at Tanya’s heartstrings. She pondered momentarily and said somberly, “I’ll consider it.”When Tanya said this, Maeve knew that she had decided to take action.But Maeve could not predict what Tanya was going to do exactly.In the next second, Tanya’s phone started ringing.Maeve looked over reflexively and saw that the caller was Chiara.A strange emotion gleamed in her eyes, and she looked away. She remained seated, picked up her cutlery, and kept eating.Tanya answered the call wordlessly. Before she said anything, Chiara’s voice rang through the speaker. “Ms. Cullen, you must have seen the message I sent you. Have you fact-checked it?”Tanya said calmly, “And what are you up to?”Chiara chuckled. “I want to help you, of course.”Tanya furrowed her brows and said nothing.But Chiara went on with a chuckle. “You know what I’d done in the past, so I lost my chance with Michael. Now, I just want to stop Ivanka from hurting him.”Tanya remained silent, as if
“Okay,” Tanya said. The two of them continued eating. Maeve kept trying to start a conversation, but Tanya was absent-minded the entire time and only replied once in a while. Maeve could not help thinking that perhaps she would make a move soon. Tanya had always been proud and aloof in the past, but she was willing to take drastic actions for a man she liked.Maeve sighed.“It is what it is.” She thought. After they finished eating, they walked around in the streets until the time for the meetup came around. They rushed to the location that Chiara had told them.…Two days later, when Ivanka was about to go on breaks, her phone suddenly started ringing. She recognized the number.Confusion glimmered in her eyes, and she answered the call.“Ms. Cullen.”“Ms. Lane, you know my number?” Tanya sounded surprised.Ivanka did not answer her question. She continued calmly, “Ms. Cullen, do you need anything from me?”“Are you free later? Let’s have lunch together.”Ivanka froze. S
Ivanka did not pay him any mind and got into the car. If Michael dared to chase after her again, she would most definitely kick him out of the car! She would do what she said she would!Michael did not catch up, but he blocked her with his arms wide open. His stance was clear: You can leave. But over my dead body! Ivanka could not possibly drive over Michael. But it was not a problem for Michael to keep blocking her way. Plus, she had just politely rejected his parents. So, it was even more impossible for her to turn back. Ivanka ran out of patience. She held her forehead and frowned. Michael had already drained her last bit of patience. She never imagined that Michael would actually cling to her to such an extent! How would she put it? All her positivity had been drained clean! “Michael, your parents are still at home. Aren’t you afraid they’ll see and laugh at you? I know Grandpa and Grandma are standing by our side now. It’s not like you and I haven’t been in
Ivanka would neither accept the carrot nor the stick approach. Michael had no choice but to persuade her with reason and win her over with affection. Ivanka snorted. “Have you ever given me a chance to have a meal with you before this? As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. It takes time for things to come to this state. Things might have passed for you but not for me!” Ivanka’s gaze was razor-sharp. Michael felt his heart clench up. At that moment, his throat was in so much pain that he did not know what else to say to her. Ivanka did not wait for his response. She pushed away his hand and headed out without hesitation. Michael did not stop her. Nonetheless, he went after her and followed behind her. Meanwhile, they heard the sound from the kitchen. Mindy prepared dinner in the kitchen, and Jay helped her out. They had heard their conversation. Out of courtesy, Ivanka went to the kitchen and greeted them. She said with a smile, “Uncle Jay, Aunt Mindy, I’m
Ivanka clenched her fists. Her gaze was filled with ferocity. She looked like she was really going to punch Michael. Michael noticed the anger in her eyes. But since the person was none other than Ivanka, he was willing to take the beating. He even took a step forward and held his head high. “Strike me if you want.” “You!” Ivanka glared at Michael. He truly annoyed her. She reminded herself to keep her composure. She sucked in a deep breath before saying, “Michael, I’ve treated you with respect. You’d better behave yourself.” Right after she finished the sentence, Ivanka left. Before she even took a step forward, Michael grabbed her. “My mom is preparing the dishes inside the kitchen. If you leave now, you’re not showing me any respect. Please stay around to have dinner. Even though we’re already divorced, and it’s impossible for us to get back together again, we’re still friends,” said Michael. Haha! He had been adamant. He was using the same approach to draw close
Mindy’s expression instantly darkened. “What’s with us being prejudiced against her? Had I ever targeted her when she married Michael from the beginning? “She knew how well Rosie had treated her. It’s her own fault for failing to bond with Mic. How could you blame us?” Mindy had always disliked Ivanka. She believed Samuel’s intervention had been the reason for their marriage. It was an arranged marriage. There was no need for the Barkworth’s family to have an arranged marriage. At the end of the day, it was all up to Samuel to choose the bride for Michael. Ever since Ivanka married Michael, aside from the deliberate arrangements, they had hardly shown up together as a couple in public. Mindy did not have any particularly hard feelings for Ivanka. She believed the two would live happily together after getting married. After they divorced, Mindy thought Michael could start all over again. But she did not expect to see their current relationship was no different from when they
