Chapter 56 Sebastian ~•~ I pulled it out of my pocket and saw it was Mr. Harrison who was calling. My heart skipped a beat. Why was the CEO of that company calling on my supposed wedding day? I hesitated at first, unsure if I should answer the call or not. Letting out a deep sigh, I left the living room and made my way upstairs. Zara was there and I didn’t want her to listen to my conversation. I was scared of what Harrison would say, but I couldn’t run forever. I had to muster up the courage to answer the call, I kept my fingers crossed, hoping he wasn’t calling to say he didn’t want to work with my company anymore. Or maybe he wanted to say he was ready to finalize the deal. I mean, he said we would talk about the collaboration after my wedding. I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. As I answered the call and pressed the phone to my ear, I cleared my throat and began. “Good day.” I didn’t want to talk too much. I just wanted to listen to what he h
Chapter 57Ivy Chase ~•~I answered the call and pressed the phone closer to my ear. I took a deep breath to steady my voice before speaking. “Hello.” “Ivy, I need to see you right away.” Sebastian’s voice was laced with urgency as it sounded from the other end of the line. I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “In case I didn’t make it clear. We are done! I’m not your girlfriend anymore and you can’t see me.” My heart felt heavy as those words left my mouth. “Come on, Ivy.” He pleaded. “You didn’t even give me a chance to explain myself.” He continued, trying to convince me to meet up with him. Any reasonable person would give me some space and time before even daring to call my phone. But Sebastian was different. I snorted. “You should be happy I’m not even pressing charges against you.” My voice was low because I didn’t want my sister to hear that part. She would go crazy if she knew I was letting them go scott-free. There was a brief silence. Sebastian cleare
Chapter 58Ivy Chase ~•~Six months had passed since the dramatic events at the wedding. My life had changed in ways I never thought was possible. I started working as the CEO in my family’s company and many people wanted to work with me because they saw me as brave. I thought it was the end of the world when I broke up with Sebastian, but little did I know, it was just the beginning of my success. I spent most of my nights crying as I tried to figure out how my life would be. Sometimes, I wished it was just a nightmare that would end. But it wasn’t, it was actually my reality. Sebastian tried his best to get back with me, he made all his friends and family reach out to me. But I wasn’t a naive girl anymore, I stood by my decision and refused to interact with him. He still didn’t give up though, he was still trying his best to get my attention once in a while.From what I heard, his mother cut him out of their family business. Since then, he hadn’t been able to start up somethi
Chapter 59Parker Wellington ~•~I had already left to order breakfast for me and Ivy, but I realized that I hadn’t even asked her what she wanted. So I turned back and walked over to meet her on the balcony. I stopped in my tracks when I saw that she was on a phone call with somebody. Just as I was about to turn back and give her some privacy, I heard words that crushed my heart. “Sebastian and I always talked about going to Paris, so I can’t bring myself to enjoy the……” I felt like I had been punched in the gut. I had no idea when I let out a disappointed scoff. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. She stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at me, her eyes wide in shock. She wasn’t expecting me to be there. I knew something was weird about her recent behavior. When I first told Ivy about going on a trip to Paris, she was excited. But as soon as we landed, her demeanor changed. She began acting moody and distant. I asked her severally what the problem was but she couldn’t
Chapter 60Ivy Chase ~•~“I thought you were meant to spend a week in Paris? Why are you back just after three days?” Serena asked as we drove away from the airport. I let out a wistful sigh, running my fingers through my hair. “Parker and I got into a fight.” I rolled my eyes as the memories of our argument replayed in my head. “What?” Serena asked, staring at me in shock. “You didn’t tell me about it. What happened?” She asked, her voice laced with curiosity. “He overheard our conversation,” I said, lowering my gaze.“Oh, was that the reason why you abruptly ended the call?” She asked and I responded with a nod. “I honestly thought that your phone died or something.” I shook my head. “No,” I replied, releasing a deep breath. “He heard when I talked about being unable to enjoy the trip because of Sebastian.” “Wow,” Serena muttered. “That’s not good. What did he say?” “He accused me of still being stuck on Sebastian. He was upset that I couldn’t move on and he cut the trip shor
Chapter 61Ivy Chase ~•~As soon as I dropped my luggage on the bed, I pulled out my phone and called Parker’s cell phone. I watched as it rang multiple times but he didn’t respond. Letting out a deep sigh, I tossed my phone on the bed. I was exhausted from the trip, so I decided to rest for a little bit. I kicked off my shoes and lay down on the bed, closing my eyes. As I tried to drift off to sleep, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Serena had said earlier. I needed to keep my emotions in check and act right before Parker gets tired of me. He had been patient enough and I had become too comfortable. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I eventually push him away because of my actions. Soon enough, I was fast asleep. I had no idea how long I slept, but I suddenly jolted awake by the sound of my stomach growling. Letting out a loud yawn, I stretched my legs before climbing out of the bed. I realized I hadn’t had anything to eat all day. I was upset at Parker, so I didn’t even care t
