At first, Katrina was confused. Then, suddenly, her awareness tightened as if stung. He must have been thanking her for making up a chance for them to be alone together!
Uh–well–Katrina snapped back to reality, turning to the nun, who rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs.
"Welcome, Dr. Ludwig! Don’t be a stranger; come by whenever you are..."
As soon as she turned around, she spotted Ivy standing at her bedroom door, face thunderous. Katrina shrank back, quill-written all over her face, and hurried to explain, "Ivy, I swear! I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose! I just noticed it was quiet up here, and I got worried something might have happened, so I came to check.”
Ivy glared at her, teeth clenched. “Katrina, you’re such a jinx…”
“What did I even say? How am I a jinx?” Ms. Lester protested, looking genuinely wounded.
Ivy couldn’t be bothered to argue. With a huff, she spun on her heel and stormed back into her room.
Katrina hurried after her. A moment later, understanding dawned on her face, and she couldn’t hide her excitement. “Dr. Ludwig really likes you, doesn’t he? He confessed, didn’t he?”
Ivy just stared at her, completely fed up.
That old fox, Jamison. He’d told her he was only joking, just trying to get her to open the door, all to save her pride. But when she pressed him for the truth, that sly fox had quoted, “A fair lady is what a gentleman truly desires"—which was obviously a roundabout way of saying he liked her.
Someone like Jamison, who’d met more debutantes and socialites than he could count–why would he be interested in a disgraced, has-been like her? Was he just playing around, or did he mean it?
Katrina, seeing her friend didn’t deny it, grew even more excited. “Ivy, he really confessed? What did he say? Did he do it in front of Micah and his awful girlfriend? Oh my god, I can’t believe I left–I missed all the drama!”
Ivy had no words.
Just then, the doorbell rang downstairs. Katrina perked up. “Now who could that be? Don’t tell me Dr. Ludwig came back because he forgot to say something?”
She hurried down to open the door, only to find a sharply dressed young man carrying an insulated food bag. He asked politely, “Is this Ms. Windsor’s residence?”
“That’s right–can I help you?”
“I’m with The Gilded Fork delivery. Mr. Ludwig sent dinner for you.”
Katrina was floored. She called up the stairs, “Ivy, come down! Dr. Ludwig was worried you’d be hungry and had food sent over just for you!”
Ivy frowned, her instincts bristling at the gesture. She knew she was Jamison’s “prey” now. No matter how she tried to resist, she couldn’t escape the hunter’s grasp. In fact, the more she fought, the more eager he seemed to chase her, as if the challenge only thrilled him further.
So–since resistance was futile, why make herself miserable? After a quick pep talk, Ivy accepted her fate and went downstairs without hesitation.
Katrina greeted her, beaming, “Look! He ordered all your favorites! Dr. Ludwig really put some thought into this.”
Ivy glanced at the spread–it was exactly what she’d ordered for lunch.
That old fox really knew how to play his cards. Too bad it didn’t work on her. If she were some naïve, wide-eyed girl, she’d probably be swept off her feet by now.
News that Jamison was pursuing Ivy quickly made its way back to the Ludwig family, sparking an uproar. The Ludwig elders, long retired and enjoying their golden years, were both stunned. The name “Ivy” rang a bell, but they couldn’t quite place it at first. Once they pieced together Ivy’s identity and everything she’d endured over the past three years, the elders‘ expressions darkened. They called it nothing but Jamison’s latest foolish stunt.
Before Jamison could even leave work, his mother had already called him half a dozen times, demanding he come home immediately after his shift. Jamison knew exactly what this was about, but he wasn’t the least bit fazed. After work, he headed back home with a spring in his step.
As soon as he walked into the living room, he found both his older brother’s and older sister’s families gathered together. Jamison gave an amused smile. “Looks like tonight’s a family intervention–everyone’s here for me.”
His father, Danny Ludwig, banged his cane on the floor, his voice stern. “You know exactly what you’re doing, and you still chose this path? You could have any heiress in the country, and you pick a girl who was trafficked for three years, whose reputation is in tatters, and, to top it off, Micah’s ex–girlfriend? Are you trying to start a war?”
Before Jamison could respond, Micah piped up, “Grandpa, Ivy isn’t my ex. We never broke up–she was only taken because-“
“Enough!” Farley snapped, cutting his son off. “Say one more word and I’ll have your mouth taped shut!”
‘But it’s true…” Micah muttered, sulking but not daring to speak again, looking every bit the chastised child.
Jamison glanced at his nephew, an unreadable smile on his lips, then turned to his father. “Ivy was framed, she suffered misfortune–it’s not like she did anything wrong herself. How can you call her disgraced?”
Micah looked up again. “Uncle, you really think Emma set Ivy up? Emma may be petty and a handful, but she’s not cruel enough to do something like that.”
Jamison shot him a cold look, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in front of Micah’s parents. “Micah, are you dense or just blind? You’re in your twenties and still naïve as a child. Do you even know what you want? Who you actually care about?”