At Cullen’s Group, Tanya was working in her company when someone knocked on the door to her office.“Miss Cullen.”Tanya snapped out of her reverie and looked up.“Come in.”Soon enough, a female secretary dressed in office attire pushed open the door and walked in. She had a document in her hand.“This is the document you’ve asked for. You have a meeting with the design department in fifteen minutes.”“Alright.”The secretary acknowledged her response. Seeing that Tanya had not given any more instructions, she left the room.Tanya rubbed the spot between her brows and flipped through the document she had received.She had heard of what happened in Lane’s Group lately. Soon, Ivanka would take over the company.Tanya wondered what the company would become under Ivanka’s leadership.Would it flourish at an alarming rate, or would it crash and crumble? Perhaps in the end, Michael would no longer be impressed with Ivanka, and all her admirers would leave her.Tanya pressed her
Tanya pressed her lips together and said nothing. She signaled Erica to continue. Erica adjusted the glasses on her nose bridge and said, “The design department is facing a bottleneck, but it isn’t because of our design. It’s due to the consumers’ increasingly picky and divisive tastes. Many designers’ products can hardly appeal to everyone.”Her explanation sounded like an excuse to shift the blame to someone else.Tanya furrowed her brows slightly and looked at Erica. “What you said about the consumers’ tastes is true, but you have to do your best in terms of design.”Erica quickly shook her head. “No, Miss Cullen, I’m not saying that our design is not to blame. I merely explain this situation from an objective lens. When it comes to the color palette and proportion, our designs are fine. Everyone has been working very hard as well. But I think that if we have a world-class designer on the team, we will have some breakthroughs even if we only borrow her fame.”Tanya pulled a lo
After some thinking, Tanya rested her hand on her forehead and said calmly, “I’ve got other plans for this. Just use the design concept and come up with a design. I’ll send someone to look for Papaver, but be ready in case we can’t find her.”Everyone nodded and did not say anything further.The meeting was then adjourned.Tanya was quite interested in Papaver.She had considered collaborating with her before. However, Papaver was aloof and had never revealed her true identity. This made her extremely elusive. Tanya had never been able to contact her.The Design Department’s approach seemed very reasonable to her. Collaborating with Papaver would be a significant advancement for them.Another reason she wanted to collaborate with Papaver was to hope that Michael would regard her more highly. By becoming more exceptional and achieving more, she hoped to be worthy of Michael and have him pour his attention on her instead of his ex-wife. ... The deadline Ivanka gave Theodore w
Ivanka seemed to be waiting for Theodore’s agreement.He had to call Lyla immediately!... Sandy, Anna, and Hanson were at Ivanka’s house. It had been a while since they last gathered.Ivanka had prepared some food for them. The other three were helping out in the kitchen.Once everyone settled down, Sandy eagerly picked up her utensils. “I can finally eat Iv’s cooking again!”Anna chuckled, “Hey, don’t be greedy! I miss Iv’s cooking too.”Sandy snorted, “See?! You miss her food too! I’m not the only one who’s greedy!”Hanson smiled and picked up his utensils.Ivanka’s wounds were almost completely healed, but they still did not let her drink alcohol. So, everyone could only drink juice instead of wine.After they toasted, Sandy took a sip of her juice and looked at Ivanka. “Iv, is Theodore’s family still acting indifferent?”“Mhm.”Hanson frowned. “Even after you threatened to sue them? Aren’t they afraid?”Anna found it hard to believe. She laughed and said, “How can th
Hanson’s heart skipped a beat. He nodded immediately. “Okay, I’ll stay.”Ivanka’s eyes flickered in panic as she said, “I’ll arrange for bodyguards. You don’t have to stay.”“Meh, I know it’s just words. Alright, it’s settled then. Hanson will stay downstairs. The three of us will stay upstairs! As a way of thanking us, you can cook delicious meals for us for the next few days!” Sandy said with a longing expression as she imagined indulging in Ivanka’s cooking for days to come.Anna chuckled. “Iv is very busy. She won’t have time to cook for you!”“Hahaha... occasional meals from her work too!”Their dynamic made it clear they were not leaving. Ivanka had no choice but to comply as she felt grateful for them. Hanson quickly hired five bodyguards—two females and three males. The females were for Ivanka’s assistance, while the males focused on outer protection.Ivanka felt touched. She knew it was a dangerous time. So, she gave in and accepted their kindness.That night, after t
Ivanka paused for a moment and was surprised that Evan was about to send her the proposal so soon.She frowned, “Did Michael ask you to send it only to me?”Evan cleared his throat. He often found himself in a difficult position between Ivanka and Michael.Both Ivanka and Evan seemed to have the same thoughts. They were both astute and sharp and possessed enough mutual understanding without needing to say anything directly.At that moment, he knew he could not lie to her.Finally, Evan said softly, “This project is newly approved by the company and has huge potential. Normally, Mr. Barkworth would choose Cullen’s Group for collaboration, but this time, he asked me to contact you directly.”Without needing him to spell it out, Ivanka understood what he intended. Evan saved himself the trouble of engaging in an awkward conversation as well.It was no secret that given the current situation, Cullen’s Group was much more advantageous to Barkworth’s Group than Lane’s Group. A win-win