Chapter 62Ivy Chase ~•~I swayed my body in sync with the loud music that came out of the speaker. I was having the time of my life. As I enjoyed myself, I dreaded the end of the day, I just wanted to stay there for a little longer. As I danced without a care in the world, I felt someone tap my shoulder. But I didn’t turn around to see who it was. I wasn’t in the mood to interact with anybody. When the person saw I wasn’t ready to look at them, they decided to come in front of me. “Oh boy! I see you.” I winked seductively as I saw a handsome man standing in front of me. “What can I do to get your attention?” He asked, loud enough for me to hear over the music. “You look really beautiful.” I smiled. “You’ve already gotten my attention.” He responded with a mischievous smile. “Alright, can I have this dance?” He stretched out his hands, inviting me to join him.I nodded, feeling a thrill of excitement. “Sure, you’re exactly why I left my house today.” I reached out to his hands
Chapter 63Parker Wellington ~•~I’ll admit it, I didn’t want to stop talking to Ivy. But she pushed me to my limit. I had been so patient with her, but she took me for granted. The past two weeks without her had been tough. I regretted my decision to cut her off. Most days, I thought about reaching out to her, but my pride kept getting in the way. Ivy had this hold on me that I couldn’t explain. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had made a mistake. My mind always drifted back to Ivy, wondering what she was doing or if she was even thinking about me. She was trying to reach out to me for a week, but I ignored her because I was trying to prove a point. Eventually, she stopped reaching out to me. I wondered if I had lost her for good. I was worried when my best friend told me that Ivy had been visiting his club frequently. I knew I had to step in and do something about it. Even if we weren’t speaking, I couldn’t let her continue like that. I was so furious when I went to the c
Chapter 109Ivy Chase~•~When Parker returned to the room, he saw me holding his phone. “What did you see?” He asked as he took a step closer to me. “They asked you to come back but you refused,” I said as I handed his phone back to him. “What’s going on? Why did you quit and want to throw everything away?” Parker sighed. “They don’t have my best interest at heart.” He replied as he sat down next to me. “They refused to allow me to come back here and ended up giving me an ultimatum.” “And so what? They’ve realized their mistake and they want you back.” After everything that happened, I couldn’t let Parker give up on his dreams just because I needed saving. Parker shook his head, his eyes filled with determination. “I’ve already made up my mind. It’s too late and I’m not interested anymore.” He declared. “What happens next when there’s an emergency and they don’t let me leave? Do I just quit again?” “What would your parents say? It was a great opportunity and I don’t think you sh
Chapter 108Ivy Chase~•~“What do you mean by you’ve quit your job?” I asked with a hint of amusement in my voice. “You’ve worked so hard there and you just want to throw everything down the drain?” Parker sighed. “They gave me an ultimatum.” I raised my eyebrows. “What was the ultimatum?” He closed his eyes briefly, letting out a deep breath. “Let’s get you cleaned up and make sure you eat before talking about it.” I shook my head. “No, let’s talk about it right now.” I declared firmly without hesitation. “What was the ultimatum?” I repeated my question. “We will talk about it when we get home.” Throughout the rest of the ride, a frown was plastered across my face. There was nothing I could say that would convince Parker to change his mind and tell me about what was going on. It didn’t make sense for him to quit just like that. This was something he wanted so badly. It even caused a strain in our relationship at one point. I didn’t believe that he would just wake up one day
Chapter 107Ivy Chase~•~“How is it your fault?” I asked Parker, my brows etched in confusion. “Let’s leave this place first, I’ll explain everything to you in the car,” Parker replied, his voice measured. I was reluctant at first, but I eventually agreed. I didn’t want to spend another second in the house. Parker led me to the car, and I was relieved to know that I was finally free. But I couldn’t stop thinking about how it was Parker’s fault. Soon enough, I settled down in the car and fastened my seatbelt. Then Parker started the car and drove out of the deserted area. “So tell me everything,” I said, staring at him in anticipation. Parker sighed and started explaining. By the time he was done, my eyes grew wide in shock. “What? So they decided to come after me just because of a bad deal that happened years ago?” Parker nodded, his eyes filled with guilt. “Yes, I’m so sorry, Ivy. I couldn’t even tell your parents because I didn’t know how they would react to the news.” I
