Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"So... you were the kidnapped boy?" Ivy asked with a deep frown, staring at Vino in disbelief after hearing the brief account of his past that had come from the man’s lips.

Vino nodded slowly, his eyes fixed intently on Ivy’s face, filled with emotions that had remained tightly locked away for more than a decade. "Yes. I was the boy you saved in that old warehouse, Ivy. And for years, I kept searching for the brave girl who gave me food when I was starving."

A thin, weary smile appeared at the corner of Ivy’s lips. "Oh... so that’s how it was. Come to think of it, you were crying in fear in the corner of the room back then. I even had to scold a crybaby boy like you to make you stop crying," she murmured softly, a hollow laugh slipping between her heavy breaths.

Vino also smiled faintly at the childhood teasing. "And that brave girl is now standing before me in this condition." The man suddenly fell silent before, without warning, pulling Ivy’s frail body into his arms and enveloping her in a warm embrace that was such a stark contrast to the coldness of the outside world. "I finally found you, Ivy."

Ivy remained stunned for a moment in his embrace, feeling a sincerity she had not experienced from anyone in a long time. She returned the hug with the little strength she had left before whispering softly, "I’m happy too, Brother. I’m glad you survived and grew up well... Alright, Brother, I want to go inside the house now, okay?"

Vino nodded slowly, releasing her from his embrace and allowing Ivy to get out of the car. The man watched the girl’s footsteps until she successfully entered the grounds of the Carter mansion, making sure that nothing bad would immediately await her.

Ivy’s footsteps felt incredibly heavy as she pushed open the main door of the mansion, which stood wide open. The atmosphere inside the house felt eerily quiet. Without paying any attention to her surroundings, she immediately climbed the stairs one by one toward the upper floor, intending to lock herself in her room and lie down because her body felt increasingly shattered after the doctor’s verdict.

However, just as she reached the end of the second-floor corridor, her footsteps suddenly came to a halt.

The door to her bedroom, which had been her most comfortable place for the past fourteen years, stood wide open. Even more shocking, all of her belongings—from stacks of books, childhood photo frames, and jewelry boxes to clothes—were scattered across the cold corridor floor outside her room. Meanwhile, inside the room, every corner was now filled with branded suitcases, luxurious dresses, and new decorations that did not belong to her at all.

Several household servants were seen coming out of the room while carrying the remaining boxes containing Ivy’s belongings. Upon seeing Ivy’s arrival, the servants stopped in their tracks, their faces turning deathly pale as they stood awkwardly.

Ivy stood frozen, staring blankly at her belongings scattered across the cold floor. Her throat felt constricted, making it almost impossible for her voice to come out as she questioned the head servant standing closest to her.

"Why... why are all my belongings outside?" Ivy asked, her voice trembling violently.

The head servant bowed her head as deeply as possible, avoiding Ivy’s eyes, which reflected immense pain. "Please forgive me, Miss Ivy..." she squeaked softly, her voice filled with hesitation. "This... this was a direct order from the young masters."

Ivy’s brow furrowed even deeper, an unbearable tightness suddenly gripping her chest. "An order from them? What do you mean?"

"Mr. Arthur and the other young masters instructed us to empty this room," the head servant continued, her voice growing softer. "Because the rightful owner of this room has returned, Miss Ivy has to..."

The sentence hung in the air, but Ivy’s mind immediately understood how it would end without needing to hear those humiliating words spoken aloud. She stared blankly at the pile of her belongings before turning toward the bedroom door that had now completely become someone else’s.

"So... my room is being given to Sarah now?" Ivy whispered softly, the last remaining defense inside her heart collapsing instantly.