"All right, I'm on my way," Lucas said. Ivy hung up the phone in relief. A little while later, Hayden and Shelly arrived at the hotel. Ivy immediately greeted them with a smile. "Hayden, Shelly. Did you enjoy your honeymoon?" "We had a great time! We didn't check any travel guides for Taronia, though, so you'll have to be our guide!" Shelly said. Ivy scratched her head. "I haven't been around Taronia either. I'll ask Lucas when he arrives. You should go check in first. I'll wait here for Lucas. He should be here soon." Just then, Ivy looked toward the hotel entrance and saw Lucas walking in. Excitedly, she called out, "Lucas!" Lucas quickened his pace and approached them. Hayden went to the front desk to check in while Shelly and Ivy stood together, waiting for Lucas. Lucas walked up to them, and Ivy immediately introduced Shelly to him. "Lucas, this is my sister-in-law." Lucas greeted politely, "Hello." Shelly could not help but chuckle. "Just call me by my name,
Shelly nodded. "All right. We are unpacking now, and Ivy and Lucas are waiting for us in the hotel restaurant on the first floor." Avery chimed in, "Lucas seems a bit reserved. Try to strike up a conversation with him later." Shelly smiled and replied, "Sure thing." After the call ended, Hayden walked over to Shelly and said, "You guys are being too nice to Lucas. He might think it's easy to win us over. That's not a good thing." "I was just having a normal conversation with him downstairs, right?" Shelly argued. Hayden raised an eyebrow. "It was pretty clear it wasn't normal. You even had him call you by your name." Shelly chuckled as she explained, "It's normal for him to address me that way. He's the same age as Ivy, so it would be weird for him to address me any other way." "You're just being too nice to him," Hayden said. Shelly shrugged. "I'm like this with everyone! It's not just Lucas." "I know. What I mean is, you shouldn't be too friendly. After all, we're h
Ivy blushed. "I didn't play games before because my studies were so demanding. Now that I've graduated, I can learn to play." "There's no need to learn such a thing. Playing games is a waste of time," Hayden remarked. Ivy remained silent, and Lucas wondered if Hayden was picking on him. Shelly gently squeezed Hayden's hand, reminding him that he was being a bit harsh. "Well, playing games occasionally can be good," Shelly intervened. "It helps you relax. Although I don't play complex games, I enjoy simple ones, like matching and card games." Lucas managed a polite smile. He did not know how to respond or what to say because the games he was developing were nothing like what Shelly was describing. There seemed no way for him to continue the conversation with three people who did not play games. "Lucas, even though we don't understand games, I believe you can do well," Ivy encouraged. "Should we talk about something else?" Lucas suggested. Shelly laughed, breaking the t
After what Ivy said, Lucas added, "I want to focus on my career for now. Marriage is secondary until I become more successful." Hayden sneered. "Running a business isn't as simple as it seems. What if you fail or never achieve anything out of the ordinary?" "If that happens, I won't drag Ivy down," Lucas said. "At least you know your place." Ivy felt as though her cheeks were on fire. "Hayden, even if Lucas fails, I won't give up on him. I won't let him go just because of his financial state." Shelly grabbed Hayden's hand again, signaling to him to control his temper; he could be rude to others, but he could not be so demanding with Ivy. Ivy sensed that she was slightly out of line, and her tone eased. "Hayden, we shouldn’t judge people based on their wealth. Our family is rich enough, and there really aren't that many people out there who can compare to our financial state, so why does it matter how wealthy my partner is?" "Ivy is right. Love matters most. Even if we man
Throughout the meal, Ivy found it hard to enjoy her food. Lucas and Hayden discussed everything that mattered, and the conversation went smoother than anyone had anticipated. Hayden was not upset, nor was Lucas. It was a better scenario than what Ivy had hoped for, but she still felt depressed. "Lucas, my husband and I would like to pay your mother a visit. Would that be okay?" Shelly asked after finishing her food. "Sure," Lucas said. "Don't we need to ask your mom first?" Ivy asked. "It's fine. We can just head over right away and introduce them once we arrive." Lucas' mother grew weaker every day and had stopped using her phone altogether, so it was her nurse, whom Lucas had hired, who reported his mother's condition to him daily. "You restarted your business and have to take care of your mother simultaneously; you're really strong. Most people would crumble under the pressure," Shelly commented. "Ivy had a tougher life before. She didn't crumble, so I won't eith
Ivy did not hesitate, immediately shaking her head. "I'm not leaving. Don't worry about me; just focus on yourself." "Staying here is just a waste of time." "I've been studying and interning so hard for so long. What's wrong with taking a break now?" Ivy argued. Before long, Hayden and Shelly had finished their shopping, and Ivy and Lucas immediately joined them to go to the hospital. Lucas' mother had no idea that Ivy's brother and sister-in-law were coming to visit her, so she appeared a bit uncomfortable when they arrived. She tried to sit up, but her body failed her. Ivy raised the head of the hospital bed. "Aunty, my big brother and sister-in-law came over to Taronia for a visit. They wanted to see Lucas and you." "Oh, this is really embarrassing. It's a blessing for my son to know Ivy..." Lucas' mother muttered sheepishly. Shelly reassured, "Aunty, don't say that. Lucas is outstanding. Otherwise, Ivy wouldn't have fallen for him." Lucas' mother continued, "I've
Mr. Woods sneered, "What do you mean? Are you looking down on me? Although the Woods family has fallen on hard times, we're still a prominent family in Taronia! Lucas may be foolish, but are you any wiser? If it weren't for me backing Lucas, would the Fosters even look at him?" "Shut up! The Foster family isn't narrow-minded like you! Ivy's family doesn't dislike Lucas, so don't go causing trouble! They don't want to see you at all!" Lucas' mother retorted. Mr. Woods scoffed. "Is that so? Do you really think they don't look down on him? Why wouldn't they? Are they planning to make Lucas marry into their family instead of the other way round?" "It's none of your business! You never cared about Lucas, and now that he's independent, he doesn't need you anymore! You wouldn't have come to me repeatedly if Ivy wasn't Elliot Foster's daughter and if she wasn't interested in Lucas. Do you really think I have no idea what you are plotting?" Mr. Woods countered, "What nonsense are you ta
Lucas hung up, tears welling in his eyes. Ivy stood by his side and asked, "What's wrong, Lucas?" "My mom has passed away. You should keep your brother company! I need to head back to the hospital." "I will come along! Aunty seemed fine just now, so why did she suddenly pass away?" The two hurried toward the car, completely forgetting about Hayden and Shelly. Hayden and Shelly watched as they left awkwardly, and Shelly said, "Honey, let's go to the hospital. I think Lucas' mother has passed away." "Sure." The two caught a taxi and hurried after Lucas. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Lucas arrived to first encounter the doctor and then his father. Mr. Woods tried ingratiating himself with his son, saying, "Lucas, I came to the hospital to see your mother, but when I arrived, she had already passed away. What a shame!" "Are you sure she had already passed away before you came? I was here earlier today, and when I saw her, she was still alive!" Lucas said. Mr. Woods reto