Chapter 106Parker Wellington~•~Just one bad deal! One fucking bad deal and they decide to go after my girlfriend? I had been blaming Zara when everything was actually my fault. After all these years, they decide to come after me now? I had no idea how I would even break the news to Ivy’s family. They would hate me for making their daughter go through something like that. When we took Zara to the station, she refused to say anything. She wouldn’t even talk with Ivy’s family present. I guess she was scared because there was no way in hell that she was doing it just to protect me. Ivy’s family had to leave before she agreed to talk. I was the only one she wanted to talk to. I was confused at first but I finally understood her reason after she explained everything to me. Zara was approached by a group of businessmen. She gave me a name. They wanted her to get close to Ivy, so they would be able to take her without a hassle. Zara was desperate for money because her life was fall
Chapter 105Ivy Chase ~•~I had no idea how long I had been passed out, but the next time I opened my eyes, I heard a loud noise coming from outside where I had been kept. My body was weak and I felt so dizzy. I tried to stand up but my legs weren’t cooperating. The noises outside were getting louder and it sounded like people were engaged in a heated argument. I managed to crawl closer to the door even though the concrete floor was hard and rough. When I finally got close, their voices were muffled and I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Frustrated, I decided to hit the door multiple times and screamed out for help. Everywhere went silent for a few minutes. But nobody answered me. Then they continued talking. I didn’t give up. I kept on hitting the door, hoping someone would come to my rescue. I had been kept hostage without a reason for so long. I had a life and wanted to get back to it. The worst part was that they didn’t even say what they wanted. Why would they kidna
Chapter 104Parker Wellington ~•~I felt a wave of different emotions - anger, frustration, sadness, disappointment - after I watched the CCTV footage. Why the fuck did Ivy allow Zara inside her home? After everything the girl had done to her, she still let her inside. I couldn’t help but wonder how their conversation went. What could she have possibly said to convince Ivy? A few hours after she let Zara into her house, a group of masked men walked in right after. Then they took Ivy away while she was unconscious. I had no idea what Zara had done to her. The police had already started searching for Zara but she was nowhere to be found. I knew that Ivy wouldn’t just ghost everybody. She was in danger and I couldn’t help but wonder what Zara’s motive was. Why would she do something like that to her best friend? As I returned to my house, I slammed the door behind me, the loud crash echoing my frustration. It was late and I needed to get some rest, so I wouldn’t be exhausted in
Chapter 103Ivy Chase ~•~I shouldn’t have let Zara into my home. I messed up.She always reminded me of why I shouldn’t trust people. Zara had played me multiple times and I still feel for her manipulation. The last thing I remembered was letting her into my house and showing her to the living room. The next time I became conscious, I found myself in the dark room. I didn’t need anybody to tell me that Zara had a hand in it. She was the reason why I had been locked up for days. But I had no idea why she decided to do it. What was her motive? What did she have to gain? How long did she plan on holding me for? I had been thinking about my family all this while. They must’ve been looking for me but had no idea I had been trapped because of Zara. Parker was also on my mind, he would think I had been ignoring him. I mean, we had a little argument and he wouldn’t realize that I was missing. He would just assume that I was giving him the silent treatment because I was still upset.
Chapter 102Parker Wellington ~•~I stared at the email on my screen, my frustration growing with each passing moment. [ We are sorry but you can’t take a break. If you leave, it means that you are ready to terminate the contract.]Were they being serious right now? I just needed a little break, so I could go back home and help Ivy.But they refused, leaving me with an ultimatum. It was unacceptable. They wanted me to make a drastic decision. I didn’t want to abandon the job back in Japan completely, but Ivy was in danger and I needed to fly back there to save her. After finding her, I would return to Japan and continue working for them. But they didn’t agree even though I told them that it was an emergency. I was so frustrated and had no idea what to do. I picked up my phone and called Serena. “Hey, what is the update? Have you guys found anything yet?” I asked, letting out a deep sigh. “No, Parker.” “I’ll be on the next flight to New York.” “What? Are you allowed to do s
Chapter 101Parker Wellington ~•~Two days! It had been two days since I last heard anything from Ivy. The last time we spoke was when I called to apologize about Mika. All my calls went straight to voicemail and she wouldn’t even respond to my texts. I thought we were cool. I thought she had forgiven me and moved past our last issue. But I guess that I was wrong. Ivy was giving me the silent treatment and it was killing me. I had tried my best to reach out to her but it was just a waste of time. Why did she have to punish me like that? I didn’t even do anything wrong. I decided to take a step back and wait for her until she was ready to reach out to me. Maybe she just needed space to process everything that happened. Her silence affected me so badly that I couldn’t even focus properly on work. I had made a few mistakes with some of the figures and even as I tried to correct them, I still couldn’t concentrate. “Are you done?” My assistant’s voice echoed after she knocked gen