anwhile, Ivy had returned ho. But the mont she stepped inside, an unexpected visitor caught her off guard.
"Oh, here she is," Florine said with a smile from the couch in the living room.
Butler Rupert also glanced at Ivy and offered her a polite smile.
Ivy stood still for a mont, her eyes fixed on the woman, silently questioning why she was here. But everything around seed normal, which gave her one small reassurance.
At least Florine had not co here to create a scene.
Taking a quiet breath, Ivy walked toward her.
"What brings you here, Madam?" she asked, her tone plain and distant.
Butler Rupert frowned slightly.
They were not aware of the true nature of their relationship, but they had assud Florine was Ivy’s mother. Hearing Ivy address her so formally made him question that assumption.
Florine, on the other hand, was caught off guard by the coldness.
"Mother, Ivy," she said with a forced laugh, trying to ease the tension.
Ivy ignored it completely and took a seat across from her.
Sensing the growing discomfort, Butler Rupert stepped in. "Would you like sothing, Madam Ford?"
Florine snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at him. "Juice would be fine."
Rupert nodded, then turned to Ivy. "And for you, Madam?"
Ivy shook her head politely. "I’m fine, Butler Rupert."
With that, he excused himself, leaving the two alone.
The mont he was gone, Florine’s expression hardened. She turned to Ivy and glared.
"What was that behavior?" she asked through gritted teeth.
Ivy t her gaze without flinching.
"What?" she replied calmly. "Wasn’t it you who told to call you ’Madam’?"
Florine blinked, stunned by her tone. Her fingers curled into a tight fist.
She rembered it clearly.
The shift from "mother" to "madam" had begun the mont her husband died.
To Florine, Ivy had never been more than a stray she had taken in. And when their circumstances worsened, that sa "stray" had been reduced to little more than a servant in her own house.
A bitter scoff echoed in her mind.
I shouldn’t have let her leave when she asked to move out, Florine thought, her jaw tightening. Living outside has made her too bold... and far too sharp-tongued.
Ivy on the other hand watched Florine silently and smirked. She by now had co to understand one thing and that was Florine visiting here wasn’t a coincedence but her way to asure that she wasn’t causing any trouble.
Soon Bulter Rupert ca and place the glass of juice before them. "Enjoy you juice Madam" he said before retreating once again.
Florine smile, but soon her eyes turned grim. "I am glad that you choose to obey my words Ivy. Because running away he not an option now that you are bound with a contract with Xander"
Ivy leaned lesurely crossing her one let over other. " A contract that benefits you mother" she said and Florine looked at her.
"Make sure you don’t cause trouble Ivy. Rember it was and my husband who took you in, and provided you. This is your change to pay us back"
Florine recalled how hard it was for her to go through life after her husband died. Looking after her children had beco a burden for her.
But now after those years of struggle, Florine had finally found a way to get out of that scery and now she was enjoying every bit of it.
Ivy didn’t say anything, but simply watched Florine as she reached to grab the glass and took a sip from it.
They didn’t speak anything, but Ivy could see how Florine looked around admiring the mansion.
"I will," Ivy replied, making Florine look at her for a mont before giving a small, satisfied nod.
Florine lingered for a while longer before finally taking her leave. The mont she was gone, Ivy let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She had no desire to deal with Florine, especially not when her mind was already occupied with sothing else.
Ever since Sal canceled their eting, she had been wondering what could have co up so suddenly.
But then she rembered his words.
He had assured her that he would reach out to her soon.
And for now... that was the only thing keeping her from overthinking.
’Maybe I should wait for him to reach out,’ she said, finally retreating to her room.
***
Xander was in the middle of handling his cousin’s rant, and even after thirty minutes, Aaron showed no signs of stopping.
"This doesn’t seem right, Xander. I think it’s a trap," Aaron said, pacing back and forth like an overworked detective. "How can she show up after all these years of absence and you..." he shot him a sharp glare, "...how can you just let her get close to you and Leo?"
Aaron had long outgrown the ability to trust people easily, and the sa applied to Xander. With enemies lurking around every corner, letting soone into their lives was never a simple decision.
And yet here they were.
"So what if she’s Leo’s mother?" Aaron continued, throwing his hands up dramatically. "It doesn’t change the fact that she left her newborn behind and disappeared like a magician’s final act!"
He stopped in front of Xander, hands on his hips, looking less like a dangerous man and more like a disappointed grandmother who had seen too much in life.
Xander listened quietly.
He had doubted Ivy at first. But after the DNA report confird the truth, he had decided to set his suspicion aside, at least for now.
It had only been a few days, but her presence had already brought a noticeable change into their lives.
And strangely...
he didn’t hate it.
"NO WAY!" Aaron suddenly slamd his hand on the table, snapping Xander out of his thoughts.
"I am not going to believe her just like that," he declared, pointing an accusing finger at absolutely no one in particular.
Xander didn’t even flinch.
"I am going to test her," Aaron announced with full conviction. "And if she passes, then—and only then—she gets to stay."
A brief silence followed as Xander’s lips twitched ever so slightly, but he said nothing.
Because he already knew one thing. Testing Ivy ant going against Leo.
And going against Leo? That was far more dangerous than anything Aaron was planning.
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