With a wry smile, Ivanka looked at Chiara and said, “Honestly, I didn’t even notice. Like I said, Michael and I are just putting on a show. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Whoever he leaves with is none of my business.”She was telling the truth. She had not even noticed Michael leaving with Tanya. Knowing Michael’s nature, he would never walk off with someone he despised and said harsh things to unless there was a reason.This was Michael they were talking about. Ivanka trusted that he could handle whatever came his way. Besides, Tanya was on his turf. She would not be able to harm him in the slightest.“Well then, are you free tomorrow, Ms. Lane?” Chiara asked carefully.Ivanka felt a thrill of satisfaction. Chiara had taken the bait!After a moment’s thought, Ivanka replied, “I have a meeting with a partner in the morning, and I’m not sure about the afternoon. Tell you what, I’ll reach out if I’m free tomorrow.”“Okay.”Chiara nodded. As Ivanka glanced down at her
Before Blake could respond, Michael grabbed him by the collar and tossed him violently aside. “You’re in no position to make demands of me!”“Michael, my people caught every bit of that on camera. And let’s not forget your little attitude problem. If you don’t agree to my terms, I’ll post it all online for everyone to see!”Despite just being thrown by Michael, Blake’s voice was loud and strong.He seemed full of confidence.Michael had only entertained this conversation because he wanted to know who was behind it all. He had even considered agreeing to Blake’s conditions if they were reasonable enough.He did not expect Blake to make such outrageous and shameless demands. He had even played him.Blake’s confidence stemmed entirely from that video. He thought he could edit it however he pleased to paint Michael in a bad light.However, Michael was not about to be intimidated by such threats.Michael snorted. “You really think these cheap tricks would rattle me in the slight
With a strained expression, Tanya looked at Michael. Her brow furrowed tightly as she said, “Whether Ivanka is clever or foolish, what grudge would the Hicks family have against her? Why would they go out of their way to kill her? Couldn’t it just as easily be someone from her past or even one of your enemies, Michael?”Michael’s eyes flashed with intensity, but Tanya stood her ground, unwavering, positioned firmly in front of Blake.Blake’s eyes widened slightly. Being defended by a woman did not make him feel humiliated. Instead, he was very touched. He thought. “Tanya really does love me!”Before Blake could react, Tanya spoke again with a cold and sharp voice.“Michael, don’t forget that from Mirvania to Bostone, you and Ivanka have been inseparable. Surely, you’ve got plenty of enemies yourself too?”Tanya aimed to divert Michael’s suspicion away from Blake and his family, hoping to protect him. With someone of Michael’s standing, he was bound to have more than a few adve
Blake’s word made it clear that this had to involve the Hicks family. Keeping Blake under control would quickly reveal the truth.After ordering his men to take Blake away, Michael returned to the party. However, when he arrived, there was no sign of Ivanka or Chiara.His face darkened as he called Ivanka.Meanwhile, Ivanka was in the restroom with Chiara, having asked her to come along. She wanted to test just how far Chiara’s patience would go.As Michael’s call came through, Ivanka was touching up her makeup in front of the mirror.“This is so annoying!” she muttered and pulled her phone out of her bag.“Ms. Levine, let’s make this easier. I’ll call you Melanie from now on, and you can call me Iv. We’re friends now. All the formal ‘Ms. Levine’ and ‘Ms. Lane’ feels too distant.”When Chiara nodded, Ivanka continued. “Melanie, could you take this call for me? Just tell him I’m busy and can’t talk right now.” She handed the phone over to Chiara.Chiara glanced at the ca
Ivanka knew better than to fall into Chiara’s trap, especially when fully aware of her true identity. Yet here was her phone, in Chiara’s hands. That was a situation that defied logic.“Have her call me back herself.” Michael’s voice was firm and brooked no argument.That cold response stung Chiara. His disregard was clear. Michael had no interest in her involvement. He had no trust in her to relay anything. In fact, had he already begun to suspect her motives just from this call?“She’s here,” Chiara handed the phone back to Ivanka.Ivanka could tell the call had affected Chiara. She took the phone and smoothly asked Michael, “What do you want?”In less than a minute, the phone was back in Ivanka’s hands.Michael’s voice was steely as he asked, “What’s going on?”Ivanka replied calmly, “Nature called. I left my purse with Melanie in my rush. I’ll probably stay until the party ends. You should go home first.”She knew Chiara was likely watching her closely for any reaction.
Ivanka immediately retorted, “You should tell that to Chiara. If she wants to, maybe you two can get back together.”With that, she turned and walked ahead.Michael’s expression darkened instantly. That darn woman!Without hesitation, he caught up with her and said in a low voice, “I didn’t mean that. You know full well that she…”“She what? Remember how she ‘died’? Do I really need to remind you again?” Ivanka cut him off sharply before he could finish his sentence.Michael fell silent.Chiara’s ‘death’ shocked the entire Bostone and caused Ivanka to be blamed by the public. How could he not know that?After their trip to Mirvania and their close contact, he understood that there was more to the story.No matter what, he knew deep down that Ivanka and Chiara would never reconcile. He would never ask that of Ivanka.Michael pursed his lips, collected his thoughts, and spoke to Ivanka. “I didn’t say anything about her, but you know exactly what her intentions are.”Ivanka nodd
“Wait a minute.” Ivanka thought.Was she angry because Michael had been fixated on Chiara the entire time?Regardless of how he felt about Chiara, what did it have to do with Ivanka? Why would she be mad?When she realized this, Ivanka was shocked by her line of thought.For a moment, she felt awkward and despised herself too.As Michael said, Ivanka had indeed gotten jealous.Little did she know, Michael saw her slight frown when she was deep in thought. He did not believe her earlier words.“It’s actually not that hard to acknowledge how you really feel deep down, just like I have done, Ivanka.”Ivanka was speechless.Michael made her sound like a coward.She refused to accept that accusation!Displeased, she said, “What do you mean by that, Michael? If I were a coward, I wouldn’t have lost my sense of self and wasted three years of my life on you!“You were the one who tossed me the divorce papers, weren’t you? Unlike you, I’m a human being with feelings. We were married
Even if Michael was pretending, it would not have been this convincing.Ivanka checked his pulse and found it unstable.It was the symptom of poisoning!Luckily, her bag contained the medicine kit and emergency pills she had brought to the hospital earlier that day.Otherwise, she would not be able to save him within such a short period of time, considering that they were in an unfamiliar place without medicines.After feeding him the pill, Ivanka called Evan on the phone.It was nighttime.Evan became alert instinctively. “What’s the matter, Ms. Lane?”“Michael is showing symptoms of poisoning. We’re at the Levine family’s place. Come get us right now.”Initially, Ivanka planned to ask someone to help her carry Michael to her car. However, even though he had taken the pill, he should not be moved around, given his condition.He had to stay still for an hour, or else his breathing and blood flow would be disrupted, which would affect his bodily functions and lead to a massive
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