Chapter 609: Quentin Blackwood Doesn’t Like You at All, I Have Proof

"No... don’t... please..."

"Quentin! Quentin!"

Ivy snapped her eyes open, instantly met with Quentin’s deeply anxious face.

He was still calling her name. "Ivy? Ivy?"

The bedside lamp cast a warm glow. Drenched in sweat, Ivy stared at Quentin, seemingly still trapped in her nightmare.

"What is it? A nightmare?"

Quentin had been terrified. Seeing her finally awake, he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Listening to his heartbeat and feeling his breath against her, Ivy remained visibly shaken.

"Yeah... I had a dream. You, my brothers, and Grandpa were all gone. I was completely alone."

The dream had felt agonizingly real. The darkness was endless, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find a way out, as if she were the only person left in the entire world.

"Dreams are the opposite of reality. Don’t overthink it; Grandpa will be fine," he coaxed, his voice low and soothing. "Besides, you have me. Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side."

Her grandfather’s situation had clearly put an immense amount of stress on her recently. Having finally found her family after so long, Ivy naturally cared deeply for them and was terrified of losing them. But they were all right here with her. They always would be.

"Okay." Ivy nodded, though her complexion remained pale.

For the rest of the night, Ivy could barely sleep. Unsure if Quentin had drifted off, she kept a tight grip on his shirt, her heart hovering with an unease she couldn’t shake. She desperately hoped she was just overthinking things and that time would surely make everything better.

She prayed for her grandfather’s health to return, for her wedding with Quentin to go smoothly, and for them to have a beautiful baby. She just wanted their family to be happy and together!

Early the next morning, Quentin’s phone began to ring. Since he was in the kitchen, Ivy heard it and brought the phone over to him.

"Someone’s calling you," she said, handing him the device.

Quentin was in the middle of making porridge. Wearing an apron, his hands moved with practiced efficiency—a sight that would have shocked anyone else. He looked like the picture-perfect domestic partner.

His hands full, he casually replied, "Answer it for me, will you?"

He assumed it was just a work call. He had no secrets to hide from her anyway.

"Alright." Since he had given her permission, Ivy accepted the call. "Hello," she greeted.

A woman’s voice immediately cried out from the other end. "Quentin, why haven’t you come to save me yet? Quentin..."

Ivy paused for a moment, then held the phone out to him. "It seems it’s for you."

Quentin hadn’t checked the caller ID before asking Ivy to answer, completely unaware that the caller was Claire.

"Quentin, I’ve waited for you all night. You promised you’d come save me." Hearing Ivy’s voice, Claire deliberately made her tone sound highly suggestive, leaving plenty to the imagination.

Ivy had no idea who this woman was, but she knew Quentin wasn’t that kind of man. When it came to matters like this, she trusted him completely. Still, she shot him a teasing look. "She’s been waiting for you all night. Aren’t you going to go to her?"

Quentin was speechless. He snatched the phone from Ivy’s hand and hung up without a word.

Ivy raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you have anything to explain, Mr. Blackwood?"

"That was Claire," Quentin replied.

Ivy was genuinely surprised. Quentin and Claire actually knew each other? And since when were they in contact? Why didn’t she know about this? She remembered the incident with Ruby. Quentin had been the one to order Ruby’s release. Had that been connected to Claire as well?

"How did I not know you were acquainted with Claire?"

"It’s a long story. I’ll explain everything to you in a couple of days."

"Fine." Ivy nodded, letting him off the hook for now.

Quentin served breakfast. After eating with Ivy, he left to see Jason Summers.

Jason was currently handcuffed. By the looks of it, he had been beaten up by Miles again. The bruises on his face were even more pronounced, and it seemed he had sustained heavy injuries to his body as well. Even so, he managed to curl his lips into a smirk when he saw Quentin.

"If it isn’t President Blackwood. Have you thought it through? Is that why you’ve come to see me?"

"Where are you keeping Claire?" Quentin demanded bluntly.

"Claire? So she is still in your heart, President Blackwood. Makes sense, I suppose. After all, she’s the girl who saved you when you were kids. How could you not care? I can let her go, but you have to agree to my terms first. Convince Ivy."

"If you want me to convince her, I need to see Claire first. Where is she?"

Jason initially had no intention of letting Quentin go, but a sudden thought made him change his mind.

"I can tell you the location, but don’t try to pull any tricks."

If Quentin went to see Claire, or brought people to rescue her, it would play right into Jason’s plan. He could call Ivy over to witness the scene, making her believe that Quentin still cared for another woman. He refused to believe he couldn’t drive a wedge between them. As long as there was friction in their relationship, it would be much easier for him to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

Jason gave Quentin the address. Once Quentin left, he called for the guards. "I want to see Ivy!"

A short while later, Miles arrived. "Do you really think my little sister is at your beck and call?"

Just looking at Jason filled him with disgust. If the man wasn’t hoarding the antidote, Miles would have genuinely killed him by now.

"I want to see Ivy. I have something to tell her—something about Quentin. Bring her here, and I’ll speak to her directly."

"Save your breath. Stop trying to sow discord!" Miles didn’t believe a word out of Jason’s mouth.

"You have me tied up in here. What are you so afraid of?" Jason scoffed. "I’ll be honest with you. Quentin can’t be trusted. His heart doesn’t belong to Ivy at all."

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!"

"Whether I’m spouting nonsense or not, bring her here. I have proof."

Seeing Jason so confident, it almost seemed like he really had some dirt on Quentin. Miles hadn’t believed him initially, but Jason’s absolute certainty sparked a flicker of doubt. Had Quentin actually done something to betray his little sister?

Miles brought Ivy over. Standing across from Jason, she said calmly, "My brother mentioned you wanted to see me. Have you finally decided to hand over my grandfather’s antidote?"

Jason chuckled dryly. "Don’t be so impatient. There’s just something I think you need to know. The truth is, the woman Quentin truly loves isn’t you."

Ivy simply stared at him. Did he really think she wouldn’t know whether Quentin loved her or not? She lived with him every day. The love he showed her in countless little details was impossible to fake.

"I know you don’t believe me," Jason continued, "but don’t jump to conclusions. Like I said, I have proof."

Calculating the time, Quentin should already be at Claire’s location by now. He had planned everything meticulously; there was absolutely no room for error this time.