Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”Sir! Sir!” Ivy Sherwood’s reflexes were lightning-fast; she caught the old man, preventing him from collapsing onto the ground.

The driver, clearly shaken as well, hurried over to help.

They helped the old man into the car. The elderly gentleman gripped Ivy Sherwood’s wrist, his hold barely weakening even after he’d fainted.

Ivy Sherwood had the driver call for an ambulance. Too worried to leave the old man, she accompanied him to the hospital.

’It seemed the old man had mistaken her for someone else.’

’Who on earth do I look so much like? How can so many people keep making the same mistake?’

’I remember the two Mercer brothers also thought I looked like someone they knew.’

Once they reached the hospital, the old man was rushed to the emergency room. The driver was anxiously on the phone, likely calling the man’s family.

The call took a while. When the driver finally hung up, he was still sighing.

”What’s wrong? Can’t the old gentleman’s family make it back?”

”The master and his wife are both away on business trips. The eldest and third young masters are in other countries, and the second young master is at a forum and hasn’t returned yet. He’s on his way back, but it’ll take him a while to get here.”

”So, the gentleman did mistake me for someone else, didn’t he? Who did he think I was?” Ivy Sherwood asked.

The driver shook his head. ”I’m not entirely sure myself. Miss, I hope I’m not holding you up. Please feel free to leave if you have something urgent to attend to.”

”It’s no trouble. I’ll wait here until he wakes up. I’d feel better that way.”

Ivy Sherwood didn’t press further. A while later, the emergency procedure was over.

Ivy Sherwood asked about his condition. The doctor explained that the old gentleman had fainted because he became overly agitated and couldn’t catch his breath. He had a severe heart condition and, at his age, suffered from a host of other chronic ailments. There was no cure; they could only continue with conservative treatment using medication.

It looked like he would have to be hospitalized for the next several days.

Ivy Sherwood entered the hospital room and looked at the old gentleman.

’I don’t know who he’s searching for, but to be missed this much... I hope he finds them soon.’

The old gentleman’s hand twitched, and he mumbled something under his breath, but Ivy Sherwood couldn’t quite make it out.

However, seeing his trembling fingers, Ivy reached out and took his icy hand in her own.

A moment later, the door to the hospital room swung open. A man with a refined, distinguished air rushed in. ”Grandpa!”

Ivy Sherwood quickly stood, but her hand was still being held. She looked at the man, a little embarrassed. ”Hello. You must be his grandson, right?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise when he saw her.

It took him a couple of seconds to recover. ”Hello.”

”What happened?” the man asked the driver, who quickly recounted the events.

”Second Young Master, it was seeing this young lady that made him so emotional.”

A complex emotion flickered in the man’s dark eyes. ”Hello, my name is Connor Mercer.”

”You’re a Mercer, too?” Ivy Sherwood asked, surprised.

”Is something wrong? Do you know other people with the surname Mercer?” Connor Mercer furrowed his brow.

Ivy Sherwood said, ”I know a couple of people named Xavier and Miles Mercer. They look to be about your age.”

Surprise flashed in Connor Mercer’s eyes. ”Xavier is my older brother, and Miles is my twin.”

”What a coincidence!” Ivy Sherwood exclaimed. ’It’s such a small world!’

’I thought it was just the two of them, Xavier and Miles. I never imagined there were three brothers.’

’No wonder. Xavier and Miles were always looking for someone... It makes sense now. There’s no way I could look like that many different people.’

”My name is Ivy Sherwood. I’ve met Xavier and Miles a couple of times. I seem to recall them mentioning they were looking for someone.”

”Yes. Our younger aunt, Winter Mercer. Grandpa has been missing her all these years.”

”In that case, your grandfather must have mistaken me for her. I don’t know anyone named Winter Mercer. But... do I really look that much like your aunt? Do you have a picture?”

Connor Mercer shook his head. ”No.”

’That’s why Grandpa misses her so desperately. We don’t even have a photograph.’

”Do I really look that much like your aunt?” Ivy Sherwood asked.

Connor Mercer said, ”Only your eyes. They’re incredibly similar. To be honest, my own memory is a bit fuzzy. My aunt was very beautiful, and her eyes were so expressive.”

Ivy Sherwood nodded. ”Well, since you’re here, I should get going. If your grandfather wakes up and realizes he mistook me for someone else, he’ll only be more disappointed and heartbroken.”

Connor Mercer nodded. ”Thank you, Miss Sherwood.”

”Don’t mention it. It was fate that we met. And I consider Xavier and Miles to be friends. If you ever bring your grandfather to Calypsos, please feel free to visit me in Lustre.”

’Meeting people you know in a foreign country... it really must be fate.’

”What brings you to Elandra, Miss Sherwood? Are you here on vacation?”

”I’m here for work.” Ivy Sherwood briefly explained how she happened to be nearby. She didn’t want him to think she had shown up with ulterior motives.

After a few more words, Ivy Sherwood said she had to leave. ”I’ll walk you out,” Connor Mercer offered.

”No, really, it’s fine. You should stay and take care of your grandfather. His health is poor, and he needs someone with him.”

As Ivy Sherwood left, the old gentleman was still clutching her hand tightly.

She wasn’t his family, after all. It felt cruel, but she had to pry his fingers from her hand, one by one.

Ivy Sherwood left quickly. Connor Mercer watched her receding figure until she disappeared from view. Only then did he take out his phone and dial Xavier Mercer’s number.

”Brother.”

”I already know Grandpa collapsed. Miles and I are on our way back.”

Connor said, ”I’m with Grandpa, he’ll be fine. You two don’t have to rush back, finish what you’re doing. But his condition is getting worse. We really need to find Aunt Winter soon. I’m afraid...”

He didn’t have to finish the sentence. Xavier and Miles both knew what he was afraid of: that Grandpa wouldn’t be able to hold on long enough for them to find their aunt. That would be the greatest regret of his life.

”By the way, do you know an Ivy Sherwood?”

”Ivy Sherwood?” Xavier asked, surprised. ”Why are you mentioning her all of a sudden?”

Miles, who was beside Xavier, sounded just as surprised. ”Brother, what’s going on with Ivy Sherwood?”

”Grandpa collapsed because he saw Ivy Sherwood,” Connor explained. ”Her eyes are just like Aunt Winter’s, and he got very emotional. She said she knows you two.”

”I’ve already looked into Ivy Sherwood,” Xavier said. ”She has no connection to our aunt. Her background is clean.”

Disappointment flashed in Connor’s eyes. ’When on earth are we going to find any trace of her?’

’Grandpa has been talking about her constantly all these years. His health is declining, and so many doctors have said there’s nothing more they can do.’

’I just hope we can find her soon. At least then Grandpa could see her one last time. Otherwise, he’ll never be at peace, even when he leaves this world.’

”Aunt Winter... Is there still not a single clue?” Connor asked.

The other end of the line went silent. Neither Xavier nor Miles spoke. They had no idea what happened to their aunt all those years ago. She had erased herself so completely, it was as if she had simply vanished into thin air.