“No!” Lyla screamed heart-wrenchingly. Her eyes were filled with incredulity. How could this be possible?! Why did Chiara have to come to this state?! No! This was not true! “Could this be part of Chiara’s plan?” Lyla remembered that Ivanka had pushed Chiara to a state where she had no choice but to resort to the last step. Lyla thought. “Could this be one of the schemes between Chiara and the mysterious person?” She remembered the mysterious person had promised to give Chiara a new identity. Lyla gradually calmed down. She seemed to know what was going on. Ivanka narrowed her eyes and noticed that her expression kept changing. Even though Lyla kept her expression well hidden, Ivanka observed the slight changes. Unbeknownst to Lyla, Ivanka could tell that Chiara had not died. It was obvious to see that this was just another setup. Ivanka did not come to visit Lyla to prove anything. Even without seeing Lyla’s expression, Ivanka knew that Chiara could not have died
With just a sentence like this, she already did not know what else to say. It was as if she was waiting for Ivanka to continue. Lyla did not even dare to keep her emotions under too much control. She was in a state of absolute panic. Her brain was messed up from panic, and she could not think through anything. The main point was that Ivanka was here. She did not dare to expose her emotions. This would only let Ivanka see through her all the more. Ivanka was too smart and too scary! “You don’t have to pretend. I’m aware of a lot of things. This includes Chiara faking her death and keeping it from you because she’s worried that she might be seen in this place.” Lyla was shocked! This despicable person! Lyla did not dare to show too much of her thoughts. Instead, she shook her head, puzzled. “What’s going on? Iv, what do you mean by Chiara faking her death? Is she still alive?” When she spoke of the latter, Lyla still looked a bit hopeful. However, she did not dare to have to
“He had never kept his misdeeds under wraps properly. Haven’t you realized that he’s the one who always ends up exposing the things you did?” Lyla’s expression changed. She could only play dumb and act in disbelief as she shook her head. “Iv, what the hell are you talking about? I really don’t understand what you’re talking about…” Ivanka sneered. “As long as Theodore is around, you all will keep losing. He has a family outside, yet you are suffering on his behalf here. Your daughter is barely even a person now. By the way, I already know of her new identity. In fact, I learned of it through your husband. Don’t you think I’m amazing?” “If this continues, Theodore will only become a burden to you. If you want to succeed, you can only let Theodore get the legal judgment he deserves, not you… You’re here spending your days in torment without knowing how miserable it really is outside.” Lyla’s face was a little pale. She did not know what to say. The irritation inside her was gro
“Things are going as per usual, but now there’s a new piece of the drama—Chiara’s death.” Ivanka picked up her cutlery and put a small piece of food into her mouth. “Oh?” Sandy scoffed. “She did that? What’s Lyla’s reaction to that? Did she cry and throw a tantrum?” “She’s really smart and figured out that this was a whole act really quickly. Her acting is really convincing too.” Sandy sneered. “B*stards! Let’s quickly figure out something and let her stay behind bars forever! Not having to die after murdering someone is pretty good too, don’t you think? We’ll just let her be imprisoned for life! This kind of torture is worse than death! Living a life that is worse than death is the best revenge!”Ivanka smiled. “I’ll do my best.”Sandy laughed out loud. “Have you eaten yet, Bestie?”“I’m eating.”“Yeah, I’m eating too. Let’s talk while eating.” After Sandy finished talking, she put on her headphones. This made it easier for her to eat.After swallowing, she started to talk
Ivanka did not understand. “What?” Sandy immediately praised her. “This is clearly so dangerous, but you’re not letting your emotions control you. In fact, you’re still so calm. If it were me, I would have gone crazy! I might have even died from the anxiety!” Ivanka pursed her lips. “There’s no need to worry. It’s fine.” Sandy shook her head. “Seriously, you’re only okay because you’re excellent, and you’re great with pressure… This is a freaking major issue!” “Okay. Go have your lunch, I’m eating here too. We’ll chat more the next time we meet. You’ll need to be careful too. You might get dragged into this.”“It’s nothing. I don’t have any baggage, so even if they catch me, it’s nothing. You don’t need to worry,” Sandy said in a completely carefree manner.Ivanka looked conflicted. In the end, she just grunted. They hung up. … Meanwhile in Cullen’s Group, Tanya just had her lunch. She did not plan to take a full lunch break, because she still had a load of work on her h
Tanya kept her emotions under control. In the end, she growled, “What do you want to say to me? If you just want to push me into doing something, there’s no need for this, right?” The other person laughed softly, but because they were using an older man’s voice, it still sounded a little low. In fact, it was even a little grating to the ears. Immediately after, the other person once again said casually, “Ms. Tanya, if you don’t try, the man you love oh-so-much will just slip out of your grasp. You are so capable, there’s still a chance for you if you make an effort. You’re not like Chiara. She could do nothing about her situation.”Tanya narrowed her eyes. Sure enough, it was definitely her. Immediately after, the other person said, “So, you can still use the good old method. Haven’t there been any good collaboration projects recently? If there is, you can try again. But this time, I hope that you can pick one that can really attract Michael and not the projects that are just d
