Candice had a feeling that there was something in the wine.She looked at him and shook her head.“Thanks, but I don’t want to drink. I need to head back later.”“Head back?” Leonardo’s smile turned sinister. He seemed to find it incredibly amusing and burst out laughing.Candice flinched at his reaction. She quickly grabbed her pepper spray from her bag. She kept a close eye on him and was wary of his next move.Before she could think, Leonardo held the wine glass in one hand and grabbed her chin with the other.His grip was so harsh that it hurt her.Candice placed both hands in front of her chest and tried to create some distance between them. She immediately began struggling violently.Leonardo became even more ruthless. He pinned the back of her head and tried to force the wine into her mouth.Candice realized she could not break free. So, she reached out and knocked the wine glass to the floor.The glass hit the floor and shattered into pieces.Some of the shards even
“Candice, open the door,” Leonardo said. His tone was calm, which only made it more unsettling. Candice knew him too well.She pressed her hand over her mouth and tried to stay silent. She could not risk giving herself away.“I’m saying this for the last time. Open the door!” His voice was sharp as he lost his patience.As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed a chair and smashed it against the bathroom door.Candice let out an involuntary scream.“Open the door!” His tone grew frantic. Each strike against the door was more violent than the last. The relentless banging seemed to echo in her chest.She glanced around the bathroom desperately to search for something to defend herself. There was nothing. Her chest tightened as the weight of her helplessness bore down on her.To make matters worse, the bathroom’s glass door began to crack. Thin lines spread across it, jagged and sharp. It would not hold much longer.Candice’s heart clenched tightly.“Open the door!” Leonardo sn
Candice fought back with all her strength. She punched, hit, and even bit down on Leonardo’s hand so hard that it tore off a chunk of flesh. She did everything she could to push him away.Leonardo must have been in extreme pain. He slapped her across the face so hard that her ears rang.He bound her hands together with a tie.Once she stopped struggling, he resumed trying to strip off her clothes.She pushed him away, but it was useless. He was too strong. It was a losing battle.Tears rolled down her cheeks as she closed her eyes.She tried to comfort herself by thinking that the pain would be like a dog bite.Just as Leonardo was about to pull off her pants, the door suddenly burst open.Candice heard a familiar voice. It sounded strong and commanding. “Only female officers go in! The rest of you stay outside!”Candice instantly recognized Ivanka’s voice. Relief surged through her.That sense of safety made her entire body relax. She knew Ivanka had come to save her. She
Everything was over. The one who took it the hardest was Mandy.She later discovered that the person who had reached out to her was Leonardo. She also learned about Candice’s kidnapping from Ferris.It appeared that Leonardo had initially planned to collaborate with Mandy. The real target, however, was likely Ivanka.Candice had only been a step in the process. Ivanka had always been the ultimate goal.Yet, before the plan could even begin, it was abruptly abandoned.Whenever Mandy thought about this, frustration consumed her.Suddenly, a bold idea came to her.Perhaps she could use this situation to her advantage.The next time Ferris visited her, Mandy prepared a lavish meal to entertain him.During the meal, she casually brought up the topic.“Ivanka might’ve kicked me out, but it’s obvious she wanted to use me to embarrass you. Looks like she’s trying to assert her dominance. Doesn’t this feel like another factional struggle to you?” Mandy said.She carefully studied Fer
Candice held out her hand and blocked them.“If you’re brave enough to talk behind someone’s back, at least have the guts to face them. Cowards.”The two employees trembled. They realized they were at fault and did not dare to argue. They could only apologize repeatedly. One of them even slapped her own face and said, “Sorry, Ms. Candice. I just ran my mouth. I won’t do it again.”Candice did not budge. She stared at them sharply and said coldly, “The company doesn’t need employees who gossip, especially those who spread rumors about middle management. Go to the finance department and settle your wages.”The two pleaded for mercy. The ones who had been so animated while gossiping were now dumbfounded.Who would have thought she would get caught gossiping just to fit in and lose her job?Candice did not linger. She walked away and left them to stare at each other in regretful silence.Less than an hour later, the whole company was buzzing about what had happened.Everyone was
But Ivanka was untouchable.There was no way to blame Candice either.Ferris had no choice but to storm off in anger.Although he was fuming, he still made sure to slam the door behind him when he left.Ivanka found it amusing.She did not ask Candice about the incident afterward and had no intention of doing so. Whether it was intentional or accidental, Candice had done nothing wrong.Ivanka still had that much control.In the end, the office gossip, which lasted only a few hours, was completely shut down.Mandy, on the other hand, was so furious when she found out that she nearly lost control. But it did not matter.All she could do was grit her teeth and swear, “One day, I’ll make Ivanka and Candice infamous. They won’t be able to hold their heads up again!”Ivanka had no idea about Mandy’s plan, nor did she care. It had no impact on her.If Ferris had been pulling the strings behind Mandy, Ivanka might have taken it more seriously. But that was in the past.In the futur
A salesperson saw Michael standing motionlessly in place. The salesperson took note of his outstanding appearance and knew he was a rich man at a single glance. Hence, the salesperson went over and promoted his products in a friendly manner. “Sir, are you looking for something for your girlfriend?” Michael originally wanted to clarify himself. On second thought, he shook his head and said, “I would like to buy something for my wife.” Upon hearing his sentence, the salesperson smiled. His eyes narrowed to crescents. “Your wife is truly a very lucky woman.” Michael said nothing. For a moment, the atmosphere became awkward. The salesperson had experienced plenty of things in life, so he was unbothered. He then began to promote his products. “Look at the daily products over here. I believe a couple needs these to improve their happiness and sense of belonging. Imagine seeing your wife lying on the bed when you wake up early in the morning, and the sun shines warmly on her face.
Ivanka nodded and returned to the dining hall.It did not take long before Michael carried a tray of food to the table. Ivanka was surprised to see a table of food. She looked up at Michael and asked skeptically, “Did you prepare all these? Are you sure they aren’t takeaway food?” Ivanka questioned Michael’s cooking skills, but he did not feel irritated. Instead, he answered her solemnly, “It looks like I’m receiving high praise from you, Ms. Lane.” They exchanged glances and smiled. “Eat the food now. I’m worried they don’t taste good anymore after all the repeated reheats.” Ivanka nodded and tasted the steak placed in front of her. She had to admit that Michael was quite skillful in cooking. The steak was cooked to the exact doneness. Ivanka was a picky eater. She rarely found something that tasted good to her. But the steak tasted very good indeed. The meat was not too hard. When she took a bite, the blood did not leak out from the meat. The meat was very fresh
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