Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”It must be Ivy. She just went and made a scene at Godfather’s.” Timothy Sherwood’s expression darkened.

”How would Ivy know about this?” Ruby Sterling asked.

Timothy Sherwood said, ”It seems she ran into Thea at the hotel. Aren’t she and Thea always at odds? Why would she get involved?”

”Ruby, you know Ivy’s temper. She didn’t even hesitate to sue me. We have to make sure it looks like I have nothing to do with this.”

”Okay.” Although Ruby Sterling was reluctant, she held her tongue when she thought of the shares.

The knocking continued, startling the maid, who glanced up at the master and madam of the house.

”Sir, Ma’am, do we have a visitor this late? I’ll get the door.”

”Don’t go. It’s Ivy. Get rid of her. Just say we’re not home.” The mere mention of Ivy’s name made Timothy Sherwood furious.

’How many of my plans has Ivy ruined? If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have had to sell out my own daughter.’

Timothy Sherwood even said to Ruby Sterling, ”When you get right down to it, it’s all Ivy’s fault. If she had been willing to forgive President Walker when the Walker Family offered us money, we’d have a fortune. We wouldn’t have had to go begging to Godfather.”

”Ruby, if you’re going to blame someone, blame Ivy.” Timothy Sherwood deflected all the blame onto her.

Ruby Sterling had never been able to stand Ivy. She hated that woman’s daughter.

’The Sherwood Family raised Ivy all her life, yet she’s never made a single contribution. Instead, it’s my daughter who suffers.’

The maid didn’t open the door, so Ivy kept knocking.

Ivy’s voice could be heard from inside, through the door, but Timothy Sherwood couldn’t make out the words.

”What is she saying out there?” Timothy Sherwood asked.

The maid answered, ”Miss Sherwood said that if we don’t open up, she’ll call the police and have them do it.”

’That Ivy! All she ever does is threaten to call the police!’

And yet, he really was afraid of the police showing up. It would cause a great deal of trouble and blow the whole situation out of proportion.

”Ruby, go stay with our daughter. I’ll handle Ivy.”

”Okay.” Ruby Sterling didn’t want to see Ivy either, so she went into Thea’s room.

The door finally opened. The maid cried out, ”Miss, you’re back.”

”Yes. I’m looking for Timothy Sherwood.”

”Sir isn’t home. He...”

But Timothy Sherwood was already walking down the stairs. He waved his hand, dismissing the maid.

Ivy stared at the man before her. ’When did my so-called father become such a complete stranger?’

On the surface, Timothy Sherwood was a gentle and refined man. He was reasonably handsome and carried himself with a certain grace, but it was precisely this type of person who was the most ruthless and disgusting.

Seeing Ivy, Timothy Sherwood actually smiled. ”Ivy, you’re back! Didn’t you say on the phone you wouldn’t be? Have you eaten? I can have someone make you a bowl of noodles.”

”Timothy Sherwood, do you even deserve to call yourself a father?”

The smile vanished from Timothy Sherwood’s face. ”What are you talking about? I don’t know what you mean.”

In that instant, Ivy fully understood what her mother had once told her. ’The more beautiful something is, the more dangerous.’

’If I hadn’t made myself look ugly and disguised my face since I was a child,’ she thought, ’the person sent to that room today might not have been Thea. It would have been me.’

’Timothy Sherwood has gone mad. There’s nothing he isn’t capable of.’

”How old is that man? And you had the heart to send Thea to him.”

”Ivy, don’t you dare slander me! I didn’t do anything! I’m warning you, mind your own business!”

The sight of Timothy Sherwood made Ivy want to vomit. His hypocritical expression was utterly repulsive.

”It’s true this isn’t my business, but now that I’ve seen it, I can’t just look the other way.” ’How this gets handled is ultimately up to Thea.’

Ivy went straight upstairs to Thea’s room.

Inside the room, Thea was awake, sobbing in Ruby Sterling’s arms with her eyes swollen shut.

Ruby Sterling was still trying to comfort her, heartbroken to see her daughter in such a state.

Ivy knocked and entered. When she saw Thea on the bed, she knew she had arrived too late. From the look of her, it was clear what had happened.

”Thea, I need to talk to you.”

However, the moment Thea saw Ivy, she became hysterical.

”Ivy, it was you! It was you, wasn’t it!” Thea lunged at Ivy, looking like she wanted to tear her limb from limb.

”Thea, are you insane?”

”It was you! You hate me that much, you must have conspired with him! That Yasmin Lee works at your shop, and I ran into you in the parking lot. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be!”

If looks could kill, the hatred in Thea’s eyes would have struck Ivy dead on the spot.

Her lips trembled as she muttered, ”It must have been you. Only you hate me that much.”

”Why would you do this to me? What did I ever do to you? How have I wronged you?” Thea burst into loud sobs again.

She grabbed anything within reach and hurled it at Ivy.

Ivy wasn’t a fool; she easily dodged the objects.

’Someone like Thea really doesn’t deserve any sympathy.’

”This has nothing to do with me. I don’t even know any Yasmin Lee. Running into me there was a pure coincidence. The one who conspired with that man to send you over was Timothy Sherwood. He was trading you for money.”

”You’re lying! How could it be Dad? He loves me so much! He’s so good to me!” Thea refused to believe it.

Besides, Dad was the one who found her in the parking lot and brought her home.

’I’ve been Dad’s favorite since I was a little girl. How could he possibly do something like this?’

’It was Ivy. It must have been Ivy!’

”Mom, Ivy framed me, right?” Thea looked desperately at Ruby Sterling, searching for confirmation.

”It couldn’t have been Dad. He loves me! She’s just trying to drive a wedge between us!”

Ruby Sterling patted Thea’s back. ”How could it be your father? Of course he wouldn’t do something like that.”

”Thea, I thought you had a brain in your head, but now I see you got what you deserved. Timothy Sherwood is no saint. He used you to get money. Believe it or not, if I hadn’t rushed over, you’d still be there suffering. Your ordeal would be far from over.”

”I came because I couldn’t just stand by and let this happen.”

’Last time, I only got away safely because Quentin Blackwood was there. That’s why I’m willing to be the one who helps others now, to do my part.’

”You should have seen what kind of person he is after he forgave Gabriel Walker last time. He doesn’t deserve to be a father. You should still have evidence on your body right now. I’m telling you to call the police. Make sure the criminals are punished. Otherwise, they’ll only get more brazen. This might not be the only time you get hurt, and more people could end up as victims just like you.”

’If it were me,’ Ivy thought, ’I would never let this go. Even if I’m not very powerful, I would fight these people to the bitter end.’