Seeing Shawn start to call the police, Mr. Jones was furious.
"You dare!" Mr. Jones snarled and glared menacingly at Mrs. Jones, threatening, "Wait for me; I'll deal with you sooner or later!"
Turning around, he looked at the table of good food, swiping it all off with a wave of his hand. Bowls and plates clattered to the floor.
Satisfied, Mr. Jones left the house.
The iron gate closed, and Mrs. Jones' body went limp. She trembled uncontrollably due to fear, unable to speak.
Ivy bent down, gently embracing her and patting her back.
After some time, Shawn handed a tissue to the mother and daughter.
"Clean up; we're going home." Shawn said to Ivy, "Your mother's physical and mental state isn't suitable for staying here. Let her stay at our place for now."
Ivy was surprised, "Our place...?"
When did they have a house?
Seeing her puzzled expression, Shawn smiled, "Our house is in the northern suburbs, close to your clinic, and it's convenient for us to take care of your mom."
Ivy, hearing all that needed to be said, didn't say anything more.
After a simple cleanup, the three of them left Jones' house.
An hour later, the car stopped at the entrance of the community in the northern suburbs.
Ivy was very familiar with this community.
Last year, to convince her mother to divorce, she chose this property. It was close to the clinic, convenient for her to take care of her mom, and the housing prices were reasonable in this newly developed administrative area. Her savings were just enough for the down payment.
But unexpectedly, her father, on the night before she was about to make the payment, abused her mother and forced her to hand over all the money. Overnight, not a penny was left from the gambling.
With memories in tow, Ivy arrived at Shawn's home, or rather, their home.
Black and white furnishings dominated the house, elegant yet carrying a hint of coldness.
Shawn pointed to the guest room and said gently, "There are clean clothes inside. Take your mom to the bathroom for a shower. I'll order takeout for dinner."
"No need, no need." Mrs. Jones, frugal by nature, hesitated to waste money.
Knowing Ivy's salary and now she is being married to Shawn, their financial situation was undoubtedly tighter. She wanted to save wherever possible.
Thinking of this, she rolled up her sleeves and entered the kitchen, "Just make something simple tonight. Tomorrow, I'll buy fresh ingredients to make something delicious for you."
Shawn instinctively wanted to follow but was stopped by Ivy.
"Let her have some time alone," Ivy said.
After some hesitation, Shawn agreed. "You come with me." He said to Ivy, then turned and headed for the study.
In the study.
Ivy sat nervously in front of Shawn's desk. Her small hand nervously played with something in her pocket, and her heart skipped a beat.
How calm and confident she was when buying the ring, but now she felt awkward and nervous.
She didn't dare to make eye contact with Shawn and kept her gaze elsewhere. "There's something I want to tell you."
At that moment, Shawn was opening a cabinet under the table, preparing to take out a small red gift box. Upon hearing Ivy's words, he held the gift box in his hand but didn't raise it.
Seeing her blush, he smirked slightly, "What's so shy about it?"
"I'm not shy!" Ivy raised her head but unexpectedly met the deep gaze of the man.
Sexy!
The word flashed through her mind quickly, and she was startled by her bold thoughts.
She subconsciously lowered her head, unwilling to look again. Her face felt hot, even redder now.
"Since we've registered as husband and wife, we should have a proper wedding ring. So..." She nervously took out a small red box from her pocket, her breath accelerating.
When she opened the box, it revealed a pair of delicate and elegant wedding rings. The silver bands resembled vines, with seven differently sized diamonds arranged in a gradient at the center, accompanied by the shimmering silver light.
Shawn was stunned. The hand holding the gift box tightened unconsciously.
She beat him to it!
Shawn was both surprised and annoyed and didn't know how to react.
Shouldn't the man be the one to give the ring?
"The ring symbolizes two hearts relying on each other, drawing warmth..." Ivy nervously recalled the words the shop assistant used to introduce these rings, but Shawn continued to battle with conflicting thoughts in his mind.
