Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”Miss Sherwood, you may not be aware of this matter. Shall we go inside to discuss it?” Zane Linton took control of the situation the moment he arrived.

”Of course. This way, Mr. Linton.” Ivy Sherwood gestured for them to follow and led them to her office.

Zane Linton entered, with Silas Blackwood following behind.

”What can I get you to drink, Mr. Linton? Tea or coffee?” Ivy Sherwood asked.

Zane Linton replied, ”Coffee is fine. Thank you, Miss Sherwood.”

Ivy Sherwood called for Edie and asked her to make a cup of coffee and pour a glass of water.

Silas Blackwood deliberately tried to make things difficult. ”Ivy Sherwood, what’s the meaning of this? You ask him what he wants to drink, but you don’t ask me? You’re just giving me a glass of plain water?”

’What is this? Who is she trying to slight?’

However, Ivy Sherwood said, ”I’m sorry, but the water isn’t for you, either.”

Edie quickly brought over both drinks. She placed the coffee in front of Zane Linton, and Ivy Sherwood took the water for herself.

From start to finish, she had shown no intention of getting Silas Blackwood anything to drink—not even a glass of water.

Zane Linton got down to business, first recounting the events that had transpired. Ivy Sherwood was very cooperative, her expression one of perfect surprise, as if to say, ’How could such a thing have happened?’

Finally, Zane Linton spread out all three copies of the share transfer agreement and began explaining the terms.

Silas Blackwood’s stake in the Blackwood Group was already quite substantial. The annual dividends alone were a huge sum. For an ordinary family, the dividends from these shares in a single year would be enough to live comfortably for several hundred years.

The pen was placed in front of Silas Blackwood, but he just clenched his fists, unwilling to sign.

Zane Linton, of course, knew this would happen. He said calmly, ”Young Master Blackwood, President Blackwood mentioned that many people were witnesses. He hopes you will be a man about this and honor the bet.”

”Ivy Sherwood, you don’t actually want these shares, do you?” Silas Blackwood’s gaze was piercing, his expression clearly saying, ’You’re dead if you dare to take them’.

Ivy Sherwood pretended not to notice. ”And why wouldn’t I?” she said. ”Where do I sign?”

Zane Linton pointed to the line. ”Right here, Miss Sherwood.”

Silas Blackwood gritted his teeth. ”And what if I don’t sign?”

Zane Linton had seen his fair share of high-stakes situations. Handling someone like Silas Blackwood was child’s play for him.

”It’s nothing much. It’s just that President Blackwood despises people who don’t keep their word.”

As he spoke, Zane Linton seemed to reminisce. ”I recall a while back, someone else made a promise to President Blackwood and failed to deliver. That person is still lying in a hospital bed. I suppose he just had a bout of bad luck. Got into a car accident right after walking out the door. Both legs permanently mangled.”

”Oh, and there was another, similar case. Later, his company was ’accidentally’ found to have some issues. He’s still in prison.”

Zane Linton’s tone was exceedingly polite as he spoke, but the content of his words terrified Silas Blackwood.

’Bad luck? An ”accidental” discovery? Quentin Blackwood was definitely behind it all.’

’Quentin Blackwood was threatening him. If he didn’t make good on his word, Quentin had plenty of ways to make him pay a terrible price!’

Beneath the table, Silas Blackwood’s fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. But all he could do was burn with helpless rage.

Zane Linton caught Silas Blackwood’s expression out of the corner of his eye. ’President Blackwood was right, as expected. Silas is a coward who folds under pressure.’

Quentin Blackwood wasn’t some kind of archvillain who went around murdering people and committing arson. He hadn’t done any of the things Zane had just mentioned; they were all fabrications.

Clearly, it was working.

Veins throbbed on Silas Blackwood’s forehead, a clear sign of his fury. ”Ivy Sherwood, I have something to say to you. Alone.”

Ivy Sherwood remained unmoved. ”Mr. Linton is hardly an outsider. Whatever you have to say, you can say it here.”

’Silas had come to see Ivy today intending to discuss this matter with her beforehand. He wanted to reach an agreement where he would transfer the shares to her, and she would then immediately transfer them back to him.’

