Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Ivy and the others returned to Lustre. The weather in the city was beautiful, boasting clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Quentin had moved quickly; construction on the park had already begun.

Ivy didn’t go home right away. Instead, she went to visit her grandfather, who had missed them terribly.

”My precious granddaughter, let Grandpa see if you’ve lost weight!”

”Not at all, Grandpa,” Ivy smiled. ”How have you been lately? Is your health holding up?”

”I’m quite well. It’s just good to have you back. I even had the staff prepare a meal. Come, let’s eat together as a family. Nina, you join us too. Quentin, you as well. And...” As the old man spoke, he looked behind them and suddenly noticed an extra person.

Wasn’t that Ovillette?

”Mr. Mercer.” Ovillette walked over, his manner deeply respectful toward the old man. Old Master Mercer was an important figure in Elandra, so it was only natural that he had met Ovillette before.

He asked, ”Why are you here?”

The old master still didn’t know about the past between Ovillette and Winter. None of them had told him yet. His health was already fragile, and it wouldn’t do any good if the shock landed him back in the hospital.

Ivy quickly stepped in. ”Mr. Ovillette is our guest. He was working nearby, and we just happened to run into him, so I invited him to visit Lustre.”

”Well, it’s a good thing the kitchen made plenty. Let’s all eat together,” the old master offered warmly, inviting everyone to sit down. ”It’s been so long since our family had a meal together. If only Moira and Connor were here too,” he sighed nostalgically.

Moira’s home was in Elandra, and Connor was still there for work. If the two of them had come as well, the family would truly be reunited.

”One day, we’ll all be together,” Ivy said. She truly believed that day would come.

”Come now, eat up. Ivy, have some more. You too, Nina.” The old master placed food into both Ivy and Nina’s bowls, treating the two girls with absolute impartiality.

”Thank you, Grandpa,” they said in unison.

The atmosphere during dinner was wonderful, filled with lively chatter and laughter. Watching the family, Ovillette felt a deep sense of warmth. He didn’t even dare to imagine how incredibly happy this family would be if Winter were still alive.

Having been in his position for so long, it had been ages since he had shared a meal like this. His schedule was usually packed with endless social engagements. When he was too busy, he would just grab a quick bite on his own to make do. He rarely went home, subconsciously resisting the thought of returning. He didn’t even see the Princess on a daily basis. Eating together as a family like this—this was what a real home felt like.

While everyone else’s faces were lit up with joy and happiness, Ovillette’s expression was laden with suppressed grief. His head began to throb violently again. He wondered if these frequent migraines were heaven’s way of punishing him.

Just then, a piece of meat was placed into his bowl. Reaching over was a small, fair hand. It was Ivy.

”Try this, Mr. Ovillette. It’s a specialty of Calypsos. My mother loved this dish too.”

Hearing that Winter had liked it, Ovillette picked it up with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth. These were all Calypsos dishes, vastly different from the flavors of Elandra. Ovillette rarely ate such food, yet as he tasted it, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him. It was as if he had eaten this somewhere before.

He nodded. ”It’s delicious.”

”Then have some more. And these, too—they’re all very good.”

The old master chimed in, ”Indeed, Ovillette. You are our guest. You should definitely try the local delicacies of Calypsos.”

The two Mercer brothers didn’t particularly care for Ovillette. After all, if nothing had happened between him and their aunt back then, the Princess might not have joined forces with Jason Summers out of jealousy, and their aunt might not have died. But the old master didn’t know about any of this, so he remained quite polite to Ovillette.

”Thank you,” Ovillette said softly.

After the meal, they had afternoon tea together. Nina went off to attend to her work, and Ovillette mentioned that he wanted to go for a walk. He asked Ivy about a few places—places her mother used to frequent. Ivy shared the details with him, including the location of her mother’s previous grave and the Sherwood Villa.

Almost twenty years had passed. In truth, all traces of her mother had long been erased from these places. Her mother had left so little behind in this world. Apart from the few belongings Ivy kept, there was nothing else. Even at the Sherwood Villa where her mother had once lived, the place had been cleaned out countless times by now. Absolutely nothing remained.

Although her mother had lived in the Sherwood Villa for a few years, Ruby Sterling had later moved in with her daughter, and Ivy had rarely stayed there since. That mother-and-daughter pair had lived there for nearly twenty years. Ivy didn’t even want the house anymore.

Ovillette memorized all these locations. Starting today, he wanted to walk the paths Winter had walked and see the scenery she had seen.

In the evening, Ivy and Quentin took a slow stroll back under the setting sun.

Ivy turned to look at him. ”I’m taking you somewhere!”

Quentin nodded. ”Alright.”

Seeing how readily he agreed, she teased, ”Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you off?”

”And what price does Miss Sherwood plan to sell me for?” Quentin played along willingly.

Ivy thought for a moment. ”A million?”

”How about I offer ten billion to buy myself and gift myself to Miss Sherwood?”

”Who buys themselves?”

A faint smirk tugged at the corners of Quentin’s lips. ”Do you want me or not?”

”Yes!” Ivy answered without hesitation. A bargain this huge was too good to pass up.

”Then it’s settled. You belong to me now. You’ve already sold yourself to me. When I tell you to come to my side, you have to be there. If I don’t allow you to disappear, you aren’t allowed to disappear. Do you understand, Mr. Blackwood?”

”Understood, my Miss Sherwood.”

The words ”my Miss Sherwood” reached Ivy’s ears, and the tips of them turned bright red. She directed Quentin as he drove, and they soon arrived at Lustre University. This was Ivy’s alma mater; she had completed her undergraduate studies here.

The campus was bustling with college students, brimming with youth and vitality. Even though Ivy had already graduated, her high ponytail and simple T-shirt made her look just like a freshman. Walking next to Quentin, who was dressed in a sharp suit, anyone who didn’t know better might assume she was a young student being kept by an overbearing CEO.

The combination of Ivy and Quentin—a stunning beauty and a handsome gentleman—drew quite a few stares.

”Wow, is she the campus belle of Lustre U? How come I’ve never seen her before?”

”She’s gorgeous. Is she from the acting department? If she enters the entertainment industry, she’ll definitely be a massive star.”

Ivy’s striking looks caught the attention of many. Some people tried to sneak photos of her, and a few guys even considered approaching her for her contact info. However, they were all instantly scared off by the icy, intimidating aura radiating from the man beside her.

Quentin kept his hand resting on Ivy’s waist in a protective stance. If anything unexpected happened, he would be able to shield her at a moment’s notice. She didn’t know when it had started, but this gesture had long since become a habit for him.