Leon hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Well, I... uh... I did offer, yes." Ivy's smile widened. "Yes, he did! And I would love to join him. Wouldn't that be lovely, Hailey? You can tidy up the office while I’m gone." Hailey's expression darkened, her eyes flashing with anger. She wanted to confront Leon—after all, she had ordered lunch for them both, and here he was, going out with his ex-girlfriend. Forcing a smile, she replied, "Okay, that’s fine. I’ll see you both later." Ivy's laughter sliced through the tension like a knife. "Oh, come now, Hailey. Don’t be like that. Leon and I have a lot to discuss... about the launch, of course." She paused deliberately, gauging Hailey's reaction, and it was exactly what she wanted. Leon met Hailey's gaze, a silent apology passing between them. But Ivy's grip on his arm was relentless, pulling him toward the door. "Shall we, Leon? I'm famished. Let’s take your car." As they left the office, Hailey’s eyes burned with anger and betrayal.
The woman quickly apologised and hurried away. Ivy, on the other hand, was still shocked by the price of the dish Leon was trying to buy for her. What had really changed? She thought, fixing her eyes on him. He had never bought her a dish worth more than $120 during their time dating, but today he was willing to buy her a dish worth over a thousand dollars? Once Leon noticed she was looking at him, he smiled stylishly. “Don’t worry, Ivy. I’m sure you’ll love it. Besides, that’s one of your favourite dishes, isn’t it?” As the waitress walked away, Ivy's gaze remained fixed on Leon, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. What was behind this sudden display of extravagance? She recalled their past, remembering how he had always been frugal with his spending, especially when it came to her. "Golden Opulence Sundae, $1,355," she whispered to herself, her mind reeling from the staggering price tag. Leon, oblivious to her inner turmoil, smiled warmly at her. "You deserve only t
Ivy raised her brows in disbelief. “What? Are you insane?” He laughed. “Don't act like a saint here! You got into that marriage for the same reason, so don’t pretend you care.” Ivy's eyes widened in outrage, her face burning with anger. "Are you insane?" she repeated, her voice rising. "You think I'd ever agree to such a ridiculous, immoral proposal? And from someone like you?” She scoffed. “You must be daydreaming!” Leon's laughter grew louder, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, come on, Ivy. Don't pretend to be shocked. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You married that half-man not just to get back at me, but to steal from him as well.” Ivy's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "How dare you," she hissed. "You think you can just waltz back into my life and suggest something so... so..." Leon's grin never wavered. "So what, Ivy? So convenient? So practical? You're already married to a man who can't give you what you want. Why not take
Ryder raised his gaze to Leon. “I'm Ryder... and who are you?” “Were you trying to hit on my girlfriend?” Leon questioned. Ryder raised his gaze to both Leon and Ivy before replying. “I didn't mean—” He was still trying to defend himself when Ivy forcefully removed Leon's hands from her shoulders. Her eyes flashed with anger as she said, "Don't touch me," further embarrassing Leon, who had thought he could claim her in public. His smile faltered, his eyes narrowing, but he kept a poker face. Ivy turned to Ryder, her expression apologetic. "I'm so sorry about this. He's... not my boyfriend. We just have... unfinished business. Thank you for your time, Ryder. I will be on my way now.” Ryder's gaze lingered on Leon as he flashed him a mocking smirk before returning to Ivy. "No need to apologise, Ivy. I understand some men can be overbearing. You can always come around next time.” Leon's face darkened, his jaw clenched as the words cut deep. "You think you can handle yourself? You t
A few minutes later, the car pulled into the mansion, and Ivy alighted from the vehicle. For a moment, she hesitated to go inside the house. While in the car, her mind raced with different thoughts as she tried to figure out why Damian wanted to see her during working hours. Why did Damian summon her in the middle of the workday? What was so urgent? Walking toward the door, she noticed something unusual: guards were clustered in a particular corner, while some of the maids stood by the window, eavesdropping on what was happening. She scrutinized them for a moment before walking past and heading straight to the door. Pushing the door open, she found it locked. Ivy's brow furrowed. Something was amiss. Confusion etched on her face, Ivy turned to her driver, Thompson, who stood beside her. "What's going on, Thompson? Why is the door locked? Didn't you say your boss wanted to see me?" Thompson's expression was equally perplexed. "I'm not sure, Miss Ivy. I didn't receive any instructio
Ivy's eyes widened in shock as Damian pointed to the flower vase, his expression dead serious.*Is he really expecting an answer from a fucking vase?* she thought."Come on, Ivy. Ask them anything. The sky is blue today, isn't it?" Damian urged, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.Ivy's mind reeled. *Was he seriously talking to a vase? What in the world? Has he lost it? I mean, I've seen some crazy things, but this? This is a whole new level. Flower vase therapy? Is that a thing now? They really told him no lies! He is insane.*But Ivy's expression remained neutral, her compassion taking over as she struggled to hide what was going on in her mind."Damian, I think... they’re not in the mood to talk right now," Ivy said gently, moving the flower vase away from him.Damian's face fell, his eyes clouding with disappointment."But why not? They always talk to me," he protested. "They always do, but today they just decided to be mute."Ivy's thoughts scrambled for a convincing explanatio
Ivy's eyes fluttered open, her gaze blurry from lingering sleep. The alarm blared for what felt like the umpteenth time, piercing through her eardrums. She raised both hands into the air, arching her back in a stretch. A yawn escaped her lips, and she took a deep breath, feeling the morning chill.As she lowered her hands, Ivy began to wipe the sleep from her eyes, her fingers tracing the curves of her face. Her vision cleared, and she glanced at the clock on her nightstand.9:04 AM. Her heart skipped a beat."Oh no, I'm late!" Ivy exclaimed, tossing off the covers and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.She rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes, her mind racing with the day's schedule. Damian's fragile state still weighed heavily on her mind."I need to get to Damian's," Ivy thought as she quickly hurried out of bed. She couldn't wait to see how he was doing. She had stayed up with him until early that morning before he fell asleep and she retired to her own room.She spra
As they ate their breakfast, Ivy kept stealing glances at him from time to time. She didn't understand what was happening right now, and no one was willing to explain everything in detail to her. She glanced at each of them at the dining table, and everyone was eating their food like nothing ever happened. Ivy slowly took tiny bites of her meal. She tried her best to hide how she felt, but she just couldn't. Meanwhile, Lucas knew what was going through her mind. He discreetly stole glances at her and noticed that she was rather uncomfortable around them. “Miss Ivy?” Joy called out with a grin on her face. “Don't you like the food?” she questioned. Ivy quickly sat up and replied, “Oh, I do. I just lack appetite for the meantime.” Damian turned to her, hearing that she didn't have an appetite to eat. “Is the work that stressful? You can—” “No, don’t worry!” she cut him short. “I'm fine. The work is not stressful, and I can only say I'm enjoying it. I love what I'm currently doi