Michael was no longer in the mood to handle his tasks in Barkworth’s Group. His expression had been dark all day. After a moment, he got up, walked to the window, and looked out. His office was on the top floor. If he looked down, there was not much to behold. But if he looked up, he could see the sky and clouds. The weather outside was pleasant. The air was fresh and clean. Michael opened the window. When he felt the cold breeze, he became calmer. No one knew how long he stood by the window. He stared off into the distance. It was as if he were looking at something. ... Five days passed. Everything seemed calm. Theodore and his family were eating dinner. After a couple of peaceful days, they were no longer that tense and felt more relaxed. Theodore even drank today. After drinking a mouthful of whisky, Theodore parted his lips and exhaled. He ate some food before saying with a grin, “As we expected, Ivanka was just lying to us.” Seeing that Theodore was in a good m
Chiara said through her gnashed teeth, “I wish that day would come soon. But that person just keeps observing the situation and hasn’t attacked Ivanka. How much longer is she going to wait? Why isn’t Ivanka dead yet?!” “Ivanka will die eventually.” Lyla looked grim. Theodore and his family lose their appetite for food because of Chiara. Upon seeing the delicious dishes served on the table, Theodore took his cutlery. “Eat the food now. Don’t starve yourself. We need to save up energy and try to fight back against Ivanka. If we starve ourselves to death, we won’t get any chance to fight back against her. Lyla nodded and turned to Chiara. Lyla took Chiara’s cutlery and passed it to her. “Eat now.” Chiara bit the bottom of her lips. She wordlessly took the cutlery from Lyla. But, a phone call made them completely lose their appetite for food. The moment Theodore’s phone rang, he and his family frowned. Their expressions turned dark. Apparently, they somewhat disliked answer
“I deserve everything that’s happening to me now. But please don’t involve my family in my mistakes…” Ethan clasped his hands together and sincerely begged everyone to spare his family. Ivanka spared him a brief glance before turning off her cell phone. Although she was helping herself to some meat, Michael could see how she felt at the moment. “Why don’t we…” Michael asked for her opinion. But before he finished speaking, Ivanka interrupted him. “Now that he’s released a video like that, if I continue to hold him accountable, I’d be the one in the wrong.” Michael immediately replied, “I can step in—” “You? It’s better if you don’t. Everyone knows your relationship with me now.” Before Michael could finish his sentence, Ivanka immediately interrupted him. Although they were not officially remarried, Michael often went out with her. If anyone else were to see this, what difference did it make? Michael understood, but he really could not bear to see Ivanka getting bulli
After they finished taking pictures, Ivanka greeted everyone politely. “After finishing your meal, go home early. It’s snowing, so drive safely. Bye…” Ivanka subconsciously reminded them. She belatedly realized she had been acting as though she was really an idol. Nonetheless, she treated them with sincerity. She had not done this for Michael’s sake. She did this mostly for the sake of the innocent, inexperienced young ladies who had yet entered the society. These young ladies raised their phones warily and asked, “Could we take a picture together?” They were so worried that their invitation would be turned down, so much so that when they talked, they almost bit the skin off their lips. Ivanka could not bear to reject them. It had not been easy for her to finally reach the private room. Michael teased her, “Our celebrity finally arrived. It looks like you’d best wear shades wherever you go in the future.” Ivanka glared at him and said gruffly, “Stop teasing me.” She paused
After that, Ivanka politely bowed to the people who had been watching the drama in the main hall. She smiled at them. “Sorry for making a fool of ourselves. We encountered two tricksters who wanted to eat the meals for free by calling themselves the friends of the restaurant owners. It happened that I know the restaurant owner, so we easily uncovered their tricks.” By saying that, Ivanka was able to save the hot pot restaurant’s and the Barkworth family’s reputation. Her statement could result in a win-win situation, and the reason was acceptable. Ivanka continued, “Sorry for causing a stir and affecting your dining mood. I’ll foot the bill for everyone who dined on the first floor. How does that sound?” She was not trying to curry favor with the people or to show off her wealth. She simply did not want the people to hate the wealthy. One could not deny that this method worked. Right after Ivanka made her statement, the crowd thanked her. The commotion was no more than ju