When did she buy the wedding ring? Was it planned early on? First meeting asking for marriage, second meeting wearing the ring--did Ivy...have some interest in him?
However, Shawn quickly thought that Ivy might be too hasty in giving the ring as if she wanted to solidify the marriage quickly.
Thinking about it, Shawn felt a bit dry in his mouth and a bit depressed.
He loosened his tie, picked up the nearby water cup, and took a sip, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart.
"Do you like it?" Seeing his gloomy expression and pursed lips, Ivy thought he might not like it because it was too cheap.
"I like it." Smirking with a hint of a smile, Shawn put his gift box back in the drawer and took out Ivy's ring box.
"Such matters should be done by us--men."
Ivy felt relieved, "You bought the house, so let me handle the rings. Mutual support is essential in a marriage."
Shawn no longer declined, took out the ladies' ring, and, with a sly smile in his dark eyes, looked at Ivy.
"I'll help you put it on."
He extended his hand towards Ivy, and she understood, placing her hand in his palm.
As their fingertips touched, the small ring slid gently onto their respective ring fingers, and they interlocked hands.
Silence spoke louder than words.
After exchanging rings... what should they do?
Ivy's eyes nervously held onto their intertwined hands, becoming increasingly dry and uneasy.
In TV dramas and novels, after exchanging rings, the male and female leads usually kiss each other... right?
***
Ivy followed those long and slender fingers as they moved upward. The muscular patterns on the arm were sharply defined, exuding a deadly sensuality.She unconsciously swallowed.Soon, realizing her loss of composure, she shook her head.‘Ivy, get a grip!’ She wanted to sober herself up, but the more she tried, the more rapid her breathing became. Even the clock on the wall seemed to speed up at her thought, as if urging something.She looked around, and the bright light in the study had turned into a warm, ambiguous glow, causing her heart to race and her mouth to go dry."Ah!"Suddenly, the world spun around her, and Shawn lifted her onto his lap. Her small hand gripped the white collar of his shirt, increasing the pressure due to her nervousness.The button on the collar gave way and fell to the ground.‘Oh no!’Ivy internally sighed. She closed her eyes and her ears turned bright red.Shawn was quite pleased with Ivy's reaction. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Is it
Ivy hesitated about whether to tell her mother that she had no intention of having a child. Just then, Shawn suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist."Mom, my body needs some time to recover, so Ivy and I have discussed it. We've decided to wait another two or three years before having a child."He took all the responsibility upon himself.Ivy looked at Shawn in surprise, and he met her gaze. His deep eyes seemed to have already seen through her little thoughts.Hearing Shawn's words, the disappointment in Mrs. Jones's eyes flashed briefly, but she knew very well that rushing into having a child was not the right way to go."Okay," she said with a hint of approval.Shawn suddenly changed the subject, "How about we deal with your divorce during this time? It would also put Ivy's mind at ease.""But..." Mrs. Jones also understood that she was a big obstacle in Ivy's heart. She sighed, "But Ivy's father is not willing to agree to the divorce. You've just gotten married, and you have ex
Ivy took a deep breath and decisively pushed away from Shawn's kiss. "I'll be back... I'll come to save you later."With those words, she didn't dare to look at him and quickly walked out of the door.Shawn watched as Ivy's figure disappeared outside, and his handsome face instantly darkened.First, she had approached and gained his grandmother's trust, and now, meeting this stranger for the first time, she was asking for immediate marriage registration. It seemed like a calculated and strategic move, possibly part of her plan to control the situation.....Fifteen minutes laterIvy parked her motorcycle in front of the clinic but heard commotion from inside."Ivy, get out here!"The voice made Ivy's eyebrows furrow. As expected, as soon as she entered the clinic, she saw her father berating the doctors and nurses in the clinic with his hands on his hips."You bastard, do you know who I am? I'm the father of your Dr. Jones! She will stand there obediently and let me scold her when she
