The college student finally believed her and walked toward Candice.On the other hand, Coco seemed guilty and was desperate to prevent it. “He has no respect for our company! Are you really going to hire someone like him who won’t follow orders?” Coco’s tone was sharp. Her finger trembled as she pointed at the young man.She scanned the room for backup in hopes that the people who had been flattering her earlier would speak up in her defense.Unfortunately, no one stepped forward.Those who flattered Coco only did so out of respect for Ivanka. Yet Candice had a close relationship with Ivanka and was the company’s vice president.The gap between a vice president versus an intern was as vast as night and day.Anyone with common sense knew where to align themselves.Coco felt a mix of despair and resentment.Candice ignored her entirely. Why Ivanka was so wary of someone as clueless as this was beyond her comprehension.Coco was simply dumb.Without wasting another thought o
Candice was momentarily stunned by his answer. She was a little offended.“Then why did you come to my office for this conversation?” Jimothy’s grin was mischievous. “To prove your company’s HR is blind, and you just lost a great talent. That’s all.”With that, Jimothy stood up, dusted off his sleeves dramatically, and turned to leave.“Your resume!” Candice called after him.Jimothy waved dismissively without looking back. “Keep it. Enjoy reading it. And don’t let an incompetent HR handle your interviews again.”Candice stood there for a moment and processed the scene before an involuntary chuckle escaped her lips. This one had personality.Regardless, the incident served as a wake-up call for Candice.It became glaringly clear that Coco was not only incompetent but also prone to overestimating her abilities.Before the task was assigned, she had the chance to decline. Candice had given her the opportunity and explicitly asked if she could handle it. Yet, Coco confidentl
“Why don’t we leave now so that you can deal with this matter, Ms. Ivanka?”The director of the project department, who was perceptive and shrewd, planned to leave right then. Ivanka shook her head and signaled everyone to sit down.They were all uneasy, and they kept giving Coco weird looks.Two people had dared speak to Ivanka like that in the past—Ferris and Mandy.But those two were no longer with the company.At the thought of those people, the project department staff began looking at Coco with pity.However, Coco could not care less. All she wanted was to make a fuss.She wanted to see how shameless Ivanka could be.Unruffled, Ivanka stared at her. She did not get angry and seemed rather affable as she asked, “Tell me what upset you. Have we falsely accused you of something you didn’t do?”Before Coco said anything, Ivanka added cruelly, “Oh, I forgot that you aren’t familiar with the protocol here, so you have no idea what you did wrong, right?”Coco paled. Undoubte
Coco practically ran out crying.Candice glanced at Ivanka worriedly and asked, “Will something bad happen to her?”Ivanka was not concerned at all. “What could possibly happen? She is an adult. Even if something bad happens, she has to bear the consequences of her own action.”Hearing that, Candice no longer fretted over the matter.She was not really worried about Coco. She was just afraid that something would happen to Coco, and Ivanka would be blamed for it.But Ivanka had made a good point. Candice did not want to trouble herself with Coco’s matters. It would only be an unnecessary emotional burden to her.Everyone in the office began discussing the progress of their project.Perhaps it was because Ivanka had made an example of Coco, the other employees became especially energized and diligent during their discussion.They were even more focused than before, since they were all afraid that Ivanka would treat them harshly as well.Hence, they were particularly efficient.
The call was soon answered, but the person who picked up was not Rosie. It was Mrs. Ruth.“Ms. Lane, you finally called! Mdm. Barkworth will be over the moon when she wakes up!” Mrs. Ruth sounded quite excited as she spoke.Ivanka smiled and asked, “Is Grandma resting now?”“Yeah, she hasn’t had a good rest after learning that you’d be kidnapped. Once you were safe, she finally allowed herself to rest.”Ivanka nodded and told Mrs. Ruth to take good care of Rosie. She later said that she and Micheal would visit Rosie soon.With that, she hung up the phone.Meanwhile, she also reflected upon herself.Rosie had gotten old, yet Ivanka always made her worry. From that moment on, Ivanka would consider the consequences before making any decision. It was not only for the sake of herself, but the important people in her life, who also cared about her.As she contemplated this, Ivanka inevitably thought of the gathering. It would be quite fun.Before they were about to get off work, San
Candice ordered some food she liked, and the dishes arrived soon after.Sandy suggested that they all took a picture together.The others did not object.Sandy gave her phone to the waiter.Then the five of them moved their chairs to sit in a row.Michael and Ivan each took the outermost seats.Naturally, Ivanka was seated next to Michael while Sandy, who paid for the dinner, was right beside her.Next to Sandy was Candice, who sat awkwardly in her chair. Ivan was beside Candice.The second the waiter took the picture, Ivanka and Michael exchanged glances inadvertently. Meanwhile, Ivan stared past Candice, and his eyes fell on Sandy.Sandy and Candice were the only people who looked into the camera.But each and every one of them had a genuine smile on their face.Once they had taken a picture, they started eating together.It was a nice, relaxing dinner. They did not talk about work or how annoying Coco had been.They mostly chatted about the fun anecdotes they had he
