Chapter 561

But no matter how beautiful a face may be, time will eventually catch up with it. If a couple never has children, just spending day after day gazing at each other, even the deepest love will wear thin.

Adela Ludwig’s displeasure was written all over her face.

Ivy noticed that the older woman had been staring at her in silence, her expression shifting—first a flash of approving surprise, then settling into a stern gravity. It only confirmed Ivy’s suspicion: Adela knew something, and had called her here for an interrogation.

Well, at worst, they’d try to break her and Jamison up. Ivy steeled herself—she could ignore the coldness. Jamison had never insisted she cozy up to the Ludwig family anyway. If things were tense, so be it.

With that thought, Ivy felt a surprising calm settle over her. She smiled, taking the initiative. “Mom, how’s your recovery coming along?”

The word “Mom” snapped Adela from her drifting thoughts. She looked at her youngest daughter-in-law and replied coolly, “I hear you don’t even call your own mother anymore, yet you seem to say it to me so naturally.”

Ivy’s smile faltered for a second, but she quickly composed herself. “You’ve known about my relationship with the Windsor family for a long time, haven’t you? Do you really think those kinds of parents are worth missing?”

“They still brought you into this world.”

“Yes, and when they’re old and sick and need care, I’ll fulfill my legal obligations as their daughter.”

She and Jamison had talked about this before.

Since blood ties couldn’t be dissolved by law, she couldn’t shirk her duty to support her parents. But whether she did so in comfort and luxury, or just met the bare minimum, that would depend entirely on her mood.

Adela looked at her, surprised. “You seem so delicate and gentle, but you’re actually ruthless and decisive.”

Ivy’s expression darkened. “If I weren’t, I’d have been buried and forgotten by now.”

Adela said nothing more. She dropped her gaze to the food on the table. “Let’s eat.”

Eat?

Ivy was taken aback. Eat? She hadn’t even gotten to the real reason she was here.

She didn’t have the appetite. After a pause, she pressed on. “You didn’t invite me here just for dinner, did you?”

The older woman had already picked up her fork, but at Ivy’s words, she looked up. “They say you’re clever. So tell me—why do you think I asked you here?”

Ivy’s heart skipped, but she steadied herself and spoke boldly. “You’ve found out that Jamison lied about being infertile, haven’t you? You know it’s actually my problem. So you brought me here today to confront me—and maybe to persuade me to leave.”

She was nervous after saying that. If she’d misjudged the situation, she’d have exposed herself and made things even harder for Jamison.

But to her luck—and misfortune—she’d guessed right.

Adela’s expression betrayed her shock. She stared at Ivy for two long seconds, then gave a cold, mocking laugh. “You really are clever. I thought Jamison was only drawn to your looks.”

Ivy forced her heartbeat to steady and replied without missing a beat. “You underestimate your son.”

“And what use is cleverness? If you can’t have children, what do you have to offer? Jamison loves kids—you’ve seen how he is with Hal. He’s blinded by love right now, says he doesn’t care about having children, but give it three or five years. Once the novelty wears off, once he’s tired, do you really think he won’t change his mind?”

Now that the truth was out, Adela spoke bluntly.

Ivy listened quietly, then asked directly, “So what do you want? Are you telling me to leave him?”

Her composure caught Adela off guard.

She’d expected Ivy to be flustered and intimidated, but instead, the girl—clearly at a disadvantage—was calm and unruffled.

Annoyed, Adela shot back, “What do you think? You weren’t born into a family that matches ours, and now you can’t even give him children. Do you really think you have the right to hold him back?”

Ivy nodded. “You’re right.”

Adela was momentarily speechless.

“But right now, he hasn’t grown tired of me. If I were to leave suddenly, it would devastate him. And if he found out it was because you forced me, well…” Ivy looked at Adela, noticing her face growing stormy, and quickly changed tack. “You know your own son best. With his temperament, I doubt he’d take it quietly.”

Adela huffed impatiently. “Can’t you just keep it from him? Say you don’t love him anymore, or that you’ve fallen for someone else.”

Ivy wasn’t angry—in fact, she smiled. “Mom, do you really think your son is that easy to fool? Where am I supposed to find someone in this city who’s better than him, who treats me the way he does? As long as I can’t, he’ll never believe I’d leave him for someone else.”

Adela was left momentarily speechless, caught off guard by Ivy’s calm and logical responses.

Concerned for the woman’s health—she was still recovering from major surgery—Ivy decided to soften the conversation a little.

“Mom, I’m not sure where you heard that I can’t have children—but that’s not entirely true.”

Adela’s gaze sharpened, and her voice lost some of its edge. “What do you mean?”