CHAPTER 206: CHAPTER 206: IVY SUMMERS ENCOUNTERS THE NORTHWOOD FAMILY

Ivy glanced at Tristan, reasonably suspecting that he was being sarcastic with her.

Tristan raised an eyebrow, and Ivy gritted her teeth to utter two words, "Thank you."

...

Lancaster Group, CEO’s office.

Zachary Lancaster sat idly by, browsing the news on his phone.

An engagement party with the Sterling Family’s recognition, followed by a proposal, was causing quite a stir online.

The name "Ivy Summers" was everywhere.

"Bro, last night’s events have gone viral."

Zachary held his phone up to Damien Lancaster.

Damien showed no interest.

"Sis-in-law is even more famous."

Hearing Ivy’s name, Damien’s deep eyes finally showed some movement.

"If it weren’t for Old Master Sterling, Sis-in-law would have agreed to marry Noah."

Damien pressed his thin lips tightly.

Mentioning this matter caused a dull pain in his chest.

"Bro, to be honest, Sis-in-law not choosing you and choosing Noah might not be so bad. You can’t expect her not to marry before she’s thirty."

"I have my reasons."

"What reasons?"

Damien raised his brows, "You’re talking a lot today."

"Can’t I ask? I’m just concerned about you."

Damien pressed his thin lips tightly, "Because the Scott Family isn’t suitable for Ivy Summers. If she doesn’t choose me, she mustn’t choose Noah either."

Zachary was very interested, "Explain further."

Damien’s face turned serious. Seeing him remain silent, Zachary added, "Bro, I’m currently the Lancaster member Sis-in-law finds most pleasing to the eye. Maybe I can help you."

"The Scott Family of Sutherlyn!"

Zachary listened attentively, and his expression suddenly became serious, "I think I’ve heard of them."

"The Scott Family of Sutherlyn is allied with the Sinclair Family of Sutherlyn, and Noah is the heir of the Scott Family!"

Zachary widened his eyes, "So he has a fiancée! Even with a fiancée, he still wants to mess with Sis-in-law. Bro, he’s worse than you! What kind of fate does Sis-in-law have to meet all you scumbags?"

Damien twirled a pen in his hand, raising his brows darkly, "Do you believe I can throw you out of here?"

Zachary knew he really might, so he immediately made a zipper motion across his mouth.

Suddenly remembering something, Zachary added, "I remember, the Northwood Family, Scott Family, Sinclair Family, and Yates Family make up the four renowned families of Sutherlyn.

It’s said these four families are quite united. The Northwood Family is known for their deadly poisons, unmatched and controlling the entire economy of Sutherlyn; the Sinclair Family excels in medicine, with ventures covering all medical fields; the Scott Family owns the largest underground hiring organization, willing to do anything if the price is right; as for the Yates Family, they appear to be just a simple film agency, but their status in Sutherlyn among the other three speaks of their formidable strength.

Wow, Noah’s background isn’t small. I always thought he was merely an auction house owner.

But if I remember correctly, Noah’s been in Yrador for many years, with no connection to the Scott Family; surely this fiancée is unrelated to him."

Damien sneered, "You think it’s unrelated? The Scott Family doesn’t see it that way. You said these four families are united, so a marriage agreement can’t be annulled just because someone resists."

Zachary understood, "So, if Noah wants to marry Sis-in-law, he’d have to go against The Four Great Families."

Damien narrowed his eyes coldly, "He’s joking with Ivy’s life."

"No wonder Old Master Sterling wanted to stop Sis-in-law, luckily he did."

Damien’s eyes deepened as he watched the hype surrounding last night’s events online, fearing Ivy wasn’t aware of the terrifying presence she’d gotten herself involved with.

Just then, Julian Jacobs came in, and Damien was about to give instructions when Julian spoke first, "Sir, something’s happened."

Damien frowned.

"Rachel Shaw has escaped!"

Zachary looked serious, "Captured by the police, how could she escape?"

"It happened last night, sir. She really is pregnant. As she was put in the police car, she started experiencing abdominal pain and bleeding, so the police had to send her to the hospital, and she escaped amidst the chaos, handcuffs still on her."

Zachary leaned back, sneering, "Without the Shaw Family, Rachel Shaw is like a bird with broken wings, can’t even fly out of Aethelgard."

With Phillip Shaw and Rachel Shaw captured and the Shaw Family’s scandals exposed, the Shaw Group was now leaderless, their stock plummeting sharply, nearing bankruptcy.

Damien said, "She won’t get far. Send people to assist the police in their pursuit."

Julian replied, "Yes."

Damien added, "There’s another matter for you. Find skilled people to stay close to Ivy Summers 24/7."

Julian hesitated, "Sir, are you sure Miss Summers would agree?"

Knowing Ivy’s temper, having someone watching her all day.

That hardly seems agreeable.

"Exactly, strangers shadowing Sis-in-law, she’ll unlikely agree."

"Hmm, you’ve reminded me. Then you go," Damien turned to Zachary.

