Chapter 289
“Carve it up?” Ivy let out a soft laugh. “No, I don’t want a piece–I could take the whole thing for myself if I wanted. But honestly, the real estate business isn’t what it used to be. Even if I took it over, it wouldn’t mean much now.”
She had no interest in being the boss. This was about pride–about proving once and for all that the daughter they’d thrown out was, ironically, their greatest asset.
Jamison heard the weariness in her voice and jumped in to reassure her. “It’s not about the money or the power. This is about settling the score for you. So let’s just take it first and figure out the rest later. If you don’t want to bother with it, you can always have someone else manage it, or just sell it off on the cheap if you prefer.”
Ivy didn’t answer right away, her eyes reflecting a spark of mischief as she stared at him.
Jamison raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “What’s wrong? Suddenly feeling generous?”
She scoffed. “As if!” But after a moment, her cheeks flushed, and she glanced away before mumbling, “I just think… maybe you’re being a little too generous with me.”
He’d already given her five million dollars without blinking–enough to make anyone’s head spin. Now he was fully backing her in toppling the Windsor family, with no strings attached, just to make her happy and help her settle old scores.
Wasn’t this what reckless kings did for their favorite consorts? Throwing fortunes at their feet, asking nothing in return?
Jamison understood what she was getting at, and their eyes met. Both of them broke into grins, unashamed of the indulgence between them. “Isn’t it a husband’s job to spoil his wife?” he teased.
“If you were a king back in the day,” Ivy said, smiling slyly, “that old story about a consort smiling from horseback wouldn’t even come close to describing you. You’d write a whole new playbook on how to pamper your queen.”
“Maybe so,” Jamison agreed, laughter rumbling in his chest.
Across the table, their two friends exchanged glances, exasperated by the couple’s private bubble. “You know what, maybe we should just skip dinner and send you two straight to the honeymoon suite,” Katrina teased.
Ivy turned and shot her best friend a faux glare, her eyes glinting playfully. “Katrina, honestly! Do you ever stop?”
“Hey, you’re the one making it obvious, and it’s not like we’re in the middle of the night here,” Katrina shot back, grinning.
Ivy quickly sat up straight and focused on her plate, acting as if nothing had happened.
Naylor, still watching the two of them, finally fixed his gaze on Ivy. “Miss Windsor, if you don’t mind me asking–what do you actually see in this guy? He used to complain about you all the time to me, you know.”
“Did he?” Ivy’s curiosity was piqued. She turned to Jamison, an eyebrow raised. “What did he say about me?”
Jamison shot Naylor a sharp look, clearly a warning.
But Naylor just smirked, unfazed. “Oh, he had plenty to say. Said you were stubborn, impossible to reason with, had a sharp tongue, always had to have things your way, and never listened to advice.”
“Are you rapping now?” Jamison retorted, rolling his eyes.
Ivy looked at Jamison expectantly, waiting for him to explain himself.
Feeling her gaze, Jamison squared his shoulders and protested, “Don’t listen to him. He’s just jealous I beat him to the altar and wants to stir up trouble between us.”
Naylor just snorted and shrugged.
Katrina jumped in with a mischievous smile. “Dr. Ludwig, you’re really one to talk. Everything you just said about Ivy–she’s said the exact same things about you! You two really are a perfect match. Just wait, when you close the door and start arguing, it’ll be like two fencers trading blows–neither one ever backing down.”
Her description was so vivid that the whole table burst into quiet laughter, each of them picturing the scene.
“Katrina, there isn’t enough food on this table to keep your mouth busy, is there? I just got married today, and you’re already predicting arguments?” Ivy feigned indignation.
“Oh, come on, I was just making a point,” Katrina replied, realizing she might have gone too far. She quickly added, “But honestly, I think Dr. Ludwig will spoil you from now on. He probably couldn’t bring himself to say a harsh word to you, let alone pick a fight.”
Jamison looked over at Ivy, his expression softening with affection. “Of course. I promised you, didn’t I? No more sharp words from me.”
Ivy pressed her lips together, remembering that promise.
“So after all that, Miss Windsor, you still haven’t told us what you actually like about this guy,” Naylor persisted, clearly curious.
Ivy hesitated, embarrassed, but with Jamison right there, not answering felt like letting him down.