Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Ivy Sherwood booked another flight back to Lustre, but the only available flights were for later in the evening.

Ivy Sherwood sat in the airport terminal, staring blankly ahead. Her eyes were red and swollen, and with nothing to hide them, she bought a pair of sunglasses to at least keep herself from looking so pathetic.

’But my heart feels hollow. I’m like a lost child, with no sense of direction.’

From a distance, Elijah Hawthorne spotted a woman sitting primly. She was wearing sunglasses and was very lightly dressed.

’It’s already snowing. To wear so little in this weather... she’s really choosing style over warmth.’

In reality, the weather in Lustre was lovely. Ivy Sherwood had rushed over from there and hadn’t dressed for the cold.

For Ivy Sherwood, the physical cold was nothing. The chill in her heart was what truly mattered.

Elijah Hawthorne strode toward the woman. The assistant beside him said, ”Mr. Hawthorne, your flight is about to take off. There’s no time—”

Elijah Hawthorne raised a hand, and the assistant beside him immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.

”Well, look who it is. I was wondering who could be so uniquely plain,” Elijah Hawthorne said in his usual teasing tone.

Ivy Sherwood looked up at him. Beneath her sunglasses, no one could see that her eyes were red and swollen.

”Mr. Hawthorne,” Ivy Sherwood said.

’If this were before, the moment she saw Elijah Hawthorne, she would have run. She knew he was a dangerous man and would have kept her distance.’

But now, Ivy Sherwood couldn’t muster the energy. She didn’t want to move an inch.

Elijah Hawthorne walked over and sat down right beside Ivy Sherwood.

”Do you have any idea what the temperature is in Aethelgard? And you’re dressed like this?” Elijah Hawthorne held out a hand, signaling for his assistant to give him the coat he was holding.

The assistant was stunned. Mr. Hawthorne never showed sympathy for others. He wouldn’t spare a second glance for someone freezing to death, and now he was actually giving his coat away?

”Thank you, but I’m not cold,” Ivy Sherwood tried to refuse.

”It’s new. Never been worn,” Elijah Hawthorne said, tossing it to Ivy Sherwood. ”If you don’t want it, throw it away.”

Ivy Sherwood: ”...”

His words made Ivy Sherwood think of Quentin Blackwood. He used to say the same thing when he gave her gifts—if she didn’t want them, she should just throw them away.

Her eyes started to well up again. Ivy Sherwood bit her lip, fighting to keep her composure.

”What, are you here looking for Quentin Blackwood?” Elijah Hawthorne started making small talk.

Ivy Sherwood froze at the mention of his name.

”No.”

She denied it, but Elijah Hawthorne could already see the truth.

He scoffed. ”I told you Quentin Blackwood is unreliable. How about you come work for me? My previous offer still stands.”

”And my answer is still the same,” Ivy Sherwood replied.

”I have to make a trip to Lustre in a few days. Let’s have dinner then?”

Before Ivy Sherwood could respond, Elijah Hawthorne added, ”If you’re not willing, I’ll just have to invite your friend instead.”

His tone was an unmistakable threat. The refusal died in Ivy Sherwood’s throat, and she swallowed it back down.

”Fine.”

”Then it’s settled. However, I don’t enjoy having meals with people who are moping. It ruins the mood. I hope that next time I see you, you’ll be your usual self.”

With that, Elijah Hawthorne stood up and left.

Ivy Sherwood was taken aback for a moment. ”Your coat!”

Elijah Hawthorne didn’t break his stride, clearly having no intention of taking the coat back.

Ivy Sherwood still hurried after them and handed it back to his assistant.

”Thank you,” she said before hurrying away.

The assistant asked, ”Mr. Hawthorne, this... Should I give it back to her?”

Elijah Hawthorne watched Ivy Sherwood’s retreating figure. ”Forget it.”

The assistant was stunned again. Someone had actually refused Mr. Hawthorne’s kindness, and Mr. Hawthorne didn’t even seem angry about it.

’Shocked. He rarely used that word to describe anything!’

Ivy Sherwood went through security, went to the waiting lounge, and after another long wait, finally boarded the plane back to Lustre.

...

In an office at DG Group, Quentin Blackwood was still standing. He had been there for hours.

He looked like a child who had misbehaved and was being made to stand in the corner by a parent.

He tightly gripped the string of Buddha Beads. He had already picked up the scattered beads and restrung them. Their round shapes were imprinted on his palm, yet he felt they weren’t the same as before.

The Buddha Beads had grown cold, devoid of Ivy Sherwood’s warmth.

The silence was broken by another knock on the office door. Zane Linton pushed it open and came in. ”President Blackwood, as you instructed, we’ve had someone tailing Miss Sherwood.”

He paused, then continued, ”Miss Sherwood has boarded the flight back to Lustre. At the airport, she ran into Elijah Hawthorne. They exchanged a few words.”

”She...” Quentin Blackwood opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

In truth, Quentin Blackwood hadn’t rested for two days and a night, yet he didn’t feel the least bit tired.

”Have our people in Lustre keep a close watch. Make sure she’s accounted for every hour.”

”Yes...”

”President Blackwood, about Elder Sheridan... he’s at the crematorium. The examination is done; there were no other contributing factors to his death.”

”Mm. Then proceed with the cremation.”

Zane Linton glanced down and noticed the beads in Quentin Blackwood’s hand. ”The Buddha Beads,” Zane Linton said, ”didn’t you give those to Miss Sherwood?”

”She gave them back to me.”

”Then what about the watch on your wrist? Should it be returned to Miss Sherwood?”

”No.” ’It was the last thing Ivy Sherwood had left him.’

...

Ivy Sherwood returned to Lustre. She locked herself in her house, and after a long cry, she managed to sort out her thoughts.

’It wasn’t such a big deal. If breaking up was a matter of life and death, the world would have far fewer people in it.’

’Mom wouldn’t want to see me like this, either. I’ll use time to dig Quentin Blackwood out of my heart, bit by bit.’

’In this world, no one is so indispensable that you can’t live without them.’

’As for the baby in my womb...’

’Even if Quentin Blackwood found out, he would surely make me abort it.’

’When I first found out, I was shocked and at a complete loss, but I never once thought about not having the baby. But now that Quentin Blackwood and I are over, if I keep it...’

’I should just find a time to get an abortion,’ Ivy Sherwood thought.

For the past two days, Ivy Sherwood hadn’t been able to sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes, her mind was a chaotic mess, so she simply threw herself into her work at the office.

Nina Scott heard that Ivy Sherwood had been working herself to the bone for the past two days, so she came over to check on her.

”Ivy, your people have been complaining to me. They said they saw you here when they left work last night, and you were still here when they came in this morning. Are you trying to work yourself to death?”

Sleepless and unrested, Ivy Sherwood’s eyes were filled with broken blood vessels.

”I’m fine,” Ivy Sherwood said. ”There’s just a lot to do at the office, so I’ve been a bit busy.”

”Look in the mirror. Do you call this ’fine’? Look how haggard you are. I almost don’t recognize you. Come home with me and get some rest.” Nina Scott grabbed Ivy Sherwood, insistent on making her go home to rest.

She didn’t know what had happened to Ivy Sherwood, and Ivy hadn’t told her anything.

”I just have a little more work to do, I...”

As Nina Scott pulled Ivy Sherwood up from her chair, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over her, and she fainted.