Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

’It seems I can’t stay home anymore,’ Ivy thought. ’Gabriel Walker found my address. This is incredibly dangerous.’

Ivy decided to get a hotel room to ensure her safety. She could also stay at Nina Scott’s place, but she was afraid of causing trouble for her.

She considered her options. The place Quentin Blackwood stayed at last time was nice, but it was a presidential suite. A six-figure sum for a single night was far too extravagant for Ivy.

Just then, Ivy’s phone rang.

It was a call from Silas Blackwood.

”Where are you?” Silas’s voice was as aggressive as ever. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had never once been pleasant to Ivy.

From the other end of the line, Anna Nash’s wheedling voice could be heard. ”Silas, I’ll miss you so much. I wish you could stay and have dinner with me.”

”Be good. I’ll wrap this up quickly and come back to you.”

Hearing their exchange made Ivy feel utterly disgusted.

And another thing: Anna Nash was the one who sent Gabriel Walker after her. She hadn’t settled that score yet.

”What do you want?” Ivy’s voice was also filled with impatience.

”What’s with that attitude? You think I *wanted* to call you? If Dad hadn’t told me to bring you home for dinner, I wouldn’t have bothered!”

”Ivy Sherwood, what the hell have you been doing out there? You may have no shame, but I do! I’m going to tell Dad everything. A tainted woman like you isn’t fit to marry into our family!”

Before Silas could finish his tirade, Ivy hung up on him.

Silas continued ranting for a while before realizing the call had long since been disconnected.

This infuriated him even more. ”That bitch actually dared to hang up on me!”

Anna Nash soothed him. ”Silas, don’t be angry. It’s not good for your health. Besides, Ivy Sherwood did something to wrong you, so she must have hung up because she has a guilty conscience. Silas, I’m sure of it—Ivy isn’t a virgin anymore. She cheated on you!”

Where Silas couldn’t see, Anna’s eyes were filled with venom.

Although her plan hadn’t succeeded, Ivy had been drugged last time. Even though someone took her away, she was definitely tainted now.

Gabriel Walker wouldn’t talk, and despite asking around, Anna couldn’t find out who had taken Ivy away that day.

”She’d dare!” If Ivy had really slept with another man, he would beat her to death!

...

After hanging up, Ivy thought about what Silas had just said—that he would tell Caleb Blackwood what she’d been ”doing.”

’That’s perfect. If the Blackwood Family uses this as a reason to break off the engagement, nothing could be better.’

Ivy hailed a taxi and soon arrived at the entrance of the Blackwood family’s old mansion.

Ivy had brought some gifts with her. A servant led her inside, but the Blackwood Family was so wealthy and powerful that they wouldn’t deign to look at the meager things Ivy brought.

Mrs. Blackwood didn’t even have someone take them from her. Sylvia Blackwood seized the opportunity to sneer, ”With those things you brought, are you trying to give a handout to a beggar?”

Ivy didn’t feel awkward. She simply placed the gifts she’d brought to the side.

Sylvia Blackwood truly despised Ivy. ”Mom, why did you have to invite her for dinner? I lose my appetite just looking at her face.”

Mrs. Blackwood waited until Sylvia had finished her tirade before saying, ”Sylvia, don’t be rude.”

”Sylvia is still young. Ivy, if you marry into our family, you must give way to Sylvia in all things. A daughter of the Blackwood family cannot be allowed to suffer any grievances.”

Ivy just gave a faint smile and didn’t respond.

’A daughter of the Blackwood family cannot suffer grievances, but which family’s daughter deserves to?’

Mrs. Blackwood soon went upstairs, leaving only Sylvia downstairs.

In the Blackwood home, no matter what Ivy did, Sylvia would find fault. If she did nothing, Sylvia would complain even more.

”Look at you, you lazybones. Aren’t you going to make dinner? Who are you waiting for to serve you?”

”Would you dare to eat a meal I made? Aren’t you afraid I’d poison it?”

”You’d dare! I really don’t know what Dad was thinking, taking a liking to an indecent woman like you. I’ve heard you’ve been messing around behind my brother’s back quite a bit, haven’t you?”

”Is that so? What a coincidence. I’ve also heard you mess around outside quite a bit,” Ivy said.

”You’re spouting malicious lies! How dare you slander me! Do you have any proof?” Sylvia nearly jumped up in fury.

”Well, do you have any proof? Or are you not spouting malicious lies?” Ivy remained calm, but her voice grew colder and her gaze sharpened.

The Blackwood family meant nothing to her, so no matter what they said, she didn’t get angry.

”You!” Sylvia stomped her foot in anger.

”What, you’re allowed to spread rumors about others, but no one can say a word about you? Or do you think you’re somehow more noble than everyone else? If one day you lost the Blackwood family’s support, what could you possibly do? Are you sure you could even survive in this world on your own?”

Sylvia stared blankly at Ivy, until Silas’s voice came from the doorway. ”What are you two doing?”

Sylvia finally snapped out of it, realizing she had just been lectured by Ivy.

”Brother!” Sylvia began to tattle. ”Brother, she yelled at me! She’s the one who’s done shameful things, yet she has the gall to curse at others. Brother, you have to stand up for me.”

Silas looked at Ivy with disgust. ”Ivy Sherwood, are you tired of living? How dare you bully my sister?”

Ivy didn’t even raise her eyes, not bothering to look at him.

Being ignored nearly made Silas explode with rage. Just as he was about to erupt, Caleb Blackwood and Mrs. Blackwood came down the stairs.

”Silas Blackwood, do we have to send you a formal invitation to get you to come home for dinner? The whole family is waiting for you.”

The moment Caleb Blackwood spoke, Silas backed down. ”No, Dad! It’s all Ivy’s fault!”

”I even made a detour to her place to pick her up, but who knew she’d come on her own? That’s what wasted so much time.”

Silas blamed everything on Ivy. In reality, he hadn’t detoured to pick her up at all; Anna Nash had been clinging to him for a good while.

Caleb Blackwood didn’t say anything more, simply telling everyone to come to the dining table.

Ivy sat quietly beside Silas. Caleb first spoke with Silas for a bit about company matters.

Although he had given Silas a position, Silas didn’t care much for the company. He only knew how to fool around all day and was never seen at the office. Some of the board members were already complaining.

Silas said, ”Are those old geezers out of their minds? This is the Blackwood family’s company. They’re just trying to use this as an excuse to squeeze more money out of us.”

”You are the general manager. You must go to the company every day!”

”I know, Dad,” Silas agreed.

Only then did Caleb continue, ”I’ve also looked at some auspicious dates these past few days. Your marriage with Ivy has been delayed for long enough; it’s time to set it in stone.”

This was the real reason he had called them back. The marriage needed to happen quickly.

”I’ve also discussed it with the Sherwoods. Perhaps we can skip the engagement. We’ll pick a date and have you two get married directly. What do you think?”

”Dad!” Hearing this, Silas shot to his feet.

”I don’t agree!” Silas glared furiously at Ivy.

”Dad, you have no idea what Ivy has been doing these past few days! I heard she was gang-raped! I don’t want a defiled woman like her!”