Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Ivy Sherwood snuggled into Quentin Blackwood’s arms. She must not have been sleeping well, because a wave of drowsiness washed over her and she quickly fell into a deep slumber.

Quentin Blackwood held Ivy with one arm and picked up his phone with the other.

He looked at the photo of the Jade Pendant and sent it to Zane Linton. "Find out where this Jade Pendant came from."

"Yes, sir," Zane Linton replied quickly.

Quentin Blackwood sent another message: "The Jade Pendant should be at the Blackwood Family estate. Send someone to find it, have a replica made, and switch it out."

He didn’t know what the Jade Pendant was for, but for Ivy’s sake, it was better for him to have it in his possession.

With his instructions sent, Quentin Blackwood looked down at the woman in his arms.

’If Ivy wants a peaceful life, then I’ll give her that peace. As long as she’s by my side, she won’t have to worry about the chaos of the outside world.’

’I just want her to be safe and happy every day.’

...

Ivy Sherwood submitted the project proposal to the client, and they quickly selected Iris as their partner company.

Thea Sherwood was absolutely furious. That project she had worked so hard on had just been snatched away by Ivy Sherwood for nothing.

She was indignant. The results of the International Perfumery Competition had been announced, and first place, without a doubt, went to Iris.

Although Thea Sherwood didn’t win first place, she still managed to snag third thanks to that perfume formula.

Thea Sherwood was ecstatic. She bought her way onto the trending topics list again, packaging herself as a major star. She posted photos of her award, feeling she had viciously slapped down everyone who had previously called her useless.

She still considered herself a young perfumery prodigy, but in her heart, she had also grown more wary of Ivy Sherwood.

’The fragrance concept was Ivy’s, after all. I just picked a couple of elements myself, and I can’t believe that was enough to get third place.’

’It’s a good thing Ivy didn’t compete; otherwise, this award would have been hers!’

’I’m so jealous of Ivy’s talent for perfumery. Why don’t I have it? I don’t think the scents I blend are any worse than hers, but even with the same notes and formula, the fragrance becomes something different in her hands.’

Iris’s reputation was growing by the day. In just a few short months, its perfumes were already being worn by many people.

And now, by landing this major overseas contract, Iris was about to break into the international market!

The Sherwood Company was an established brand, over twenty years old, and it had never managed to penetrate the foreign market. Yet Iris had accomplished so much in such a short time.

Indignant, Thea Sherwood went through Charlie Rhodes to contact the overseas company again. She touted her recent award and claimed her own company had more resources than Iris, but they still chose Ivy.

Ivy again!

Ivy Sherwood sat at her computer, looking at the list of winners for the International Perfumery Competition. She had taken first place again.

For years now, the top spot had been indisputably hers, so Ivy wasn’t particularly surprised.

The competition held a grand awards ceremony for the winners, but Ivy had never gone. Her trophies always remained with the organizing committee. She did, however, spot Thea’s name on the list.

Ivy felt nothing about Thea winning an award, though she was sure Thea would make a grand appearance at the ceremony and seize the opportunity for another wave of self-promotion.

Ivy quickly closed the awards page. Outside her office, Edie and the others were still chattering about the perfumery competition.

"See? I told you first place would be Iris again. There was never any doubt. She wins first every year. She’s so amazing! I worship Iris."

"She’s so mysterious. I wonder who she really is. If only I could meet her just once."

"I wonder what Iris even looks like, or how old she is. You know, it’s like we’re fated to be connected. Her name is Iris, and our brand is called Iris. Do you really think that’s just a coincidence? Maybe Iris is our secret boss!"

"How could that be possible? By that logic, are you saying that Boss Ivy is Iris?"

"I think it’s purely a coincidence. Our boss didn’t even enter this year’s perfumery competition. She’s obviously so talented, I don’t know why she wouldn’t participate."

"Yeah, it’s such a shame. I really wanted to see our boss compete."

The employees outside were chattering away, discussing how incredible Iris was.

While being a Perfumer wasn’t a common profession, it was still deeply intertwined with everyday life.

The International Perfumery Competition was the most prestigious contest in the field and a highly coveted award. And this "Iris" took first place every single time. In the perfumery industry, she was a household name, yet she remained shrouded in mystery.

"In any case, Iris is my idol. She’s the reason I got into perfumery," Edie chimed in.

The others laughed. "Isn’t our boss your idol?"

Edie said, "The boss is my idol too. They’re both incredibly talented, and I’m going to work hard to be like them!"

Having worked with Ivy for so long, she truly admired her.

Ivy was just about to call Edie in to discuss some things when she heard what she said.

She froze for a moment. ’I see Quentin as my idol and role model, and I’m always striving to be more like him. I never thought... that I would become someone else’s idol.’

’It’s a rather strange feeling.’

"Edie," she called out.

Edie quickly stood up. "Yes!"

"Come to my office for a moment."

Edie hurried over, quickly explaining, "Boss, we weren’t saying anything bad about you, honest! We just said it was a shame you didn’t enter the perfumery competition. If you had participated, Thea Sherwood wouldn’t have stood a chance! How could she possibly have won an award!"

Edie added, sharing in the indignation. Although their Kaelen office had only recently been established, many of the Lustre employees had come over, and with the addition of several new hires, the atmosphere was quite good.

Ivy didn’t bring it up, nor did she tell them that she had actually competed.

She said, "I have to go on a business trip for a few days. That project came through, so I need to go abroad to sign the contract. It’ll be a good chance for me to check out the foreign market and research local preferences. I’ll need you to be extra attentive at the office for a few days."

Iris had received a massive order; you could say they no longer had to worry about next year’s sales figures. The overseas market was now open to them, which meant there would likely be even more business in the future.

Ivy needed to go abroad to sign the contract.

"No problem!" Edie agreed.

However, Ivy hadn’t told Quentin about it yet. She planned to tell him when she got home that evening.

Edie said, "Boss, the fact that we sealed the deal on this project... that project proposal really played a decisive role. Boss, did you get guidance from some master expert?"

"No, someone else wrote that proposal."

"Someone else?" A bold guess formed in Edie’s mind. The proposal was so unique, with ideas far beyond what ordinary people like them could conceive. It was practically a model to study from. ’Maybe it was written by our boss’s future husband,’ she thought.

Edie said deliberately, "Well, in that case, boss, you’d better thank that person properly."

Ivy thought for a moment. ’I really do need to thank him properly!’