Chapter 420
Emma stared at her, frozen for a moment, her mind blank. Then, after a couple of seconds, a sudden sharpness flashed in her eyes – like the pieces had finally fallen into place.
Ivy had nudged her deliberately and, now thoroughly satisfied, walked away without a backward glance.
Emma remained rooted to the spot, her eyes wide and round with the shock of realization and a burning, visceral hatred.
“Mom!” Emma screamed for Rosetta, suddenly whipping around to grab her mother’s arm. Her voice was hoarse to the point of hysteria. “Mom, did you hear that? Do you get it? It was Ivy! She set me up! She orchestrated everything to throw me and Sheridan together! She’s getting back at me! She’s twisted – she’s absolutely twisted!”
The full horror of it crashed down on Rosetta too. Now she saw exactly what had happened, and her heart lurched with fear.
She never would have guessed Ivy had lured them into the perfect trap, every step carefully calculated, not a single seam out of place. They’d been oblivious, even gloating over their supposed good luck – thinking they’d hit the jackpot.
In reality, they’d just leapt straight into the fire.
“Emma, calm down, calm down… There’s got to be a way out of this,” Rosetta soothed, trying to steady her daughter while shooting a murderous glare at the spot where Ivy had vanished. “We’ll go talk to the Carters – play nice at first, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll fight them if we have to!” But behind her reassuring words, rage boiled inside her as well.
Meanwhile, Jamison was walking Ivy out to his car.
He looked at her, puzzled. “Why did you tip her off so soon? Aren’t you worried Emma will break off her engagement with Sheridan? Wouldn’t that ruin your whole plan?”
Belt fastened, Ivy smiled coolly. “No, that’s exactly what I want – let her kick up a scene with Sheridan. That’s when the real game begins.”
She paused, then added, “And as for breaking off the engagement, it’s not that simple. The Windsors are about to go bankrupt – they’re desperate to cling to the Carters for dear life. Do you really think they’ll let Emma back out of this so easily?”
She glanced at Jamison, a spark of satisfaction in her eyes. “Just imagine: Emma causing chaos on one side, the Windsor family pressuring her on the other, and with Sheridan’s temper? He’ll blow up – and Emma’s the one who’ll take the brunt of it.”
Jamison finally got it and couldn’t help but give Ivy a thumbs up. “You’re basically pouring gasoline on the fire.”
Ivy didn’t deny it. Instead, she turned to look at him, her beautiful eyes narrowing playfully. “Don’t you think I’m cruel? Dangerous, even?”
He started the engine, pulling out of the driveway at a measured pace, heading for their lunch reservation. “In a world where justice can’t reach, sometimes you have to fight fire with fire and let the villains destroy each other. I call that guts and brains.”
“You really mean that?” Ivy was surprised, almost disbelieving. “I always thought you were the bleeding-heart type, the way you throw yourself into your work, saving lives and all.”
“You’re wrong,” Jamison replied. “A good doctor can’t afford to have a bleeding heart.”
Ivy frowned, not quite understanding.
He glanced over, his features chiseled and resolute in profile. “Doctors face sickness and death every day. If we let our emotions get the better of us, if we try to save every soul out of pity, we’ll drown in sorrow sooner or later. How can you help anyone if you’re falling apart yourself?”
Ivy thought about it, realizing he was right.
“A real doctor needs skill, composure, and boundaries. Too much compassion can be dangerous – you never truly know someone after a brief encounter in an exam room. If you rush in blindly, trying to save everyone, you’ll only get dragged into disaster yourself.”
Understanding dawned in Ivy’s eyes, and she nodded in agreement.
“No wonder,” she said quietly, “when I first met you, I thought you were cold and distant. Now I get it – it’s how you protect yourself.”