Wrong Flirt, Right Trouble: His Uncle Pulls Me Close

Elijah Hawthorne’s words were so intense that even the police officers wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads.

"I may be the head of the company, but I was completely unaware of this," Caleb Blackwood said, desperate to distance himself from the situation.

Elijah Hawthorne gave him an indifferent look. "You’ve got some nerve. How can you have the audacity to claim ignorance?"

"You..." Caleb Blackwood had no idea who this man was, but judging by his demeanor—and the fact that he could pull a gun on someone and face no consequences—he knew this was not someone to be trifled with.

"What exactly is going on here?" Caleb Blackwood demanded, turning to Anna Nash.

’Didn’t Silas take Ivy Sherwood’s mother’s ashes? How could Ivy possibly have them?’

’He’d planned to use the ashes as leverage. If they were in Ivy’s possession, how could he control her anymore?’

Anna Nash’s blood ran cold when she met Caleb Blackwood’s gaze.

After clawing his way up in the business world for so many years, his glare alone was utterly terrifying.

With no strategy prepared, Anna could only resort to crying.

"If you can’t explain, then why don’t I?" Ivy Sherwood felt no need to be merciful or polite to someone who had tried to have her killed.

The deal had been to keep Anna’s secret in exchange for her mother’s ashes, but Anna was the one who had turned on her first. "Her pregnancy—"

"Ivy!" Anna Nash cut her off, her face drained of all color.

"What is it?" Caleb Blackwood sensed a strange tension between Anna and Ivy.

Anna said, "I was all alone. I have no idea what happened. I’m the one who brought the ashes here. Dad, you know my parents were manipulated by Ivy. They’ve been squatting in our house and refuse to leave. Ivy made a deal with me. She said if I gave her mother’s ashes back, she would convince my parents to go."

"I was only trying to do what’s best for our family. When I saw my husband bring the ashes home, I assumed he was planning to give them to Ivy. That’s why I came here today—to give them to her. As for the person who tried to kill her, I don’t know them. I have no idea who it could be."

Ivy watched Anna’s performance. Even with the evidence laid bare, Anna was still trying to squirm her way out.

"I trust that this will all be resolved. The officers will surely see that justice is done!"

With that, Anna turned to Ivy. "Ivy, I don’t know how things ended up like this. Even though it wasn’t my intention, I still owe you an apology."

Her eyes welling with tears, Anna looked at Ivy. "Ivy, I’m so sorry!"

Just then, an officer approached them. "All of you, come with me. We’re going to take your statements separately."

Anna breathed a sigh of relief. ’At least Ivy hasn’t exposed me yet. There’s still a chance.’

Ivy followed an officer into a small room and recounted the events truthfully.

As soon as she finished her statement and stepped out, Anna called to her, "Ivy!"

Anna pulled Ivy into the restroom and, with a sudden THUD, dropped to her knees in front of her.

"Ivy, I’m begging you. Help me keep this secret. Please don’t tell Caleb Blackwood."

"That’s not what was on your mind when you tried to have me killed, was it? Anna, do you believe that only the dead can keep secrets?" Ivy wasn’t going to trust Anna again.

"Ivy, I’m serious this time. I’ll never dare to do it again. You’re so much more capable than I am. I’ll know my place from now on, I swear. Just help me this one last time. I’m begging you, Ivy! You must hate the Blackwoods, right? Don’t you want to watch me and Silas make each other miserable?"

"This is what you wanted to see, isn’t it? If I’m gone, the Blackwoods will go on living their perfect lives, and there’ll be no one left to make Silas miserable. I’ll be honest with you—I had him tested. Silas has a medical condition. He can’t have children. This was my last resort. Don’t you want to wait until the baby is born and watch the Blackwoods’ faces when they learn the truth? Ivy, I’m begging you. I’ll kowtow to you, okay?"

Ivy froze for a second. ’Silas can’t have children?’

’So the problem was with Silas. No wonder Anna got pregnant with another man’s child.’

Looking at Anna, Ivy felt not a shred of sympathy.

Hadn’t Anna brought all of this on herself? She’d fired the first shot, so she couldn’t blame others for firing back.

"I’m not helping you." Ivy’s heart was made of stone now.

Anna had wanted her dead. If it weren’t for Quentin Blackwood and Elijah Hawthorne, she would be the one lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life.

Why should she forgive this would-be murderer and keep her secret?

"You have to help me!" Anna wiped away her tears, dropping the act.

She took out a glass bottle and held it out to Ivy.

"These are your mother’s real ashes."

"What?" Ivy took the bottle.

’If these are my mother’s ashes, then what was in that box?’

"Since I was already taking a risk, I was afraid of being exposed. Of course I’d have a backup plan. This is only half of the ashes. I still have the other half. If you don’t believe me, you can get them tested anytime."

"Your mother’s ashes are well and truly in my possession. If you help me keep my secret, I swear I will never come after you again. Once my baby is born, I’ll give you the rest. It won’t be too late for you to expose me then, right?"

"But if you hate me so much that you have to expose me right now, then there’s nothing I can do. You’ll just never get the other half of your mother’s ashes."

Anna had completely shed her innocent act. The real her was a shrewd, intelligent woman.

She just usually put on a delicate, innocent facade that made people think she was harmless.

"Anna!" Ivy clutched the bottle tightly. "The baby in your belly isn’t a Blackwood. Aren’t you afraid I’ll go tell Caleb right now?"

"Go ahead. Unless you don’t want the other half of your mother’s ashes anymore." It was the only leverage Anna had.

"Ivy, keeping my secret for a while won’t hurt you. Besides, I’ll keep my word. There was never any real feud between us. You didn’t want to marry Silas, and I did. That’s all."

"I promise I’ll stop targeting you, starting today. If you ever need my help, I’ll be there for you. It’s better to have a friend than an enemy, isn’t it?"

Ivy looked down at Anna on the floor, her lips pressed into a thin line. She never expected Anna to have a card like this up her sleeve.

’Anna really is clever. But then again, if she weren’t, how could she have ever made it out of that small mountain village and married into the most powerful family in Lustre?’

Ivy considered it. ’Maybe it’s better not to expose her just yet. Keeping her around might be more useful.’

Ivy took out her phone and tapped the screen. A voice emanated from the speaker: "Ivy, I’m begging you. Help me keep this secret..."

It was Anna’s voice from just a moment ago!

Ivy let it play for a second before hitting pause.

"Anna, I’ve recorded everything you just said. This is the last chance I’m giving you. If these ashes are fake, the Blackwood family will be hearing this recording very soon."

Her aura was immense, each word landing like a hammer blow. "I’m not waiting for you to have a baby. You have six months, at most, to give me the rest of the ashes!"