Zachary stood upright, "Me?"

"Yes, aren’t you the only one in the Lancaster Family she finds agreeable? Then you go and protect her."

"Bro, you want me to be a bodyguard?"

Damien lifted his icy gaze towards him, "Does this bother you?"

Zachary looked at Damien’s eyes, with authority and threats inherent in them, was he truly bothered?

No.

"I’ll go accompany Sis-in-law now."

Zachary dashed off quickly.

Damien shook his head helplessly, "Send two more people to follow discreetly."

Damien didn’t entirely trust Zachary.

"Yes."

...

After breakfast, Ivy Summers planned to first take the kids to school, then return to the villa to get her mother’s box.

But before she could leave, Old Master Sterling called out to her, "Ivy, let Tristan and Kyle go with you."

Ivy blinked and looked at the two young masters standing there.

"Grandpa, I’m just taking the kids to school and then to the villa, I don’t need company."

"You do need it, listen to Grandpa. From now on, they’ll be with you 24/7, and I’ll send someone else to take the kids."

Ivy, "..."

Am I some national-level protected species?

Needing young masters to follow me 24/7!

Once outside, Ivy finally asked, "Why does Grandpa want you two to follow me?"

Tristan Sterling opened the car door for Ivy Summers, "Maybe he’s afraid you’ll run out late at night and bite yourself again."

Ivy gritted her teeth, unable to hold back, "Tristan Sterling, stop being sarcastic with me."

"Be polite, call me cousin."

Ivy gritted her teeth fiercely.

Tristan stood nonchalantly with one hand supporting the car door.

Ivy took a deep breath, "Fine, cousin! Please take good care of your newly recognized cousin!"

"That’s better." Tristan patted Ivy’s head, "I will."

Just then, a car stopped in front, and the person who got out was Yanis Stone, Noah Scott’s most capable subordinate.

Ivy walked up, "Yanis? What are you doing here?"

"Ivy, the boss asked me to come protect you."

"Protect me?"

As soon as she finished speaking, another car stopped, and Zachary Lancaster got out and walked towards Ivy.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ivy’s eyes.

"Don’t tell me Damien sent you to protect me?"

"Wow, sister-in-law, you knew in advance."

Ivy had a headache.

Zachary glanced at the people around, raised an eyebrow and smiled, "So lively?"

Tristan Sterling: "It sure is lively."

Those in the know would think Ivy is just visiting home, while the unaware might think she’s up to something else.

Ivy bent down and got into the car, Tristan sat in the back with her, while Zachary simply took the front passenger seat, not treating himself as an outsider.

Kyle Sterling glanced at him, "Get out, my car doesn’t take Lancaster people."

Zachary fastened his seatbelt and stayed put, "Let my sister-in-law ride with me, and I’ll get out."

Kyle Sterling, "Is shamelessness contagious in your family?"

"Yep."

Zachary didn’t mind, admitting it freely, then reached for Kyle’s cool sunglasses and put them on, "Alright, let’s go."

Kyle Sterling, "Give them back!"

Zachary leaned his head on the hand, wearing a sly smile with a face that said ’what can you do about it’.

Kyle gritted his teeth, suddenly slammed on the gas, almost making Zachary hurtle forward and hit his handsome face.

Just as Zachary steadied himself, Kyle slammed on the gas again.

This time, Zachary sat firmly, provocatively looking at Kyle, "Keep going then."

Kyle curled his lips mischievously, and repeatedly braked and accelerated over ten times.

Zachary sat steadily, full of defiance.

Ivy was starting to feel sick in the back.

Tristan had a stern face, "Kyle!"

Ivy couldn’t take it either, "Zachary!"

Zachary flung the sunglasses back at Kyle, "We’re all here to be bodyguards, why the fuss, brother."

"..."

After being reprimanded, the car finally drove normally.

Ivy sighed in relief.

The car headed towards the villa, which was quite a distance from where Ivy previously stayed, taking nearly thirty minutes by car, but today the road was especially congested, and the car couldn’t get through.

Eventually, the car stopped because the road was blocked ahead.

Ivy rolled down the window to look outside, seeing a hotel ahead with more than a dozen cars parked at the entrance, making quite a spectacle and attracting many onlookers, causing a traffic jam.

Kyle originally wanted to reverse and take a different route, but the road behind was blocked by cars that had pulled up.

The car had to stop.

Kyle rolled down the window, restlessly tapping the horn twice.

"I’ll go take a look." Tristan got out and walked ahead.

Ivy also got out to see what was going on.

The two were tall enough, so even with a crowd gathered in front, they could still see the cars surrounded in the middle.

Two black-clad bodyguards stood by each of the dozen or so cars, making it look like a scene from a TV drama.

Tristan squinted his eyes as he watched.

Ivy tapped a person next to her and asked, "Do you know who these people are?"

The girl next to her spoke with some excitement, "I heard it’s the Northwood family’s motorcade."

"The Northwood family?"