Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Quentin Blackwood’s temples throbbed. He had had a bad premonition earlier, which was exactly why he had brought Ivy Sherwood to Aethelgard. Now, he realized that something had indeed happened.

If Jason Summers had chased them to Aethelgard, then this city was obviously no longer a suitable place to stay. Although this territory was within Quentin’s sphere of influence, he was still worried. He feared that a single slip-up in his protection would lead to Ivy getting hurt in an accident.

It was true that back in Lustre, the rest of the Mercer Family was there to help guard her.

”Ivy and I will return to Lustre as soon as possible,” Quentin said over the phone. ”I’ll also send my people to search this entire city for Jason Summers. I believe Ovillette will coordinate with us on this end. The moment Jason shows his face, we’ll catch him immediately.”

It was easy to say, but what Quentin actually worried about was the possibility that Jason might not show up at all. The man liked to hide in the shadows and operate entirely behind the scenes. That was the most terrifying part about him.

”Jason definitely won’t show his face easily,” Miles Mercer replied over the line, ”especially now that he knows we’re onto this.”

”Then we force him out,” Quentin said, his voice steady and powerful. ”Leave this to me. Jason has so many properties and businesses; he can’t possibly not care about them, so he will definitely make a move to protect his assets.”

”Alright, then we will hurry over as soon as possible and return to Lustre with you guys,” Miles said. No matter what, Miles and Xavier Mercer were determined to make a trip to Aethelgard. They wouldn’t feel at ease until they saw Ivy with their own eyes.

Quentin spoke with the Mercer Brothers for a while longer. Ivy, who was sitting beside him, had overheard the conversation and leaned closer to the phone.

”Don’t worry about me, brothers. I’m doing perfectly fine right now,” she chimed in. She wanted to reassure them, fully aware of how much they loved her. ”You guys need to be careful too. I’m worried that Jason might target you as well. Things probably won’t be peaceful lately. How about letting Grandpa return to Elandra first?”

She worried that if something happened, her grandfather’s health wouldn’t be able to handle the shock. If he was in Elandra, nothing should happen to him, right? It seemed like Jason had his sights set strictly on them for now.

”Don’t worry about us over here. You just make sure to take good care of yourself, understand?” Miles said.

”I know. You guys too, take care of your health. I should be fine for now, and I’ll be extra careful.”

After the call with her brothers ended, Ivy looked at Quentin. Suddenly, she reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist. Before Quentin could say a word, she mimicked the bossy tone he had used on her earlier. ”Don’t move. Let me hold you for a while.”

Quentin stayed perfectly still, allowing her to hug him.

Even though it was already summer, he was still afraid that Ivy might catch a chill. Without warning, he suddenly scooped her up into his arms. Ivy wasn’t exactly weightless, but Quentin lifted her effortlessly with just one arm.

”Why did you...” Ivy protested mildly, her arms still wrapped around his waist. She was now completely cradled against his chest, carried in a bridal hold.

”It’s chilly outside. Let’s head inside first so you can put on a jacket. Then you can hug me all you want.” Quentin strode towards their residential complex. They were almost home.

”Then put me down. I can walk myself.”

”No. I just want to hold you.”

”We have plenty of time in the future,” she reasoned. ”Besides, I’m carrying the weight of two people right now. Don’t you find me heavy?”

”No amount of time is ever enough; a lifetime is too short. Today’s hug is for today, and the future is for the future. And how much does the baby even weigh? You should eat more every day, otherwise you’ll stay this light.”

”What if I eat until I’m a two-hundred-pound fatty and you can’t carry me anymore?”

”Then that’s my problem, not yours. It would mean I’m not strong enough. Even if you weighed three hundred pounds, I’d still be able to pick you up.”

Ivy chuckled softly. If this were in the past, she would never have believed that Quentin was capable of saying such sweet things. If she had asked him for a hug back when they first met, the Quentin from then would probably have just rewarded her with a single word: ”Scram!”

”Do you think we can really last forever?” Ivy murmured, refusing to let go. She was always plagued by the fear of suddenly losing him.

”Of course we can.”

”But what if one day you forget me? Just like how Mr. Ovillette forgot my mother, leaving her to take me away all by herself.”

”That will never happen. Even if I were to forget you one day, the moment I laid eyes on you again, I would definitely remember everything.”

”You said it yourself, and I’m holding you to it! Even when you’re eighty years old, if you get Alzheimer’s, you’re still not allowed to forget me, understand? You have to keep me in your heart, in the most important place!” As she spoke, Ivy reached out and poked Quentin on the chest, right over his heart. Pressed against him, she could hear the steady, strong rhythm of his heartbeat.

”I’ve memorized it. You fill this entire space; I could never forget,” he promised.

”It’s a deal. If you forget me, I’ll dump you. I’ll take your child, marry someone else, and make them call another man ’Daddy.’ Also, you’d better protect yourself well. I don’t want a cripple. If you ever lose an arm or a leg, I’ll abandon you without a second thought!”

”Rest assured, I won’t give you the chance to abandon me.”

The two of them went upstairs. Quentin unlocked the door and carried Ivy straight into the bedroom. They lay on the bed together, holding each other close. Ivy inhaled his scent; the unique masculine fragrance made her feel incredibly secure. It was as if as long as Quentin was by her side, she had nothing to fear in the world. In her heart, he was omnipotent.

However, Ivy still couldn’t figure it out. Why did Jason Summers target her mother?

”If the Princess wanted my mother dead because of Ovillette—to prevent them from being together and affecting her status—then what was Jason Summers after?” Ivy wondered aloud. ”If Jason liked my mother but couldn’t have her, he wouldn’t have gone as far as trying to eradicate her, right? And now he suddenly appears and approaches me. If it was just because he liked my mother, I feel like things wouldn’t have turned out this way.”

It seemed more like her mother had possessed something that was fatal to Jason, which was why he had to eliminate her completely.

”The Princess probably doesn’t know much about Jason’s affairs either. As for the specifics, I’m afraid only Jason himself knows the truth now,” Quentin analyzed.

Ivy nodded and gently closed her eyes.

Quentin patted her back rhythmically, gazing down at her beautiful face as he coaxed her to sleep. She hadn’t rested well these past few days. Now, safe in his arms, she involuntarily drifted off. Quentin, however, couldn’t bear to close his eyes. He just wanted to look at her a little longer, even if it was only for one more second.

Once Ivy was fast asleep, Quentin finally slipped out of bed. He had matters to attend to.

Without finding any trace of Jason Summers’s whereabouts, it was impossible for Quentin to rest easy. Going on the offensive, he began pulling strings in the shadows, directing his overseas forces to launch aggressive attacks on Jason’s properties. If Jason’s companies ran into critical crises, Quentin didn’t believe the man could stay in hiding for long.