Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”What is it?” Caleb Blackwood asked, looking at the woman before him.

He had always underestimated Ivy Sherwood. The woman actually had some tricks up her sleeve, managing to orchestrate the cancellation of the engagement and now getting involved with Quentin Blackwood.

Quentin Blackwood hated the Blackwood Family, and Ivy Sherwood didn’t want to marry into it. It wasn’t surprising that the two of them would team up.

Ivy Sherwood said, ”I have ten percent of the Blackwood Group’s shares, and I’m planning to sell them. Out of consideration for the fact that Silas Blackwood and I were almost husband and wife, I’m coming to you first.”

”If you’re not interested, Uncle Blackwood, I can always ask someone else.”

Ivy Sherwood didn’t want these shares connected to the Blackwood Family.

She wanted to sell them now while they could still fetch a good price.

She had a feeling that if the Blackwood Family kept going like this, there was no telling how much longer it would last. If she held onto the shares, they would only become less valuable. It was better to sell them now.

Before, she hadn’t wanted the Blackwood Family’s shares at all. She had wanted to trade them to call off her engagement with Silas Blackwood and secure her freedom. But since Caleb Blackwood insisted on playing hardball, she saw no reason to show the family any mercy.

All these shares were money. Why wouldn’t she take them?

Caleb Blackwood’s eyes darkened as he exuded the air of a cunning old fox. ”These shares should have been part of my family’s assets to begin with. You’re just returning them.”

”These shares don’t have the Blackwood name on them anymore. How can you say they belong to your family?”

Caleb Blackwood stared at this new version of Ivy Sherwood. ’When did she get so bold? Does she think she can act this way because she has Quentin Blackwood backing her up?’

”Have you forgotten about your mother’s ashes?”

”You don’t need to worry about that. What you need to consider, Uncle Blackwood, is whether you want these ten percent of shares or not. If you don’t, I’ll find someone else,” Ivy Sherwood said with complete composure.

’Even now, Caleb Blackwood was still trying to threaten her with her mother’s ashes.’

Of course Caleb Blackwood wanted the shares, but he didn’t want to pay for them.

Ten percent of the Blackwood Group’s shares was no small sum.

He was already short on cash. Giving this much money to Ivy Sherwood would be more painful than death.

”Ivy Sherwood, are you threatening me?”

Ivy Sherwood remained perfectly composed. ”Aren’t we just talking business? How is this a threat? If anything, Uncle Blackwood, you’re the one who keeps threatening me with my mother’s ashes.”

Caleb Blackwood suppressed the rage in his heart. After all, Ivy Sherwood was just a child in his eyes. Having been in the business world for so many years, he understood human nature better than anyone.

’As the stronger party, you have to seize the initiative.’

But right now, it was obvious that Ivy Sherwood held all the cards. She was the one steering the conversation.

’He had to let her know that she was still too green.’

He composed himself. ”Ivy Sherwood, do you really think that Quentin Blackwood’s feelings for you are genuine?”

”That doesn’t seem to be what we’re discussing right now.”

”Aren’t you curious? You’re a nobody, so why was I so insistent on you becoming Silas Blackwood’s wife and marrying into the Blackwood Family?” Caleb Blackwood asked.

This was the one thing Ivy Sherwood had always been most curious about. But now that Caleb Blackwood brought it up, she found she no longer wanted to know.

”I don’t want to know. It’s all in the past, isn’t it? What does it matter if I’m curious? I’m not Silas Blackwood’s wife anymore.”

Caleb Blackwood had said that hoping to exploit Ivy Sherwood’s curiosity. He was sure she would ask why.

But she didn’t. Instead, she claimed she didn’t want to know.

The words Caleb Blackwood had been about to say were now stuck in his throat.

”Don’t you want to know why Quentin Blackwood is with you? You don’t actually believe he likes you, do you?” Caleb Blackwood asked, trying a different tack.

”I don’t care.” Ivy Sherwood didn’t know Caleb Blackwood’s motive for saying these things, but he was definitely trying to sow discord.

”Uncle Blackwood, I’m afraid you don’t understand young people very well. My generation is all about living in the moment.”

Forget just being together; so many people get divorced these days, even after getting married.

Caleb Blackwood hadn’t expected Ivy Sherwood to be so impervious. He didn’t bother waiting for her to get curious and just started talking.

”I know that ungrateful, untamable wolf Quentin Blackwood far better than you do. He’s a cold-blooded snake who will turn around and bite you. He treats his own family that way, so what makes you think he’d be any different with you? Besides, between you and him, there’s...”

At this point, Caleb Blackwood stopped abruptly, as if he had let something slip.

”What do you mean? There’s what?” Ivy Sherwood’s delicate brows twitched. Caleb Blackwood was clearly doing this on purpose, stopping halfway through his sentence.

She hadn’t been interested in what he had said before, but this particular sentence suddenly piqued her curiosity.

’There’s what?’

’A blood relationship?’

’Are we siblings?’

’That couldn’t possibly be true, could it?’

”It’s nothing. Ivy Sherwood, let me be clear with you. I did have an ulterior motive for wanting you to marry into the Blackwood Family. You have something that I want. And I might as well tell you, Quentin Blackwood has the same goal—we both want that thing. You can go ahead and ask him, but I’m sure he’ll deny it and claim he knows nothing about it.”

”But he’s a much better actor than I am. Didn’t he fool even you by pretending to be so devoted?”

”What thing do I have?” Ivy Sherwood truly had no idea what she could possibly possess. ’Could it be related to my mother?’

Her mother had been gone for many years, but Ivy had always felt that she’d had many secrets.

For instance, she was so beautiful, yet she always dressed so plainly and forbade Ivy from telling anyone.

And she never seemed truly happy, often crying alone at night.

When her mother looked at her, it always seemed like she had something to say but never said it.

As a child, Ivy didn’t understand any of this. She would just give her mother a hug, assuming it was just the sort of trouble that adults had in their world.

Later, after her mother was gone, Timothy Sherwood brought his mistress and illegitimate child into the house. Only then did Ivy realize that perhaps her mother’s unhappiness was due to Timothy’s affair.

But Ivy never thought she possessed anything that someone like Caleb Blackwood would covet.

The Blackwood Family was already the most prestigious family in Lustre. If she really had something valuable, why hadn’t Timothy Sherwood taken it?

”If you want to know, why not trade the shares for the information? Transfer the shares to me, and I’ll tell you everything.”

”Then I don’t want to know. What if you just make something up to trick me? How would I ever verify it? Besides, compared to some old stories, the shares are worth more, aren’t they?” Ivy Sherwood said, feigning indifference.

’Does Caleb Blackwood think I’m an idiot? Some things are more trouble than they’re worth. The more you know, the more problems you have.’

She had always been one to avoid trouble, wanting only to live a simple life. So, it was better not to know.

”Ivy Sherwood, every word I’ve said is true. There’s too much standing between you two. It’s impossible for Quentin Blackwood to genuinely care for you. He’s just using you. You should know what kind of person he is, given how far he’s come. Do you really delude yourself into thinking he could fall in love with you?”