"But I remember you," he said. "The number one debutante in Neo Haven. You were beautiful, and a fantastic dancer. Whenever you were at one of those events, you were the center of attention."

"Really?" Ivy's eyes widened in surprise. "You noticed me back then?"

"I did."

"And? Did you have a crush on me?"

"..." Dr. Ludwig was silent.

"What does that mean? You didn't like me?"

"It wasn't that. I just thought you were… like a showy butterfly. Too boisterous."

"What?!" Ivy's voice went up an octave. He thought she was a showy, boisterous butterfly!

"If you didn't like me then, how did you end up falling so hard for me later?" she demanded, determined to get to the bottom of this.

But Jamison didn't have an answer. He couldn't even remember when he had first heard that the former number one debutante had been kidnapped. He remembered being shocked, but since it had nothing to do with him, he hadn't given it much thought. And Micah's relationship with Emma had been completely off his radar.

Life is strange. If you meet the right person at the wrong time, you can still miss your chance. They were the lucky ones. They had found each other at the right time.

Faced with his wife's pointed question, he could only answer honestly. "I don't know. I guess my perspective changed."

The details of the past didn't really matter, but Ivy couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. So that's what he had thought of her. She was just glad he hadn't called her a social climber, or this trip would have been over before it began.

Ivy's beauty quickly attracted the attention of the local men. A handsome, dark-skinned young man in traditional attire enthusiastically invited her to dance. Still smarting from her husband's comment, Ivy shot Jamison a flirtatious look, then smiled and placed her hand on the young man's arm. With a graceful twirl, she was in the center of the crowd.

She was wearing a vibrant red, tropical-style dress that left her shoulders and arms bare. Her skin was a flawless, creamy white against the fiery red, her figure tall and slender, her features exquisitely beautiful. As she moved, she was more captivating than the bonfire itself.

A cheer went up from the crowd. They danced and clapped, forming a circle around her and her partner. Just as Jamison had said, wherever Ivy went, she was the center of attention. Even after all these years, in a foreign country, that much hadn't changed.

It had been a long time since Ivy had felt so free, so alive. It was as if time had reversed, and she was once again the girl who commanded the adoration of everyone in the room. She danced with wild abandon, shedding the last vestiges of the darkness that had haunted her for so long.

Chapter 819

Jamison stood on the sidelines, clapping along with the music. He could see the pure, unadulterated joy on her face, and he was glad he had brought her here.

But as he watched, he noticed that her partner was getting closer and closer. The smile on his face vanished when he saw the young man's hand rest on his wife's waist. Without a moment's hesitation, he strode into the circle, grabbed Ivy's hand, and pulled her into his arms.

The crowd gasped, then watched with amused interest.

Ivy was flushed and breathless, her eyes sparkling. "What's wrong? The dance isn't over."

"It's late. Time for bed."

He didn't give her a chance to argue. He swooped down, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her away.

The crowd laughed and cheered, parting to let them pass.

Ivy's face was burning, but as she looked at her husband's pouting, jealous face, she couldn't help but laugh.

He carried her all the way to the hotel elevator before finally putting her down.

"Tsk, you're so possessive," she said, still smiling. "You're the one who said you couldn't dance. I have one dance with someone else, and you get all upset."

"Who's upset? I saw you getting too close to the fire. I was worried you were going to get hurt," he said, too proud to admit he was jealous.

From that night on, however, Dr. Ludwig could often be found secretly studying videos of couples dancing on his phone.

Ivy just laughed. This side of him–so childish and flustered–was ridiculously cute.

Feeling bold in the unfamiliar surroundings, she threw her arms around his neck and looked up at him, a playful glint in her eye. "Oh, so you were just worried about my safety? So you don't mind if I dance with other men?"