Swallowing his rage, Ryan quickly deployed another tactic in hopes of regaining the upper hand and ultimately defeating Ivy. "Do you think I don't dare?" Instead of intimidating her, he dared to be bold, bolstering his bravery. "Let me tell you, Ryan here can say it can be done. Don't forget I warned you: I'll make you wish you were dead." Ivy laughed with a sense of exhilaration, goading him on. "I haven't forgotten; your words are etched deep in my memory. So go ahead, do as you please, and you'll get what you want. But let me remind you: If I'm hurt, you won't be unharmed either; I can assure you of that," Ivy added assertively, emphasizing the reciprocity of consequences. "Do you think I'm bluffing, just trying to scare you?" Ryan growled in warning. "And don't think you can do anything to me." "I don't underestimate you; I just think you lack wisdom," Ivy retorted, delivering a verbal blow that subtly implied his foolishness and uselessness. "You might not mind the notoriety
Luke's heart was now flooded with chaos, and his chest weighed heavily. He regretted involving Ivy in this mess a thousand times. Thinking of Ivy, Luke suddenly looked her way, finding her gaze fixed upon him. The agony etched deep within his eyes was starkly evident on his face. As a perceptive individual, Ivy easily discerned Luke's unstable emotions. Meanwhile, the girl standing beside Luke continued to enthusiastically greet the guests, her smile bright and cheerful, but it flickered out as she stopped beside Ivy, her gaze towards Ivy deep and inscrutable.Oh God, the very thing Luke feared had finally happened.Silence engulfed the banquet hall, no applause resounding too loud or too long, then the reaction of Luke, the male protagonist of the event. Immediately, all eyes suddenly turned towards Ivy, the unexpected focus of attention, standing somewhat dazed near the entrance.How would the girl to whom Luke had personally declared his love react to this shock?"Ivy!" he whispere
"Luke, what on earth were you doing?" Tegan scolded loudly, but Luke seemed indifferent. Tegan hurriedly ran up to the stage to assist the girl. "Are you okay?" Tegan asked with concern, and the girl shook her head, her face filled with sadness. She never expected Luke to act like that, especially in front of so many people. Luke's older brother also berated him. "Do you realize how foolish you've been? Take a look at your behavior!" Luke remained indifferent, not bothering to argue, acknowledging that it was his fault, so he would remain silent and listen to the heavy words. It seemed like everyone's attention was focused on the stage, except for Ryan and Ivy. While Ivy was lost in her imaginary world, Ryan concentrated his attention. After exhausting all possible words to express Luke's stubbornness, the Evans siblings sighed helplessly. As a moment of quiet settled, Luke remembered something more important and looked down, deciding to approach Ivy again. "Luke," Mariko hurri
"I think we should go out there and help her," Mason suggested, unable to bear it any longer. But Ryan remained rooted in place. The lawyer bit his lip and turned away, resigned to his cowardice. Both Ryan and Mason knew the situation wasn't simple, which left them feeling helpless despite their desire to assist her. As for Ivy, she knew there wouldn't be any knight in shining armor coming to her rescue in her life. And she didn't even wish for it to happen. The handsome hero only exists in romance novels, and romance novels aren't real. Now Ivy felt true loneliness—a bit of hurt. But she wouldn't cry because these matters weren't worth shedding tears over. As for Luke, disregarding all obstacles, he chose to trust her. Firmly brushing off the hand of the girl beside him, Luke strode confidently towards Ivy, facing her and ignoring the perplexed glances around him. "Luke, what are you doing?" Tegan spoke up, genuinely surprised that her younger brother would defy everything, espe
“So, tell me, what's going on?” Ivy couldn't control her volume; her command was fierce. “Explain this vile situation that's unfolding right now.” Luke was taken aback, mouth agape, but no words came out. He was genuinely stunned by Ivy's explosive reaction. While his relatives were visibly angry, how could she dare to raise her voice at him, let alone act so openly in front of everyone? Amidst the chaos, a deeply ingrained memory suddenly resurfaced in his mind, helping him regain composure. Luke chuckled, a naive smile that left the audience bewildered. Yes, that was indeed Ivy's way of handling challenges and difficulties. Therefore, he decided to remain silent to let her vent freely. “Well,” He began in a way that even Ivy couldn't refute. Ivy muttered, “I can't even talk.” She intended to stop, but the frustration was too much to contain; she had to speak her mind. “Do you know that since we've been together, this is the first time such a cursed event has happened to me?” Iv
"Have you all said enough?" Ivy's voice rang out sharply. Ivy's powerful intervention caused the chatter to abruptly vanish. All the guests turned their gazes toward Ivy. Some openly showed curiosity, while others challenged her, waiting to see what Ivy intended to do or what she was capable of achieving. Having garnered everyone's attention, Ivy smirked and sarcastically asked: "So this is the style of the upper class, huh? One person speaks, and the whole group follows suit. Wow! Truly expanding horizons, so sophisticated, unmatched in class. If you have any sense, keep your mouths shut, or else the stench of decay will affect the atmosphere around you." The crowd roared with anger at Ivy's public insult directed at them. Are they crazy? Ivy wondered, dejectedly criticizing: The bunch of freeloaders, hearing her scold him, isn't enough; they want her to lecture the whole group for enlightenment. Fine, she'll grant their wish. "You all have nothing better to do than organize thi
Not stopping there, Ivy continued her tirade, her voice firm and sharp. "I may be poor, not as wealthy as many of you with loads of money. But at least I have enough to get by day to day. I don't have to sell my integrity or toss away my dignity. You rich folks can do whatever you want, say whatever you want, and have the right to degrade others, huh? Wrong. Let me tell you, this society strives for balance through the impartiality of the law. And the laws enacted are to protect those without money or a voice like mine. Open your ears and listen carefully. Talent is no match for character, and character is no match for morality." "Take a look at yourselves; have you been more ethical than others? Do you have the right or the qualification to look down upon or insult others?" Ivy interrogated with a steely tone, and no one responded. The atmosphere became silent, as if everyone only knew to listen to Ivy speak. She wasn't done yet. She would deal with it thoroughly. She turned to fi
Seeing that things seemed to have calmed down, Luke breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced over at her, determined that it was time to take decisive action. Since the issue at hand involved him, it was only natural that he should step up to handle everything, including the consequences. "Ivy! I'll take you home," Luke called out to her, grabbing her attention. Ivy immediately nodded in agreement. It was time to make a safe retreat. He moved closer to her, but once again, Mariko intervened. The Japanese girl held onto his arm tightly, stubbornly insisting on keeping him in place. Looking at the scene, everyone knew that things weren't over yet. Whether Ivy or Luke stopped their performances, this Japanese girl wouldn't cease her efforts to disrupt everything, just to create some chaos tonight and keep the two of them apart. Who knew what disadvantages awaited Mariko after he and Ivy left? Mariko couldn't help but worry. It was better to be safe than sorry; prevention was better than c