“Alright. Then, I wish you success in advance.” The person sounded quite laid back and casual.Tanya did not respond and hung up. Her expression became grimmer than before.She held her forehead with one hand and gently rubbed a temple with the other before increasing its intensity.She really had a real headache.After taking a deep breath, she finally took out her phone and sent a WhatsApp message to Michael.On WhatsApp, she had an extremely good proposal. She wanted to show it to Michael. If Michael was willing to work with her, she might be one step nearer to success.She had been asking her staff to come up with very good proposals to present to her for some time. She had picked this out from hundreds of proposals. If Michael was still not satisfied with this, she had no idea what else she could do… After sending it over, she then typed another message to Michael.Tanya: Mr. Barkworth, please have a look at this proposal. If you’re interested, you can contact me. I can
The next day, Ivanka went to work as usual. However, she suddenly received a call from Samuel. Ivanka dropped everything at the company immediately. She then informed Thomas and hurriedly rushed over.Samuel looked at Ivanka when she reached the Barkworth family’s mansion. “You’re finally here! Go check up on Rosie!” Samuel’s gaze when he looked at Ivanka was no longer filled with disgust like before. Instead, he looked at Ivanka as if she was the pillar that was keeping him going.“What happened?” Ivanka’s brow furrowed. She just visited Rosie yesterday, and there was nothing wrong with her. How could Rosie suddenly faint? Samuel immediately brought Ivanka into their bedroom. There were only three of them inside the house. Rosie was still unconscious. Samuel said, “She wasn’t really lively today. When she talked to me, she suddenly remembered how I’ve been cruel to you in the past. So, she started criticizing me for the things I did. I didn’t even dare to talk back, but she fa
By the time Ivanka and Michael got off the plane at Mirvania, it was already 9 p.m. Before boarding the plane, Ivanka had WhatsApped Vincent. Therefore, the moment they got off the plane, Vincent had Njord to pick them up. They saw Njord immediately after getting off the plane. The moment Njord spotted Michael behind Ivanka, his expression instantly turned black. Njord recalled how Michael had schemed him before this. “Why are you coming with Ms. Lane? Ms. Lane, have you hired him as your bodyguard?” Njord cussed at Michael before asking Ivanka. Ivanka was aware of the grudges between Njord and Michael. But since Njord came with a group of people, Ivanka looked solemn and rebuked him, “He’s my friend. Njord, you can’t say that to him.” “Ms. Lane, if he’s truly your friend, I’ll naturally show him my respect. But the truth is, after being with you for such a long time at the casino, how can a person like him be considered your friend?” Njord said without hesitation when ment
“Got it.” Chiara behaved submissively in front of Jonah. Jonah swept her a cool glance and did not reply to her. Their meeting with Margaret had ended up unhappily. Little did they know that right after Chiara left, Laura came. Compared to Chiara, Laura, at least, genuinely loved Jonah, and Margaret knew it. In the past, Margaret did not entertain her. This time, she allowed Laura to enter the house. This gave Laura false hope. She asked, “Aunt Margaret, are you willing to accept me?” “To be frank with you, if not for the fact of Jonah’s current condition, I wouldn’t have accepted you. I’ve only allowed you to enter the house because I’ve some questions for you.” Margaret spoke without hesitation. Her tone was cold. Laura looked at Margaret in puzzlement. “Aunt Margaret, what do you want to ask me?” Laura’s gaze was filled with expectancy. Margaret pursed her lips. Then she said coolly, “You’ve fallen head over heels for Jonah, haven’t you? Since you love him, could
Margaret had always wanted a daughter-in-law. Besides, the girl had to come from a wealthy family. Jonah had done so according to her will and took Chiara home, but Margaret refused to accept her. “I want a genuine couple relationship. What are you guys doing now?” Margaret’s expression was dark and cool. She took a step toward Jonah and did not even glance at Chiara. Chiara knew it was better to fall silent at that moment. Jonah said calmly, “We’re in a genuine relationship. She needs a husband. I need a wife. Would our union cast any doubt?” Melanie had just reunited with her family. Her family did not favor her, and she had to be hidden behind the scenes all the time. As for Jonah, he was a cripple who was bound to a wheelchair. He believed no one would object to the two of them getting together. On top of that, he was just using Chiara. “Indeed, no one will doubt your relationship. But I know what you’re thinking. I don’t mind the fact that you’re using her to stop
