CHAPTER 180: CHAPTER 180: PAYING 150 MILLION FOR HER FREEDOM

Old Master Lancaster called the old butler in.

The old butler handed a document to Ivy Summers, and the old master said, "Take these three out for a while, I have something to say to Ivy alone."

The old butler took the three kids outside to play, leaving only Ivy Summers and the old master in the ward.

Seeing the old butler walk out of Old Master Lancaster’s ward with the three children, Rachel Shaw, who was also at the hospital, approached the old master’s ward with a cold face and quietly pushed open a crack in the door.

"Ivy, take a look at this document."

Ivy Summers glanced down; it was a share transfer document for fifteen percent of Lancaster Group’s shares.

It was the same as the first time the old master gave her at the old house.

Only that time it was with a hint of probing, and Ivy didn’t agree.

Last time was a test, so what is it this time?

Ivy Summers very well understood what fifteen percent of Lancaster Group’s shares meant; it meant she could walk freely in Aethelgard and wouldn’t need to work for the rest of her life, even in her next life, or the one after.

"Grandpa?"

"Ivy, these shares are something I intended for you from the beginning. Grandpa feels guilty towards you, and hopes these can compensate for some of the harm Damien caused you."

"Grandpa, actually when I divorced Damien Lancaster, he gave me quite a bit of money. It’s already enough."

Money, a villa, luxury cars, a shop in the city center.

Adding to what Gregory Lancaster had given before.

Billions.

The Lancaster Family really doesn’t shortchange people when it comes to money.

"These are from Grandpa, it’s different. Grandpa also wants you to agree to do something for him."

"You can say."

"Grandpa hopes you to leave the three children to be raised by the Lancaster Family."

Ivy Summers felt a jolt in her heart.

"Ivy, I know you can’t be separated from the children, but you are still young. You will marry again and Lancaster’s children cannot be left outside, and can’t have a different last name.

If the three children are raised by the Lancaster Family, you can visit them anytime, anywhere. Grandpa can assure you, that Rachel Shaw will not marry into the Lancaster Family, and she won’t be a threat to your children. You can rest assured..."

Ivy Summers clenched her fists.

Grandpa wanted her to give up custody of the three children to the Lancaster Family completely.

The children would also have to change their last name to Lancaster in the future.

Was she to lose her three children?

Seeing Ivy Summers not speaking, the old master sighed, "Ivy, I’m thinking of you too. If you don’t agree, the conflict between you and the Lancaster Family will continue. I fear when Grandpa is no longer here, the ones who get hurt will still be you and the children. So Grandpa wants to resolve this issue before leaving."

The silence lasted a long time.

Ivy Summers knew very well that she couldn’t bear to part with the children and laid the share transfer document aside.

"Grandpa, this matter... I can’t agree with you on this at the moment. I need time to think about it..."

The old master had a couple of heavy coughs, "Alright, whether you agree or not, you should take this share certificate with you. It was prepared specially by Grandpa for you, rest assured, shares are shares, children are children."

Ivy Summers pursed her lips and after a while, reached out to take it.

When Ivy Summers walked out of the old master’s ward, her face didn’t look good.

Rachel Shaw, who had been hiding in the adjacent ward, walked out, gritting her teeth.

The Lancasters are truly ruthless.

Yesterday’s abduction, Damien Lancaster chose to abandon her, to save Ivy Summers.

Today, the old master gave Ivy Summers the shares, and also assured her that she won’t let Rachel marry into the Lancaster Family.

What did all the suffering she endured count for?

Did it mean she was despicable?

If the Lancaster Family had no compassion for her, they shouldn’t blame her for being unruly.

She must secure the position of Young Madam Lancaster.

Ivy Summers slowly walked back to her room.

...

Over on Ella Morgan’s side.

Seeing Ella Morgan come out, Timothy Walsh, who had been waiting for her outside, asked, "All packed up?"

Ella Morgan kept her head down. She had just cried and didn’t want him to see her traces of vulnerability.

"Ella Morgan, cat got your tongue?"

Ella spoke softly, "I’m not going back to Yrador anymore!"

"What did you say? I didn’t hear clearly, speak up."

Timothy Walsh scrutinized her, exuding a strong sense of oppression.

Did he really not hear clearly?

No, he didn’t.

It was more like saying: have the guts to look into my eyes, and say it louder, once more.

He was sure Ella Morgan didn’t have the courage to say it a second time.

Because he knew Ella loved him, and feared him, she was willing to sacrifice for him, she had sacrificed many years, and this time was no different.

"I said, I will never return to Yrador again!" Ella raised her head this time, staring straight at him, clearly telling him, I will no longer accept your arrangements.

Timothy Walsh didn’t expect the usually obedient Ella to dare resist him.

"Why? Give me a reason."

"I don’t want to, I won’t, I refuse to accept your arrangements anymore, Timothy Walsh, the gratitude for the Walsh Family’s upbringing, I repaid long ago, I owe you nothing anymore."

Timothy Walsh frowned, his emotionless gaze through his frameless glasses fell upon her, making one’s entire body feel icy cold.

"Ella Morgan, are you still angry at Lynn Sullivan?"

Ella Morgan didn’t say a word.

"It was my idea to fall in love with her and plan to marry her. You don’t need to vent your anger on her. Besides, it’s only natural that I like her. The year I became a vegetable, what were you doing? You ran faster than anyone else. You were my fiancée, yet even the doctors said you barely visited the hospital, while it was Lynn Sullivan who took care of me day and night. So what are you aggrieved about my liking her?"

