Chiara thought. “He’s going to talk about something unpleasant before the dishes are even served! How heartless he is!” Lyla’s expression soured. Only fools would not understand what Samuel had meant by that. Theodore’s smile faded. Apparently, they knew what was going on. Mindy saw everything. She looked down as she felt embarrassed to stare at them. Jay thought things would be simpler if Theodore and his family knew what happened. Samuel cleared his throat and said with a weary sigh, “I feel ashamed to speak about this, but this issue is reciprocal. Could you get what I meant?” Theodore, Lyla and Chiara looked stunned. They did not understand what Samuel said. The trio stared at him blankly in unison. Samuel was speechless. He thought. “Why are you three still acting dumb at this moment? What’s the point of acting tough when your deeds are already exposed? Please keep some respect and dignity to yourself, will you?” Samuel did not want to put them down, so he said
Chiara was stunned. She felt as if lightning had struck her. Although she had come with a bad feeling, she had been hopeful. However, things had changed.They had spoken to her face. The Barkworth family wanted to cut ties with her! She would become a laughing stock! “Aunt Mindy, why is it so? Do you truly believe everything the treacherous people have said to you? I hadn’t done anything!” Chiara was cautious with her words. She kept giving explanations and denying everything. Nonetheless, she did not mention what she had been denying. Samuel heaved a sigh and said solemnly, “We’re the ones who proposed to call off the marriage. If you have any grievances, tell us, and we will partially compensate you.” “Compensation, huh?” Theodore scoffed at them. “Although we’re not as reputable as your family, we are equally well-known. You dare abandon my daughter all of a sudden and still think it’s okay to brush off the matter just by compensating us?!” Meanwhile, Lyla could no
Theodore and his family’s expressions changed slightly. They knew the Barkworth family would not give up calling off Michael and Chiara’s marriage. Theodore smirked. “You can call off their marriage if you want to. Why such arrogance?” Michael indifferently glanced at Theodore. Theodore ignored him. He turned to Samuel and said in a deep voice, “Master Barkworth, since you’ve made up your mind, I regret to say that we are not destined to be part of your family. It’s fine to call off their marriage. Likewise, we’ll terminate all of our collaborations too.” Theodore had left them no room for negotiation. Lyla changed her attitude. Although the Barkworth family was great, it was equally important to collaborate with the Lane family. The Lane family could make their projects even more profitable, so she believed the Barkworth family would not easily give up on them. Lyla believed the Barkworth family would beg to make peace with them. When that happened, she wondered if the Barkw
Who would have an appetite in this situation? The attendee headed out and closed the door. Samuel said lightly, “Let’s eat. After all, we still need to finish the food before breaking up.” Theodore was furious. Who would have an appetite in this situation? Theodore had explicitly laid out everything before the Barkworth family. He had even threatened them. At that moment, he was speechless. He could not possibly take back his words. Besides, Samuel had no qualms with Theodore terminating their collaborations. The Barkworth family even took the initiative to pay liquidated damages as compensation, which was normal to have to pay for any breach of contract. They had blocked all of Theodore’s paths! Theodore thought. “So you think you guys are amazing, huh?!” He had no intention of taking his cutlery. It would be all too humiliating to eat with the Barkworth family. They had abandoned Chiara. The Lane family was about to become a laughing stock in the town. How could t
After some time, she finally snapped back to her senses. After realizing he had walked away, she chased after Michael in a panic. “Mic!” she called out in agony.Michael’s grim expression made Chiara’s body tremble. But she could not care less and ran to stop in front of him. “Why won’t you believe me? Mic, I really didn’t do it!”Michael stopped walking. He stared at her and coldly said, “I’m giving you one last chance. Get out of my way.”His cold voice struck through her heart like a jagged dagger of ice covered in thorns.Chiara gasped in pain and burst into tears. It would have worked in the past. The expression on her face would make him feel bad even if he did not feel sorry for her.But now, he was indifferent. Chiara was having trouble breathing at that point, and her brain had stopped working. Chiara watched the man walk past her. She struggled to turn to look at him before all strength suddenly left her body. Her surroundings blurred, and her eyelids grew heavier
Ivanka sat on the living room sofa. She could not help but chuckle at Sandy. “What’s wrong? Are you looking for a boyfriend?”“Yeah. I am!” Sandy pouted. “But it’ll be a hassle finding a boyfriend who’s not in our friend group. It’s our fault for having only one guy in our small friend group. We should’ve gathered more guys that time, and then I could pick a boyfriend among them. That way, we can still have gatherings together in the future, and it would be so much fun!”Ivanka chuckled and looked at Sandy with fond resignation. “Having a childhood sweetheart is nice. But with your personality, you would think that you couldn’t experience the romance of getting to know someone new this way.” After all, Sandy craved novelty. Sandy laughed as she brushed her short hair, and lazily said, “You know me so well, Bestie!”“Of course, I do.” Ivanka could not contain her smile. She put down the notebook in her hand and asked, “Do you mind if I invite someone over tonight?”“Who?”“Some
Ivanka turned to face her and asked, “What happened?”“It’s the Cullen family!” That was all Sandy said as she continued to scroll through her phone. At that moment, all her attention was on her phone. The Cullen family? Ivanka was a little confused.She recalled the time she and Michael went to Springvale for a banquet, during which they had met Tanya Cullen and even talked to her. At first glance, the woman appeared very purposeful, but she also exuded nobility. Although she distanced herself from most people, she did not go too far in doing so.But of course, that was only Ivanka’s first impression of Tanya that day.“Oh my god! An official announcement has been made!” Sandy exclaimed after reading another tweet. After saying that, Sandy was already walking over to Ivanka’s side and handed her the phone. “Look! The whole Cullen family is going to move here!”Ivanka was a little surprised. “They are doing fine over there. Why move here suddenly?”“They still have a company
“You were doing fine last time. How did you end up in a car accident? How is your recovery going?” Aalto asked while looking across at Ivanka. He did not hurry to pick up his spoon.Ivanka smiled and said, “Two trucks drove at me. There was no way to avoid it.”Aalto’s expression immediately changed.“You’re the one that drove into the chasm?!”Even though the incident went viral online, the identity of the person involved in the accident remained unknown to outsiders.Sandy tilted her head and added, “Not only that, Mr. Aalto. I was there too!”Aalto’s expression changed slightly, and he said, “Someone was trying to kill you.”Ivanka just shook her head and said in resignation, “I hope that’s not the case.”Aalto frowned. “People are getting more and more unhinged these days. How is the police investigation going?”“They’re still looking into it. The two drivers who caused the accident have been found but, so far, no evidence has been found against them. It was only reported
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