The security guard’s heart sank the mont the truth settled in. The man standing in front of him wasn’t just troubleso...
’Looks like I would need Miss Ivy’s help.’
The afternoon heat clung to the air, dust sticking to sweat on his neck as he inhaled deeply, forcing himself to stay calm.
"If you truly want to cause a scene," the guard said stiffly, his jaw tightening, "then I won’t stop you."
He knew it was impossible to drag this man away without things turning ugly. He just wanted to test one last ti if this man would truly go as far as causing a scene or was just throwing out empty words.
The very next second, Arthur dropped to the ground as if his bones had lted. His clothes scraped against the rough pavent as he rolled, voice rising into a shrill wail.
"I want to et my ex-fiancée! I want to et my ex-fiancée!"
His cries echoed embarrassingly loud, drawing stares from every direction. He flailed like a child throwing a tantrum, refusing to stand.
"If I’m not allowed to et her, then I won’t leave!"
As if that wasn’t enough, he began kicking dirt into the air, scattering grit onto nearby shoes.
People frowned, muttering angrily as the dust stung their eyes. A few irritated onlookers turned toward the guard.
"You’re an adult, aren’t you?" soone snapped. "Just call soone from inside to end this ss."
The guard’s anger simred hotter with every word. His fists clenched as he glared down at Arthur.
"This behavior," he barked, "is not how a normal human acts."
He was calling Arthur a dog.
Arthur only laughed, louder and more obnoxious, sprawling himself even wider.
"If you don’t help," he taunted, "I’ll stay right here and make this place unbearable."
The guard shut his eyes briefly, breath heavy in his chest.
There was no other choice. Turning sharply, he strode back inside and imdiately sought out Martha, recounting everything in a rushed, tense voice.
The mont Martha understood Arthur’s intentions, fury flashed across her face.
Taking a steadying breath, she walked outside, heels clicking sharply against the ground, and stopped in front of Arthur.
"What do you want?" she demanded coldly.
Arthur pushed himself upright, dust clinging to his clothes, and grinned.
"If Ivy wants to know Damien’s whereabouts," he said smugly, "then she should co out and et herself."
Martha frowned deeply. Ivy had ntioned Damien before... her adoptive brother, the one she had been desperately searching for. This wasn’t a decision Martha could make on her own.
Without another word, she turned and headed back into the base. Once inside, she contacted Ivy imdiately, relaying Arthur’s presence and his demand without missing a single detail.
The mont Ivy heard the na Damien, she didn’t hesitate. She left her base at once and headed straight to the scene.
After all, the chances were high that Arthur truly knew sothing. Angelina had been Damien’s fiancée. It was more than possible that the truth was tangled sowhere between them.
As soon as Ivy stepped outside, the atmosphere seed to shift. She walked directly toward Arthur, her gaze sharp enough to cut.
"Where is he?" she demanded.
Arthur’s eyes flickered. He understood imdiately who she ant, but he tilted his head and feigned confusion.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Ivy’s heart sank, cold dread seeping into her chest. ’He’s playing gas,’ she realized. Suppressing her irritation, she inhaled slowly.
"If you don’t want to talk," she said calmly, "then I have a hundred ways to make sure you do."
She lifted her hand slightly, signaling the guards beside her.
Fear finally cracked Arthur’s bravado. His face paled as he scrambled back.
"I’ll tell you!" he blurted out. "I’ll tell you everything... but you have to promise not to hurt . And you must give a house. A permanent house in SiIvy Base."
Ivy stared at him for a long mont. Inwardly, she fought the urge to laugh.
’So this is his calculation,’ she thought coldly. ’Shaless to the very end.’
Outwardly, her expression remained composed.
"Fine," she replied evenly. "I’ll give you a permanent house."
Arthur exhaled in relief, unaware that he had just stepped into a far more dangerous bargain than he realized.
Just as Ivy thought Arthur would finally speak the truth, what she heard instead sent a faint chill crawling up her spine.
"I can take you there," Arthur blurted out, almost too quickly. "I can’t tell you the location."
The air seed to still for a mont. Ivy’s fingers tightened, the faint sll of dust and tal lingering around them as her eyes narrowed.
"Are you setting a trap?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with danger.
Arthur shook his head imdiately, almost earnestly, as if afraid she might misunderstand.
From his perspective, it truly wasn’t a lie. Hannah had already told him that as long as he personally led Ivy to Damien’s location, there was a high chance Ivy would give him a permanent house.
He never once suspected that Hannah was using him. Instead, he felt oddly proud, convinced that her sche had worked this ti.
Ivy, however, felt sothing was off. A quiet sense of unease coiled in her chest. Without hesitation, she turned to Martha.
"Deploy more than ten bodyguards," she said flatly.
Arthur’s expression changed instantly. His shoulders stiffened, and alarm flashed across his eyes.
"No," he blurted out. "You can’t bring anyone with you."
The mont the words left his mouth, even Arthur felt sothing was wrong.
His brows knit together as realization struck him. It sounded as if he was planning to kidnap her. Frowning, he muttered under his breath, unease settling in.
’Why did Hanna insist on this?’ he wondered. ’Why did she tell not to let Ivy bring anyone? Is she planning to secretly bully Ivy again?’
The thought made him uncomfortable. Even though Ivy had made his life miserable more tis than he could count, he couldn’t deny the twisted attraction he felt toward her.
That alone made Hannah’s request feel inappropriate. In the end, he decided to ignore it.
Ivy crossed her arms slightly, her gaze unwavering.
"I’m bringing my bodyguards," she said coolly. "If you can’t accept that, then we can forget about the deal."
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