Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

”But before she left, the young lady instructed me to make sure you ate all of this,” the butler said.

Quentin Blackwood finally sat down. The hangover soup had been kept warm and was now just the right temperature.

But the millet porridge had been simmering for too long and had grown a bit thick.

”Sir, why don’t we make a fresh batch for you?” The butler thought it looked too thick to drink.

”Don’t bother.”

Quentin Blackwood picked up his spoon and began to eat the millet porridge.

He didn’t really have an appetite, but he ate it one spoonful at a time.

Quentin Blackwood’s stomach had been in knots, a burning sensation twisting inside him. Now, after eating the millet porridge, a pleasant warmth spread through him, and he felt much more comfortable.

His stomach may have felt better, but his heart was a different story.

The more he thought about it, the worse he felt, to the point that his stomach started to ache again.

’Ivy Sherwood only came yesterday because Julian Grant must have called her. She brought me home, dropped me off, and left. She didn’t actually want to take care of me at all, did she?’

His head was pounding. Quentin caught a whiff of himself and found the smell revolting.

So he went into the bathroom, took a shower, and then got on the treadmill to exercise for a while.

When his phone rang, Quentin Blackwood snatched it up instantly.

He didn’t even notice his own tension. ’Could it be Ivy?’

’After bringing me home last night, did Ivy care enough to call and check on me first thing in the morning?’

However, when he saw Julian Grant’s name on the screen, the flicker of hope that had risen in his heart was extinguished.

Still, Quentin Blackwood answered. ”Hello?”

”What’s wrong? So cranky first thing in the morning,” Julian Grant said, leisurely sipping his coffee and eating breakfast.

”If you have something to say, spit it out.”

”I’m just calling to show I care. So, how’d it go? Did anything happen last night?”

”What was supposed to happen?”

”You’re kidding me, right?” He had gone to such great lengths to create this opportunity for Quentin. It was like he’d served it to him on a silver platter.

”You’re hopeless. How could you let a cooked duck fly away?”

”Who are you calling a duck?”

Hearing the icy tone, Julian Grant chuckled. ”Slip of the tongue. Just a metaphor. It took a lot of convincing to get Ivy to pick you up last night. Didn’t she take you home?”

”She did.”

”And nothing after that?” Julian Grant asked.

”Then she left,” Quentin Blackwood replied flatly.

’That’s impossible,’ Julian Grant thought. He had specifically told Ivy Sherwood that she had to take care of Quentin Blackwood.

”Did you say something to offend her again? Or maybe you forced yourself on her, and she wasn’t willing?”

Quentin Blackwood thought hard, but he had drunk so much yesterday that he’d blacked out. He couldn’t remember much.

’I’m sure I didn’t say anything to offend her. As for forcing her...’

A memory fragment flashed through his mind: he was pinning Ivy Sherwood down on the sofa, and she was struggling. But in the end, it seemed he had regained his senses and hadn’t gone all the way.

’Could that be why Ivy was angry?’

Seeing Quentin Blackwood’s silence, Julian Grant said, ”Remembered it, have you? Good, now that you know why, just swallow your pride and apologize. I think Ivy really has feelings for you.”

”She has feelings for me?” Quentin Blackwood found that hard to believe. ’If she really did, why would she end things so suddenly, without even trying to work it out?’

”Yeah. It’s so obvious, but you still can’t see it. You deserve to be single.”

”Get lost!”

”Alright, I’m going, I’m going. Anyway, I’m sure Ivy is easy to win over. You should give it a try. I’ll go find out if she’s home and feel things out for you, see if she’s still angry.”

”Don’t call her Ivy. Doesn’t she have a name? Can’t you use her full name?”

Julian Grant said, ”You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re jealous over that? Are you the king of jealousy or something?”

”I’m not jealous.”

He just hated hearing other people call her ’Ivy’. He’d never even called her that himself.

’Especially when that Scott guy says it. It sounds even worse coming from his mouth!’

After giving Quentin Blackwood an enigmatic chuckle, Julian Grant hung up and immediately dialed Ivy Sherwood.

’When those two get married, they’d better give him a huge red envelope. He’d earned a seat at the head table.’

’This relationship would completely fall apart without him!’

A moment later, Ivy Sherwood answered. ”Hello, Mr. Grant.”

”Ivy, are you still with Quentin Blackwood? How’s he doing?” Julian Grant asked, feigning ignorance.

Ivy Sherwood said, ”I’m sorry, something came up and I had to leave last night.”

”Oh? Was it an emergency?” Julian Grant pressed, seizing the opportunity.

Ivy Sherwood pursed her lips. ”Not exactly. My friend’s brother was in a car accident last night and was hospitalized. I’m at the hospital with her now.”

Even though Ivy Sherwood only said ”a friend’s brother” without giving a name, Julian Grant knew instantly it was Seth Scott.

After all, Ivy Sherwood’s only close friend was Nina Scott, who just so happened to have a brother.

’Seth Scott was in the hospital? For a moment, Julian wasn’t sure if he should be happy, or just plain thrilled.’

’But that guy, Seth Scott... he didn’t do it on purpose, did he? Just to get Ivy to come and take care of him?’

’Nope, I have to tell Quentin about this right away.’ And so, Quentin Blackwood quickly received another call from Julian Grant.

Julian Grant deliberately made the situation sound dire. ”Bad news, man, bad news. Do you know who Ivy was taking care of all night?”

”Who?”

”Your love rival!”

Julian Grant said, ”Apparently, Seth Scott was in a car accident, and our dear Ivy spent the whole night taking care of him. Hasn’t even rested yet. Look at that guy’s tactics! If you don’t step up your game, he’s really going to steal her away.”

Quentin Blackwood’s brow furrowed deeply after he heard this. ’Ivy left me to spend the whole night taking care of Seth Scott?’

”Are you serious?” Quentin Blackwood asked.

’He remembered Ivy insisting there was nothing between her and Seth Scott, yet the moment she turned around, she ran off to take care of him?’

”Of course. Why would I lie to you? I think you should—”

”Hey? What a jerk. I bring him priceless intel, and he hangs up on me before I can even finish.” Julian Grant stared at the disconnected call and shook his head.

After hanging up on Julian Grant, Quentin Blackwood immediately called Zane Linton.

”President Blackwood.” Zane Linton wasn’t the least bit surprised to receive a call from Quentin Blackwood at this hour.

’After all, his job required him to be on call twenty-four-seven. But working for Quentin Blackwood had incredible perks. President Blackwood never shortchanged anyone, and you could learn so much from him.’

’Even though it was demanding, Zane Linton had never once considered leaving.’

”Find out which hospital Seth Scott is in and how serious his injuries are.”

”Yes, sir.” Zane Linton never asked why. Whatever Quentin Blackwood ordered, he carried out immediately.

Soon, Zane Linton reported back to Quentin Blackwood with Seth Scott’s hospital location. He’d even managed to get a copy of the police report. It seemed Seth had been distracted while driving and hit a large truck. His injuries weren’t serious—just some cuts and bruises, no broken bones or internal damage.

”President Blackwood, should I prepare a gift for a visit?” Zane Linton assumed that his boss, out of common decency, had him investigate because he planned on visiting Seth Scott in the hospital.

”He didn’t die, so what’s there to see? Come over now and take me to the hospital.”

”President Blackwood, you’re going to the hospital to...?” Zane Linton was confused. If they weren’t going to see Seth Scott, why was the president going to the hospital?

Quentin Blackwood replied coldly with two words: ”Get admitted!”