Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

The results of the ash analysis Ivy Sherwood had asked Dr. Landon to perform came back quickly.

The contents of the box were not a match, but the DNA extracted from the bottle’s contents did match Ivy’s DNA. They were her mother’s ashes.

However, judging by the amount, it was only half.

This meant the other half was indeed in Anna Nash’s possession.

It was certainly better for them to be with Anna Nash than with Caleb Blackwood; it would be easier to get them back.

Since she had already recovered half, Ivy decided to keep them in Aethelgard for now. Once she had retrieved all of them, she would buy a new plot for her mother in Aethelgard.

That evening, Ivy received a call from Caleb Blackwood.

”Hello?” she answered.

Caleb said, ”Ivy, about the shares you mentioned last time—I can buy them. When can we handle the transfer?”

”I’m not in Lustre right now. We’ll have to wait until I get back.”

Caleb paused on the other end of the line. ”You went to Aethelgard to find Quentin?”

”I don’t think that has anything to do with you, does it?” Ivy felt a sense of disgust just listening to his voice and his words.

Ivy couldn’t see the other end of the call, where a vicious look glinted in Caleb Blackwood’s eyes.

He had already swapped the engagement, and Quentin hadn’t returned to Aethelgard in years. He never expected the two of them would still end up together.

”Ivy, don’t just turn a deaf ear to what I told you before. For the sake of our families’ long-standing friendship, I’m only looking out for you. Don’t believe everything that Quentin tells you.”

”He’s only with you for the secret you carry, and to get revenge on you. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him. Of course, I doubt he’ll say anything. You can just watch his expression and see if he’s hiding something from you.”

”Enough,” Ivy cut him off. ”You don’t need to say another word. I’ll judge for myself whether he’s hiding anything from me. Is there anything else?”

”Ivy, don’t be too trusting of anyone, especially Quentin. I’ll wait for you to return. Transfer the Blackwood Group shares to me as soon as possible.”

With that, it was Caleb who ended the call first.

Ivy knew Caleb’s words couldn’t be trusted, and she tried not to think about them, but they surfaced in her mind uncontrollably.

’What secret could I possibly have that’s worth Caleb going to such lengths to threaten me?’

’And what is this thing between Quentin and me that he hinted at but wouldn’t clarify?’

’Maybe I should ask Quentin?’

When Quentin returned, Ivy told him that the ashes were indeed her mother’s. Quentin nodded. ”Getting half is a good start.”

”The other half is with Anna Nash. She’s using it as a bargaining chip, threatening me to keep her affair with Gideon Gordon a secret and to ensure her child is born safely.”

That didn’t really matter, as long as she could get her mother’s ashes in the end.

”Mm,” Quentin nodded.

Ivy thought for a moment before speaking. ”Caleb Blackwood called me too. He offered to buy my Blackwood Group shares at market price. I agreed and told him I’d handle the transfer next time I go back.”

”You can have Zane Linton continue to handle it. You can use the money to expand your company. Although Iris’s main business is its fragrance line, you could branch out into related fields.”

”Mhm!” That was what Ivy was thinking as well.

Ivy looked at him. ”Caleb said some other things, too. He said I seem to have some kind of secret, and that there’s something between us. He was being cagey and wouldn’t say what. Do you know anything about it?”

At the mention of this, Quentin paused.

The issue between him and Ivy stemmed from the previous generation.

Ivy didn’t know, and Quentin had no intention of telling her. He didn’t want to pressure her into feeling like she had to compensate him for something. It was also possible Ivy would deny the truth, defend her mother, and the two of them would argue and part on bad terms.

He knew Joy Sheridan’s personality well, and he felt his own was quite similar. Neither of them would back down on this matter.

Quentin didn’t want to bring up what had happened with his mother.

So, it was better to let Ivy remain in the dark.

’She doesn’t need to know. It’s enough for her to just stay by my side like this.’

”No. He’s just trying to sow discord. Don’t believe him,” Quentin said, his voice cold and hard.

Although that was Quentin’s typical way of speaking, Ivy still sensed a slight pause in his expression. It seemed like he was hiding something in the depths of his eyes.

But if Quentin said there was nothing, then there was nothing.

Ivy trusted him.

”Okay, I believe you. I don’t believe a single word he says!”

A man like Caleb Blackwood was devious by nature; not a single true word ever came out of his mouth.

’If I fall for his tricks and start fighting with Quentin, neither of us will be happy. That’s probably exactly what Caleb wants to see.’

She didn’t think she possessed any secret or anything of value that would be worth Quentin putting in so much effort, deliberately being nice to her just to lower her guard and get something from her.

’If Quentin really wanted something, wouldn’t it be much simpler to just kidnap me and use a thousand brutal methods to threaten me?’

Quentin extended his arms and suddenly pulled Ivy into an embrace, holding her close against his chest, right over his heart.

Ivy’s eyelashes fluttered as she listened to the sound of Quentin’s breathing and his heartbeat. ’What’s wrong with him? Why did he suddenly hug me?’

...

「Lustre. Inside a private room at a club.」

Caleb Blackwood had just finished his call with Ivy in the private room when the door was opened by a waiter.

”Mr. Blackwood, your guest has arrived.”

Caleb quickly stood up and walked toward the door. ”Mr. Hawthorne, hello, Mr. Hawthorne.”

Elijah Hawthorne stepped in from outside and first surveyed his surroundings. He completely ignored Caleb’s outstretched hand, showing no intention of shaking it.

Behind Elijah stood two tall men who looked like bodyguards. They followed him in and, after he sat down, took up positions on either side of him, their presence imposing.

”Mr. Hawthorne, I was the one at fault for what happened before. I wasn’t aware that you were in Lustre, nor did I know you would be at my company.”

Elijah waved his hand dismissively, impatience already showing on his face. ”President Blackwood, let’s skip the pleasantries. Just tell me directly: why did you want to see me?”

”Mr. Hawthorne is certainly straightforward. To be honest, I just wanted to apologize to you in person for the other day. I’m sorry for the trouble it caused. It’s all my fault for having such incompetent security and letting that kind of person sneak in. I’ll drink three glasses as a penalty.”

Caleb first condemned himself, then poured three glasses of liquor and downed them all.

Elijah Hawthorne watched his performance quietly. ’The Blackwood family is really something else,’ he thought. ’He knows Quentin and I are mortal enemies, yet he still dares to ask me for a meeting. His motive couldn’t be more obvious.’

’If I were Caleb Blackwood, I’d be sucking up to Quentin, not coming to me. After all, they’re family, bonded by blood. This move of his is a classic case of being too clever for his own good.’

’It’s a shame I came to Lustre so late, or I would have been able to see an even better show.’