Mike picked up the phone and chuckled when he heard Lucas's name. "Did Ivy tell you?" he asked. "How can you laugh about this? How could you keep such an important matter from us?" Avery asked. "I most certainly couldn't tell you. Ivy shared this secret with me, and I had to keep it. If I told you, you would inevitably ask Ivy about it, and then she'd know I betrayed her; she would never share another secret with me again," Mike explained. "Have you looked into this Lucas boy? What's his background? Ivy said she likes him, and I am so worried right now," Avery said. "I did a superficial check. He's an illegitimate child from a middle-class family. He attended university in Edelweiss. Looks wise, he's decent, but I'm not sure about his character. Ivy likes him, which probably means he's a decent guy! His family background isn't all that impressive, though. After all, the middle class in Taronia is quite different from Aryadelle; there's a significant gap," Mike revealed. Avery

Caspian greeted her with a smile when he saw her. "Ivy, after careful consideration, I've arranged a more suitable position for you." "And what's that?" Ivy asked. "The boss's assistant," Caspian replied. "From now on, you'll take orders only from Lucas." Without hesitation, Ivy agreed, "Okay! Is he in the office now?" "No," Caspian said, picking up a piece of paper. "His phone number and home address are written here. Go buy breakfast and take it to him." Ivy took the paper and glanced at it. "Alright. I'll go now." After Ivy left, Caspian sighed. "It seems this woman is really here for Lucas! How lucky he is to win the heart of such a pretty lady! Why don't I have such good luck with love?" Ivy bought some croissants and took a taxi to Lucas' house. Lucas' place was located near the company, and it would only take ten minutes by car and half an hour on foot to get there. With breakfast in hand, Ivy pressed the doorbell of Lucas' house. After a short while, Lucas

Tears welled in her eyes when Lucas said "Irene". "Do you still remember her?" she asked. "She was my servant, so, of course, I remember her. You sound like you knew her," Lucas said. She nodded. "I've seen her before." "That's it?" She hesitated and added, "We spoke, too." "You are kind of like her. She liked working, too." Ivy burst out laughing. "But apart from that you two are different," said Lucas. "I'm sure you come from a well-to-do family because you always smile. She was poor and didn't even have decent clothes. She didn't laugh as much as you do." Upon hearing Lucas's words, Ivy felt a lump in her throat as she could not even remember how she used to laugh. "She must be touched that you remember so much about her," Ivy replied. "She's dead. Didn't you know?" Lucas said. "Perhaps she's not dead; she might have just gone to another place," Ivy suggested. "She is dead. You don't have to console me." "If she were not dead, would you have hired her?" I

"Do you like me?" he paused. "Why?" Her heart raced. "Because you look handsome." Amused, he said, "You are lying!" "How can you tell?" Ivy asked. "Considering your looks, I'm sure you have a lot of pursuers, and there are bound to be guys more handsome than I among them." "Fine, but sometimes chemistry is important, too. I think there's a chemistry between us," she said. "You just won't tell me the truth, huh?" he said. "That's not the point. Are you going to take your mom to Aryadelle for treatment? If you want to—" "No," he said. "I spoke to her about it, and she does not want to go anywhere else." "Your mom doesn't want to spend your money, right? I understand that," Ivy said. Back when Ivy's grandmother was ill, she would not allow Ivy to buy even generic painkillers because she wanted Ivy to save the money instead. "You're rubbing salt on my wound with that statement," Lucas said. "I'm sorry. I just want your mother to live a little longer. I can help you

Lucas looked at Ivy in astonishment, while Ivy realized she had revealed too much. "Are you really not going to explain what's going on?" Lucas asked. "I know your family's housekeeper, so I know a lot about your family," Ivy replied. "You know way too much! If I didn't know any better, I'd think you used to work at our house," Lucas remarked. "Don't worry, I know a lot, but I'm tight-lipped." Ivy reassured him. Lucas stared at her face, captivated by her words. "You should get back to work. Come home early if you finish work later!" Ivy urged before running off. Ivy first went to the supermarket, bought some groceries, and then took a taxi to Lucas' house. After putting the groceries away in the kitchen, her phone rang. She picked up the call, delighted to hear her sister's voice. "Hey, Layla!" "Ivy, when are you coming back? You've only been gone for a few days, and I miss you already!" "I miss you guys, too. I'll stay here for a few more days and then head back h