Chapter 362

“You always take his side! He’s only this spoiled because of you!”

Adela Ludwig kept quiet, but she knew in her heart she really did favor her youngest.

She couldn’t help it–he was her miracle, the son she’d dared to have late in life.

And he’d always been sharp; whatever he set his mind to, he did it well. Now, even without relying on the family, he’d made a name for himself and built his own world.

A son like that–smart, independent, and a constant source of pride–maybe his temper was a little rough, but it hardly mattered. She’d always be a little softer on him.

When her husband fell silent with frustration, Adela turned to her youngest, her expression turning just a shade more serious. “Jamison, what your father said goes for me too. You’ve made your choice about Ivy and we’ll respect that. But you need to keep your distance from the Windsor family. We can’t get dragged into their mess.”

“Understood.” Jamison pulled out his phone to check the time.

“So now that you two’ve signed the papers, when’s the wedding?” Adela pressed.

“We don’t have any plans yet.” Realizing ten minutes had already passed, and eager to leave, Jamison replied offhandedly, “I’ll talk it over with Ivy. You both don’t need to worry.”

Seeing him about to walk off, Adela called after him, a hint of annoyance in her voice, “You’d better take this seriously–start thinking about it. We need time to prepare…”

Down in the back garden, Halley tugged Ivy along to the little arched bridge over the stream to show off his pets.

The creek’s water was fresh and clear, tiny fish darting beneath the surface, and two large golden turtles basked in the sun.

“Aunt Ivy, these are called golden terrapins, a rare species from our country. See how their shells sparkle in the sunlight?” Halley, for all his young age and limited schooling, was a fountain of fun facts.

Ivy studied the two turtles, nodding. “They really do look like they’re wearing gold armor.”

The two watched the turtles, absorbed, until footsteps approached behind them. Someone else stopped to admire the turtles, lowering his gaze to the stream.

“Hal, the turtles must be hungry. Go grab some meat from the kitchen for them, would you?”

The familiar voice startled Ivy, making her spin around, nerves prickling.

Her expression darkened as she saw who’d come over–displeasure written plain on her face.

“Oh, right! I forgot to feed them today!” Halley, oblivious to grown-up drama, took off running for the kitchen, eager to please his pets.

“Ivy…” Finally alone with her, Micah’s gaze burned with intensity. “I heard you went back to where you were taken as a kid. Did everything get sorted out? You don’t look well–did something happen?”

Ivy had no desire to be alone with him–especially not here, at the Ludwig estate, where anyone might walk by and get the wrong idea.

The last thing she needed was to be labeled the woman who brought trouble to the Ludwig family. So before Micah could finish, she turned on her heel to leave.

But Micah, desperate to keep her there, instinctively grabbed her arm. “Ivy!”

“Let go.” Ivy’s voice went cold, her eyes sharp with warning. “Don’t forget I’m uncle’s wife. Remember your place.”

He scoffed, his eyes narrowing, suddenly a stranger. “Uncle’s wife? You could’ve had any man, but you chose Jamison–just so you could be my aunt and diss me on purpose, is that it?”

Chapter 363