Ivy took out another piece of cake and took a bite out of it. "He knows that I like him. I made it quite obvious." Lucas' mother chuckled. "And how did he respond?" "I'm from Aryadelle. It's quite far from Taronia," Ivy said. Lucas' mother instantly froze as she understood the implications of Ivy's words. "Are you saying you wouldn't be able to marry and move here?" Ivy nodded. "My parents wouldn't let me marry here, and I don't want to leave them. They treat me really well." Lucas' mother nodded in understanding "I can see that. You're always smiling, have a good personality, and it's clear that you come from a happy family." Ivy affirmed her assumptions: "Yes. My parents weren't very keen on letting me come here, but I insisted. They didn't stop me, but they would absolutely not allow me to settle down here." "If you're doing well in Aryadelle, there's no point in settling down in Taronia. Even though I haven't been abroad, I know that Aryadelle is quite developed." Luc

Ivy glanced at the receptionist and said, "My friend's name is Lucas Woods." The receptionist immediately handed the package to Ivy. She took the box and walked toward the hotel entrance. "Has Lucas realized who I am? Why else would he give me my grandmother's bracelet?" she thought. Outside the hotel, rain poured steadily and cars rushed along the street, but Ivy's heart was peaceful. Holding the package, she headed for the elevator. Back in her room, Ivy opened the box and carefully examined the bracelet that contained all her childhood memories. Upon returning home, Lucas unlocked his phone but found no messages or calls from Ivy. She must have received the gift, and he wondered how she was feeling at the moment. He suspected that Ivy was Irene, but he lacked the courage to confront her directly. In fact, he had already asked Ivy this question before, and she had denied it. Lucas was a sensitive person. He knew Ivy had settled in Aryadelle with a loving and wealthy

Layla could not help but chuckle. "You've praised him so much that there's nothing left for us to say. We haven't met him, so we don't know if he's really as nice as you say." "He really is a great guy. I wouldn't lie to you," Ivy said, blushing. "Sweetie, I know you're not lying, but when people are in love, they're prone to idealizing the person they are in love with; it's normal to think with your heart rather than your head," Avery explained. "Are you planning to return to Taronia later on?" Ivy nodded. "I promised to bring him a gift. I can't go back on my word." "When do you plan on telling him?" "Telling him how I feel, you mean?" Ivy asked. Avery clarified, "I mean, when are you going to tell him who you really are? You can't keep things this way forever, can you? I've noticed that the two of you haven't made much progress even after all these days in Taronia. Dragging it out like this isn't productive." "But Hayden is still testing him, right? I can't reveal my i

"Her family might, indeed, oppose, but she'll probably insist on being with you. Can't you see that she's quite determined? She came all the way here just to find you. That alone proves she's no ordinary girl," Caspian said. "She's definitely not an ordinary girl, but I'm quite ordinary." Caspian clicked his tongue. "What's wrong? Are you feeling inferior now? Lucas, from what I remember, you're not that kind of person. Besides, we have a major investment now, so we're not poor anymore! Once this investment comes through, you'll be a rather accomplished entrepreneur. Even if Ivy's family is wealthy, they won't look down on you." Lucas picked up the contract. "This investment has something to do with Ivy." Caspian was stunned. "What are you talking about? That's impossible!" "Why? Do you really think we're impressive enough to attract this big foreign investment?" Caspian's expression changed drastically. "What makes you think Ivy's family is that wealthy? She seems pretty d

Ivy followed her parents into the room where the dresses were placed and chose a pink gown. "Mom, I think I'll wear this one for the event!" Ivy was quite fond of the dress. "You can choose a few more outfits! The wedding will last two days, so you can wear a few different dresses each day!" Avery enjoyed dressing her daughter. Ivy laughed. "That's too much! It's not my wedding, so I'm just going to stick to one dress per day!" She did not want to steal the spotlight from the bride. Ivy picked up a light blue outfit. "This one will be great for the second day." "All right! Do you want to look at the room where your brother will spend his wedding night?" Ivy could not help but chuckle. "Of course! I'm curious about how you've decorated the room." "We didn't decorate their bedroom. That was Shelly's mother," Avery explained. Avery respected her in-laws; though Shelly's family tended to tiptoe around the Fosters and allowed the Fosters to make most of the decisions, the ro