Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

The Sherwood Company had some serious momentum back then. You could even call it one of Lustre’s most promising rising stars.

However, Yvonne Summers never took the credit publicly. All the glory went to Timothy Sherwood.

That was when Ruby Sterling’s interest was piqued again. She began secretly contacting Timothy Sherwood, telling him she could never forget him.

Even though Timothy Sherwood was married to Yvonne Summers, Yvonne wouldn’t let him touch her. Naturally, Timothy Sherwood had his needs, and he and Ruby Sterling quickly rekindled their affair.

Ruby Sterling was quite cunning. She had Timothy Sherwood wrapped around her little finger, making him utterly devoted to her.

After revealing she had secretly given birth to his child, Timothy Sherwood began to grant her every wish. Not long after, Thea Sherwood was born.

When Yvonne Summers was alive, the Sherwood Family was influential enough to build connections with the top family in Lustre, the Blackwood Family. It was Yvonne who pointed Timothy Sherwood toward numerous opportunities and channels, paving the way for the Sherwood Company’s glory days.

But after Yvonne Summers died, Timothy Sherwood eagerly brought Ruby Sterling and her two children into the family home. He threw a lavish wedding, and it seemed like every prominent family in Lustre attended.

Yet, after that grand affair, the Sherwood Company began its decline.

Without Yvonne Summers’s guidance, the Sherwood Company suddenly faltered. No matter what Timothy Sherwood tried, he couldn’t revive it.

Timothy Sherwood struggled for over a decade, but the Sherwood Company was completely finished. Now, there isn’t even a trace of it left.

Ruby Sterling still remembered how happy she was on her wedding day, dressed in a pure white gown.

’But how did I end up like this—a prisoner behind bars?’

”Do you remember how you, Thea, and Claire tried to drive me out when you first moved into the Sherwood home?” Ivy Sherwood continued.

Of course, Ruby Sterling remembered. She had never liked Ivy.

From the moment she arrived, she and Thea took over everything good that Ivy had. They even tried to drive Ivy out of the house and send her to the countryside, but they failed.

Seeing the color drain from Ruby Sterling’s face, Ivy let out a soft laugh. ”Back then, did you ever imagine you’d see a day like this?”

”I remember everything you’ve done to me over the years. So, seeing you like this today... I’m quite pleased. I think if my mother could see you now, she’d be very happy too.”

”Ivy!” Ruby Sterling shrieked, trying to lunge forward and grab her.

But Elijah Hawthorne had already broken her leg, so when she lunged forward, she fell flat on the ground.

Her hands were cuffed, and with the metal bars between them, there was no way she could touch Ivy.

Ivy simply took out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures of Ruby. ”What do you think would happen if I posted these online? Let everyone see the ’madam’ of the Sherwood Family, now a convicted murderer. How do you think the public would react?”

”Ivy!” Ruby Sterling looked like she wanted to kill her.

’Who would have thought that Ivy would be the one to have the last laugh?’

Ivy just stared at Ruby Sterling, her eyes cold. ”Ruby, you’re going to spend the rest of your life in here. You can’t escape a murder charge. The Rhodes Family can barely save themselves right now, so even if they wanted to, they couldn’t help you.”

”You could have been a happy family. The Sherwoods weren’t short on money. Thea and Claire could have had bright futures. But you were too greedy, and you let that man, Charlie Rhodes, ruin you.”

”I just came today to see you like this. Enjoy spending the rest of your life rotting in the dark. After all, you’ve earned it.”

With that, Ivy turned and left the visitation room without a backward glance.

Outside, Quentin Blackwood was waiting for her.

The sunlight seemed especially bright today. Ivy squinted.

”Did you thank Elijah Hawthorne?”

”I did.”

”How?”

”I gave him two projects that should net him tens of billions. That should be enough, right?”

Ivy: ”...”

’Leave it to a mogul to say thank you in such a simple, yet extravagant, way.’

”Should I take you to your grandfather’s? I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you for dinner tonight.”

”It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Go do what you need to do.”

Just as they were about to leave the police station, they saw someone standing nearby. It was Jason Summers.

Ivy knew Jason Summers had tried to visit her in the hospital, but Miles Mercer had stopped him.

”Ivy,” Jason Summers called out from a short distance away, his eyes welling with tears.

”I failed to protect you. This is my fault, too. Can we please talk?”

Jason Summers put on a deeply emotional display. The look he gave Ivy was heartbreaking, like a world-weary father who longed to reach out to his daughter but didn’t dare.

Jason Summers had cultivated an excellent public persona, so no one would ever suspect him of being involved. Besides, everyone knew he was Ivy’s father and believed he’d remained a bachelor his entire life out of devotion to Winter Mercer. Why would anyone think he’d want to harm Ivy?

Besides, Quentin Blackwood had already investigated. The incident had nothing to do with Jason Summers; he didn’t even know Charlie Rhodes.

As for Ruby Sterling, she had no connection to Jason Summers either.

So, it was unlikely that Jason Summers was involved.

But just because he wasn’t involved didn’t mean Quentin would let him get near Ivy. ’Can’t he see she doesn’t want anything to do with him?’

”You’re feeling better, right? Are you okay? Ivy, I...”

”Thank you for your concern. I’m fine. And please, Mr. Summers, don’t show up again. You and I have nothing to do with each other.”

For some reason, Ivy just didn’t like Jason Summers. Even if he was her father, she couldn’t bring herself to like him.

’Perhaps it’s because of what happened to my mother.’

She tugged on Quentin’s arm. ”Let’s go.”

Quentin drove Ivy back to the Mercer estate. Xavier Mercer and Nina Scott were there as well.

Ivy invited Quentin to stay for dinner. He originally had other plans, but seeing the whole family together, he thought, ’Wouldn’t they be one person short if I left?’

So, he called the person he was supposed to meet and told them he wasn’t coming.

Elijah Hawthorne: ”?”

’That Quentin Blackwood... I finally deign to accept his invitation, and now he’s standing me up?’

’Fine!’

When he found out Quentin was crashing dinner at the Mercer estate, Elijah decided to crash the party himself.

’After all,’ he thought, ’Old Master Mercer met me last time and seemed to like me. What’s one more person at the table?’

Quentin Blackwood: ”...”

’Elijah Hawthorne had always been this shameless. Besides, Old Master Mercer seemed to like Elijah even more than he liked him.’

The killer had been identified as Ruby Sterling, not Ivy, which proved Ivy’s innocence. It was a cause for celebration.

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast—everyone except for Ivy, who had a glass of juice.

From now on, both Quentin Blackwood and the Mercer Family would be keeping a close watch on Ruby Sterling. Even if she avoided the death penalty, she would never get out of prison again. The matter was, for all intents and purposes, settled.

But deep down, Ivy felt a faint sense of unease.

She had a nagging feeling that this wasn’t over, as if something else was still waiting to happen.