Ella Morgan initially had no intention of arguing, but when he said this, the breath she had been holding onto burst out completely.

"What was I doing? I was fucking dealing with the company’s mess for you, entertaining your clients day and night, flying all over the world until my ears rang on the plane. I drank until I vomited blood and ended up in the emergency room. I was accompanying your picky parents to doctor’s appointments, feeding your mom medicine by the bedside."

Ella laughed out loud, "What was I doing? Running? Hah."

"Would the mighty President Walsh exist today if I had run away? Would he? Huh?"

Timothy Walsh furrowed his brow so tightly he could kill a mosquito, and Ella Morgan only felt exhilarated by voicing her thoughts.

"Lynn Sullivan took care of you for a year, and you’re eternally grateful, deeply in love with her? That was because I paid her twenty thousand a month. Without the money, ask her if she would have served you for a year? Would she?"

"Pa!"

A slap landed solidly on Ella Morgan’s face.

She only felt a "buzz" in her ears, as if all sounds had drifted far away.

Her face hurt.

Her heart hurt too.

It hurt so much.

It hurt so much she didn’t dare to breathe deeply.

Touching her burning cheek, Ella turned her face to look at him.

Even if he hit her, she would still say everything she wanted to say.

"What, are you angry? You don’t like hearing the truth, President Walsh, do you?"

"Ella Morgan, after a few years abroad, you’ve grown quite bold."

"Thanks for the compliment, but I haven’t even said the worst yet. Would you like to hear it, President Walsh?"

"Try saying one more word!"

"Timothy!" a gentle voice chimed in.

A woman dressed in an expensive seasonal haute couture outfit, wearing heels costing tens of thousands, came running over, grabbing Timothy Walsh’s arm, her face filled with worry.

"Timothy, did you get angry at Ella again? Ella is still young; you should be more tolerant of her."

The woman was Lynn Sullivan.

Three years older than Timothy, six years older than her.

Curvaceous, at thirty-three, she had the charm of a mature woman with a face well-maintained, looking no more than twenty-five or twenty-six.

She was a gentle and kind woman, for example right now, "Ella, what happened to your face? Did Timothy hit you? Timothy, how could you do that? Is it because of me that you two are arguing again? I’m just an ordinary person; what’s there to fight about? If Ella really doesn’t like me, I’ll just leave."

In Ella Morgan’s eyes, her gentleness and kindness could be summed up in one word: fake!

She was really damn good at pretending.

Back then, she also gained her sympathy this way, leading her to choose her among a crowd of more professional and mature caregivers, ultimately inviting the wolf into her home.

All the haute couture on her, the heels she wore, were all given by Timothy Walsh, while the one making money for Timothy was her: Ella Morgan!

"Fine, then leave! Every time you say you’ll leave, when have you ever left? Lynn Sullivan, is it fun?"

Awkward, Lynn Sullivan’s face didn’t look too good from Ella Morgan’s words, muttered a "fine," and turned to walk away.

But Timothy Walsh pulled her back and embraced her, "Why are you leaving?"

Lynn’s eyes reddened, "I know Ella doesn’t like me; I can go. Can you two stop fighting over me, please?"

Lynn struggled to leave Timothy’s embrace but was held even tighter.

Timothy’s voice was gentle, "Don’t be upset. If she doesn’t like you, it’s her who should go. I’ll send her back abroad. Don’t let her make you unhappy."

Even though her heart had been hurt countless times over the past five years, Ella Morgan’s heart still ached at those words.

Ella scoffed coldly, "I already said I won’t return to Yrador. I’ve quit."

"Quit? I’m the president. Without my permission, who allowed you to quit?"

Ella looked at the man she once loved dearly, disappointment washing over her again, "So what do you want? Do you want me to stay abroad all my life?"

"If you want to quit, first present a hefty breach of contract penalty."

Indeed, in the past for Lynn’s protection, he made her sign an agreement.

Back then, Ella trusted him too much and didn’t realize it was a sell-out contract. It stated that if she quit and returned home, it would be a breach, and she needed to repay three times the earnings she made at the company during those years.

Ella had been managing an entire branch, with an annual salary in the millions. Calculating over five years, multiplied by three; it’s astronomical.

"Timothy Walsh, do you really have to be so ruthless?"

"Ella Morgan, you were the one who did wrong in the first place."

Back then, to drive Lynn away, Ella pushed her down the stairs, leading to her staying in the ICU for days.

But in reality, she didn’t push Lynn; Lynn fell on her own.

Timothy held a grudge against her for this, coaxed her into signing that agreement, and sent her abroad.

Ella was trembling with anger.

"Can’t pay up? Then obediently get back abroad and stay there, don’t show up again..."

"How much?" a cold voice rang out.

Ella turned back to see Ivy Summers walking over.

Still in her hospital gown, Ivy Summers’ aura was not weak at all.

"Ivy?"

Walking up to Ella, Ivy set her eyes squarely on Timothy Walsh, "How much?"

Thinking back, this man used to be so gentle and patient with Ella Morgan.

Unexpectedly, in just a year, he’d fall for another woman, and for her, trap Ella abroad.

Timothy said, "Ivy Summers, this is our business."

"I’m asking you, how much?" Ivy’s voice was icy, seeing through the man’s cold indifference, her coldness carrying determination.

"Five years, calculating at Ten Million a year, three times that is One Hundred Fifty Million. I’ll pay the amount for her. Will you let her go free?"