The young lady did not know what to do, so she turned to the restaurant manager. The restaurant manager nodded in approval. It was only then that the young lady left the restaurant. Before she left, she glared at Coco. Coco glared back at the young lady and pointed at her viciously. Coco shouted, “Come back! I’m not done with you yet! Who permitted you to leave now?!” The young lady’s body shivered a little. Still, she gnashed her teeth and left. Ivanka watched the young lady’s back as she drifted away. Ivanka stood in Coco’s way because she did not want Coco to chase after the young lady. Ivanka did not want to make a big deal out of the situation. Otherwise, the Barkworth family would be the one who suffered disgrace. After all, Coco stayed in the Barkworth family’s mansion, and everyone knew that Rosie doted on her. If it continued, Ivanka was worried about Rosie’s later years… Ivanka rubbed her temples in resignation. It looked like she needed to resolve the issue as
The restaurant manager thought for a moment before saying, “Ms. Fishbourne, the restaurant has its own rules. Only three types of VIPs could reserve our private rooms while the rest could only enjoy normal seats. I have reasons to believe that our front desk told you the same when you called. We may not have empty seats now, but we’ll have one shortly after.” Coco recalled the situation and remembered that it was exactly like what the restaurant manager had mentioned. So what? Things have changed these days. Coco was no longer an ordinary woman. Her words could even move the earth. With that thought in her mind, Coco chuckled. She kept her tyranny and mockery to herself before locking her little finger with the young lady’s at the front desk. The young lady at the front desk looked down at her finger before glancing at the restaurant manager helplessly. The restaurant manager himself, too, was caught in trouble, so he could not do anything else to defend the young lady. C
Little did Coco know that her behavior was no more like a clown in the crowd’s eyes. Ivanka felt disgusted. Although she could not put herself in Coco’s shoes, she could understand the thoughts of a sensitive person. Ivanka could sympathize with a sensitive and cowardly person. But she could not find herself sympathizing with Coco. Coco’s low self-esteem should not be the reason for her to behave like a crook. Michael, on the other hand, already finished discussing with the restaurant manager and entering the private room. Ivanka lagged behind him. She had no intention of entertaining Coco, much less inviting her to eat together. No doubt that the private room was able to accommodate four people. But based on their relationship, Ivanka thought she had been kind enough to not find fault in Coco, much less eating together. Meanwhile, Coco continued to argue with the restaurant manager. She argued until her face reddened. Although the restaurant manager already made hims
The temperature was above freezing point, so the snowflakes melted before they even reached the ground. The trees were covered in snow. At a glance, they looked like a blanket of pristine snow. The big trees looked as if they had been covered in snow-white new clothes. Ivanka was a little surprised at such a scenery. Even though she often went for business trips in the north and had experienced snow, skied, and various other experiences, it was a rare sight to experience snow in their city. Instead of snow, they looked more like an ice sheet. The snow there was different from the cities in the north. They easily fell on their hair. In just a while, their hair turned snowy white. Ivanka took out her phone and took a photo. Then she shared it with her friends in her WhatsApp group. Meanwhile, Michael took photos of Ivanka. Michael hardly posted anything on Twitter. After a moment, he uploaded a photo of Ivanka taking photos of the scenery.The caption was: Experiencing
Michael glanced at Ivanka.Ivanka kept her eyes lowered and focused on nothing in particular. Both of them tacitly agreed not to bring it up.“Let’s go out to eat,” Michael said. Ivanka agreed without hesitation.If they got ready and left at this time, they would be just in time for lunch.She went upstairs to freshen up. Michael did not rush her. He just smiled, as if he was telling her to take her time.Ivanka felt a little embarrassed and touched the tip of her nose. Truthfully, she was the one in a hurry because she was the one starving.Five minutes later, she came back down.She had changed into a long black down coat that reached her ankles. It was practical and warm.But the weather was still unbearably cold. This winter was harsher than usual.“Let’s go.” She rubbed her hands together and looked at Michael.Michael was on his phone. He was smiling and looked relaxed. With just a glance, Ivanka could tell he was probably making a reservation.Their long-standing
Ivanka slept in the next day. By the time she woke up, the sun was already streaming through the window, casting light across her bed and face.In a way, the sunlight had forced her awake.She frowned slightly before slowly opening her eyes. The brightness left spots in her vision, so she instinctively raised a hand to shield herself before getting out of bed.It was already past 10 a.m.She had no idea how she managed to sleep so much, especially after napping all afternoon the day before.Then again, maybe she was just that exhausted. So much had been going on lately.Fortunately, it was Saturday, so she did not have to go to the office.That was probably why her internal clock had not woken her at seven as usual.Come to think of it, her body’s internal clock was quite accommodating.On workdays, no matter how tired she was, she always woke up at seven sharp. But on weekends, that never happened. She could sleep in as much as she wanted, which was pretty great.She lay in