Sandy pushed Ivan away. But she still held his flowers in her arms. It was a bouquet of pink roses. Pink was her favorite color. The bag he gave to her contained her favorite food. Ivan had put in extra effort. “Think about it carefully. I’ll come again tomorrow.” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he turned around. Looking at his gifts, Sandy felt a surge of indescribable bitterness in her heart. She did not throw his gifts away. After all, Ivan gave them to her out of his kind gesture. Sandy carried the gifts back to the office. Anna instantly spotted her. Anna raised one of her eyebrows and chuckled. “Did Young Master Ivan give them to you?” Sandy only had Ivan as her male friend. She did not deny it. Nonetheless, Anna noticed Sandy’s dull expression. Anna hesitated first before asking, “Is there any problem between you and Ivan? You don’t look happy. Is your family objecting to your relationship with him?” Sandy and Ivan had always been a quarrelsome but lo
Sandy fell silent. She looked resigned and replied to Ivan honestly, “I can’t possibly allow you to pester me for the rest of my life. My family is urging me to get married soon. With you pestering me, I think I should marry somebody else to end all this once and for all.” “Do you think I would allow that to happen?” While saying this, Ivan took a step forward. His expression darkened. He exuded an intense sense of hostility like the most horrifying creature emerging from hell. Ivan’s murderous look seemed to state that he would go to the extent of stealing the bride at Sandy’s wedding ceremony if he was not the bridegroom that day. On top of that, he gave an impression as though Sandy would either be his bride or a ghost bride. Seeing Ivan in his current demeanor, Sandy did not know if she should laugh or cry. Prior to that, she was worried that Ivan was just using her. At that moment, she finally realized the disparity of status between them. Ivanka had always believed that m
In the past, Ivan did not understand the conflicts between his parents. He thought his mother had been so cruel that she cheated on his father and abandoned him. Later, Ivan learned his mother had not been the one at fault. So, a heartless sc*m like his father was not in the position to rebuke him. If not for his parents, Ivan would not have let himself go wild and had so many girlfriends. Reuben York sounded indifferent. He made himself clear by saying, “You should, at least, marry someone with a clean background and whose parents are still around so that they could assist you—” “Does that mean I need to accept an arranged marriage by you? I’m not your only child, you can instill your way of thinking on your other children!” Right after Ivan finished his sentence, he hung up. His expression turned dark. The next moment, he accelerated the speed of his car. He carried a bouquet of flowers and Sandy’s favorite food when he showed up in front of her. For a moment, Sandy was
Ivan had not lived with his mother for a long time. Meanwhile, Sandy was her adopted daughter and the direct heir to her estate. Legally, the necklace could be considered part of that inheritance.Following that logic, Ivan had no right to speak on the matter.But to him, Sandy was just an adopted daughter. He was the biological son. Their separation had been caused by a misunderstanding. Since the truth was out, it was only natural for him to take back his mother’s belongings.If things went to court, it would be a battle between them. Both had an equal claim.By blood, Ivan had an undeniable advantage.From the way he spoke, Sandy could hear his confidence and condescension. She knew exactly what he was implying. He was prepared to fight her for the inheritance. But things had not escalated to that point yet.Even if they did, she had no fear of going to court with him. In fact, she was ready to fight.“Ivan, Mom left it to me. She never said it was for you. Whatever happened
Sandy heard the same automated response as the one on Ivanka’s phone.Did that mean they had all left together?Realizing this, she did not press Candice further. Instead, she smiled casually. “It’s nothing. Get back to work. I’ll head out now.”As she turned to leave, she pulled out her phone and sent Ivanka a message.Sandy: Call me when you turn your phone back on. Just as she was about to get in her car, her uncle, Thomas, walked up to her.The moment he saw her, he frowned. “Still upset?”“Uncle, I don’t want to think or talk about it. If you’d been through what I have, you wouldn’t be trying to change my mind.”Addressing him as “Uncle” was Sandy’s way of maintaining politeness while creating emotional distance. She hoped Thomas would get the hint and back off.Thomas was caught off guard. He fell silent and was unsure how to respond.Before he could, Sandy got in her car.On her way out of the law firm, her phone rang. It was Ivan. “My baby, Sandy, where are you?”
Chiara’s tone was sharp. Her eyes darkened with determination.James noticed. So did Jonah.Jonah snapped out of his thoughts. Chiara was trying too hard to prove herself. It was clear she wanted to use him to elevate her own status.Fine. He would let her think she was winning only to watch her fall even harder.“They’re just regular people. They aren’t worth your energy,” Jonah said. “Let’s go home and see my mom first. Tomorrow, I’ll visit yours.” He had already made all the arrangements.Chiara had no objections.Even so, she sent Katiana a message.Katiana replied right away.Katiana: Since he’s coming, I’ll gather the whole family. You’ve finally brought some honor to us. Just do your part, and I’ll handle everything else.Chiara was not surprised that Katiana would invite the entire Levine family. As the second daughter of the Levine family, she had always been under scrutiny. Katiana had pinned all her hopes on her. Katiana wanted her to make a name for herself and sec