Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”Thank you for the kind offer, Mr. Hawthorne, but there’s no need.”

Elijah Hawthorne was determined to see what Ivy Sherwood looked like without makeup today.

He said, ”No need to be so formal. We’re friends, aren’t we? They’ll be here any minute. Or perhaps Miss Sherwood could just wipe her face with a handkerchief first?”

Elijah Hawthorne offered his handkerchief again, but Ivy Sherwood didn’t take it.

”I think I’ll just go wash up in the restroom.” Ivy Sherwood tried to go to the restroom, but Elijah Hawthorne grabbed her by the wrist.

”This restaurant has a special powder room for ladies to touch up their makeup. Why don’t I escort you there?” Elijah Hawthorne had specifically chosen this place to prevent Ivy Sherwood from going to the restroom alone, where he couldn’t easily follow.

Ivy Sherwood: ”...”

’He must have figured something out,’ she thought. ’There’s no other reason he’d be acting like this.’

She wasn’t that close with Elijah Hawthorne and didn’t want him to discover her secret just yet.

But just then, Elijah Hawthorne’s assistant arrived, carrying some clothes and followed by a makeup artist.

Elijah Hawthorne said, ”She’s a very professional makeup artist. I guarantee she’ll make you look even better than you usually do.”

Now, Ivy Sherwood was in a bind. It seemed Elijah Hawthorne really had discovered something.

As the makeup artist walked toward her, Elijah Hawthorne watched with an unreadable, smiling gaze.

Just then, Elijah Hawthorne’s phone rang.

”Hello?” Seeing it was his secretary, Elijah Hawthorne answered the call.

”Mr. Hawthorne, bad news! There’s a problem with another project at the company. It’s urgent, we need you to come handle it right away.”

Elijah Hawthorne knew instantly. ’This must be Quentin Blackwood’s doing again!’

’The more Quentin Blackwood tries to stop me from seeing, the more I’m determined to see!’

However, Ivy Sherwood said, ”If you have something to attend to, Mr. Hawthorne, please go ahead. I’m not going out anywhere, so I don’t need makeup.”

Afraid Elijah Hawthorne would say something else, she spoke again quickly, ”Since you have to go, Mr. Hawthorne, I’ll head home too. No need to see me out. Goodbye, Mr. Hawthorne!”

With that, Ivy Sherwood was the one who made a run for it.

Elijah Hawthorne: ”...”

’It’s fine. I didn’t see her this time, but there will be a next time.’

’There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. A person’s face is what it is; she can’t hide it forever.’

After leaving the restaurant, Ivy Sherwood hailed a cab. She didn’t let out a sigh of relief until she was seated inside.

The taxi driver stared at Ivy Sherwood in alarm, likely frightened by her face. Ivy Sherwood mumbled an apology, then gave him the address and told him to drive.

Sitting in the back seat, she began wiping the makeup from her face with a tissue. Soon, her fair, delicate face was revealed.

The driver in the front seat glanced in the rearview mirror and was stunned. How could the person who looked like a streaky mess just a moment ago become so beautiful after wiping away those smudges?

”Miss, are you a big-name celebrity?” the driver couldn’t help but ask. Had he really picked up a star?

Ivy Sherwood said, ”Sir, you’re mistaken. I’m not a celebrity, just a regular person.”

Then, Ivy Sherwood prepared to reapply her makeup.

While she was touching up her makeup, Ivy Sherwood received a call from Xavier Mercer.

Xavier Mercer said his grandfather missed her very much and wanted to see her, and asked if it was a convenient time for her.

Ivy Sherwood replied, ”Of course. I’ll come over to see Grandpa.”

She didn’t have anything else to do anyway.

After giving the driver the new address, Ivy Sherwood began to reapply her makeup. In no time, her stunningly beautiful face became remarkably plain. The driver was dumbfounded. In the blink of an eye, how could she just...

’Is this the legendary Disguise Technique? Or maybe a Face-changing Skill?’

...

Ivy Sherwood soon arrived at the hotel where Old Master Mercer was staying. Xavier Mercer and Connor Mercer weren’t there; only Miles Mercer was with the old man.

When Ivy Sherwood went up, she brought dessert for the old master.

”Grandpa,” Ivy Sherwood called out sweetly.

”Ivy!” The old master was delighted to see Ivy Sherwood. ”What took you so long to come visit me?”

”I’m sorry. Look, I brought Grandpa a treat. Have you had breakfast yet, Grandpa?”

”I have,” the old master said with a grin.

Ivy Sherwood said, ”Perfect. Then this little cake can be for dessert. But you can only have a small piece, or it won’t be good for your digestion.”

”Alright, I’ll listen to whatever Ivy says.”

Miles Mercer, standing by, grew jealous. ”Grandpa, how come you never listen to anything I say? Is Ivy Sherwood your granddaughter, or am I your grandson?”

As Ivy Sherwood opened the cake box, she asked, ”Where are your two older brothers?”

Miles Mercer said, ”They went to the Blackwood Family’s estate.”

”The Blackwood Family?” Ivy Sherwood asked in surprise.

Miles Mercer explained, ”The Mercer Family has considerable influence abroad, too. We’ve brought over people who can conduct the identification, so my big brother and second brother took them to the Blackwood Family.”

They were determined to find out whether Sylvia Blackwood was really their sister or not.

Ivy Sherwood nodded. ’They should have the results soon, then.’

”So, did Grandpa get to see Sylvia Blackwood?” Ivy Sherwood asked.

Miles Mercer said, ”No. It’s not that we didn’t try to find Sylvia Blackwood later, but she refused to meet with us. I don’t know what she’s so arrogant about.”

Miles Mercer didn’t like this potential sister. He didn’t know why; he just didn’t.

Sylvia Blackwood had a bad temper, was easily irritable, and was also very arrogant.

Ivy Sherwood didn’t pursue the topic.

The Mercers were staying in a presidential suite, which had everything one could need. There was even a kitchen off to the side, though no one was using it.

Ivy Sherwood said, ”Anyway, I don’t have anything else to do today. I mentioned last time that I wanted to cook a meal for Grandpa to try. How about I go grocery shopping in a bit? I wonder what Grandpa would like for lunch?”

Old Master Mercer replied, ”Don’t go to all that trouble. Just stay and chat with me. We can make Miles Mercer do the cooking.”

Miles Mercer: ”...”

”Ivy, do you know how to play chess?” the old master asked.

Ivy Sherwood said, ”Not much, just a little.”

”Then come play a game with me.”

Ivy Sherwood obediently sat down and started playing chess with the old master.

She could only say she knew how to play. She had no real skill to speak of, let alone mastery, and she quickly lost two games.

The old master was very happy, not because he won, but simply because looking at Ivy Sherwood made him happy. Perhaps it was just that instant connection.

He even thought about waiting for Xavier Mercer and the others to return and having them run a test on Ivy Sherwood, too. What if, by some small chance, his little Ivy was his granddaughter!

Ivy Sherwood was focused on the chess game when her phone suddenly rang.

Her phone was in her purse. She picked up her small handbag, and as she fumbled for her phone, something else came out with it.

It was her mother’s Jade Pendant. After Quentin Blackwood had given it to her, she had taken it out and put it in her purse, wanting to keep it close.

It had accidentally fallen out when she grabbed her phone. Ivy Sherwood quickly put it back and saw that the call was from Nina Scott.

She didn’t notice the shocked expression on Old Master Mercer’s face, or that even Miles Mercer had frozen for a moment.

”Winter! Winter!” The old master suddenly became extremely agitated. Not knowing what was wrong with him, Ivy Sherwood didn’t even have time to answer her phone and rushed to support him.