Instead, she remained standing in front of Jimothy and studied the group of men with a smile.“He works at our company. Since I’ve run into him, I’m obligated to come over and check on him. Pray tell, what has happened between you and why do you feel the need to resolve it with violence?”Jimothy stared at Candice while she stood with her back facing him. The look in his eyes was conflicted.The men exchanged glances with each other and saw a hint of astonishment in one another’s eyes.The man at the front of the group, who was likely their leader, said, “We just get paid to do this, lady. You should stay out of it.”When Candice heard his advice which also sounded like a threat, she did not intend to back down at all. Instead, she asked him, “Oh? How much did you get for this? I’ll pay you double. I just told you that this guy works for us, so I have to intervene.”The leader started laughing, and so did the men behind him. They did not even bother to hide the mockery in their t
As it turned out, they had been holding hands the entire time.Candice came to her senses belatedly and immediately let go of Jimothy.“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to grab your hand,” Candice explained sincerely. Earlier, she had been in a rush and did not think it through.Jimothy shook his head and shrugged it off, but his face was still flushed.Candice suddenly suspected that it might be the first time Jimothy held a woman’s hand.But she did not pry, because it was not an urgent matter.“What happened between you and those thugs?” Candice asked out of curiosity. Jimothy did not seem like a troublemaker.How did he get in trouble with them?Jimothy forced a smile. “It’s a long story. It’s because of my family… I don’t want to talk about it now. Is that alright?”Perhaps it was because Candice had just saved him. Jimothy no longer sounded as brusque as he used to. He was polite and looked like a fresh-faced student.Naturally, Candice did not push for an answer.“It’s alrigh
Ivanka remained in a daze. She struggled to get to Sandy.Candice could not stop her at all. She did not dare to use force on her, either. She was conflicted. Just then, Michael walked over with a fruit basket. When he saw Ivanka wanting to get out of bed, he rushed over in a couple of steps and single-handedly pulled Ivanka back into the hospital bed.Ivanka was still struggling to get on the floor. When Candice saw Michael come, she breathed out a sigh of relief.Michael frowned and stared at Ivanka. “Do you want to die?” It was the first time he was so fierce to Ivanka.Ivanka was stunned silent for a moment as she looked at Michael. There was not much emotion in her eyes. Michael sighed and said in a soft voice, “I know you’re worried right now, but Sandy is already in the ICU. I’ve found the best doctors. Trust me, okay?”Michael saw that Ivanka was in a daze and unresponsive, so he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “Don’t worry about everything and leave it
Water. Endless water.It was as if Ivanka was trapped inside a tank of water. Everywhere she looked and her eyes and body touched, there was water.She tried to find a way out, but could not.Slowly, her breath was taken away.Ivanka held her neck, desperately trying to breathe and failing.She could even count the seconds by.“Huff—”Ivanka opened her eyes suddenly, accompanied by a violent gasping sound. It sounded a bit like a drowning person who had been inside the sea by a wave and lapped ashore again. This was a person who had escaped by chance and was finally able to breathe fresh air. “You’re awake!”In her ears, a familiar voice rang out, and only then did Ivanka’s somewhat blurred vision begin to focus.A somewhat unfamiliar ceiling. Her nostrils filled with the unpleasant smell of disinfectant. Next to her was an anxious Candice.“I…” Ivanka tried to speak, but it was as if her voice was not her own. As soon as she opened her mouth, her voice was like porcelain s
After all, when they ate breakfast, Jimothy was not there. She thought he had left first.It was only at this time that she realized that he had not left, and was still standing right behind Candice. The look in his eyes when he looked at Candice was in no way innocent.Ivanka’s and Sandy’s gazes were sharp, so Jimothy smiled slightly at the two of them and nodded.Ivanka also nodded politely at him in return.Afterward, his eyes were glued to Candice again. The two of them would whisper from time to time as if no one else was there. So, they did seem a bit like a young couple.When Michael saw Ivanka look at someone else, he probably felt very irritated. Then he coughed twice.Ivanka gave Michael a strange look. Michael explained without batting an eye, “Sorry, I guess I have a bit of a cold.”Sandy could not help but start chatting with Ivanka.“I say, this Jimothy is interested in Candice.”Ivanka did not say anything and smiled.Obviously, she thought so too.The reason
