CHAPTER 28: CHAPTER 28: YOU MUST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ME AND THE CHILDREN

The next day.

Sophie woke up naturally, once again cared for by Ma Lowell.

Ma Lowell changed Sophie into a beautiful new outfit, and as Sophie walked out of her room, she bumped into Damien Lancaster, who was heading to work.

"Bad daddy..."

Out of habit, Sophie blurted out "bad daddy," but quickly covered her mouth as she realized what she had said.

However, Damien’s gaze had already turned toward her.

It was obvious...

He had heard it.

Frozen under his stare, Sophie stood still, not daring to move.

She thought to herself, this is bad, what should she do?

Damien, seeing the little girl standing there dumbstruck, asked, "What did you just say?"

Sophie didn’t answer, fiddling with a corner of her clothing.

Damien patted her head, "Still sleepy?"

Sophie pursed her lips, shaking her head like a rattle.

"Nothing at all."

With that said, Sophie was about to run downstairs.

From behind, Damien called, "Wait a moment."

Sophie stopped in place, looking up at Damien, "Uncle, do you have anything else?"

"When is your mom picking you up?"

Sophie thought for a moment, her little mind remembering Ivy Summers’ instructions. "Around noon, I think," Sophie replied.

"Alright."

Damien didn’t let Sophie leave.

Sophie looked at him, "Uncle, is there anything else?"

"You still haven’t told me your mom’s name, you promised."

Sophie’s big eyes darted around, looking at Damien with feigned confusion, "Did I promise you? I don’t remember that, and if I don’t remember, it doesn’t count."

Damien raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the mischievous little girl in front of him.

"So young, and already playing tricks."

"Who’s playing tricks on uncle, is it Sophie?"

Pretending to be innocent was a game she had mastered.

Damien lifted his hand to touch Sophie’s head.

Oh well, the paternity test was done, whether she answered or not didn’t matter anymore.

...

Ivy Summers had been so anxious the whole night that she hadn’t been able to sleep.

She was on the verge of breaking down.

What on earth is Damien Lancaster up to?

He knew the child’s secret, yet didn’t demand custody right away; instead, he just had two people watching the door.

Is he planning to trap her and the child all at once?

Allowing no escape?

Ivy’s first reaction was this.

As expected of Damien Lancaster, so scheming and foresighted!

Ivy got up from the bed.

No, she couldn’t just sit and wait for her doom.

She needed to flee.

But... Sophie was still in his hands, what good would it do to flee with Nathan and Leo?

Ivy flopped face down on the bed like a dead fish, grabbing the blanket to cover her head, sighing repeatedly.

Damien Lancaster was undeniably her nemesis in life.

Just then, the phone rang.

Startled, Ivy quickly grabbed her phone to check; it was a video call.

The screen displayed a simple letter: M

Ivy sat up straight and lightly tapped the screen.

A man with an impeccably handsome and devilish face appeared on the screen.

Seeing him, Ivy immediately became furious, "You still dare to call me?"

The man’s striking phoenix eyes looked at her, his deep voice asked slowly, "Why wouldn’t I dare?"

"You sent the three of them over without even a word to me, if not scaring me to death, you’re trying to, aren’t you?"

The man’s long eyebrows raised slightly, "I thought you would thank me."

"I thank your whole family."

The kids had been discovered by Damien Lancaster, and Ivy was on the edge of collapse, resembling a rabbit with its fur standing on end.

"Are you coming back after returning?" the man suddenly asked.

Speaking of this, Ivy felt even more troubled. How could she return now? She hadn’t figured out Damien Lancaster’s intentions, and she still needed to divorce him, not to mention the required one-month cooling-off period.

With all these things adding up, going back wasn’t an option for the moment.

"I’m not sure yet."

The man lit a cigarette, took a slow drag, and exhaled a thin trail of smoke. As Ivy uttered those words, his phoenix eyes never left her, his face wreathed in smoke carried an air of danger.

His voice deepened a bit, "Your ex-husband won’t let you return?"

"Not exactly... wait, you have to take responsibility for me and the kids,"

Ivy suddenly remembered that if he hadn’t sent them here, none of this would be happening.

Upon hearing this, the man’s dangerous expression softened a bit, and a hint of excitement danced on his eyebrows, as if waiting for her to say just that, he agreed readily.

"Alright, I’ll take responsibility. I’ll send someone to bring you and the kids back, marry me, and I can handle everything for you."

Ivy was so shocked by his words that she nearly choked on her own saliva, patting her chest, "Stop scaring me, who wants to marry you? I mean you sent the three of them here, and now Damien Lancaster has found them, what do you say?"

"How do you want me to take responsibility?"

"Help me investigate what Damien Lancaster has been up to recently."

Ivy found it strange, if Damien had truly discovered the existence of the kids last night, how could he have left so easily?

She might have misunderstood, because after thinking it over, she couldn’t figure out how Damien could have found out.

But if he hadn’t discovered them, then Damien’s angry arrival demanding an explanation didn’t add up either.

Regardless of whether he discovered anything or not, it was best for Ivy to know exactly what Damien was doing to better plan her response.

"Alright."

"Also." Ivy moved closer to her phone, flashing a charming smile, "I remember you mentioned having an auction house in Aethelgard, right?"

The man leaned back into the sofa, slightly raising an eyebrow, "Yes."

"Can I go there?"

"Do you love work that much?"

Ivy pursed her lips, "I can’t go back to Yrador for now, and I can’t not work either."

She had three kids to take care of, after all.

Moreover, when the time came to fight for custody, she would need lots of money, so she couldn’t slack off now.

"I’ll arrange it for you."

Ivy clasped her hands together, "Thank you, send me the address, I’ll report in when I’m free."

The man chuckled lightly, his husky voice said, "The fourth time you’ve asked for my help, there’s a surprise for you on the fifth."

Ivy squeezed out a smile, "Can I refuse?"

"No."

His voice was faint, but there was an undeniable command within it.

Ivy had asked in vain.

Oh well, the man had a bad memory in any case, as for what surprise, it was probably just a whim that he’d forget in a few days, "Send me the address, I’m hanging up now."

Ivy ended the call, walked to the window, and looked down; those guys stationed at the door were still there.

Ivy furrowed her brows looking at the time, Ella Morgan should have boarded the plane by now.

It was a morning flight, arrival by noon.

Ivy planned the time to go pick up Ella Morgan at the airport.

A "ding" sounded as Ivy received a message.

’Chronos Auctions, ask for Keith Chambers when you arrive.’

What speed!

Ivy replied with an OK emoji.

If she remembered correctly, this auction house is currently the largest in Aethelgard, covering a wide range of operations, including jewelry, antiques, paintings, art, real estate... Ivy’s expertise was in antiques and paintings.

Not wanting to waste her morning, Ivy needed to go out, but with Damien Lancaster’s people outside, getting out might not be easy.

After considering it, Ivy’s gaze landed on the window. She opened it and looked outside.

This was the second floor, and below was a lawn.