Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”Cut ties? In your dreams! After all the years I spent raising you, all the energy and money I poured into you, now that you can stand on your own, you want to cut ties with me? You’re nothing but an ungrateful brat!” Timothy Sherwood vented all his frustration.

Ivy Sherwood just listened, a cold smirk playing on her lips.

”So? What do you want?”

Hearing Ivy Sherwood’s words, Timothy Sherwood’s expression eased slightly.

’Does this mean that no matter what I ask, Ivy might actually agree?’

”Back when you were at the company, you wanted to be the head of the perfumery department. It’s not like I didn’t let you. Then you stubbornly left, started your own studio, and took so many of the company’s clients and resources with you. And I, your father, never said a word about any of it.”

Ivy Sherwood had truly seen the pinnacle of shamelessness. The clients and resources for her studio had absolutely nothing to do with the Sherwood Company.

She hadn’t taken a single client from the Sherwood Company. In fact, she knew that when Gabriel Walker had targeted her, the Sherwood Company, afraid of offending him, had secretly helped him out, joining other companies and factories in boycotting her brand.

Although Timothy Sherwood had done all this behind her back, he thought Ivy didn’t know.

”First of all, I became the head of the perfumery department through my own abilities. Secondly, I didn’t take a single resource when I left the company. I’m very busy and don’t have time to waste on your nonsense. Just get to the point and say what you want.”

”Alright, I’ll be direct then.” Timothy Sherwood didn’t want to beat around the bush either.

After all that buildup, it was really just about one thing.

”I heard your grand opening yesterday had great sales. You must have earned quite a bit. You’re part of the Sherwood Family, so your company can be considered a subsidiary of the Sherwood Company. You’ll inevitably have to operate under the Sherwood name to grow in the future. The company is facing some difficulties right now and needs some money. I, your father, hope you can contribute.”

He was completely broke now. He couldn’t swindle any money out of Charlie Rhodes, and he couldn’t possibly send Thea over to keep that bastard company.

Ivy Sherwood had never seen someone ask for money so brazenly. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she actually owed Timothy Sherwood money.

”Do I look like a sucker to you?”

Timothy Sherwood glared at Ivy. ”What’s that supposed to mean!”

”As you know, my brand has only been open for a day. I’m in debt up to my ears. Besides, Thea Sherwood spent a million here yesterday. She certainly doesn’t seem to be short on cash. And the brand ambassador she hired must have cost at least ten million, I’d say.”

”Instead of shamelessly trying to borrow money from me, why don’t you go ask Thea? She’s the one who looks loaded.”

Timothy Sherwood froze. ’Thea spent a million yesterday?’

Before, Timothy Sherwood wouldn’t have batted an eye at such a small sum. But now, a million was a lot to him. And Thea was still spending money like water.

”Ivy, you’re about to marry into the Blackwood Family, and Caleb Blackwood is very fond of you as a daughter-in-law. Go ask Caleb Blackwood for money. He’ll definitely give it to you.”

Even if Ivy didn’t have money, she could just ask the Blackwood Family.

”Or why don’t you marry Caleb Blackwood instead? That way, the entire Blackwood Family will be yours.”

”What kind of nonsense is that!” Timothy Sherwood was shocked by Ivy’s ruthlessness, by how mercilessly she could act.

’If I could marry into the family, I would have done it long ago,’ he thought. ’At this point, I wish I were a woman so I could go curry favor with a sugar daddy.’

”Ivy, your mother left when you were just a child. I was the one who raised you! You have to repay me for that!”

”All these years, I never mistreated you. You ate my food and lived under my roof. Do you really think you could have grown up without me?”

Now Timothy Sherwood was bringing all this up again. His shamelessness in his desperation for money had reached a new low.

”’Repay you for raising me?’ Right. You were cheating on the outside while my mother was still alive. Your mistress’s child is older than I am.”

”Before my mother was even cold in her grave, you brought your mistress into our home. Thea Sherwood isn’t that much younger than me, is she? When you remarried, you already had two illegitimate daughters on the side.”

”From the moment Ruby Sterling moved in, my room was taken, and I was forced to live in the storage room. Everything I did was wrong. The moment Thea cried, you’d curse me out without even asking what happened. You didn’t even give me living expenses when I went to college.”

”I can give you money. Why don’t you calculate exactly how much you spent raising me all these years? I’ll pay you back in full, with interest. But you have to sign a document severing our familial ties. From that point on, I will have nothing to do with you.”

”And another thing. If you talk to Caleb Blackwood and get my engagement to Silas Blackwood called off, I’ll give you another sum of money. You can name your price—a hundred million, two hundred million, it doesn’t matter. I can write you an IOU and pay you in installments.”

As long as she could break the engagement, Ivy was willing to pay any price.

She didn’t have the money now, but she was confident she could earn it.

Timothy Sherwood refused. ”That’s impossible.”

He knew he hadn’t spent that much money on Ivy over the years. Even if she paid him back now, it probably wouldn’t even be a few million. And breaking the engagement with the Blackwood Family was even more out of the question. He wasn’t about to give up his connection to them.

”Then there’s nothing more to discuss.” Ivy opened the door. ”Get out.”

”Ivy, who gave you permission to speak to me in that tone?” Timothy Sherwood was seething. He hadn’t gotten any money, and he was filled with repressed anger.

”What, are you going to hit me?” Ivy looked at Timothy Sherwood without a trace of fear.

Timothy Sherwood looked into Ivy’s eyes, at their sharp, piercing gaze. ’When did my daughter’s presence become so intimidating?’

”Timothy Sherwood, don’t even think about pulling anything behind my back. I’ve already spoken to a lawyer and the police. If anything happens to me, if so much as a single hair on my head is harmed, you’ll be the prime suspect. You’ll be the first one they arrest!”

”You!” Timothy Sherwood raised his hand, truly wanting to strike her.

”Domestic violence gets you at least fifteen days in detention. You know better than I do what will happen to the Sherwood Company by the time you get out.”

Timothy Sherwood’s hand froze and pulled back. He couldn’t go to jail again, or the company would really be finished.

But Timothy Sherwood couldn’t just swallow his anger.

”You just wait!” After spitting out the threat, Timothy Sherwood shot Ivy one last glare with his murky eyes and left, unwilling to accept defeat.

Ivy didn’t give Timothy Sherwood another thought. She had far too much to do.

Timothy Sherwood hadn’t gotten a single cent from Ivy, and once he was outside, he regretted his impulsiveness.

He just couldn’t control his temper around Ivy. ’If I had just been a little more humble,’ he thought, ’would Ivy have given me the money?’

But he had already left, and he couldn’t possibly go back now.

Timothy Sherwood then tried to call up some of his old buddies to meet for a meal. Some of them, aware of the Sherwood Company’s situation, all claimed they were too busy and turned him down.

After trying for a long time, he only managed to get two or three people to agree to meet.