Talking about this, Jamison had to dig deep into his memory–it all felt like a lifetime ago.

“Back then, I was still in Germany, under a ton of pressure to graduate. At the same time, I’d started my hospital internship. I was young and headstrong. After a falling out with my family, I basically cut off contact for half a year–wouldn’t even take their money. Figured I’d make some ‘easy cash‘ and, following Naylor’s advice, tried my luck on the stock market. That’s how I stumbled onto that finance forum.”

Ivy, seizing on the key point, shot him a look that was equal parts amusement and disbelief. “You know, your rebellious phase is ridiculously long. All these years, and you’re still not over it?”

She couldn’t believe it–living abroad and still managing to fight with his family, going half a year without a word, refusing their financial support. Talk about stubborn.

Jamison just grinned, gave her cheek a light pinch, and went on, “I happened to come across your stock analysis posts. You explained everything so clearly, even beginners could understand all that technical data. Then I noticed your IP was from Neo Haven, and… I had this weird feeling.”

Ivy teased, “Like bumping into an old friend in a foreign land?”

“Sort of. After that, I started following your stock picks.”

“Well, since you’ve been following me for so long, how come you kept losing money on stocks?” Ivy was genuinely puzzled.

“Uh…” Jamison’s eyes darted away, and he looked just a little sheepish. “I was… too busy. Sometimes I’d miss the perfect moment to make a trade.”

“Really?” Ivy clearly didn’t buy it. She stared at him, scrutinizing. “Or was it your rebellious streak again? Did you insist on doing the opposite of my advice–just to prove a point?”

Jamison fell silent.

Ivy knew she’d guessed right.

“You really are something else.” She shook her head, not quite knowing how to put her exasperation into words. Shifting in his arms, she shot him a playful look. “You were just born contrary, weren’t you?”

Jamison didn’t argue.

Because, honestly, he really hadn’t wanted to admit she might know better.

At first, he’d actually followed “Mrs. Smith’s” analysis and made a decent profit. But then he thought, why should he just take her word for it? Surely he could figure this out himself.

So he started debating “Mrs. Smith” in the forum comments, often taking the opposite side just for the sake of it. Their arguments sometimes went back and forth for pages.

Then one day, “Mrs. Smith” messaged him privately–just a group invite code and a challenge: “If you’ve got the guts, join.”

Jamison couldn’t bear the thought of backing down. So, of course, he joined.

The group already had Bob, Jay, Dale, and a few others. Coach Murphy actually joined after Jamison. But once they were all in, no one else ever joined. That was their crew.

Two years later, out of the blue, “Mrs. Smith” disappeared.

She was gone for three years.

During those three years, Jamison barely spoke up in the group.

“One day,” he continued, “Dale messaged me out of nowhere. As luck would have it, I was off work that day and happened to be online, so I saw his message right away.”

Ivy asked, “Is that when his niece had the car accident?”

“Yeah. By then, I’d moved back home and landed a special appointment at the hospital, so I had some authority. When Dale asked for help, I contacted the hospital, arranged for an emergency consult, got a team of specialists together… The surgery was a success. She barely made it, but she pulled through. Dale was beyond grateful, and we got to know each other pretty well.”

Ivy frowned. “But if you did all that, why didn’t you let him tell the group?”

Jamison shrugged. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. In the end, we’re just internet friends. We don’t really know each other.”

Ivy nodded, understanding his caution.

He was reserved by nature, not one to show off or talk too much, especially online where it’s hard to know what’s real and what isn’t. Sometimes it’s just safer to keep a low profile.

“During those three years I disappeared, did you ever wonder what happened to me?” Ivy suddenly asked, curiosity in her eyes.

Jamison looked down at her, fingers idly tracing her cheek as his voice dropped low, quiet and sincere. “I did. Everyone guessed something bad had happened. Your posts stopped, you vanished… I thought maybe you were gone for good.”

Ivy sighed softly. “In a way, something bad did happen.”

Remembering her three years stolen away, Jamison’s heart ached for her, but he changed the subject. “But you came back. I remember when you started posting again, Dale Sullivan reached out to tell me Mrs. Smith was back.”

“How did you feel?”

He smiled faintly. “Just… relieved you were alive. That was enough.”

At the time, that truly was all he felt. He’d had no idea “Mrs. Smith” was young and beautiful–he’d pictured an older married woman, someone he could never imagine having feelings for.

Ivy smiled, lost in thought, a sudden sense of wonder lighting up her face. “The world is wild, and fate is wilder. Who would have guessed you’re Micah’s uncle? Or that the very day I came back after three missing years, I’d run into you? Or that you’d become my husband?”

She looked up at him, her smile radiant. “I guess our story started long before we realized.”

Jamison nodded, eyes crinkling with a smile of his own. “Like the old saying goes: if two people are meant to meet, even an ocean won’t keep them apart; but if they’re not, they could stand face to face and never know each other.”

Their paths had been set long ago. No matter the distance, no matter the detours, fate had always meant for them to meet, to recognize each other, and, eventually, to fall in love.

After all those years, the Stonks Only Go Up group was finally having its first meet-up in real life.

When Ivy and Jamison walked into the private lounge, the other four were already there, standing and cheering as they entered.