Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Ivy Sherwood continued, ”I told you I wouldn’t tell Quentin Blackwood. As long as you talk, I guarantee he won’t find out. Caleb Blackwood, you have no other choice.”

Caleb Blackwood’s temples throbbed. ”Why should I believe you!”

”You don’t have to believe me. Or I could go tell Quentin Blackwood right now that you’re connected to his mother’s death. Do you think he’ll be as gentle as I’m being? Wouldn’t he just have you seized and interrogated? I’m sure you know his methods better than I do.”

”Quentin Blackwood has spared you so far because he thinks you had nothing to do with his mother’s death. I could just have him question you directly. Caleb Blackwood, you’re out of options. Your only choice is to trust me.”

Caleb Blackwood never thought he’d be backed into a corner time and again by a young woman like this, yet he had no other choice.

He had lived for most of his life, and this recent period had been nothing short of humiliating.

As if he’d made up his mind, Caleb Blackwood said, ”Let’s talk in the study.”

”We’ll talk right here.” Ivy Sherwood didn’t budge.

She had the upper hand now, and she wasn’t about to let Caleb Blackwood dictate the terms.

After a moment of deliberation, Caleb Blackwood clenched and unclenched his fists. He had the butler clear the area of all servants and even posted a guard at the door to Anna Nash’s room.

’This matter absolutely cannot be known by anyone other than Ivy Sherwood.’

”No recording.” Ivy Sherwood immediately placed her phone in front of Caleb Blackwood for him to inspect.

”It’s a long story. Back then, the Blackwood and Sherwood families had some dealings. Quentin Blackwood’s mother was just a mistress, yet she had the gall to bring her illegitimate son back to the Blackwood Family to fight for the inheritance. Everyone in the Blackwood Family despised them. The Sherwoods were sucking up to the Blackwoods at the time, so naturally, your mother wasn’t very kind to Quentin’s mother either. They argued a few times, but I happened to discover it was all a facade.”

”Later, Yvonne Summers and Quentin Blackwood’s mother began meeting in secret. They even arranged a marriage for you. I had my men tailing them, and they overheard everything.”

”What?” Ivy Sherwood couldn’t believe her ears.

’According to Caleb Blackwood, my mother and Quentin’s mother had a good relationship... Then my engagement... it wasn’t with Silas Blackwood?’

”Your mother had a Jade Pendant; I’m sure you know about it. That was the token for the arranged marriage. She gave it to Quentin Blackwood’s mother when they arranged your engagement.”

Ivy Sherwood froze. ”So, my engagement was with Quentin Blackwood, not Silas Blackwood!”

Ivy Sherwood was shocked and found it hard to believe.

Especially when she saw Caleb Blackwood nod, Ivy realized he had been scheming since all the way back then.

’He’s truly evil. Rotten to the core.’

”Yes. You were engaged to be married to Quentin Blackwood. Very few people knew. To protect Quentin and his mother, your mother never told a soul. You could say that besides the two of them, I was the only one who knew.”

”And then you plotted to harm Quentin Blackwood’s mother and stole the Jade Pendant from her. Later, after my own mother died, you stole her half of the Jade Pendant. You killed Quentin’s mother, didn’t you? Then... does my mom’s death have something to do with you, too?”

Ivy had a reasonable suspicion. ’Caleb Blackwood is so ruthless. Could he have been the one who killed my mother, too?’

”No! Your mother’s death has nothing to do with me!” Caleb Blackwood denied it at once.

”Why should I believe you? You’ve committed countless evil acts; your hands are already stained with blood. What’s one more life—my mother’s—on your conscience?”

Caleb Blackwood explained, ”I’ve already admitted to the other matter; there’s no reason to hide anything from you about your mother’s death. I truly know nothing about it. Perhaps it was an accident, or perhaps she offended someone else. I really don’t know! Ivy Sherwood, you can investigate it yourself!”

Ivy Sherwood stared at Caleb Blackwood, her gaze icy, her heart pounding in her chest.

’He’s right. If Caleb Blackwood had really killed my mother, he wouldn’t look like this. It seems he’s telling the truth about this part.’

”Then how exactly did you kill Quentin Blackwood’s mother?” Ivy asked.

Caleb Blackwood said, ”That has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to know.”

He wouldn’t give her the details.

Even though Caleb Blackwood said no more, the shock of the revelation was already overwhelming for Ivy Sherwood.

’Caleb Blackwood killed Quentin’s mother... but who killed my own mother?’

’It couldn’t have been an accident. Ivy felt there had to be a much bigger secret at play.’

’Her mother was surrounded by too many secrets, and it felt like she had no leads at all. And to top it all off, her betrothed was actually Quentin Blackwood.’

”Ivy Sherwood, you promised you wouldn’t tell Quentin Blackwood. If you break your word, I swear, even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll drag you to hell with me.”

Ivy Sherwood replied, ”Don’t worry.”

’Given her current relationship with Quentin, she had no intention of telling him any of this.’

’However, she had to let Quentin know that her mother wasn’t the one who killed his.’

’Her mother couldn’t be a scapegoat, especially not for Caleb Blackwood.’

”Also, you promised you’d stop the Mercer Family from pressuring me and give me money to support the Blackwood Group.”

Ivy said, ”I’ll do as I said.”

Ivy Sherwood now knew the truth, but her mind was still reeling. As she left, Caleb Blackwood’s words echoed in her head.

Caleb Blackwood sat frozen in place. ’So what if Ivy Sherwood knows? The Jade Pendant is still in my hands. She’ll never get that fortune.’

He had no idea that the Jade Pendant in his possession had been swapped out long ago.

...

When Ivy Sherwood came out, her three brothers were waiting anxiously outside. They breathed a collective sigh of relief upon seeing her.

”Ivy, what’s wrong? Did you find anything out?”

Ivy nodded. ”Mhm. It turns out our mother’s death had nothing to do with Caleb Blackwood. Brothers, I promised him that if he told me the truth, the Mercer Family would stop targeting the Blackwoods and even give him some money.”

Xavier Mercer said, ”Alright. I’ll handle it.”

”Ivy, you look pale. What exactly did Caleb Blackwood tell you?” Miles Mercer asked, full of concern.

Ivy said, ”Just some unimportant things about the Blackwood Family. It has nothing to do with the Mercers.”

Seeing that Ivy didn’t want to talk about it, the Mercer Brothers didn’t press her further.

Ivy Sherwood got into Xavier Mercer’s car. Once inside, she took out her mother’s Jade Pendant and gently caressed it.

’The arranged marriage she could never make sense of... she finally knew the truth.’

’She knew it! Her mother couldn’t have been such a poor judge of character to arrange her marriage to Silas Blackwood. It turned out the one her mother had approved of was Quentin Blackwood all along.’

’Ivy didn’t know what Quentin Blackwood was like as a child, but he must have been wonderful. Otherwise, her mother would never have entrusted her to him.’

’Setting everything else aside, Quentin Blackwood was truly an exceptional man. He was capable, resourceful, assertive, and a master strategist who kept everything under his control.’

’Compared to him, Silas Blackwood was an absolute good-for-nothing.’

’Caleb Blackwood may have severed their destined connection, but she and Quentin had crossed paths again anyway. Yet, perhaps it was fated from the start that they would never last.’

A sharp pain shot through Ivy’s heart. ’But why did it have to be Quentin? She would rather this arranged marriage had never existed at all.’