Chapter 47
Was it as compensation for betraying both of them?
Yes, that had to be it. The longer Jamison dwelled on it, the more convinced he became. Otherwise, how could Ivy – ostracized by the Windsor family – possibly afford a multimillion-dollar house? There was simply no other explanation.
Still on her call, Ivy stepped away, seeking a bit of privacy.
On the other end of the line, Micah's voice was soft and cautious, his tone gentle even as he pressed her. "Ivy, why did you tell Emma and the others that I gave you money? Now Emma thinks I got back together with you. She's been arguing with me for the past two days, and no matter how much I try to explain, she refuses to believe me.”
Ivy listened calmly, utterly unbothered by any sense of guilt. “Well, maybe she shouldn't have run her mouth and accused me of selling myself. If your girlfriend wants to pick a fight with me, you can deal with the fallout. Not my problem.”
“Accused you of what?” Micah sounded confused.
Ivy frowned, surprised. “She didn't tell you what happened last night?”
“She said… you stole that ruby necklace, snapped it on purpose, then tossed her a wad of cash and told her to fix it herself…”
Ivy gave a short, incredulous laugh. “Micah, are you really that clueless? What on earth do you see in Emma?”
Cruel, jealous, always playing the victim and twisting the truth – she could lie without blinking, and she had a flair for drama that bordered on pathological. Given Micah’s family background, he could have any woman he wanted. He could pick someone a thousand times better than Emma with his eyes closed. He must be blind.
"Ivy…" Micah’s voice dropped, sounding even more dejected. After a moment, he spoke again, pain clear in his words. “After you were kidnapped, I was devastated. Emma was the only one who stayed by my side… She comforted me…”
Ivy’s eyes widened in shock. “Did she also cry to you all the time, saying how much she missed me, how guilty she felt, blaming herself for me being taken?”
“Yeah… Emma was really upset. We’d reminisce together about all the fun times with you, and after a while…”
Ivy clutched her phone, laughing so hard she couldn’t breathe; tears streamed down her face. So that was it. She’d played matchmaker for them without even knowing it! She’d really underestimated Emma.
That venomous woman – her acting was first-rate, her schemes watertight. She must’ve planned it all: wait until Ivy was abducted, then swoop in and steal Micah for herself, rehearsing every step in her mind. All that heartbreak, guilt, depression, all her supposed trauma – it was just an act! The whole point was to win everyone’s sympathy and clear herself of suspicion. And clearly, her plan had worked perfectly – except for one thing: Ivy had survived and come back.
“Micah, you’re such an idiot,” Ivy said, her laughter turning icy. “Honestly, you deserve Emma. The two of you are perfect for each other – just stay together and don’t inflict yourselves on anyone else.”
Micah bristled. “Ivy, you’re being unfair to Emma. We grew up together. Don’t you think I know what kind of person she is?”
“You don’t know squat! But whatever, I wish you both the best. Just promise me that when Emma finally winds up behind bars one day, you’ll stand by her through thick and thin.”
With that, Ivy lost all interest in continuing the conversation. “I’m busy. I’m hanging up. Don’t ever call me again – I’m sick of it.”
“Ivy, wait!” Micah called out, desperate.
“What now?”
“I… I just… are you short on money?” Micah stammered, struggling to get the words out.