Desire, once awakened, only grows stronger when left unsatisfied. Jamison refused to let go, using his height and strength to his advantage, keeping Ivy close as they lingered cheek to cheek for a while.

He finally released her—reluctantly—just as Ivy was about to lose her patience.

“I’ll carry you upstairs,” he murmured, voice husky, his eyes dark and intent.

“No need. I really have put on weight—you’ll throw your back out. I’ll walk myself,” she insisted, pushing him away firmly and stepping out of the car on her own.

She’d eaten far too much at dinner. As Ivy walked, she rubbed her stomach and shot an accusing look at the very man who had spent the whole evening coaxing her to eat. “From now on, you’re not allowed to pick me up from work. I’m starting intermittent fasting at night.”

If this kept up, she’d hardly recognize herself in the mirror.

Jamison was usually endlessly indulgent with her, but this time he contradicted her without missing a beat. “It’s a husband’s duty to pick up his wife after work. No one’s going to change that.”

Ivy glared at him. She thought about arguing but realized it would be pointless. She knew exactly what was going through his mind.

He was either worrying about Edmond or about the prospect of her attracting more admirers now that she was back at work, exposed to the world again. His possessiveness was truly unmatched.

Thinking back to her first day back on the job, several male colleagues had been especially attentive—tripping over themselves to fetch her coffee or help with the smallest tasks. The women, on the other hand, had greeted her with thinly veiled sarcasm and coolness. Ivy understood the psychology behind it. It was simply human nature.

“Fine, pick me up if you want,” she conceded. At least it would give those overeager male colleagues a clear look at her husband, and maybe, just maybe, they’d think twice before acting so familiar.

Men, she thought—vain, impulsive, proud, sensitive, and prone to keeping score.

She was here to focus on her career, not to be tripped up by some man’s jealousy.

Once they got home, Ivy made a beeline for the study. The “Stonks Only Go Up” group chat was as lively as ever. After their last dinner together, the group had started a new WhatsApp chat—somehow it made everyone feel a little closer. Bob and Jay had gone all-in on tech stocks lately, only to get hammered by the afternoon’s market plunge. Everyone was feverishly debating whether this was just a brief correction—a “buy the dip” moment—or the start of a real downturn. Ivy was busy writing her market analysis and running numbers, so she hadn’t chimed in. Jamison, though, logged on and chatted for a bit.

Sophia: Dr. Ludwig, where’s Ivy? Tell her to get in here and show us the way!

Dale Sullivan: Guess Dr. Ludwig is on the night shift again—otherwise, he wouldn’t be chatting with us.

The implication was clear: if Jamison had his wife around, he’d hardly be wasting time online.

Jamison smirked and replied: Not on the night shift tonight. I’m home—she’s busy in the study.

Dale Sullivan: That’s a true boss woman—ignoring even her husband for work. [smirk]

Sophia: Dr. Ludwig, go get Ivy for us!

Seeing the messages, Jamison now had the perfect excuse to go bother his wife. He got up and headed for the study.

As he entered, Ivy glanced up briefly, then turned her attention back to her laptop. “Go ahead and get some sleep. I’ve still got a few things to finish up.”

She really did have work to do. And, if she were honest, she was also keeping her distance from Jamison on purpose. After everything they’d been through, their feelings for each other had only deepened. In the past, Jamison had been the one hopelessly infatuated, while she always kept a measure of distance and reason in her mind.