Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Similarly, the lights were still brightly lit in the offices of DG’s Lustre branch.

Quentin Blackwood sat in his office chair while Zane Linton, standing beside him, continued to report on his work.

”The merger and acquisition case is basically settled. The contract with Eames has been finalized, and a vice president at headquarters is overseeing it, so there are no issues. There are some minor situations with the other branches. Here is the summary that requires your review, President Blackwood.”

”Mm,” Quentin Blackwood tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, signaling for Zane Linton to continue.

”Caleb Blackwood thinks he’s negotiating two major deals, but he has no idea they’re dummy projects we created. It won’t be long before we can spring the trap.”

The projects Caleb Blackwood had taken on were deliberately fabricated by Quentin Blackwood. He used the lure of a major deal to get Caleb on the hook, then slowly reeled him in step by step.

At first, he gave Caleb Blackwood a little taste of success, letting him think he had stumbled onto a great deal. But Caleb was a cautious and prudent man, so this trap to ensnare him was something Quentin Blackwood had been plotting for a long time in order to earn his trust.

Once the projects reached their early to middle stages, Quentin Blackwood’s side would halt operations and lure Caleb Blackwood into investing his own money. Caleb was already starting to consider putting up his shares as collateral.

He thought that as long as the projects succeeded, he would have an endless stream of money.

The happier he was now, the more miserably he would cry when he learned the truth.

At the mention of Caleb Blackwood’s name, Quentin Blackwood’s eyes filled with disgust.

’The Blackwood Family should have been finished long ago.’

”Then prepare to spring the trap.”

”The Sherwood Company has snatched quite a few of Iris’s projects recently. With the Rhodes Family’s investment and Thea Sherwood in charge, the Sherwood Company has been making big moves these past few days. President Blackwood, should we give Miss Sherwood a hand?”

”No need. If she can’t even handle a small matter like this, there’s no reason for her to keep the brand running,” Quentin Blackwood said ruthlessly.

However, having been by Quentin Blackwood’s side for years, Zane Linton knew his boss wasn’t helping simply because he wanted to see Miss Sherwood succeed on her own.

Quentin Blackwood rarely approved of anyone, but Ivy Sherwood had clearly caught his eye.

President Blackwood had little experience with family affection or romantic relationships, and he was inept at expressing such things.

’His feelings for Miss Sherwood have clearly surpassed a certain threshold, but he stubbornly refuses to admit it.’

’He says his contact with Ivy Sherwood, even pressuring her, is all for the sake of revenge against the Blackwood Family and Yvonne Summers.’

’But some of President Blackwood’s actions have nothing to do with that. It looks more like he’s just jealous.’

Zane Linton felt that, one day, his boss would very likely end up a victim of his own game.

A man who has never experienced love, once he truly falls for someone—especially someone with Miss Sherwood’s background—might be the one who ends up completely broken.

Zane Linton continued his report. ”Miss Sheridan has also arrived safely in Aethelgard. She got there two days ago. She sent someone to teach Miss Cheryl Yates a lesson—it seems they took photos of Miss Yates to threaten her.”

”Her visit to Lustre this time—did no one know about it?” Quentin Blackwood’s expression turned icy.

Quentin Blackwood did not like Joy Sheridan, much less approve of her methods.

Under the pretext of being in love with him, Joy Sheridan had done many things behind the scenes, thinking he was unaware.

It wasn’t that Quentin Blackwood hadn’t tried to stop her, but Joy Sheridan would just do it again.

Therefore, the best solution was to keep such women from ever getting near him.

Quentin Blackwood disliked women getting close and touching him anyway, so this was a case of killing two birds with one stone.

”It was my oversight. I didn’t have someone keeping an eye on Miss Sheridan.”

”I don’t want this happening again.”

Zane Linton promised, ”I guarantee it won’t.”

Quentin Blackwood rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking a bit weary.

”You should go home and rest. You’ve worked hard lately. I’m doubling your bonus this month.” Quentin Blackwood had always been generous. Even without the doubled bonus, Zane Linton’s compensation was already a considerable sum—higher than the salaries of most company presidents.

”Thank you, President Blackwood. President Blackwood, would you like me to light some calming incense for you?” Zane Linton knew about Quentin Blackwood’s insomnia; most nights, he couldn’t sleep.

Quentin Blackwood had tried nearly every insomnia treatment on the market, but none of them worked.

”No need. You can go.”

”Yes, President Blackwood.”

Quentin Blackwood glanced at a bottle of perfume on the side. In just a short time, less than half of it was left.

”Wait.” Just as Zane Linton reached the door, Quentin Blackwood called out to him.

”Is there anything else, President Blackwood?”

Quentin Blackwood said, ”Find an opportunity to buy a bottle of perfume from Ivy Sherwood. It has to be personally made by her. Tell her to decide on the scent herself, but it needs to be light, not strong—a natural fragrance with absolutely no synthetic ingredients. And also, she can’t know it’s for me.”

Zane Linton: ”...”

”Yes, President Blackwood.” Zane Linton agreed and then left the office.

Quentin Blackwood held the perfume bottle under his nose and sniffed. It was a crisp, elegant scent, unlike any other perfume.

Previously, Quentin Blackwood had disliked the smell of perfume. Whether strong or light, he found it all unpleasant.

But this one seemed different. ’Did Ivy Sherwood put something in it? How is it so... addictive?’

...

「The next day」

Ivy Sherwood received an order.

It was a rather unusual order. The client wanted just one bottle of perfume, personally crafted by Ivy Sherwood, and the price was up to her to decide.

However, there were many requirements: it couldn’t be too fragrant or too strong, and it had to have a very natural scent.

Scent is inherently an elusive and difficult thing to describe, but the client’s request was so vague that Ivy Sherwood had no idea what kind of fragrance to create.

The client had contacted her online. Ivy Sherwood asked, ”This is too abstract. Is there any other way you can express the scent you’re looking for? For example, did you suddenly see someone and think they had a wonderful scent, very similar to what you want?”

”Or perhaps you heard a song, did something, or tasted something somewhere, and this scent suddenly came to mind. You can tell me anything like that. It would help me more accurately capture the fragrance you desire.”

The client replied quickly: ”By chance, I saw Quentin Blackwood recently, and I think I smelled this scent on him.”

’On Quentin Blackwood?’

She remembered that Quentin Blackwood never seemed to wear cologne. He had a natural scent of cedarwood.

If there was any other scent, it was the perfume she had given him—the scent of their first encounter.

Regardless of which scent it was, Ivy Sherwood was reluctant to take this order.

She felt that Quentin Blackwood’s scent was unique, something that couldn’t be replicated with perfume. Even if she could create it, she didn’t want anyone else to wear it.

”I’m sorry, I won’t be taking this order,” Ivy Sherwood replied, rejecting it outright.

Zane Linton: ”...”

’Did I say something wrong?’ he wondered. ’The conversation was going so well, and now she’s suddenly refusing.’

’Did President Blackwood offend Miss Sherwood somehow? If she’s refusing the order, how am I supposed to answer to the President?’