Ivy continued to calmly observe the patient's condition, paying no attention to the speaking nurses. She replied nonchalantly to their hesitations, and then turned her attention back to the patient's family."Dr. Ticko will take about an hour to arrive here," she answered the nurses. She then turned to the patient's family and reminded them, "The patient's condition is extremely critical. Immediate surgery is necessary, or else the patient will risk amputation. If you wish to wait for another doctor or go to another hospital, you are welcome to do so, but you will have to bear the risks and consequences of delaying the treatment.""I..." The patient couldn't refute her words and persisted in preventing the surgery, but their resolve was beginning to waver.At this moment, a nurse by the patient's side shouted, "Oh no! The patient has lost consciousness!"Ivy leaned down to look at the patient, and her expression turned grim. "The patient is in septic shock and requires immediate surge
The discussion inside was heated, and Ivy stood at the door in silence for a while. In the end, she released her hand and turned to leave.The Ordinary Clinic was the only clinic in the bustling county of the poorest district in the city. Because the patients were all poor, the clinic's revenue was usually not great, and the salaries for the medical staff were naturally low.So, the clinic struggled to hire staff, and the people who worked there were mostly long-time employees.Ivy usually focused on her work and her patients and didn't have deep relationships with them. She always thought that everyone did their own job, and there was no interference. She didn't expect that her image in their eyes would be like this.It was rather strange.Just as she walked to the end of the corridor, a young nurse came running toward her, "Dr. Jones, quick, there's a new patient outside."Upon hearing about a new patient, Ivy grabbed the nurse's hand and headed towards the emergency room, saying, "
Ivy was momentarily surprised, and was about to say something when she heard Lilith say, "Kevin is back in the country too. He messaged me last night to inquire about you.""Oh," Ivy responded in a nonchalant tone, showing little reaction.Her principle in life was always to look forward and never look back.Seeing Ivy hanging her head and not saying anything, Lilith thought she might be feeling sentimental. She advised, "Ivy, you can't give up on yourself. Marriage is not child's play. I know the situation with you and Kevin has...""Lilith!" Ivy was rendered speechless by Lilith's imagination and said seriously, "My decision to marry Shawn was made after careful consideration."Lilith exclaimed, "Less than the time for a cup of coffee and you went to get married? Is that what you call careful consideration?!"Ivy gently soothed her as she raised her furrowed brows, "I swear, it wasn't a spur of the moment decision. After being friends for so many years, don't you know what kind of p
Brown leather shoes came into view first, but the familiar face left Ivy and Lilith in disbelief."Isn't that Jasson Brown, the one who came to my clinic last night?" Ivy asked in surprise."Hello, everyone, I am Jasson Brown, Mr. Cato Alter's acting attorney," he said earnestly on TV, wiggling the index finger that was wrapped like a mummy. "Today, I will fully represent Mr. Cato Alter in attending the Alter Group's annual shareholder meeting and execute his resolutions.""How boring," Lilith sneered. "Cato Alter must be very ugly, or he wouldn't be afraid to show himself."Ivy, however, understood Cato Alter's actions. If she were in his place, she would have taken these abnormal measures to protect herself after suffering so much harm."Your Smith family also has significant business in the city, so you'll have the opportunity to meet him sooner or later," she comforted Lilith softly as they walked out of the clinic.When they got into the car, Ivy's college mentor, Professor Smith
Outside the door, Luke, the personal assistant, heard his boss's low voice and knew that he was angry. He quickly shouted, "Mr. Tate, I'll help you move the heavy items." Shawn with a furrowed brow, glanced at the door, then back at the skeleton in his arms. He maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door and said, "Reach out your hands." Luke obediently extended his hands. Being in Mrs. Tate's private room, he didn't dare to cross any boundaries and when poking his head out, he even closed his eyes, avoiding looking inside. Ivy initially wanted to tell him it wasn't necessary, but seeing the two men playing around, she decided not to say anything. As Shawn placed the skeleton into Luke's hands, the latter let out a small gasp. "It's heavy," he exclaimed, and quickly prepared to pack the belongings. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a skeleton with all its meridians and blood vessels marked out in white with yellow lines, staring right at him as if saying "hi." "A