It was Jay and Mindy. When Ivanka saw them, a thought came across her mind. She took out a syringe and inserted it into Michael’s arm to unmute him. Michael felt like he had been stung by a bee. It was as though he had been put in jail, only to be freed all of a sudden. Ivanka took away the syringe and gave him a glance with displeasure. “Get out of the car now. Your parents are here—” “Aren’t you entering the house?” Before Ivanka finished her sentence, Michael interrupted her. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with sincerity and seriousness. But Ivanka rejected him coldly. “Quick! Get out of the car! I’m not joking with you. Get out now!” “Let’s go in together. After all, you’re already here. Are you worried about seeing them?” Michael was undaunted by her emotions and tone. Instead, he stretched out his hand to try to grab Ivanka. Nonetheless, she avoided him with ease. Meanwhile, Jay and Mindy saw them. They walked over to them. Mindy glanced at th
It was no wonder Jonah asked for so many details. All these were facts.Ivanka did not avoid answering his questions. She gave a light smile. “The longest will be half a year.”If the treatment was ineffective after half a year, she would go to Silvania with Vincent.After all, it was not just about her.Upon learning of Ivanka’s decision, Jonah smiled wryly. “Iv, I don’t think it’s an easy feat to treat my legs. How about you go and deal with your stuff first? You can always treat my legs afterward.”Ivanka initially planned to do it that way. But George, Florence, and Margaret had interrupted her plan.Since she had returned to Bostone, why was there a need to travel back and forth again?She might as well treat Jonah’s legs.Besides, Vincent had informed her that it would be highly uncertain whether they could still return to their home country after arriving at Silvania.Ivanka said, “No. I don’t want to make so many trips. I’ll treat your legs for half a year and see if i
It was not an overstatement to say Michael was crossing the line. Nonetheless, Ivanka could not just sit there and watch the two men get into a conflict. Hence, Ivanka pulled Michael to the side and glanced at him. “If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better wait here.” But Michael was undaunted by Jonah. Although Jonah had the power to rebuke him in his own territory, Michael refused to allow Jonah to get the upper hand. Ivanka saw the determination in Michael’s eyes. She was very worried that the two might get into a fight. She quickly pulled him back. “Stop making me worry about you. Just wait here! If you dare to come after me, I’ll…” Although she did not finish her sentence, her intention was clear enough. If Michael disobeyed her, she would make him a statue! Understanding this, Michael did not follow Ivanka. But when Jonah turned around and left, the provocation in his eyes was evident. Still, Michael listened to Ivanka. He did not want to offend her. He
Jonah narrowed his eyes while questioning Michael. Still, Michael did not respond to him. Ivanka pursed her lips. She looked displeased when she answered Jonah, “Jonah, there’s no need to speak so harshly. Do you still want me to treat your legs?” She had temporarily made Michael mute. She did that to stop Michael from talking endlessly about those things. Nonetheless, he had still insisted on coming along with her, only to end up being targeted by Jonah. Ivanka had no intention of making Michael mute in front of Jonah. Upon hearing Ivanka’s words, Jonah looked at where she currently stood. She stood in front of Michael. It looked like she was trying to protect him more. As the saying went, true love was portrayed in hard times. This saying was true indeed. It was true that Ivanka cared about Michael. Jonah said gently to Ivanka, “I want you to treat my legs, and I only speak harshly to specific people. I already showed him much respect when he barged into my terri
Michael remained resolute.Ivanka rolled her eyes. “Then stay stubborn. I’ll only fix it when you stop pushing me away.”After she was done speaking, she turned to leave.Michael followed.He even opened the passenger door and got in her car. He was determined to follow her.But Ivanka would not go easy on him.Once inside, she warned him coldly, “Not being able to speak is harder than you think. Follow if you want. Michael, are you sure about this?”Even after her warning, he kept staring straight ahead.She said nothing more and started the engine.Within half an hour, she arrived at Jonah’s mansion.Jonah came out to greet her personally. The moment Ivanka parked the car, Jonah immediately spotted Michael in the passenger seat.The sight of him stirred up bitterness in Jonah. Yet there was nothing he could do.Before Ivanka exited the car, she said to Michael, “Wait here.”Without glancing at him, she walked straight toward Jonah.Her attitude made Michael decide t