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And as painful as those memories were, they still surged within her. The sadness and the racing heart weren’t for Jack; they were for Christian, who had disappeared from her life.
That’s why she had told Jack that the song was nice and then left soon after. Perhaps the look in her eyes for Christian had made Jack misunderstand that those feelings were for him.
"Ivy..." Jack continued, his voice desperate. "Can’t you see? You never gave me a chance. I was there for you. Just give me another chance."
“Jack,” Ivy started, shaking off the lingering feeling and stepping closer to his bed. “You don’t want to be on Christian’s bad side. You need to come out and clear this rumor and false accusation before Christian takes action.”
Jack frowned, a stubborn look on his face. "I can handle this. I’ve got control over—"
"No, you don’t!" Ivy interrupted firmly. "I’m only saying this because we were once colleagues, and you’re a good person. But if you don’t clear this up, Christian willdestroyyou. He’s not someone you should mess with. So before he takes action, you need to fix this mess you’ve made, and leave this city.”
The look on Ivy’s face, her voice devoid of any interest in Jack, made his expression fall as he realized the seriousness in her words. He stared at her as she turned and left the room, without glancing back even once.
Chapter 36 Hank
When Ivy stepped out into the hallway, she looked around, but Christian wasn’t there. Samuel was waiting for her outside.
"Mrs. Evans," Samuel greeted her respectfully.
Ivy turned to him, her brows knitting. "Where’s Christian?"
"Mr. Evans had an important call. It’s business-related—there are issues with stocks, so he left first. He asked me to drop you off at home."
Ivy nodded and walked out of the hospital with Samuel, but instead of getting in the car, she turned to him. “You can leave now. I’ll come home on my own.”
Samuel hesitated but nodded. "Sure, Mrs. Evans. But I’ll need to inform Mr. Evans."
“That’s alright,” Ivy said, waving him off. She left the hospital and hired a cab shortly after.
She gave the driver the address, and soon enough, the car stopped in front of the beach she had visited with Christian earlier that day. She stepped out and headed toward the beach again.
The lights were even brighter now that it was night, and more people had gathered, enjoying the festivities. She walked along the sand until she found the small wish shop again.
Approaching the woman at the counter, Ivy asked, “Could I have the bottle that my husband gave you earlier? The one with his wish inside.”
The woman smiled, and nodded. She looked around for a moment, then pulled the bottle from the counter and handed it to Ivy.
Ivy opened the bottle and pulled the paper out, unfolding it to read Christian’s wish.
‘I hope Ivy makes our relationship public soon, so I can be her husband in the open and have her by my side for the rest of my life.’ - the paper read.
Ivy’s lips curved into a small smile at his words. She slid the paper back into the bottle and handed it back to the lady before turning and leaving quietly.
As she settled into the car, the familiar hum of the engine starting, she pulled her phone from her bag. Without a second thought, she opened Instagram on her public account. With a few quick taps, she uploaded a picture of herself with Christian, tagging his profile, and writing- ‘We got married.’
***
Christian leaned back in the car, eyes closed, his head turned to the side. His legs tapped impatiently, his hands resting on his thighs. The empty space next to him was gnawing at his insides, making him feel agitated with each passing minute.
He had grown accustomed to picking Ivy up daily, the comfort of her sitting in his lap, resting against his chest, or playing on her phone while he held her close. But today, since he had to leave her at the hospital abruptly, the emptiness of his armshaunted him painfully. The emptiness made him restless, unable to focus.
His phone dinged with a notification, pulling him from his thoughts. He picked it up, glancing restlessly at the screen. His eyes locked onto the notification: ‘Ivy Watson tagged you in a picture.’
He straightened, immediately clicking on it.
He opened it, and his eyes scanned the photo. It was them, together, the caption reading- ‘We got married.’
A wide smile broke across his face, one that was brighter than any he'd worn before. The grim darkness that had clouded his thoughts vanished. His heart thundered in his chest.