Chapter 746

In ancient tales, they called beautiful women femme fatales—the cause of ruin. But honestly, swap out the beauty for a man, and the effect is much the same.

She never imagined she’d be the kind of woman to keep backing down for a man, giving in just to avoid upsetting him. Yet here she was, doing exactly that.

The car had been quiet for a while. Ivy assumed he was still brooding, so she broke the silence and tried to lighten the mood. “How’s your mom today? Any word on when she can leave the hospital?”

Jamison answered, “No change. Just walking a few steps leaves her winded. She needs to stay in bed and rest. Discharge isn’t an option—she’ll have to stay at the hospital for the foreseeable future, just to be safe.”

After all, it was practically home turf for them anyway.

Ivy looked surprised. “She’ll be living at the hospital from now on?”

He nodded, perhaps thinking she found it troublesome, so he added reassuringly, “You don’t have to visit her every day. Just drop by when you have time. There are plenty of Ludwigs around—someone from the family is there almost daily. She’s not alone.”

“That’s not it,” Ivy replied quickly. “It’s just… no matter how nice the hospital is, it can’t compare to being at home.”

She’d spent a month in the hospital herself not long ago, and it had nearly driven her mad—restless and depressed for no real reason. But as soon as she was home again, that feeling vanished.

“True…” Jamison agreed softly, lips pressed into a thin line as he fell silent again.

He was a doctor; he alone knew how slim the chances were that his mother would ever get to return home for those last peaceful days. Keeping her in the hospital now was just a way of stretching out what little time she had left.

They got home a little after nine-thirty. The cold was settling in for the season, and even with the heated floors, the howling wind outside made crawling under the covers a tempting thought.

Ivy carried her work laptop to the bedroom and propped herself against a pile of pillows on the bed, tapping away at the keyboard.

When Jamison finished his shower and came out, he found her absorbed in work again. His expression darkened, though he couldn’t quite say why.

“It’s late. Time to sleep,” he said quietly, sliding into bed and pulling back the covers.

“Okay, just ten more minutes,” Ivy replied, fingers flying even faster across the keys.

True to her word, ten minutes later she closed the laptop, set it aside, and turned over to snuggle into his arms.

Jamison looked down at her as she smiled up at him, all sweetness and sunshine, and whatever annoyance he’d felt dissolved instantly.

Their eyes locked, and in the end, he surrendered, reaching out to gently lift her chin and lowering his handsome face toward hers.

Lips met, soft at first, then deepening, hungry and insistent.

But Ivy, as always, wouldn’t let him turn it into a full-blown kiss.

Just as Jamison was determined to coax her into yielding, his phone rang loudly from the bedside table.

“Your phone…” Ivy murmured, gently pushing him away.

He ignored her, intent on his mission.

“Jamison, seriously—it could be the hospital,” Ivy pressed, thinking of his mother.

He paused, the reminder sobering him. He couldn’t afford to take chances, not with his mother’s condition.

But when he glanced at the screen, it wasn’t the hospital—it was Boyd.

Figuring it had something to do with those two businessmen they’d met at the hotel, he answered, his tone tinged with annoyance. “It’s late. What’s so urgent it couldn’t wait until morning?”

“Uncle Jamison, Micah’s gone…” Boyd’s voice, trembling, brought Jamison’s world to a sudden halt.

For a moment, Jamison couldn’t speak. Finally, his voice came out rough, barely above a whisper. “What happened? Wasn’t he stable?”

“Mr. Shepherd came to the hospital tonight,” Boyd explained. “He spoke with the doctors in detail and then… decided to stop treatment.”

“And Carla? She wasn’t there?” Jamison could barely believe it.

“She was out at the time. She’s probably already on her way to the hospital…”

“Alright. Got it.”

Ivy, curled up in Jamison’s arms, had heard every word through the quiet of the room.

Micah was gone…

She didn’t love him anymore, but hearing the news still hit her like a bolt from the blue.

And Micah’s death would be a devastating blow to Carla. If the news reached Jamison’s mother, the consequences could be disastrous.

She sat up abruptly, speaking before Jamison could say a word. “We need to get to the hospital—figure out how to manage this before it spirals out of control.”

Jamison nodded, his face grim and cold.

He’d grown to resent his nephew deeply, but still—they’d practically grown up together. Before Ivy, their relationship had been close, almost brotherly. Now, with his own life whole and happy while his nephew’s ended so young, the contrast was enough to weigh heavy on anyone’s heart.

Back in the underground garage, Ivy took the initiative. “I’ll drive.”

Jamison didn’t object, sliding into the passenger seat.

No sooner had the car started than his phone rang again—this time, it was Thad.

“Hey, big brother…”

“Micah’s gone. Everything’s a mess over here at the hospital…” Thad’s voice was thick with emotion, but Jamison cut him off.

“I know. We’re on our way. We’ll be there soon.”

Their apartment wasn’t far from the hospital; at this hour, there was no traffic. Ivy stepped on the gas, and in five minutes, they arrived.

She jumped out and followed Jamison at a run, heading straight for Micah’s room.

In all the months since Micah had slipped into a coma, she’d never once visited. Now, thinking back, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret…