Chapter 800

Jamison nodded in understanding. “Looks like our rich lady has set her sights on a new target. Honestly, I’ve always suspected she didn’t marry Baillie out of love. Most likely, she was already pregnant and needed a father for her child–and Baillie was easy enough to manipulate.”

After all, back then, it was obvious to everyone that Baillie was desperate for money. For the right price, he would say and do anything to please her. She just took advantage of that.

Ivy had considered the same thing, but it didn’t concern her, nor did it interest her. She let the thought go almost as soon as it came.

“Tomorrow’s Adkins’ funeral, and Baillie’s wife is out wining and dining some young stud. If word gets out, the Windsor family will be the talk of the town–again,” Jamison said as he poured his wife a cup of tea, ending with a sigh and a wry smile.

Ivy frowned. “Edmond wants to back out of the Windsor Group project. He asked for my opinion, and I told him there’s still a slim chance, but if Baillie’s marriage blows up too…”

She trailed off, but Jamison set down the teapot and finished her thought. “Then it’s over. The Windsor Group will go under, drown in debt, and won’t survive to see any restructuring.”

“Exactly.”

Ivy didn’t feel sorry for Baillie; she just thought that, after two deaths, the Windsor family had suffered enough. The rest of them deserved a chance to live on. If Baillie’s marriage collapsed and the company went bankrupt, she doubted that pampered golden boy could handle it. He’d never faced a real hardship in his life–how could he possibly survive such a blow? She didn’t want to hear about another tragedy.

But as for Baillie’s wife and her new boy toy, Ivy couldn’t and wouldn’t interfere. She just pretended not to notice and hoped Baillie would find his own way out.

When they finished dinner and got up to leave, Ivy glanced back at their table. The rich lady and her young man were already gone. She wondered if the woman had gone home–or if she’d taken her new friend somewhere more private.

“Do you believe in karma?” Ivy asked suddenly as she slid into the car.

Jamison took her hand, looking at her. “Are you talking about the Windsors?”

She nodded and sighed. “Ever since I came back, the Windsor family has been falling apart. No one expected it to happen so fast–two deaths in just a few months.”

It was true that Ivy had come back seeking a bit of payback, but she’d never set out to destroy the family entirely, and she certainly hadn’t meant to take anyone’s life–not even Emma’s. Yet here they were, gone so quickly and so strangely.

She couldn’t think of a better word for it than karma.

“Maybe so. Even we doctors, sometimes, when science fails to explain things, start to believe in fate,” Jamison said gently. “Maybe they really are just getting what they deserve.”

Ivy looked at him, surprised. “Really? Hearing that from you is… unexpected.”

“You’re still young,” Jamison replied, his tone warm but matter-of-fact. “Give it a few more years, and you’ll see–most people’s fates are set long before they realize it. The Windsor family’s downfall was written on the wall years ago. When Emma got together with Micah, she just wanted to marry into money and drain his family dry. Then Baillie tried the same trick with the Millers, but their daughter was too smart to fall for it. If Emma and Micah had actually gotten married, maybe the Windsors could have held on a few more years. But life doesn’t work like that. Once the engagement was called off, they panicked and made one mistake after another.”

“To be honest, you were their real good luck charm. Too bad they were blind enough to throw you out and cut you out of their lives for good. So, really, is any of this surprising now?”

Ivy understood all of that. She might be young, but these past few years had taken her through more ups and downs than most people see in a lifetime. She’d seen the worst of people, survived what felt like a brush with death, and now all she wanted was to live for herself–happily, on her own terms. Everyone and everything else—even family by blood–she’d learned to keep at arm’s length if they brought her nothing but pain and exhaustion. Other people’s opinions meant nothing to her anymore. No one else could live her life for her.

Reminding herself of this philosophy, Ivy felt her mood lift a little. “We should still go to the funeral. I’ll just treat it as saying goodbye to a distant relative.”

Jamison nodded, calm as ever. “Alright. I’ll go with you.”

The car grew quiet. As they neared home, two teenagers on motorbikes roared past, reminding Ivy of that night when she’d been boxed in by a biker gang. She turned to Jamison and asked, “These last few days… that guy hasn’t made a move. Has he given up on revenge?”

From what she knew of Hawley, once he’d tracked her down–and even followed her several times–he wouldn’t just back off. He was waiting for the right moment.

So why had things been so quiet for days now?

Jamison seemed puzzled too. They exchanged a glance–and suddenly came to the same realization.

“The funeral!” they both blurted out.

Ivy nodded quickly. “Right. He must have heard about Adkins’ death, and he’s waiting to make his move at the funeral. With the whole Windsor family and their relatives all gathered, anything that happens there would be even more shocking–and do the most damage.”

Jamison’s expression darkened. “If that’s the case, are you still going tomorrow?”