Chapter 784

Ivy gave a cold, inward laugh. So, this was his plan all along.

He knew he couldn’t handle this mess himself, so he was "helpfully" warning her, hoping she’d use Jamison’s influence to eliminate their enemies.

She remembered, after Baillie’s accident, Jamison had said the same thing – he knew they were in over their heads.

He was right.

“Fine, I get it,” Ivy said bluntly, cutting through his pretense. “You act like you’re warning me out of concern, but in the end, it’s all for your own benefit.”

Baillie corrected her, glancing at his younger sister before lowering his eyes. “I’m mainly telling you to be careful. Even if you’ve cut ties with the family, you’re still a Windsor. You carry our blood, whether you like it or not. Besides…” His voice faltered. “We really did wrong by you back then.”

Marriage seemed to have mellowed Baillie. He was finally growing a conscience – at least, his words sounded almost sincere.

“And lately, too many people have died. We don’t want any more tragedies.” Baillie’s expression darkened with genuine sorrow.

Even if they set aside Sheridan Carter and Farley Shepherd, just thinking about Emma and Micah Shepherd was enough to stir anyone’s sympathy.

So young – barely in their twenties.

But Ivy felt nothing. She ignored Baillie’s “repentance” and, once he finished, turned and walked away.

As soon as she left The Windsor Group building, her first instinct was to call Jamison.

But he was more than a thousand miles away on business. Even if he knew, there was nothing he could do except worry.

Reconsidering, she dialed Boyd instead.

“Hey, Ivy-”

“Boyd, about the arson at Windsor Manor and Baillie’s accident – look into a man named Hawley. He grew up in the same orphanage as Emma, and I’ve heard he was always in love with her. Before she died, Emma must have used him to do plenty of dirty work. Both cases are connected to him.”

Boyd sounded shocked, but caught on quickly. “You mean – this guy grew up with Emma, loved her, and now that she’s dead, he wants revenge on the Windsor family?”

“Exactly. Maybe he’ll come after me, too.” Ivy paused, then added, “Don’t tell Jamison just yet. He’s away on business, and this will only worry him. Just assign someone to drive me to and from work for now.”

“What about the Golden Maple Estate? Naylor’s there alone – can she handle watching both of you?”

“It’s fine at home. The security system’s good, and if anything happens, the police will know right away.”

Jamison had been the previous owner and valued his privacy and safety. The place was wired directly to the police.

“Alright, I’ll send someone over.”

“Thanks.”

Ivy hung up and mentally retraced every detail, searching for vulnerabilities.

Better safe than sorry.

She couldn’t afford to be careless, or to hope for luck, not when it meant putting herself – and Jamison – at risk.

The truth was, if something happened to her, she could accept it. But Jamison would be devastated, worried sick, unable to rest.

They’d been married six months, and she’d never given him a peaceful life. The guilt gnawed at her.

She could only hope this crisis would soon be over.