Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

With that, Quentin Blackwood headed for the door, showing no sign of wanting to linger.

”Quentin Blackwood,” Ivy Sherwood called out his name from behind her. ”I’ve started my own brand. The grand opening is the day after tomorrow. If you have time, you could come...”

”I don’t have time,” Quentin Blackwood cut her off coldly.

The rest of Ivy’s words caught in her throat. If Quentin had turned around, he would have seen the light in her eyes dim.

”I understand.”

’Who did I think I was, inviting Quentin Blackwood?’

He was probably mocking her in his head. Ivy Sherwood smiled wryly.

’But he really is busy, so it’s normal that he doesn’t have time. Besides, I already knew this would be the answer, didn’t I?’

Ivy had just wanted to try. His refusal was to be expected.

Hearing Ivy’s two quiet words, Quentin Blackwood felt a lump form in his throat.

He didn’t turn back. He just pulled open the door and strode away.

At the door, Nina Scott, who had come looking for Ivy, stood dumbfounded.

She had just been about to open the door when it swung open from the inside.

What... Wha—

”You’re...” Before she could finish, the man walked right past her toward the elevator without a single glance.

Nina Scott opened the door and walked in, still in a daze. ”Ivy, I think... I just saw a ghost.”

Ivy hadn’t expected to see Nina. ”Nina, what are you doing here so early?”

”You hung up so suddenly last night! I was a little worried, so I came to check on you. And to see if you were shacking up with some random guy!”

Ivy: ”...”

’If the ’random guy’ who just left had heard that, he’d probably come back and beat someone up.’

”I think I just saw Quentin Blackwood. That was him, right?” Nina still couldn’t believe it, thinking she must have been mistaken.

”It was,” Ivy admitted.

It was too late to deny it, anyway. Nina had already seen him.

”Ivy!” Nina’s eyes danced with excitement. ”Spill it, now! What’s going on with you and President Blackwood? I can’t believe it, you actually managed to land him!”

”And! The guy you told me about last time, the one who took you to a hotel—was that Quentin Blackwood? No wonder he was even more worked up than my brother when he saw you getting bullied. So that’s the connection between you two!”

”So why do you still look like this? Has he seen the real you? Has he fallen for you? Or are you two just messing around? Does Silas Blackwood know? Is the reason you’ve been wanting to break off the engagement all this time because you want to be with Quentin Blackwood?”

Nina bombarded her with a barrage of questions, not giving Ivy a chance to explain.

Ivy: ”...”

”You’re overthinking things.”

Nina was definitely overthinking things. Her relationship with Quentin Blackwood was nothing like what her friend imagined.

’Aside from a few impure encounters, everything else between them was completely pure.’

”How could I be overthinking? I saw him with my own two eyes!” It was a good thing she’d arrived early, or she would have missed it.

Ivy said, ”I don’t know why he came over last night either. I think he was drunk. And it’s so early now—if something had really happened, you would’ve walked in on us in bed, not fully dressed.”

Nina listened and figured that made sense.

’And here I was thinking Ivy might actually have something going on with Quentin Blackwood. I thought she might be the one to pull this holy prodigy from his pedestal.’

”You’ve been watching too many trashy dramas,” Ivy said, poking Nina on the forehead.

”I have not! So, what exactly is the deal with you and Quentin Blackwood?” Nina was still curious.

After all, she’d heard plenty of rumors about Quentin Blackwood—his ruthless methods, his cold-blooded cruelty. A man in his position was no mere mortal.

Ivy thought for a moment. ”There’s nothing between us.”

’There really wasn’t anything between them. She couldn’t just go around telling people she’d slept with Quentin Blackwood.’

Even though Nina was her best friend, Ivy was afraid of causing trouble for Quentin.

”Then tell me the truth. Do you like him?”

”Of course not!” She knew her place.

Nina said, ”Good. Ivy, he’s a big shot from Veridia, and we’re just ordinary people. Even though President Blackwood is handsome, you absolutely can’t fall for him. If you do, you’ll be plunging into an abyss you can’t escape from. You’ll be the only one left crying in the end.”

”Besides, I heard that President Blackwood has a fiancée in Veridia.”

Ivy froze. ”He has a fiancée?”

”Apparently. I heard her name is Shi something... I heard it from my brother. Anyway, she’s a big deal in Veridia. They’re said to be a perfect match, a celebrated romance.”

Nina didn’t know the specifics. Quentin Blackwood had never appeared in the media, let alone with a female companion, and he certainly wouldn’t clarify things. So, it was impossible to know if it was true or just a rumor.

”I get it. Don’t worry, how could I possibly like him? Falling for a man is just asking for trouble!”

Nina nodded. ”Yeah, men are all trash!”

’Weren’t all the men in their lives just like that?’

”But... if you really could land Quentin Blackwood and make him fall head over heels for you, that wouldn’t be so bad. Being pampered by a big shot like that must be amazing. I bet President Blackwood would grant your every wish!”

Ivy gave a dry laugh. ”Do you think I’m some kind of goddess with divine powers?”

”You never know. Our gorgeous Ivy is so beautiful.”

”Though, to be honest, I was kind of hoping to set you up with my brother. It’d be great if you became my sister-in-law.”

”Looking like this, I doubt your brother would be interested in me.”

”Not necessarily!” ’She had a feeling Seth Scott was quite concerned about Ivy and often asked about her.’

”I’m not so fortunate,” Ivy said.

Nina thought for a moment. ”You’re right. The Scott Family is a huge pit. They’re the kind of people who’ll eat you alive and not even spit out the bones. It’s better if you don’t jump in.”

Ivy didn’t want to talk about it anymore. ”Enough chitchat. You came so early, have you eaten yet?”

”Not yet.”

”Then let’s eat together. Afterward, you can come with me to check on the store again. I still feel a little anxious. I want to double-check everything before the grand opening.”

”Got it. I even arranged for a few heavies to be on standby, just in case someone tries to cause trouble.”

Ivy chuckled. ”You think of everything.”

”Of course! It’s my duty to be your guardian angel!”

...

Soon, the opening day for The Iris Brand arrived. Ivy had even designed the logo herself—the shape of an iris flower.

Ivy had been busy with promotions for days, and there was some buzz and anticipation for it online.

She was so nervous she barely slept a wink all night. If it weren’t for the mall’s set opening time, Ivy probably would have gone over at five or six in the morning.

Unable to sleep, Ivy arrived at the mall entrance at seven in the morning.

Nina Scott came with her. ”Ivy, don’t be so nervous,” she said. ”Everything will go smoothly today!”

But Ivy’s eyelid wouldn’t stop twitching. All she could do was tell herself, ’I hope so.’

At eight o’clock, the mall’s staff entrance finally opened, and Ivy went inside.

The moment they reached the storefront, both Ivy and Nina froze. Ivy finally understood why her eyelid had been twitching nonstop.

’This... How could this have happened?!’