After an evening acting for the camera, Ivy rushed to finish up her assignments and caught up with classes for the day. Though Jeremy had coaxed her to sleep earlier, she could not fall asleep no matter how hard she tried with the worries she had on her unfinished homework. Fortunately, he did not hear her slip off the bed in the noisy tattering noise of the heavy rain and slipped out to the verandah to study. She had left a small opening of the sliding door out of habit.
As she went on till near dawn, she realised her syllabus was going to be a useful weapon to fight for Jeremy’s trial as she began to compile a list of laws and circumstances that would be relevant to his case. Eventually, she gave up on her heavy eyes and fell asleep on the chair while the rain grew heavier and the howling wind blew into the room from the small opening of the sliding door she left opened.
The cold breeze woke Jeremy to find her by the verandah, brewing with a cold as he quickly carried her to the bed and nursed her. When he finally had the chance to keep her notes in order, something caught his attention. It was the list of laws she was working on for his potential trials. She also included his entire team.
Silly girl… You didn’t have to do this… It made Jeremy feel very guilty as he stepped into the living room not wanting his sobs to disturb her from resting.
Daisy who usually woke early before sunrise, accidentally heard him when she stepped out from her room. She approached him and rubbed his back.
“What’s wrong sweetie?” She asked worriedly as he tried to toughen up and wipe his tears away.
She saw the list of laws in the notebook he held. Her heart ached for the couple as she comforted Jeremy by pulling him in for a hug. It felt surreal to be able to coax her youngest son who usually was all toughened up but now was so vulnerable in her arms. Daisy could only hope he would end up with Ivy in the end.
“It’s alright… It’s alright.” She said as he sighed.
“Mum, I don’t deserve her…” His voice cracked as she rubbed his back.
“Treat her well…” She comforted.
“She is down with a fever. She caught a cold while studying by the verandah the whole morning. Did you bring any medication along, Mum?” He asked urgently as she quickly went to fetch her emergency stash of medicine kit and came back to him.
When they returned to his room, Ivy was fidgeting and whimpering a lot due to the uncomfortable muscle aching.
“Hey sweetie, it’s alright… Come, let’s have you take some medicine first?” Daisy held her hand as she tried mumbling something inaudible. Jeremy quickly forced the fever pill into her mouth and made her drink from the water bottle.
As he put her down on the bed, she gripped his shirt’s collar tightly and did not let go.
“Ivy… Let go…” He coaxed but she whimpered in annoyance as she pulled him down to bed leaving Daisy having to help him put away the medicine pack and water bottle.
As he sat in bed, she began to cling to him and that was when he noticed a bright red patch on the bed from where she had. “Oh dear… let me handle her. Come, bring her to the washroom.” Daisy urged as Jeremy obeyed but the moment he wanted to put her down to sit on the bench by the washroom, Ivy just did not want to let go.
“Sweetie, come let go…” Daisy tried coaxing but Ivy was annoyed as she whimpered even more in Jeremy’s arms. Even kissing her cheeks several times to coax her to let go did not work.
“Mum, I will manage.” Jeremy knew it was because she was sick and coupled with her heavy flow of period for the month, she tends to get agitated easily.
Daisy reluctantly left them as she went to help them change their bedsheet before calling for housekeeping. He knew Ivy would not let go, so he sat with her on the bench with a towel wrapped around her lower end temporarily.
“I was warned you’re very clingy and difficult when you’re sick… I never knew it was this bad hmm little one…” He nagged at her before kissing her forehead as she fidgetted and eased into his arms comfortably before falling back to sleep.
While keeping Ivy accompanied, he heard a buzzing sound on his phone in his pocket as he took it out and read updates from Real on his findings about Kyle’s newborn daughter. His heart ached when he learned that the mother of the child died the same way as his other fiancees. He knew he had to protect the baby who would have gone to Dragon Island where his kids were as well.
He began to plot a plan with Real to work out to tighten the security there as it would not be easy to determine the level of crazy actions Kyle would do when he found out about the death news of his baby’s mother. He also told Real to work with Marcel to get a formal document ready for him before noon that day.
Later in the evening, Ivy stirred awake to a very congested nose as she sneezed. Jeremy instantly sat up to help her blow her nose after putting aside the laptop which he was secretly working on some designs.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Feeling better?” He asked gently while wiping her nose as she nodded and leaned onto him lazily. She frowned when she felt a heavy flow from her lower body and touched her posterior before opening her eyes, meeting with Jeremy’s teasing gaze.
“Did you… or mum?” She asked skeptically as he smiled understanding her asking who changed her.
“I was warned before that you’re hard to manage when sick and true enough, you’re full of all trouble anyone could ask for.” Jeremy teased her as she smacked him lightly on his chest. He kissed her forehead gently.
“I did…” He admitted before she blushed and hid her face in embarrassment. “Must be tiring for you? You seriously do whimper a lot and are so clingy.” He nagged as she ignored him and hugged him tighter.
