Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Anna Nash grabbed Ivy Sherwood’s hand, on the verge of tears. ”Ivy, none of this has anything to do with harming you. If you need my help with anything in the future, or if you want to know anything about the Blackwood Family, I can tell you everything. I’ll be your spy. Can’t you just pretend you didn’t see anything?”

Ivy looked at her. ”So, it’s really Caleb Blackwood’s child?”

Anna bit her lip. ”Yes.”

Even though she’d guessed it, Ivy was still shocked.

Anna was Caleb Blackwood’s daughter-in-law. What she was doing truly shattered all moral conventions.

For a moment, Ivy wasn’t sure who was more ruthless, Anna Nash or Thea Sherwood. Both of them would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

”Aren’t you afraid of this getting out? If Silas Blackwood finds out, what do you think he’ll do? And the truth about your older son’s birth... Silas doesn’t know about that either, does he?” Ivy thought Anna was truly audacious.

Anna said, ”Ivy, you have no idea what my situation is like. No one in the Blackwood family likes me. I have absolutely no standing.”

”Silas can’t have children. There’s something wrong with him physically, which is why I had to resort to such a desperate measure. If this gets out, the Blackwoods won’t spare me. Only by getting pregnant with Caleb Blackwood’s child can I regain my footing in the Blackwood family. Once I’m pregnant, the affair can’t be covered up, but at least my life will be spared.”

”I know what you think of me—that I’m a calculating schemer who stops at nothing to get what she wants. But my life hasn’t been easy either.”

”That’s enough. Just go,” Ivy said, not wanting to look at Anna any longer.

’A woman like Anna is far more terrifying than Thea,’ Ivy thought.

’If Thea had a mind like Anna’s, she wouldn’t have been reduced to her current state by Mrs. Charlie Rhodes.’

”Ivy, you’re here too,” Anna asked. ”Are you pregnant?”

”None of your business.”

”Then why did you come alone?”

Anna had barely finished speaking when a male voice cut in from nearby. ”Who says she’s here alone?”

The voice startled Ivy. She turned her head and saw the man walking toward her.

It was shocking to see Quentin Blackwood here. Hadn’t he left Lustre for Aethelgard?

The sight of Quentin Blackwood made Anna shut her mouth. She knew he was someone she couldn’t afford to cross.

”Stop painting yourself as a victim and others as blissfully happy. Ivy’s family background wasn’t much better than yours. The two of you just chose different paths. You chose to take shortcuts and play dirty, while Ivy chose to rely on herself and build her life step by step. Her current success is due to her own abilities.”

”She’s built a huge company, and that was all her own hard work. She didn’t rely on anyone, least of all the Mercer Family.”

”You’ve brought this all on yourself. In other words, you deserve it. You’re smart and you’re self-aware, so cut the act. If you dare lay a hand on Ivy, I guarantee you can’t afford the consequences.” Quentin’s voice was frigid as he instinctively pulled Ivy into his embrace.

Anna shook her head, terrified. ”I won’t. I wouldn’t dare.”

”Get lost.” Quentin had no patience for anyone but Ivy.

As for why Anna was here, whether she was pregnant, or whose child she was carrying—Quentin couldn’t have cared less.

Anna scurried away dejectedly. Ivy’s expression wavered. Quentin’s words had struck a chord with her.

She knew better than anyone what it had taken to get where she was, but she’d never imagined Quentin knew too.

She looked at him. ”What are you doing here? Didn’t you go back to Aethelgard? You lied to me!”

”I didn’t lie. You have a prenatal checkup, don’t you? I’m the baby’s father. Of course I was going to be here.”

”How did you know I had a checkup? Are you investigating me? Or spying on me?”

”Neither. It was a guess. A few days ago, you asked Zane Linton when I’d be back. I also did the math—your last checkup was before the New Year, which meant you were due for one soon. So I decided to stay for two more days. Turns out, my guess was right.”

”Ivy, why couldn’t you have come with me? I’m the baby’s father, too. I have the right to know if our child is okay.”

A flicker of hurt crossed Quentin’s eyes. Ivy had gone to her checkup behind his back. She still didn’t trust him.

But then Quentin lowered his gaze and saw she was still wearing his Buddha Beads on her wrist, and suddenly, none of it mattered.

’She hasn’t taken them off. She must still have feelings for me!’

”This is my child. It has nothing to do with you.” Ivy placed a hand on her belly. If Quentin ever tried to take the child from her, she would never allow it.

”It’s *our* child,” Quentin insisted. ”Come on, it’ll be your turn soon. Look around—all the other expectant mothers have the fathers with them. Our baby shouldn’t be the only one without their dad here, right?”

Quentin’s words successfully placated Ivy. When she thought about it, he did have a point.

Quentin took the checkup forms from Ivy’s hand and led her over to the desk. He signed his full name on every line that required a signature.

Ivy was soon called into the exam room. Quentin asked the staff, ”I’m the baby’s father. Can I go in with her?”

”Yes.”

Ivy was over four months along, and the baby was already well-formed. As the ultrasound transducer glided across her belly, Quentin saw the tiny baby on the screen, and his heart filled with an indescribable excitement.

’That’s my baby. Mine and Ivy’s child. I’m going to be a father!’

Quentin had never imagined he would have children. Before coming to Lustre, he had never even considered letting a woman carry his child.

The baby was a surprise, an accident even, but now, Quentin eagerly awaited their arrival.

He wanted them both: Ivy and the baby.

The doctor said, ”At this stage, you should start feeling the baby move. Mom and Dad should talk to the baby more. Just keep coming in for regular checkups. With parents as good-looking as you two, your child is sure to be a heartbreaker.”

”Okay, thank you, Doctor!”

Quentin was obviously more excited than Ivy. The moment she sat up, he placed his hand on her belly.

Her small, rounded belly was now visible. Quentin felt the life inside and was immensely grateful that he and Ivy hadn’t drifted too far apart. Otherwise, he couldn’t imagine the depth of his regret.

With the doctor in the room, Ivy didn’t feel it was right to say anything, so she just let Quentin keep his hand there.

The moment the doctor left, Ivy tried to get up, but Quentin said, ”Lie back down for a while. The report will be ready soon. I’ll go get it.”

Ivy grabbed his hand. A jolt of joy went through Quentin; he thought she couldn’t bear for him to leave.

But before he could say a word, he watched as she slipped the Buddha Beads off her wrist.

”Here, take this back. It belonged to your mother, so you should keep it safe. It’s very valuable, so don’t lose it.”

Quentin immediately stopped her, preventing her from taking it off completely.

”I’ve told you before,” he said. ”I never take back anything I’ve given away. If you don’t want it, just throw it out.”

Ivy replied, ”That trick won’t work on me. If you really don’t want it back, I will actually throw it away.”

A flicker of something crossed Quentin’s eyes. Then he nodded. ”Fine.”

’He was gambling. Gambling that she wouldn’t actually throw the Buddha Beads away.’

’And even if she did, it didn’t matter. He’d just go get them back. President Blackwood was shameless enough now that digging through a trash can wasn’t out of the question.’