[Globe International]
"Sir, are you sure Miss Ivy won't try to run away this time?" Taylor asked skeptically, watching as his boss left her behind and returned to his work.
Xander paused and looked up, meeting Taylor's cautious gaze.
"No," he said calmly. "Not when I've left her in good hands."
His tone was firm, leaving no room for doubt. The confidence he carried wasn't something Taylor could question. After all, Xander had never been wrong when it came to Ivy.
"Make sure the driver is sent to pick her up. I'm sure the meeting won't take long," Xander added, already shifting his attention back to the documents in front of him.
Taylor hesitated for a moment, still unconvinced—but in the end, he simply nodded and followed the order.
***
Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, Ivy sat across from a middle-aged woman who looked as though she had just returned from a vacation.
A wide-brimmed hat. Oversized sunglasses. A polka-dot dress that seemed almost too cheerful for the setting.
At first glance, she looked ridiculous.
But the moment she lifted her head slightly—
The air around her shifted.
Cold. Sharp. Oppressive.
Ivy leaned back in her chair, her gaze flickering with mild annoyance as she studied the woman.
Is she trying to intimidate me? Raven thought, unimpressed.
The woman slowly removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of calculating eyes that locked onto Ivy like a predator assessing its prey.
"You've changed," she said coolly. "Or should I say… you've gotten bolder?"
Ivy didn't respond. She simply observed the woman—someone whose presence stirred nothing but unpleasant memories in her mind.
A faint smile tugged at the woman's lips as she watched Ivy's unwavering gaze—but she didn't stop.
"What made you think I wouldn't find out what you were up to when you approached Mr. Emerson?" she continued, her voice dropping into something colder. "Did you really think you could enjoy all the benefits alone?"
Silence.
Ivy's fingers, which had been tapping lightly against the table, stilled.
Florine smirked.
"So," she said lazily, "if you don't want me to expose your little lie, then keep playing the game—and bring me the money."
The brief trace of amusement vanished from her face, and the temperature between them seemed to drop several degrees.
Ivy said nothing.
Her silence only sharpened Florine's expression.
With a soft scoff, Florine stood up and slipped her sunglasses back on.
"And if you even think of betraying me," she added coldly, "don't forget what you'll have to face in return."
Without another glance, she turned on her heels and walked away.
Ivy remained still, her eyes following the woman's retreating figure.
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
But inside— chaos erupted.
Memories surged forward, one after another—sharp, suffocating, impossible to ignore.
The humiliation, control and endless harassment.
All at the hands of the very woman she had once been forced to call mother.
Raven's fingers curled slightly. And for the first time since the conversation began—her eyes turned cold.
"Just what kind of life did Ivy live?" she muttered, but the unexplainable feeling in her heart didn't seem to ease.
***
While Raven's thoughts churned in chaos, the atmosphere at the Emerson Mansion was anything but calm.
The young master had started throwing another tantrum.
"Young Master, please open the door. You haven't eaten anything since morning," Butler Rupert pleaded, knocking gently yet persistently, hoping the mention of food would coax Leo out.
But to their dismay, it didn't.
"No! I won't open it unless you bring my mommy!" Leo's voice rang out from inside, leaving the butler stunned.
Ever since Leo had returned, something had felt off.
Strange, unsettling. But by the time they realized what it was, the young master had already locked himself inside his room, refusing to come out, refusing to speak.
Freda, who stood nearby holding a tray of untouched food, looked at the old butler helplessly.
"Butler Rupert… what should we do now? The young master refuses to open the door," she asked anxiously.
They knew Leo was upset. But this demand… it was something they weren't even sure they could fulfill.
And that only made the situation worse.
Rupert frowned, deep in thought. After a moment, he sighed and turned, preparing to call Xander.
But before he could reach the telephone, the main door opened and a woman walked in.
Rupert paused, blinking in confusion. But the very next second, recognition hit, and the old man nearly broke into tears.
"Madam… you came!"
He dropped everything and hurried toward Ivy, his voice filled with relief—catching her completely off guard.
Ivy blinked, confused, trying to process the situation.
Fragments of Ivy's memories still lingered in Raven's mind, but they were incomplete—blurred, unreliable.
She didn't recognize this man. But judging from his demeanor…
His urgency…
His respect—
He clearly held an important position in this house.
"I'm so glad you're here," Rupert said, almost breathless. "Please—come quickly. The young master won't come out."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ivy's senses sharpened.
Leo.
Her heart skipped and her gaze snapped toward the direction Rupert pointed, something unreadable flashing in her eyes.
***
"Young Master, please open the door. Look, I've made your favorite pudding…"
Freda stood outside, still trying her best to coax the child. But before she could say anything more—
Crash!
A loud sound came from inside the room, making Freda flinch.
"Young Master!" she cried out in panic, stumbling a step back, her eyes filling with fear.
For a moment, she froze, unsure of what to do. But before she could turn to call for help, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears.
She turned instinctively as two figures came into view.
Freda blinked, trying to recognize the woman. But before she could process it the woman walked past her.
Calm and unhurried as she stopped right in front of the door.
In that instant Freda's breath caught. Because she suddenly realized, this was something none of them were prepared for.