Chapter 4

Dad immediately stepped in to mediate.

“Please forgive Kevin. He’s always been a bit of a ditz. Do you know? This is actually the first time he’s made up a plate for someone!”

Kevin looked up at her in aggrievement. “Do you think I’m annoying, Ivy?”

“It’s good that you realize that.”

Kevin could not take it anymore. His tears started to fall.

Dad’s expression darkened. “You shouldn’t have said that, Ivy. Kevin already sees you as a member of the family. How can you call him annoying?”

“Isn’t he just a cousin?” Ivy asked in confusion.

I spoke up as well. “I sure don’t have a family member who somehow mistakenly ends up in my girlfriend’s room in the middle of the night.”

Everyone at the table went quiet and started exchanging looks.

Michelle Lonsdale, Dad’s third sister, was the first to react. She glared at me and said, “How can you talk like that, Paul? Kevin’s always been the sensible sort. He’s been busying about all morning for you. Grow a heart.”

She was one to talk.

Kevin had spent all morning trying to get close to Ivy. He brought her drinks but ignored me. He would have followed her into the bathroom if he could.

I let out a chuckle. “You sure care for Kevin a lot, Aunt Michelle. But I’ve never seen you help out while Dad raised him.”

Michelle’s face went red in an instant.

“I wanted to help too, but I could barely handle my own family.”

Dad quickly changed the subject. He smiled at Ivy and said, “By the way, Ivy, Paul said you have your own company? Kevin’s been looking for a job. Could you set something up for him?”

My hand tightened around my spoon.

I had only told Kevin that Ivy was my colleague. It was clear that Kevin must have found out about this by chatting with the driver, Simon Delling, on the way here.

Kevin looked at Ivy expectantly. His expression made it clear that he wanted to be the boss, not an employee.

“Ivy’s company only hires college graduates.”

Ivy seemed to recall something. “I do have a vacancy that doesn’t require a degree.”

Kevin brightened, and his posture got straighter as he waited for Ivy to keep speaking.

Ivy looked at him and said with all solemnity, “Are you okay with being a janitor?”

I could not help my chuckle.

Dad’s and Kevin’s expressions both instantly went dark.

After dinner, Kevin had put away his negative emotions and went over to get on Ivy’s good side again.

“I made up the guest room for you, Ivy. I even used new sheets. See if you like them?”

I said coldly, “You needn’t have bothered. She’ll be staying in my room for the next few days.”

Ivy was taken aback by that. I could see the barely hidden amusement in her eyes.

Kevin’s face went white. “It won’t be good if news gets out that you’re staying together before marriage. People will call Ivy a loose woman!”

“Well, no one said anything about you when you stripped naked and got into my ex’s bed.”

Kevin’s face went splotchy. In the end, he bit his lip and went to cry about it to Dad.

Ivy whispered into my ear excitedly, “Am I sleeping with you tonight, sweetheart?”

My face reddened and I pushed her a bit.

“Sleeping, yes. Only sleeping! Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Alright, I’m taking a shower then!”

Seeing her walk off joyfully, I felt annoyed and amused at the same time.

…

I dogged Ivy’s heels every day that we stayed in my hometown. I even waited for her outside of the bathroom.

Ivy seemed to enjoy my neuroticism, and she kept pinching my face, saying, “Don’t worry, no one’s going to steal me away.”

With no chance to execute his plans, the looks Kevin sent me got ever more malicious.

I thought that nothing would happen as long as I kept up my vigil.

But for all my vigilance, I still made a mistake.

During our engagement dinner, my relatives kept plying Ivy with drinks. Ivy did not refuse any of them and got so tipsy that her face was red and she was stumbling about.

I carefully helped her back to our room to rest and even double-checked that the door was locked tight. Then, I put the keycard in an inner pocket before going out again.

Still, Kevin managed to find a way through those defenses.

When I found out what happened and ran back to the room, Kevin was wrapped up in the sheets with messy hair, crying so much that his eyes were puffy.