Jamison buckled his seatbelt and replied, “The driver brought me.
Katrina let out a sly chuckle. “So, Dr. Ludwig came prepared.”
He certainly had.
Jamison knew Ivy would be at the gallery today, so he’d swapped shifts with a colleague to free up his Monday. He’d already planned to ask her to dinner after the exhibition, so he didn’t bother driving himself–just let the driver drop him off.
Ivy was still glaring at him, clearly itching to snap back, but in the end, she just pressed her lips together, started the engine with a huff, and pulled onto the road.
Every now and then, Jamison glanced over at her and commented, “You haven’t lost your touch–three years without driving and you’re still a natural.”
Ivy shot back coolly, “Your compliments always make me a little uneasy.”
He smiled, softening his tone. “I told you, you’re the exception.”
He’d promised to stop being so sharp with her, and he meant to keep his word.
Ivy didn’t reply, but a faint warmth flickered in her chest–she made a point of ignoring it.
Katrina, in the backseat, tried her best to make herself invisible, quietly enjoying the
drama.
The car fell into a brief silence, broken only when Jamison’s phone rang.
He checked the screen, frowning slightly. “It’s Micah,” he murmured.
Ivy’s expression didn’t change; she just kept her eyes on the road.
Jamison answered, “Hello?”
Micah’s anxious voice came through. “Uncle, have you and Ivy left the art gallery yet?”
Jamison understood immediately.
News of today’s events must have spread through their social circle by now, and his clueless nephew was trying to rush over for a “chance encounter” with Ivy.
“We’ve already left,” Jamison replied.
“Where are you going?”
“Dinner.”
“Where at?”
“A private kitchen,” Jamison said smoothly.
The answer made Ivy whip her head around, shooting him a startled look before quickly facing forward again. The guy was shameless!
They definitely weren’t going to some exclusive chef’s table, but Jamison lied to Micah without missing a beat.
Once he hung up, Ivy gave a cold laugh. “Messing with your nephew like that–aren’t you worried he’ll be mad?”
Jamison just grinned, utterly unconcerned. Then he steered the conversation back. “Word’s probably gotten around about what happened at the gallery today. Have you thought about how you want to handle it?”
Ivy mirrored his nonchalance. “Doesn’t matter. My reputation’s already in ruins.”
Jamison paused for a moment, then asked, “Back when Emma set you up, did you have any evidence besides her confession?”
Ivy bristled with frustration. “If I had anything else, she would’ve been in prison by now. As it is, she gets to do whatever she wants.”
“Then have you ever thought of getting revenge another way?”
They happened to stop at a red light. Ivy glanced over her shoulder at him. “What kind of way?”
Jamison looked her straight in the face, hesitating.
He worried that if he said it out loud, Ivy might think him too ruthless, too dark–and that she’d pull away from him for good.
“Forget it,” Ivy said, catching his hesitation and turning back to the wheel just as the light changed.
Jamison remembered what the Windsor family had done to her, and in the end, he decided to stand by her side.
“Even if you had witnesses and evidence proving Emma colluded with traffickers to have you kidnapped, the most she’d get is a handful of years in prison. With good behavior, she could be out on parole even sooner.”
Ivy instantly understood where he was going.
She’d thought about this before, even considered darker ways to get back at Emma. But in a law–abiding society, revenge couldn’t cross the line–she couldn’t afford to take herself down in the process.
“Did that painting earlier give you any ideas?” Jamison suddenly shifted the topic.
“The painting?” Ivy frowned, already annoyed. “What about it? Can’t you just get to the point?”
00:32
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Jamison stayed calm, explaining, “If that painting really reflects how marriage can trap a woman, or how domestic violence can destroy her–maybe you should take a page from that. For example… introduce Emma to a wealthy man with certain, let’s say, peculiar tastes, the kind that only show up after the wedding. Knowing the Windsors, Emma’s marriage would rake in plenty of benefits for the family. Once they’ve taken their cut, even if Emma regrets it and wants out, it won’t be so easy for her to leave.”
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