None of the previous questions were the ones she wanted to ask. The one she really wanted to ask was the last one. Ivanka understood this clearly. After answering the previous question, Coco nodded with a look of realization. She took Ivanka’s hand and shook it in a friendly manner.If other people saw this, they might even think that they were sisters.“Ms. Iv, you still know the best, you’re also meticulous enough to remember all of this. It’s no wonder Grandma told me to learn more from you.”Ivanka was also smiling, but her smile was a little forced.Coco seemed like she was complimenting her. But in reality, it was a roundabout way of saying that she and Rosie had a good relationship.Although she knew that there was something fishy going on, Ivanka could not help but feel her skin crawl when Coco said this.When she saw the unnatural expression on Ivanka’s face, Coco knew that her purpose had been achieved, and she immediately asked, “Didn’t you say that you’re going to c
She could not explain it all in such a short moment. Then Coco was also eyeing the situation with a fierce and intense look. It was hard to say it out loud.Candice suddenly understood. The meal was somewhat silent. Ivanka especially felt very uncomfortable.She kept feeling like she was being stared at all the time, and such a stare made her feel very uncomfortable.Coco’s seemingly elusive eyes kept looking toward Ivanka, afraid that she would say something to Michael.Under Coco’s intense gaze, Ivanka could not find a chance to speak.They ate the meal in silence. Sandy and Ivan did not come until the end.In the end, it was Candice who spoke. Otherwise, the meal would probably have been spent in silence.“Why don’t we soak in a private bath after our nap? We can still make it back in the evening.”Ivanka nodded noncommittally.Michael looked at Ivanka and was a little surprised. “Didn’t you say you want to rest for a while longer? Why are you suddenly in such a hurry aga
Ivanka still felt that she should talk to Michael about this matter.The thought weighed her down with worry. After thinking about it, Ivanka still wanted to talk to Candice about this matter in advance.As soon as the call connected, Ivanka began to talk about this matter.At the door, Coco had wanted to come and return the cleanser. She stared at it with a wry smile. It contained some small gifts that she had carefully prepared. Although it was not so bad that Ivanka would be disfigured, it was good enough to make her unable to see anyone for a couple of weeks.Coco put away her smile. Her hand had just touched the doorknob when she heard a voice from inside.The door was of good quality, and the soundproofing was naturally good. So Coco could only hear some of it in bits and pieces.But it was what she heard that made her a little surprised and even more fearful.Vaguely, she could hear Ivanka say something about Grandma, something wrong, witches, and the like.Coco was ho
The next day, Ivanka woke up early.Probably because of the hot spring yesterday, she woke up refreshed today and did not sleep in.A glance at the time told her it was around 7 a.m.. She sent a message to the group and received plenty of responses. Ivanka: Does anyone want to go for breakfast together?[Me.][Me too.] … It seemed that everyone was up. Ivanka smiled. Soaking in the hot springs really did help improve blood circulation. The group agreed to meet in the lobby downstairs at 7:30 a.m.. Ivanka washed up first. After washing up, she called Rosie, mainly to talk about Coco. The phone rang for a while before it connected. Mrs. Ruth answered it, but she sounded a bit strange.Ivanka did not suspect anything amiss. “Mrs. Ruth, is Grandma awake? Let her answer the phone.” Mrs. Ruth sounded troubled. After a pause, she seemed ready to speak.Rosie’s voice came from the other end. In the next second, the phone sounded like it had been snatched away. “It’s me.
But Ivan did not have the heart to entertain her. His mind was filled with images of Sandy’s razor-sharp gaze at him when she left. As such, he felt absolutely annoyed. As the organizer of the event, Ivanka could not bear to watch the event fall into this state. Hence, she asked everyone to return to their rooms. “You can ask for a room service to deliver the meals to your doorstep. It’s late now. Take a good rest.” Ivanka forced herself to remain calm when she said that. After she finished her sentence, she yawned. With that, everyone left. Jimothy sent Candice home. Ivan and Michael left together. Meanwhile, Ivanka stayed around with Coco. After all, they stayed together. They did not talk to each other on the way. Michael deliberately walked behind Ivanka. He wanted to guard her until she returned to the hotel safely. Ivan whispered to him, “Have I done something wrong?” He mumbled to himself. Michael ignored him. They just kept walking. ... When they arriv
Ivanka turned to Michael and thanked him in a whisper. Then she gathered her clothes. While waiting for Ivan, the wind blew directly toward them, and it was really cold. Ivanka stared at Michael. He only wore a wool sweater, so she asked gently, “Aren’t you cold?” Michael shook his head. He pulled out a stool and sat beside Ivanka. When he pulled out the stool, it released a piercing sound. Michael looked at Ivanka apologetically. Her eyes had flown wide open. Sandy was about to fall asleep and woke up in a startle to the sound. She then looked at her watch. It was already 11:30 p.m.. They had already waited for 30 minutes. Ivan was a man. Did he need to take so long to get ready? He was not even a lady. There was no need for him to blow his hair dry. While Sandy seethed in anger, Ivan finally packed up and walked out. At that moment, Candice looked slightly awake. Jimothy was beside her, and he stared at her without blinking even once. Candice stroked her face. “Is