“Let’s get some fresh air shall we?” He suggested as she nodded.
Knowing Melody was still keeping them in news coverage on Ryu’s fan page, he decided to feed her some sweet porridge and honey water by the garden. “Eat more… You need the food to help you digest your medicine later. Come on… I have a surprise for you when you finish all this.” Jeremy tried coaxing as Ivy who was frowning instantly grabbed the bowl of porridge from him when she heard surprise was awaiting.
Jeremy could not help but laugh at her. “Was this really how my brother used to coax you too?” He asked as she nodded proudly before putting down the empty bowl and he helped her wipe her mouth.
She held her hand out to him asking for her surprise and Jeremy was amused. He gladly took the envelope of documents and passed it to her. She felt strange as she quickly opened up to find legal share transfer documents of his bar business to her as the main shareholder, replacing himself.
Jeremy watched her happy face turn into anger as she slammed the documents down on the table wanting to walk off.
“Ivy, listen to me… Sit…” He tried to calm her but she refused wanting to walk away but was not strong enough to release herself from his restraints.
“Is this a joke? You must be stupid…” She ranted before folding her arms and trying to wipe her running nose. He helped her with her nose before pushing her to sit back down on the chair.
“We have reached this far. Some day… Some fine day, I hope we could sit under a tree and enjoy reading next to each other being carefree…” He watched her gaze softened.
“Having said so, while I am away serving jail term…” She glared at him for saying that.
“Let’s face it. It’s going to happen Ivy.” Listening to him calling her name and not her nickname gave her a bittersweet feeling.
“I want to leave you with something you found for me. Do whatever you want with it. It’s all yours to run. If you want, take it as a temporary venture and return to me with a high profit by then. I don’t want my assets to be frozen when I have such a precious gem who could help me improve our upkeep.” He coaxed as she tried to give it a chance and it did make sense to her.
“No…” Despite so, she still insisted on rejecting it as she was not confident in running it.
“Why? The business has been doing well all this while without me knowing or maybe understanding…” Jeremy explained.
“You have other capable people to help you with that. Why must it be me?” Ivy questioned in annoyance.
“Why would it not be you who could run an empire? Did you realise you had a track record in the business world? Do you know just how many interviews invite you had previously and even now? Everyone wants to know how you could save your father’s empire from collapsing and now it’s turning into an IPO Ivy. Why are you rejecting everything? Rejecting the fame is fine to protect your backups but rejecting this small gesture…” Ivy instantly interrupted him.
“This isn’t a small gesture Jere. You know the current company is a scam. The real deal is elsewhere. But this… This is your first genuine deed ever and your first genuine income. It’s your precious gem.” Ivy retaliated with conviction.
“And that’s why I am entrusting it to you. My other precious gem.” He watched Ivy fighting internally with herself.
“I have always told you that you need to be confident with yourself, Ivy. Even Dad said so. You’re more capable than you think you are Ivy. Besides, I have another task for you, Vivi…” He teased.
“I thought you wouldn’t call me Vivi anymore…” She mumbled her complaints but he heard her which made him steal a kiss.
She pouted in defeat. “What is the other task?”
“I will tell you when the time comes. For now, sign this first.” He gave her a pen as she sighed looking at the papers.
“Are you sure?” She asked again as he nodded.
“Promise to let me bail you out when you’re in trouble.” She bargained as he smiled knowing she was trying to get the longer end of the stick. He nodded first as she smiled and gladly signed the papers since he was strangely willing to cooperate.
“Then promise me, you will go on a date once with someone else while I am away.” He added after collecting the signed papers and quickly put them back into the envelope.
“No! That’s not valid! This is a scam!” She retaliated as he laughed.
“No then no deal. You’re not allowed to bail me out!” He teased which made Ivy furious.
“Then I’m refusing the business deal!” She stood and stomped her feet.
“Too late it’s signed and sealed!” He ran away with the envelope as she chased him.
“Come back here! I’m going to tear those documents down! This is a scam! Come back here!” Ivy yelled while chasing him as Daisy watched with John from the second floor.
“I hope someday our home will be this noisy again.” Daisy smiled while leaning onto John.
“It will be. Jeremy is already making arrangements for the little ones to be home soon.” John informed as Daisy met with his gaze excitedly.
“Really? Are you sure honey?” Daisy asked in surprise as John kissed her forehead lovingly.
“My love, you will soon be busy. Will you be fine without me around?” John asked as Daisy hugged him.
“I don’t mind. Aww, I love you, John. I can’t wait to see our grandsons.” Daisy beamed thinking about it.
John did not want to spoil her excitement hence he did not tell her about Jeremy’s plan to surrender and serve jail time. He knew it was the best decision but it would sadden Daisy as much as it does with Ivy. He could only hope when the time came, the little grandchildren would keep both ladies occupied and busy.