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Ivy stirred slightly, starting to pull back, but Christian’s arms tightened around her. His voice was a soft whisper in her neck, a plea. “Please don’t. Please.”
Ivy hesitated, her body softening against him. After a moment, she surrendered to him, staying in his arms, her hands resting on his face and letting him nuzzle her neck with gentle kisses as she closed her eyes
However, a few minutes later, Ivy’s phone rang again. Ivy’s eyes fluttered open, her head turning, and gaze drifting toward her phone. She lifted her head, meeting Christian’s frown. His arms tightened even more, silently telling her he wasn’t letting go.
“Just let me check who it is. If it’s not important, I won’t pick up. I promise,” she said softly.
Christian’s frown deepened, but with a reluctant sigh, he loosened his grip just enough for her to lean forward and reach for her phone in her purse.
The screen flashed ‘Mom.’
Ivy picked up the call, pressing the phone to her ear. “Mom?”
“Ivy?” Patty’s voice trembled, fragile with distress.
Instantly, Ivy’s worry spiked. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
“Your dad,” Patty’s voice broke with a sob. “He’s in trouble.”
Chapter 27 A Mistake
Ivy’s worry intensified as Christian, still close beside her, heard everything. “What happened?”
Patty continued, her voice cracking, “Some people came and trashed our house. I didn’t know what was going on, but your dad got into some debt. All the money’s gone.”
“I’ll be home in ten minutes,” Ivy said immediately, panic creeping into her voice. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it.”
"Okay," Patty whispered, and the phone line went silent.
Christian pressed a button in the car, speaking firmly into the intercom. “Take the car to Ivy’s house.” Then, he released the button.
He turned to Ivy, his hand gently cupping her face. She looked up at him, worry written across her features.
“It’s going to be alright,” he reassured her quietly.
Ivy nodded, burying her face in his chest again, her frown still present as anxiety gnawed at her.
They arrived at her house in less than ten minutes, rushing inside. The sight that greeted them was a nightmare. The entireplace had been trashed—broken chairs, ripped photos, and torn-up furniture. Everything was destroyed.
“Mom?” Ivy called, her voice filled with fear as she rushed inside, Christian right behind her. Patty was sitting in the living room, tears streaming down her face, but she stood as soon as she saw Ivy.
Ivy’s eyes scanned her parents quickly, checking for any sign of injury. "Are you both alright? Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Patty shook her head, her face pale. “We’re fine. They just destroyed the house. Didn’t hurt us.”
Adam, sitting on the couch, looked guilty, his hands tightly clasped in his lap.
"What’s going on? What debt?" Ivy asked, her voice tight with concern.
“Don’t worry about it,” Adam said, frowning. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”
Patty shot him an angry look, her voice rising with frustration. “How are you going to take care of it when the bank is empty and things have gotten this bad? Adam, you didn’t even talk to me before doing something like this. Don’t you think I have a say in this household?”
Adam’s guilt deepened. "I told you, it’s nothing serious. It’s just a temporary situation."
Patty turned to Ivy, her voice thick with rising anger. "Your dad’s friend worked for a new diamond company. They needed investors, and he convinced your dad to invest. He said the company was offering ten percent interest every week, and he coerced him into investing more each month. Then he askedyour dad to get more people involved. Your dad, being the innocent one he is, thought he was helping his friend. But now, that company and your dad’s friend both ran off with all the money, and your dad’s left drowning in debt. The people he got involved are blaming him, too. They came today, breaking everything, shouting so loudly. Everyone in the building heard that your dad’s a scammer.”
Patty’s tears flowed freely, her voice breaking with pain. "Your dad didn’t even think about our family before doing this. Is his friend so important that he let himself get into debt just to help him? Three million dollars... we’ve never even seen that much money in our entire life."