Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

When Ivy Sherwood and Quentin Blackwood arrived, the private room was already buzzing.

Quentin Blackwood led Ivy in by the hand, and everyone immediately stood up.

Ethan Forrest stared blankly at the door. ’Didn’t he say he was bringing Ivy Sherwood? Why is he holding hands with a different woman?’

’This woman is gorgeous,’ he thought. He swore this was absolutely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her beauty was beyond words, the kind you only read about in novels. Her skin was like polished jade, her eyes sparkled with life, and her features were impeccably stunning. Every subtle expression seemed to tug at your heartstrings.

Julian Grant was the first to react. ”We’ve been waiting forever for you two. What took you so long?”

”Wait!” Ethan Forrest exclaimed. He furtively glanced out the door before looking back at Quentin Blackwood and the woman with him.

Ethan Forrest pulled Quentin aside and nudged him furtively. ”What the hell are you doing? Didn’t you say you were bringing Ivy? What’s with this other woman? That’s just cruel. You didn’t bring her here to make Ivy jealous, did you? Are you two breaking up?”

Nearby, Julian Grant was covering his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. He knew this would happen. Ethan had the exact same expression on his face as Julian did the first time he saw the real Ivy.

The last time Ivy came to pick Quentin up, Julian had finally seen her true face. He’d been so stunned by her beauty it had actually startled him.

’I can’t believe even Ethan didn’t know about this.’

”Shut up!”

”Why should I? What the hell is wrong with you? When Ivy left Aethelgard, weren’t you a complete wreck? Have you forgotten how you drank yourself into a stupor? And now you’ve moved on this fast? I really misjudged you!”

Overhearing this, Ivy couldn’t help but lean in. ”When I left Aethelgard... you were a complete wreck?”

”What do you mean, ’when you left’? Let me tell you something. You may be beautiful, but our buddy’s heart is already taken. He loves her a lot, so you don’t stand a chance,” Ethan declared with righteous conviction.

He was still on Team Ivy, after all. He’d always felt so comfortable around her.

’Though this new woman is also stunningly beautiful,’ he mused, ’and she and Quentin look like a perfect match standing together...’

’...but there’s a certain order to things. And I believe Quentin is definitely not a cheater.’

Julian, who had been watching from the side, finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

Ethan was baffled. ”What are you laughing at? Was I wrong?”

Julian gave him a thumbs-up. ”Nope, you’re spot on.”

’I can’t even imagine the look on Ethan’s face when he finds out this woman *is* Ivy,’ Julian thought.

Ivy looked at Ethan. ”Is what you said true?”

”Of course. It was tragic. Back then, Quentin wasn’t sleeping at all. I’d never seen him like that. The untouchable, holy prodigy had been dragged down from his pedestal, completely heartbroken. He had never liked anyone that much before.”

Ethan wasn’t exaggerating in the slightest. At least, that’s how he saw it.

Quentin had been about to stop him, but on second thought... ’This is actually a great opportunity to play the sympathy card,’ he realized. ’If Ethan knows what’s good for him, he’ll lay it on even thicker.’

Ivy hadn’t known Quentin had been like that back then. She reached out and gave his palm a gentle squeeze.

Ethan noticed her small gesture and was about to say something when his eyes landed on the Buddha Beads on her wrist.

He froze. ”Those... those Buddha Beads...”

He remembered those. Weren’t they on Ivy’s wrist? He’d been shocked at the time that Quentin would actually give his mother’s heirloom to her.

Later, the two of them seemed to have a fight, and Ivy returned the Buddha Beads to Quentin. He remembered seeing Quentin staring blankly at the beads often during that time.

’And now, those same beads were somehow on another woman’s wrist.’

”They’re mine. Pretty, aren’t they?” Ivy held out her hand, waving it in front of Ethan.

Her slender, fair fingers were beautiful, wrapped in the coils of dark beads. Under the private room’s crystal chandelier, they seemed to glow.

But what really shocked him were her words. ”Yours?”

’Aren’t those Quentin’s?’

’Is Quentin just letting this woman have them?’

”He’s an idiot, don’t mind him,” Julian said, pulling Ethan back. He gestured for Ivy to take a seat. ”You and Quentin are late, so you have to drink three penalty shots.” He then had Graham Sherwood pour the drinks.

”She can’t drink,” Quentin said. ”I’ll drink for her.”

And with that, Quentin downed six glasses all by himself.

Seeing this, Ivy couldn’t help but tug on his arm. ”Don’t drink so much.”

’His stomach is already weak, and he’s downing liquor like it’s water. Does he have a death wish?’

”Whatever you say,” Quentin agreed readily.

Everyone else: ”...”

’When has Quentin ever been this obedient?’ they all thought. Today, they were truly witnessing the power of love.

”Come on, Quentin, have another,” Julian said, pouring him a fresh glass.

The whole point of tonight’s gathering was to drink, after all. They were all close friends, and drinking was more fun with a bigger group.

But to their surprise, Quentin pushed the glass away. ”My wife won’t let me.”

Everyone else: ”?”

’Wife?’

’Won’t let him?’

Quentin’s words made everyone’s jaws drop. When had Quentin ever become so obedient? He was really not going to drink just because she said so?

This, however, made Ivy feel a little awkward. She knew they had come out for drinks. If Quentin refused to drink, it would put everyone else in a strange position.

”I didn’t say you couldn’t drink. I just said you should drink less.”

”Exactly! Our dear Ivy just said to drink less,” Julian chimed in, quickly pressing a glass into Quentin’s hand. ”Have another.”

”And a glass for Ivy, too,” Julian said, pushing one toward her.

Ethan was still confused. ’Why is Julian calling this woman Ivy? She’s not Ivy Sherwood. The Ivy I know isn’t this beautiful.’

’Or is it that Quentin just has a thing for the name Ivy? Is he so obsessed he had to find a new girlfriend also named Ivy?’

”I told you, she can’t drink,” Quentin said, blocking the glass again.

”Why not?” Julian asked, surprised.

Quentin just smiled. ”Well, since we’re on the subject, I have some good news to share with everyone.”

”What good news?” The others all leaned in closer.

’Seeing how happy Quentin is, could he be getting married?’

Quentin pulled Ivy closer. ”I’m going to be a father. You guys better get your godfather gifts ready.”

”What?!” As expected, everyone wore the exact same shocked expression.

Anyone who knew Quentin thought that he was the kind of person who disdained emotional attachments—familial affection, to be precise.

They could never have imagined this man, who had been single for so many years, being completely captivated by one woman, caring so deeply for her.

They had originally assumed that Quentin and Ivy getting together was just a matter of two people growing close. They figured it would be a long time before they even thought about starting a family. Surely Quentin wouldn’t be willing to get married and be tied down.

And as for kids? That was completely out of the question. Did Quentin look like the fatherly type to anyone?

And yet, unexpectedly, Quentin was going to be the very first one among them to become a father.