’As long as Ivy agreed, he was open to any conditions—anything except breaking off the engagement.’

’He was even willing to give her a tenth of his shares. Anything, as long as she agreed.’

’He never expected Zane Linton to show up at such an inopportune moment.’

’And now Ivy refused to speak with him privately. How could he possibly bring this up in front of Zane Linton?’

”How is he not an outsider? Just give me a few minutes. Let’s talk alone.”

”That won’t be necessary. I have other matters to attend to. Why don’t you just sign?”

With that, Ivy Sherwood briskly signed her name on both documents.

’While she didn’t want shares in the Blackwood Group, why refuse free money from Silas Blackwood? She could give it to Quentin Blackwood or even donate it—anything was better than refusing it.’

’Besides, she might be able to use these shares to get out of the engagement. And even if she couldn’t, she could at least use them to protect Iris and keep Caleb Blackwood from making a move against it.’

’Perhaps this was exactly what Quentin had intended with this arrangement. Although he hadn’t promised to watch over Iris for her, he was helping her protect it in another way.’

’Ivy felt she owed Quentin Blackwood even more now. It felt like a debt she could never repay.’

”Young Master Blackwood, if you please,” Zane Linton prompted.

Silas Blackwood was extremely reluctant, but Ivy Sherwood refused to cooperate with him at all.

With Zane Linton still there, Silas Blackwood was completely trapped.

The way he looked, this grown man seemed on the verge of tears.

In the end, Silas Blackwood had no choice but to snatch up the pen. Biting his lip so hard it must have hurt, his hand trembling, he finally signed his name.

’He’d just pretend to give it to Ivy for now. Once Zane Linton left, he would talk things over with her.’

’If he had to, he’d promise to cut ties with Anna Nash and swear off other women after they were married. He was already paying such a huge price. Surely Ivy would have no reason to refuse to return the shares then, right?’

Zane Linton collected the signed documents and stood up. ”I will have this processed as soon as possible. You can both rest assured.”

Quentin Blackwood was a thorough man. Zane Linton handled everything personally from start to finish, giving Silas Blackwood no opportunity for trickery. He even took Silas Blackwood with him when he left.

”Young Master Blackwood, President Blackwood has requested your presence now that you’ve finished signing.”

”And if I don’t want to go?”

”That’s also fine. President Blackwood said that given your esteemed status, Young Master Blackwood, he should probably arrange for a few more people to come and ’invite’ you.”

Zane Linton’s words were a euphemism, but the meaning was clear: if Silas Blackwood refused, a few men would be called to drag him there by force.

In Quentin Blackwood’s grasp, Silas Blackwood had no room to struggle whatsoever.

His face a mask of resentment, Silas Blackwood could do nothing but walk out. Zane Linton, ever polite, bid farewell to Ivy Sherwood. ”Miss Sherwood, I’ll be taking my leave now.”

”Thank you, Mr. Linton.”

”You’re welcome. This was all at President Blackwood’s direction. If you truly wish to thank someone, Miss Sherwood, you should thank him.”

Ivy Sherwood nodded. ’This was one favor from Quentin Blackwood that would be very difficult to repay.’

Just before he left, Zane Linton glanced at Ivy Sherwood’s desk, his gaze landing on a stack of books related to finance.

”If you’re interested in learning more about this field, Miss Sherwood, I could recommend a few books.”

”Really? That would be wonderful.” Ivy Sherwood quickly grabbed a pen to jot them down.

This was a field she was a novice in, but Zane Linton was clearly an expert.

Zane Linton immediately rattled off several titles. He even asked how her English was, and when Ivy Sherwood said it was decent, he recommended a few more finance books from abroad.

”Miss Sherwood, I also have a few annotated editions. I can bring them for you some other day.”

’Quentin Blackwood had given them to him back when he was in university and just starting to work under him. Reading them had been incredibly enlightening; the insights were even better than the original texts.’

’He only learned later that President Blackwood himself had written those annotations before he was even fifteen years old. Even back then, his thinking was more expansive and mature than many of today’s business tycoons.’

’Perhaps some people are simply born geniuses.’