Jamison ignored her, but inside, resentment burned. This woman! She had never truly cared for him—always saw him as a gullible fool—yet somehow, she could fake concern so convincingly that even he almost believed it.

After a long, heavy silence, he shot back with icy sarcasm. “Must be tough for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Why are you being so passive-aggressive?”

Ivy played dumb, though she understood perfectly well—and was barely suppressing a smile. Feigning confusion, she asked in a tone of earnestness, “You were fine when you showered earlier, but after you went to your study you came out looking like you’d swallowed a stick of dynamite. Are you sure you were just reviewing project files in there?”

He didn’t answer, but her words made him strangely uneasy. Could she be suspicious about something?

“Or maybe you were talking to someone in the study? Did someone piss you off, and now you’re taking it out on me?” Ivy pressed, her eyes glinting with mischief.

Jamison grew even more flustered, so he could only bark out a denial. “No. You’re overthinking it. I just got irritated thinking about you going back to campus, living in a dorm. I’ve done so much for you, and all you do is scheme to get away from me instead of showing any gratitude.”

Ivy felt wronged. “How am I ungrateful? I’ve given you everything—what more do you want? Besides, I’m just going back to school, not filing for divorce. How is that running away?”

“When exactly did you give me everything?” Jamison seized on her words.

“Love…” Ivy hesitated, suddenly remembering they’d never actually slept together. She faltered, but quickly added, “That was because I had issues, which you knew about. You respected me and didn’t force things… So why are you blaming me now?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“That’s exactly what you’re saying.” Ivy sat up, determined to hash it out. “Are you just picking a fight because you’re frustrated we haven’t slept together yet?”

Jamison looked up at her, his expression unreadable. “Is that really how little you think of me?”

“How would I know? You guys are impossible to figure out—who knows what you’re really thinking. You change moods so fast it gives me whiplash.”

He opened his mouth as if to say something, then just sighed and muttered, “Forget it. Let’s just go to sleep.”

With that, he shut his eyes. But Ivy wasn’t ready to let it drop.

“If you want it that badly, it’s not like I’m refusing. But you’re still recovering, so we can’t just jump into things. Once you’re healed, we’ll see what happens.”

In truth, Ivy was curious herself—was she finally over her psychological barrier? If she could get past it and accept intimacy, then that “energy-balancing” therapy could finally be an option. Her period was coming up again, and the thought of her crippling cramps made her nervous.

Jamison’s eyes widened in surprise. He studied her for a moment before asking, “You… think you could handle it now?”

Ivy blushed, looking away. “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll have to try and see. Maybe I can.”

Jamison grew even more confused. From what he knew of Ivy, she wasn’t the type to take intimacy lightly. She’d never sleep with a man she didn’t love—especially not when she still had so much emotional baggage to overcome.

So, which was the real Ivy? The one who chatted easily online, or the one sitting beside him now?

“It’s late. You should get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.” Ivy picked up her phone, her voice calm and distant.

Jamison frowned, watching her. “You’re not going to sleep?”

“I just need to reply to a message.”

The moment she said it, he tensed up again—he knew exactly who she was texting.

Chapter 380