Chapter 758

The elevator’s polished walls reflected a heated kiss. Katrina’s muffled gasp of pain did nothing to snap Naylor out of his trance. The security camera blinked right at them.

In the security office, a pair of young guards caught the scene live on their monitors. Both jumped up, eyes wide, and waved their coworkers over. “Hey, come look! Those two are at it again—live show in the elevator!”

When the elevator doors slid open directly into the apartment, Naylor swept Katrina into his arms and strode inside. At the entryway, he was already tugging impatiently at their heavy winter coats, cursing under his breath at all the layers.

He hated winter—the endless scarves and sweaters, the effort it took just to peel each other out of clothes. Where was the fun in that?

“Naylor, not so rough! You’re going to tear my clothes—”

“I’ll buy you new ones!” he shot back, not missing a beat.

A ruined shirt or two was the least of his concerns. If she didn’t have anything to wear home tonight, well, that was just fine by him—he wasn’t planning to let her leave anyway.

He’d been away on business for days and was more than ready to make sure this stubborn woman couldn’t get out of bed tomorrow. Let her try to storm back to the hospital—she’d be dreaming if she thought she could escape tonight.

Downstairs, Jamison had only meant to drop Ivy off at her building and head straight back to the hospital. But Halley had nodded off in his car before they even made it to the curb.

There was no way he’d let Ivy haul the sleeping boy upstairs by herself, so he parked, climbed into the back seat, and gently scooped up his oblivious nephew, carrying them both inside.

“Great, just great. Should’ve dropped him at home,” he grumbled in the elevator, juggling Halley’s limp body.

Ivy just shook her head, half amused, half exasperated. “You know, you’ll need more patience when you’re a dad yourself.”

“It’s different with your own kid,” Jamison retorted. “Nephews don’t count.”

She rolled her eyes. “Right.”

But honestly, there wasn’t much difference—the way Jamison handled Halley, you’d think he was his own son.

Inside, Ivy hesitated. “Are you sure it’s safe for him to sleep here with me? I mean, it hasn’t even been six months since I got sick. What if—”

Jamison interrupted before she could spiral further. “You’re fine. Your test results are clear. Let him keep you company tonight. It’s better than you brooding alone.”

Ivy nodded, trusting his reassurance. While Jamison fetched hot water to wash up the little boy, Ivy watched him, noticing how deftly he went about the routine, despite his earlier complaints.

“He’s stayed with you before, hasn’t he?” she asked.

Jamison shrugged. “Yeah. Whenever he gets in trouble at home, he camps out with me and refuses to leave.”

Ivy laughed. “You were probably the same way as a kid.”

Jamison grinned, pride in his voice. “Please, I was way worse than him. He’s got nothing on me.”

Once Halley was settled in bed, Jamison made for the door.

Ivy followed to see him out, pausing with him at the entryway. He turned, pulling her into a tight embrace. Neither spoke.

They didn’t need words. In the hush between them, they understood each other’s pain, the silent ache of worry they both carried.

“Go home, get some rest,” Ivy murmured after a while, loosening her hold. “You barely slept last night. Try to get a decent night’s sleep.”

Jamison hesitated, reluctant to leave. But with his mother still so ill, and the family still keeping Micah’s death a secret from her, he couldn’t risk being away. If she ever learned the truth, the shock might be too much.

“I will. You should, too. That kid sleeps like a rock. Don’t worry about him.”

His dry humor made Ivy smile. She nodded, her lips quirking up.

Then she reached up, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. Jamison brushed a soft kiss across her lips, ruffled her hair with a fond hand, and finally turned to go.

Chapter 759

By tradition, funerals were held three days after death. But with Carla still in custody, the Ludwig family had agreed to postpone Micah’s service.

Father gone—a mother should at least be present for her son’s final farewell. No one could bear the thought of him making that last journey alone.

The psychiatric evaluation would typically take fifteen working days, but even with the family pulling strings for an expedited report, they were told five to seven days at best.

Still, the verdict didn’t matter much. Carla’s madness was obvious to everyone by now.

Every time Thad visited her with the lawyer, he left heavy-hearted. She’d taken to talking to thin air, laughing and crying at nothing, completely lost to the world.

The family had kept the news tightly under wraps. Adela Ludwig still didn’t know her grandson was gone, nor that her son-in-law was dead and her daughter had been arrested for murder.

But mothers know their children. Ever since the incident, Adela had been plagued by restless nights, unable to sleep, haunted by a sense that something was terribly wrong. She couldn’t understand why Carla never visited or even called anymore.

To keep her from guessing the truth, Jamison played the villain. “I told her not to come see you,” he said, feigning annoyance. “She’s been in a mood lately, nothing but doom and gloom. I didn’t want her bringing you down.”

Adela bristled. “Don’t be ridiculous! She’s been pushed to the edge and you expect her to be cheerful? She’s your sister—how can you treat her like this? Are you trying to drive her mad? Give me my phone. I’m calling her right now.”

“I didn’t bring it,” Jamison replied.