Chapter 397: Did Quentin Blackwood Bully You?

Once they finished discussing the Blackwood Family, the test results were just about ready.

The DNA results showed a high degree of similarity between Ivy Sherwood and the Mercers, confirming a blood relationship.

At that moment, tears welled in Ivy Sherwood’s eyes.

She never imagined she would actually find her mother’s family, that she was truly one of the Mercers.

She had thought it impossible countless times. All those near misses... they had truly missed so much.

With her mother’s ashes here as well, they were finally reunited.

Even the tough men of the Mercer family found their eyes growing moist.

After searching for so long, they had finally, truly found their aunt and her daughter.

From the first time he saw Ivy Sherwood in Aethelgard, Xavier Mercer had thought her eyes looked familiar. Later, when they were invited to a fashion show, they saw Ivy again—she was a model at the time—but Quentin Blackwood had stopped them from approaching her.

They had investigated Ivy’s background but ruled her out. Their aunt had never been to Lustre, and Ivy’s mother, Yvonne Summers, had an impeccably clean history, so they never considered the possibility.

The last time they’d gone to the hospital for a test, an issue there had caused them to miss their chance to connect, and they had nearly mistaken someone else for her.

"Little sis... you’re really our little sister!" Miles Mercer’s hands were trembling.

Ivy also wiped away her tears. "So my grandfather is still alive... and I have three older brothers."

"Yes," Xavier Mercer said. "And you have uncles and aunts, too. They’ll be ecstatic when they find out we’ve found you."

"But I don’t understand... if you knew my mother was pregnant, then... am I not Timothy Sherwood’s daughter?" Ivy was growing more and more bewildered.

"Likely not," Xavier Mercer said. "Your mother and Timothy Sherwood... it was probably just a transactional arrangement."

’So that was it. No wonder Timothy Sherwood never liked me. No wonder he showed not an ounce of affection for my mother.’

"Then who is my real father?" Ivy wanted to know.

Xavier and his brothers all shook their heads. "We don’t know. Our aunt never mentioned him."

Ivy grew even more curious. ’Her mother had been hiding such a huge secret—she was actually Winter Mercer, the very person the Mercer Family had been searching for all this time.’

’But why would she hide her identity, create a fake one, and marry a man like Timothy Sherwood?’

’And she saved up so much money for my wedding... why was she so set on me marrying Silas Blackwood?’

There were too many questions, and Ivy couldn’t make sense of any of it.

’And what was the real story between my mother and Quentin’s mother? I’ve always believed my mother could never have driven her to her death.’

’If only Mom were still alive, everything would make sense. But she’s been gone for so many years.’

"I have a family. I have a family!" Ivy was truly happy.

’She’d felt an instant connection to the Mercers, and now she knew why. They really were family.’

The Mercers were overjoyed as well. Their family’s little princess had finally been found. Old Master Mercer wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Xavier also asked Ivy if she was willing to make a public announcement to the media. From that day forward, she would officially be one of the Mercers. Anyone who dared to bully her would be making an enemy of the Mercer Family.

Ivy, however, preferred to remain low-key. She didn’t want such a grand display. Finding her family was happiness enough; there was no need for the whole world to know.

’Besides, my mother had always hidden her face and lived under an assumed name for a reason. There were too many mysteries. It was better not to draw attention to myself.’

The Mercers respected her wishes. They couldn’t wait to spoil their newfound sister, to cherish her completely.

Ivy must have suffered so much over the years. Their hearts ached for her.

"Ivy, will you call me Grandpa?" Old Master Mercer asked, his eyes glistening with tears.

"Grandpa." Ivy not only said the word but also gave him a big hug.

"Yes! Yes!" the old master cried, overjoyed.

Ivy then turned to the three Mercer brothers and called out to them one by one, "First Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother."

It was a greeting long overdue, but it made them all incredibly happy. They had finally found their sister.

Xavier then remembered something. "I recall Miles and I seeing you at the hospital," he said. "You were taking care of Quentin Blackwood, weren’t you? What’s going on between you two?"

At the mention of Quentin’s name, the ache she had briefly forgotten tugged at her heart again.

She shook her head. "It’s nothing. We broke up."

The three brothers’ eyes sharpened, and they asked in unison, "Did he mistreat you?"

Ivy was deeply touched to see them so protective of her.

Still, she didn’t want to say too much about what had happened with Quentin.

She shook her head. "No, it was an amicable split. We’re adults, you know? It was a mutually beneficial arrangement. Just think of it as me using him as a stepping stone to break off my engagement. I was the one who used him."

’If I told them what really happened with Quentin, the Mercer brothers would surely go after him, ready to fight.’

’Quentin’s influence might run even deeper than theirs, and a confrontation wouldn’t do the Mercer Family any good.’

’Besides, Quentin hates my mother so much. If he found out that both she and I are Mercers, he would definitely go after the Mercer Family, too.’

Ivy didn’t want to bring trouble to the Mercer Family. Besides, what was between her and Quentin was over.

’See? Things are fine now, aren’t they?’

’It was like every cloud has a silver lining. She had lost Quentin, but she had gained a family that loved her!’

As for the baby in her womb, Ivy decided she would schedule an appointment in a couple of days to have an abortion.

The Mercers didn’t suspect a thing. Xavier said, "Good. A man like him deserves to be used by you. If he ever dares to mistreat you, you tell your brothers. We’ll have your back."

"Thank you, brothers!"

’So this is what it felt like to be unconditionally protected by family. The kinship she had craved since childhood... it was truly so warm.’

...

Quentin Blackwood had been following Ivy the whole time. All he knew was that she had entered a hotel and hadn’t come back out.

Quentin did some checking. It seemed Ivy had gone to meet with the Mercers.

The Mercer brothers weren’t bad people. His contacts in Lustre had also filled him in on recent events there.

Quentin knew about Caleb Blackwood’s scheme. He knew Sylvia Blackwood was an impostor, but he hadn’t interfered.

He sat in his car, smoking. Quentin had been smoking far too much these past few days. Before he knew it, he had finished the entire pack he kept in the car. But the oppressive feeling in his chest wouldn’t go away. It seemed even nicotine couldn’t calm him anymore.

His bloodshot eyes were terrifying. The man was an absolute wreck.

It wasn’t just that Quentin hadn’t been resting well lately; he hadn’t slept at all in the past two days. Last night, he had watched over Ivy, not even daring to blink.

But to Quentin, being able to stay with Ivy for just one night had been a blessing from the heavens.

Quentin was jolted back to his senses by his ringing phone. He picked it up. It was Zane Linton.

"Speak," Quentin’s voice was incredibly hoarse.

Zane Linton’s voice came through the phone. "President Blackwood, there’s been another incident."