Chapter 497
Jamison glanced around the living room, his handsome features breaking into a relaxed smile. “This place? The deed’s in Ivy’s name. She bought it herself, paid in full—neither I nor Micah gave it to her. The only connection is that I used to own it, so I suppose you could call it fate. If you hadn’t thrown her out, she’d never have gone looking for a realtor, and we never would’ve met. This house was where our story began, the very place our love took root.”
By the bar, Rosetta was still holding onto her son for support. She burst out, unable to contain her disbelief, “That’s impossible! This place must be worth millions—where on earth would Ivy get that kind of money? You must have sold it to her at some absurd bargain!”
Jamison let out a cold laugh. “Is belittling your own daughter the only way you know how to get by?”
Rosetta bit her lip, shame coloring her cheeks.
“You have no idea how capable your daughter truly is,” Jamison continued, turning to glance at his wife, pride and deep affection shining in his dark eyes. “She’s a well-known artist, a respected financial analyst. For her, making money is hardly worth mentioning.”
The Windsors stared at him in shock, unable to believe what they were hearing.
They’d always known their daughter was gifted—she’d played the piano, mastered chess, painted, read voraciously. They even remembered her art exhibition back in middle school. But could those paintings really have sold for that much?
And a financial analyst… Sure, she’d studied finance and gotten top marks, but how could someone so young have made millions in the stock market?
“And about the recent acquisition of the Windsor Group,” Jamison added, “I’m guessing you all assumed I was the one pulling strings behind the scenes. Truth is, I couldn’t care less about corporate warfare. Every move was Ivy’s—she planned everything, executed every step, and took over the Windsor Group with her own hands. All I did was lend her a bit of cash. That’s it.”
He smiled, almost amused. “But since we’re married, what’s mine is hers. So even calling it a loan is a stretch.”
Adkins slumped into the sofa, mumbling to himself, “How is that possible? She was only twenty when she was taken…”
The implication was clear—how could someone so young, even if she was clever, have amassed so much money?
Little did he know, Ivy’s “rainy day fund” had started with a goal most people could only dream of.
“You all assumed Ivy depended on me, but the truth is she never needed anyone. Before we ever married, she was already wealthy in her own right. If you hadn’t abandoned her, humiliated her, and even turned a blind eye while Emma almost cost her life again, Ivy could have led your precious Windsor family to even greater heights.”
Jamison was usually a man of few words, but today, for his wife’s sake, he was willing to spell everything out.
Ivy’s expression remained serene. Once he’d finished, she finally murmured, “There’s no point in telling them all this.”
He looked at her, his hand tightening gently around her shoulders. “You’re right, there’s no point. But they should know—they had fortune right within their grasp and chose to throw it all away. They have no one to blame but themselves.”
He turned his gaze to Adkins, voice going cold. “If you have nothing now, it’s exactly what you deserve.”
Adkins had nothing to say.
But Rosetta suddenly sprang into action, rushing forward in desperation. “Ivy, Ivy-!” Jamison’s face darkened, and he immediately stepped in front of his wife. “Mrs. Windsor, if you have something to say, say it from there. Don’t come any closer.”
“Ivy, your father and I know we were wrong. We truly do. Please, for the sake of raising you, just give us a chance to make it right.”
She choked back a sob and pressed on, “The truth is, we came here today to bring you home, truly—to bring you back home. No matter what, you’re our real daughter, not like Emma. That girl… she’s gone off with Sheridan and cut all ties with us. She won’t even pick up my calls. Had I known how cruel she’d turn out, I never would have adopted her—never!”
Rosetta took a shaky breath and continued, “But even if you look at it another way, we only adopted her for your sake. You were sickly as a child, and Father Benedict said you were cursed with ill fortune, that you wouldn’t live to grow up… But you were so beautiful, so clever, so full of life. We couldn’t bear the thought of losing you. That’s why we adopted a girl your age, with a compatible birthdate—Father Benedict said she’d take on your misfortune, so you could live a safe and happy life.”
“See, wasn’t he right? You suffered these past three years, but in the end, you married Mr. Jamison and have everything you could ever want. And Emma, after all her scheming, is now suffering under Sheridan. She’s paying your debt for you!”
The more Ivy listened, the more surreal it all sounded.
In all her years, she’d never realized just how twisted her mother’s logic could be.
Such far-fetched superstition, and yet Rosetta made it sound so righteous.
Ivy opened her mouth several times, then finally let out a cold, mocking laugh. “So by your logic, I should be grateful to that priest, not to you.”
Jamison lowered his head, an elegant smile curving his lips.
His wife was as sharp as ever—not for a moment was she fooled by the Windsor family’s honeyed words.