Chapter 74: This is bad
Ivy blinked.
Did he just dodge her apology like it was a flying slipper?
She slowly turned her head and looked at the others.
Percy. Nico. Benny.
All of them stood there like statues, nodding respectfully but avoiding direct conversation.
To make things worse, their sunglasses made it impossible to read their expressions.
But somehow she could feel it.
That invisible, awkward tension in the air.
Are they... avoiding me? Ivy thought, slightly offended.
Just yesterday, these people were normal.
Now they looked like they had collectively attended a "How to Act Emotionally Traumatized" workshop.
Before she could overthink further, a faint throat-clearing sound came from inside the car.
Ivy snapped out of her thoughts and looked in.
Xander sat inside, glancing at his watch with calm impatience.
"Get in," he said casually. "Leo must be waiting for us."
The moment Leo’s name was mentioned—
Everything else instantly faded.
"Oh!" Ivy’s eyes lit up.
Without another word, she quickly got into the car, completely forgetting about the awkward situation with the guards.
Meanwhile, outside Teddy slowly closed the door. Then turned toward the others.
"...She forgot."
Nico sighed in relief.
"Good. I’m not emotionally ready for that apology."
Percy adjusted his sunglasses dramatically.
"I still can’t feel my legs."
Benny nodded seriously.
"I saw my past, present, and future while running yesterday."
Teddy looked at them and sighed mentally before getting into the car and driving away.
***
Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the car remained strangely quiet as Ivy sat deep in thought, trying to figure out where exactly they were heading.
Though Xander had mentioned Leo waiting for them, it didn’t take her long to connect the dots.
This has to be some kind of family gathering, she thought suspiciously.
But then another question immediately followed.
And if it is... why is he taking me there?
Ivy genuinely couldn’t understand why Xander even bothered bringing her along.
Still, the moment he mentioned Leo, all her resistance disappeared instantly.
Honestly, I don’t even care where we’re going as long as I get to see Leo, she admitted to herself.
It had only been a short time since the little boy left for the Old Emerson Residence, yet somehow it already felt like years to her.
And annoyingly enough... she missed him.
A lot.
At this point, Ivy had grown so attached to Leo that she no longer minded stepping fully into the role of his mother.
The child had somehow become the brightest part of her life without her even realizing it.
He was loud.Clingy.Dramatic.And occasionally impossible to handle.
But he was also the one person who could effortlessly pull her out of even her darkest moods.
To Ivy, Leo had unknowingly become the little sun shining into her otherwise chaotic life.
Meanwhile, seated beside her, Xander quietly glanced in her direction.
His unreadable eyes lingered on her for a moment before drifting away again.
His thoughts unconsciously returned to the phone call he had received from Edward the previous night while working inside his study.
"Don’t forget to come tomorrow," Edward had said firmly. "And make sure to bring the lady."
The old man’s tone had been calm yet commanding enough to leave no room for argument.
Then, before Xander could even question him properly, Edward simply hung up.
Leaving him confused.
Xander already had a strong suspicion about the reason behind the invitation.
Most likely Aaron’s giant mouth had been running recklessly again.
And somehow, that thought alone made him slightly concerned about what exactly his grandfather was planning.
Soon, the car finally slowed down before massive black gates automatically opened before them.
The vehicle smoothly drove through the enormous driveway lined with perfectly trimmed gardens and fountains before eventually stopping in front of the mansion.
The second Ivy stepped out of the car, she froze. Slowly she looked up and up...and up some more.
Her mouth literally fell open. Before her stood a mansion so ridiculously extravagant that even the Emerson Mansion suddenly looked modest in comparison.
What in the billionaire final boss level is this?!
"This house is three times bigger than yours," she blurted out while staring at Xander in disbelief.
Xander calmly adjusted his sleeve.
"Hm."
Hm?!
That was his response?!
Ivy continued staring at the gigantic residence like a villager witnessing royalty for the first time.
These people are disgustingly rich, she thought emotionally.
Back when Raven had first accepted the mission involving Xander, she had naturally done her research on the Emerson family.
But despite their terrifying business influence, there wasn’t actually much public information about them online.
Still, even the little information available had been enough to make her want to cough blood.
Because the Emerson family didn’t spend money.
No. Money practically lived inside their house like a family member, and at this point, Ivy genuinely believed their bank accounts probably had their own zip codes.
"Let’s go."
Xander’s voice instantly pulled Ivy out of her thoughts.
She blinked once before quickly following after him as the two walked toward the massive entrance of the Old Emerson Residence.
The giant doors opened almost immediately, revealing the luxurious interior that somehow looked even more expensive than the outside.
Ivy took one glance at the chandelier above and immediately decided she probably couldn’t even afford one crystal from it.
Meanwhile, outside near the car, Percy, Benny, and Nico slowly gathered beside Teddy like soldiers preparing for battle updates.
All four of them stared silently toward the mansion entrance where Ivy had just disappeared.
The atmosphere suddenly became strangely heavy.
"...So," Benny finally spoke first, "what do you think is going to happen inside?"
The question alone made everyone’s expressions turn complicated.
Because all of them already knew one terrifying fact.
Ivy was about to meet the Old Emerson.
And somehow... they were no longer worried for Ivy.
They were worried for Edward Emerson.
The boys had always viewed Elder Emerson as a calm, dignified, highly respected man with enough authority to silence an entire room with one glance.
But after witnessing Ivy for the past few days?
Their confidence in humanity had weakened considerably.
Percy folded his arms seriously.
"Should we summon the others?" he asked like someone preparing emergency reinforcements.
Teddy sighed deeply while staring toward the mansion with pity in his eyes.
"At this point," he muttered solemnly, "we should probably pray for Old Master instead."
Nico nodded immediately.
"Agreed."
Benny looked emotional.
"The old man doesn’t know what’s coming."
"None of us knew either," Percy reminded him darkly. "And look at us now."
The group collectively fell silent.
All four men slowly looked at their tanned faces reflected faintly in the car windows.
Then at each other’s exhausted expressions.
Then back toward the mansion again.
Teddy inhaled deeply.
"...Do you think she’ll choke Second Young Master again?"
"Highly possible," Nico answered instantly.
"Especially if he says something stupid," Benny added seriously.
Percy scoffed.
"Then Aaron is definitely dying today."
The group nodded in agreement.
"Oh no... what is she doing here now?" Benny suddenly pointed toward the driveway the moment a familiar luxury car pulled through the gates.
Immediately, all four men turned to look in the same direction.
And collectively frowned.
The atmosphere around them instantly shifted from playful gossip to silent concern.
"This is bad," Percy muttered under his breath.
Teddy’s expression darkened slightly as the car slowly came to a stop near the entrance.
"This is not how things were supposed to go," he murmured quietly to himself.
Because the person who had just arrived was not someone insignificant.
In fact if there was anyone capable of turning today’s gathering into complete chaos faster than Aaron’s mouth and Ivy’s fists combined...
It was the woman stepping out of that car right now.
Reviews
All reviews (0)