Chapter 610: Seeing Claire Sherwood Suddenly Hug Quentin Blackwood

"My phone is over there. I have the surveillance footage. If you don’t believe me, you can watch it yourself," Jason Summers said, pointing at his device.

Ivy Sherwood didn’t believe him. "Your attempts to drive a wedge between us won’t work on me. Do you think I’d believe you, or believe that I’m the descendant of an emperor?"

Jason’s plan had been thorough, but he had underestimated the profound trust between Ivy and Quentin Blackwood. If Ivy refused to believe him and wouldn’t even look at the phone, wouldn’t his entire scheme fall apart? His eyes darted around as he quickly pivoted to a different approach. "Are you scared? You don’t dare to look, do you? If you really trust Quentin as much as you say, then why won’t you watch it?"

"Reverse psychology won’t work on me either," Ivy replied.

Seeing Jason practically jumping in frustration, she knew he had nothing real to show and was simply bluffing. She already knew exactly what kind of man Quentin was; she didn’t need to hear about it from someone else. Especially not from someone like Jason, who never spoke a word of truth. He merely wanted to sow discord and ruin her relationship with Quentin. Who knew what dark motives he was truly harboring?

"This really isn’t reverse psychology. I just want you to see clearly what kind of person Quentin really is. My phone is right there. Don’t you want to know what kind of relationship Quentin has with Claire Sherwood?"

If it had just been the first part—that Quentin supposedly liked someone else and didn’t care for her at all—Ivy wouldn’t have believed a word of it. However, the second half of Jason’s statement piqued her curiosity. Just this morning, Claire had called Quentin, and from the sound of their conversation, the two seemed quite familiar with each other. Quentin had promised to explain it to her later, so she genuinely didn’t know how he and Claire had met. She wondered if there really was something on Jason’s phone.

Ivy picked up the device. Jason hadn’t locked it, and the screen was already open to a live surveillance feed.

Meanwhile, Quentin arrived at the location Jason had mentioned. The space wasn’t cramped, nor did it resemble a prison cell. In fact, fully equipped with a bed and a bathroom, it looked more like a hotel suite.

There was no one else around. As soon as Quentin stepped inside, a woman threw herself at him. Before he could dodge, Claire Sherwood collided heavily against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

"Quentin, you’re finally here," Claire cried, burying her face into him. "I’ve been waiting all night."

Viewed from the angle of the surveillance camera, the scene looked exactly like a romantic hotel rendezvous. Claire carried a strong, overpowering perfume scent that made Quentin deeply uncomfortable. He tried to shove her away, but she clung to him relentlessly and refused to let go.

Back on Ivy’s side of the screen, the surveillance feed abruptly cut off. This was all part of Jason’s premeditated setup. He knew Claire wouldn’t be able to hold onto Quentin for long, so he had orchestrated it so Ivy would only see those few dozen seconds. That was already more than enough.

Jason said, "I didn’t lie to you, did I? I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle the scenes that follow.

"It’s still broad daylight. A man and a woman alone in a hotel room—what do you think they’re going to do?

"Ivy, you’re not an idiot. Do you really think a man like Quentin is someone you can control? Sometimes, I actually pity you. Betting everything you have on him is destined to end in a crushing defeat.

"You probably didn’t even know that Claire and Quentin were together, did you? Then again, they’ve been carrying on behind your back. Quentin is a brilliant man; why would he ever let you find out?

"You know, you’re exactly like I was back in the day. I was so in love with your mother, and I gave her my all. But what happened? She turned around and threw herself into another man’s arms. They had been sleeping together behind my back the whole time."

Ivy calmly set the phone down. "And so? What is your point?"

The footage had indeed been a jarring sight, but Ivy wasn’t foolish enough to blindly believe whatever Jason told her. She and Quentin had weathered far too many storms together to be shaken by a short video clip.

"I just want to tell you the truth. I don’t want to stand by and watch you be deceived."

"Well, thank you so much for that. Did you call me here for anything else?"

Jason couldn’t read Ivy at all. Her eyes appeared remarkably tranquil, just like Winter Mercer’s had been back then. He and the Princess had joined forces to frame Ovillette, fabricating all sorts of intimate and misleading scenes, yet Winter had simply refused to believe them. Winter’s trust in Ovillette had been absolutely unshakeable. He refused to believe Ivy possessed that same unwavering faith.

"You don’t believe it?" Jason asked.

"Wasn’t your goal just to make me watch this?" Ivy replied. "I’ve seen it now, so why do you care whether I believe it or not? What, do you want me to believe it that badly?"

Afraid that acting too eager would make him look suspicious, Jason forced himself to backpedal. "You misunderstand. I just want you to know the truth. Ivy, although I’m not your father, I still have lingering feelings for your mother. I genuinely want you to be happy."

Seeing Jason’s hypocritical act, Ivy marveled at how he could spout such utter nonsense without batting an eye. A man like him truly had no shame whatsoever.

"Then should I thank you for helping me see a man’s true colors?"

Hearing this, Jason’s face lit up with joy. "Ivy, how about this? You release me first, and then..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Ivy turned on her heel and walked away.

Jason wasn’t angry. Either way, the seed of doubt had certainly been planted in Ivy’s heart. Even if Quentin tried to explain himself later, it would be entirely useless without concrete proof. Even if Ivy still trusted Quentin right now, what about later? Once Claire stirred the pot in front of her again, it would be over. A woman’s heart was incredibly sensitive; he was confident Ivy would eventually fall into the trap.

When Ivy stepped outside, Miles Mercer was still waiting for her.

"Ivy, what did Jason say to you?"

Ivy shook her head. "Nothing much. Just some attempts to sow discord. I didn’t take it to heart."

"He’s impossible to reason with. I’ve tried every method I can think of, but he still refuses to hand over the antidote. The hospital called and said Grandpa..."

Miles trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. The old master’s condition was rapidly deteriorating. The hospital had already issued another critical condition notice. Despite administering various medications and aggressive emergency life-support measures, he wasn’t showing any signs of improvement.

"Miles..."

"Don’t worry, Ivy. Try to focus on happier things right now. Aren’t you and Quentin getting your marriage certificate in a couple of days? Are you ready?"

Ivy nodded. "I’m ready."

"You’re about to be a bride. Cheer up."

Ivy forced a smile. "I am happy."

"On second thought, don’t force it. That smile looks more painful than tears!"

Ivy held her phone and opened the dialer pad. Her gaze landed on Quentin’s name. She debated whether she should give him a call, but after a moment of hesitation, she decided against it.

She certainly wasn’t going to believe Jason’s venomous words. It would be best to wait for Quentin to return and explain things himself. If he couldn’t give her a satisfactory explanation, she would punish him by banishing him to the couch!