Baillie didnโt mince words. โIvy, Emma lost the baby. She was hemorrhaging and they couldnโt stop itโthey had to remove her uterus. The child was already formed, but deformed. Honestly, itโs probably for the best.โ
Lost the baby? Lost her uterus?
Ivyโs eyes widened as she glanced at her husband in shock.
Jamisonโs handsome face darkened; he was clearly taken aback as well.
โYou didnโt need to tell me all this,โ Ivy replied, her tone as cool as ever. She only cared about the outcome, not the messy details.
Baillie bristled. โIsnโt this the sincerity you wanted? Emmaโs always been at odds with you, but now sheโs out of the picture. Once she recovers, sheโll be back in custody. No oneโs left to torment you.โ
โMr. Windsor, I told youโI want nothing to do with your family drama. God knows what grievances you people have, but to turn on your own sister like that?โ Ivy deliberately took the moral high ground, chastising Baillie for trying to use her as his pawn.
Baillie was so furious he could barely speak. But after a moment, he changed tactics, his voice turning cold. โFine, pretend this has nothing to do with you. But Dadโs condition canโt wait. If you have even a shred of conscienceโand donโt want to end up like Emmaโthen you know what you need to do.โ
With that, Baillie hung up, seething.
Ivy didnโt care about his attitude. She turned to Jamison. โHow much will the surgery cost in total?โ
โMinimum five hundred thousand for the operation, and at least another hundred thousand for the hospital stay and follow-up care.โ
Ivy noddedโsheโd already decided on her approach. โHave Boyd reach out to a charity. Weโll donate six hundred thousand through them, earmarked for the medical bills. That way, it wonโt trace back to me.โ
Jamison grinned, circling around the garden swing to sit beside her. โYou really do think of everything.โ
If the money came directly from Ivy, Baillie could easily turn around and accuse herโclaiming sheโd orchestrated Emmaโs downfall just to get her fatherโs life-saving funds. That would be a headache for Ivy.
But if the payment was funneled through a charity, even if Baillie figured out the truth, heโd have no proof. Thereโd be no evidence of a backdoor deal.
Jamison picked up his phone and called Boyd, instructing him to handle it.
โAnd another thingโthe Windsor familyโs house. I heard itโs already been repossessed by the bank. I want to buy it back, but put it under my name,โ Ivy said. That way, the Windsors would have no choice but to rely on her from now on. โFine. That house isnโt worth much anyway. If you want it, itโs yours.โ
Ivy had another reason for doing this. Baillieโs demands were simple: pay for Adkins Windsorโs surgery and save the family home.
Since Baillie had handled the Emma problem efficiently, Ivy would hold up her end of the bargain. There was no point in pinching pennies and making another enemy. But she wasnโt about to spend a fortune just to hand the Windsors a free ride. By buying back the house and keeping it in her own name, sheโd ensure they depended on herโa win-win.
With everything settled, Ivy and Jamison both felt a sense of relief.
โShould we celebrate tonight?โ Ivy suggested.
Jamison smiled. โHow do you want to celebrate?โ
Leaning into his arms, Ivy considered it seriously, then blushed and whispered something in his ear.
Jamisonโs eyes lit up with surprise as he looked at her. โAre you sure?โ
She nodded, her cheeks still pink. โLetโs give it a try.โ