Chapter 532: A Price Must Be Paid

Quentin Blackwood lay beside Ivy Sherwood, holding her in his arms. He rested his head against hers, inhaling her scent.

Ivy Sherwood didn’t know if Quentin Blackwood was asleep, but she couldn’t fall asleep at all.

When she closed her eyes, all she could see was Charlie Rhodes.

Charlie Rhodes, covered in blood, and she, holding a knife... The image was simply too terrifying.

’It was self-defense, but...’

But how could she overcome the trauma? Still, Ivy didn’t want to worry Quentin Blackwood, so she could only pretend to be fine. This, however, was something she simply couldn’t ignore.

Charlie Rhodes may have been old, but just a few hours ago, he had been a living person right before her eyes. Now, he was just dead.

Ivy Sherwood snuggled deeper into Quentin Blackwood’s embrace. Feeling his warmth made her feel a little better.

Quentin Blackwood wasn’t asleep either. He gently patted Ivy, hoping she would be all right.

...

Charlie Rhodes’s family rushed to Lustre overnight. In truth, Mrs. Rhodes and her husband had no love left between them. Charlie was such a philanderer that she had long wished him dead. That way, her son could inherit the entire Rhodes family fortune.

Although she was overjoyed inside, on the surface, she was heartbroken, her eyes swollen from crying. Accompanying her was Charlie Rhodes’s son, Michael Rhodes.

"My dad was alive and well! How did he end up dead in your house? You have to give us an explanation!"

At the police station, the Rhodes family confronted Ruby Sterling.

Ruby Sterling was crying too. "This really has nothing to do with me! Ivy Sherwood killed him! If you want someone to blame, go find Ivy Sherwood! She’s the murderer."

"Ivy Sherwood?" The members of the Rhodes family weren’t quite sure who she was.

Ruby Sterling said, "Ivy Sherwood is the one who’s been seducing my godfather lately. She used her looks, trying to get his money. I don’t know if they couldn’t agree on a price or if he refused to pay, but Ivy wasn’t willing. My godfather really liked her, though, so he forced me to lure her over."

"I’m the real victim here! I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but my godfather threatened me. He said if I didn’t help him, he would destroy our Sherwood Family. I truly had no other choice."

Ruby Sterling repeated everything exactly as Claire Sherwood had taught her. ’My daughter really is brilliant,’ she thought. ’This is playing out almost exactly as Claire predicted.’

’All I have to do now is play the victim, make the Rhodes family aim all their fury at Ivy, and then insist that she was the killer. It has nothing to do with me.’

’As for Quentin Blackwood, if he tries to blame me, Claire will help me.’

’Raising this daughter wasn’t a waste after all.’

The Rhodes family was furious. Mrs. Rhodes ordered her son, "Find out who this Ivy Sherwood is, then file a police report!"

Michael Rhodes did a quick search and soon found Ivy Sherwood’s file.

This...

The Mercer family’s little princess, Quentin Blackwood’s fiancée... Who would dare file a report against someone like that?

"Mom, I’m afraid we’ll have to just eat this loss," Michael Rhodes said, showing the file to his mother.

Mrs. Rhodes’s face fell when she saw it. ’That old lecher, Charlie Rhodes, actually dared to go after someone of her stature? He got what he deserved! Death was too good for him!’

’Even if Ivy Sherwood hadn’t killed him on the spot, would Quentin Blackwood and the Mercer Family have spared him?’

Now, Mrs. Rhodes was even worried this incident would drag down the entire Rhodes Family.

"Godmother, that Ivy Sherwood has always used her status to bully people. She’s the one who killed my godfather this time. If a murderer doesn’t have to pay with their life, is there any justice left in this world? Now that he’s gone, what will happen to the Rhodes Family?"

"Even if you can’t do anything to Ivy Sherwood, you should at least make the Mercer and Blackwood families indebted to you. Ivy was the one in the wrong here. Are you really planning to do nothing and just let her get away with it?"

The thought of what Mrs. Rhodes had done to her younger daughter made Ruby Sterling hate the entire Rhodes family to the core.

’But there’s nothing I can do,’ she thought. ’I’m no match for these people.’

Mrs. Rhodes considered this and felt it made some sense. After all, her family had done nothing wrong in this affair.

What Charlie Rhodes did was his own affair. He might be dead, but Ivy Sherwood was the one who killed him. And the Rhodes Family was not to be trifled with.

Mrs. Rhodes declared, "Ivy Sherwood must pay the price!"

If Mrs. Rhodes didn’t have a certain amount of grit and cunning, she never would have married Charlie Rhodes, let alone kept his many mistresses from usurping her position all these years.

Seeing Mrs. Rhodes’s reaction, Ruby Sterling knew her ploy to sow discord had succeeded.

Ruby Sterling chuckled softly. ’As long as I stick to the story that Charlie Rhodes forced me, I’ll be fine.’

’I have recordings of Charlie Rhodes pressuring me and of my own refusals. Even if the police investigate, I have proof.’

...

Quentin Blackwood didn’t sleep all night. Ivy Sherwood only drifted off just before dawn.

Then, Quentin Blackwood picked up his phone and gave a series of orders.

Investigate Charlie Rhodes’s cause of death. Put pressure on Ruby Sterling and make her pay. And find out if the incident he’d encountered on the road was Charlie Rhodes’s doing.

He heard the Rhodes family had arrived. Quentin Blackwood had been looking for someone to settle the score with, and they had just delivered themselves to his doorstep.

It was morning now. Watching the soundly sleeping Ivy, Quentin Blackwood quietly slipped out of bed.

Miles Mercer hadn’t slept all night either. Nina Scott was awake now, shocked that something so serious had happened.

’If I had only been more careful yesterday, Miles could have gone with Ivy, and none of this would have happened.’

Nina Scott was filled with self-reproach, her heart aching with guilt.

"She likely just fell asleep. Miles, you stand guard here. Don’t let anyone disturb her under any circumstances."

"Alright."

When Quentin Blackwood projected that commanding aura of his, even Miles Mercer couldn’t help but obey. ’This man’s presence is even more intimidating than my own big brother’s,’ he thought.

Besides, Miles felt a heavy responsibility for what had happened. He had promised Quentin Blackwood he would take good care of his sister, yet this disaster had occurred on his watch.

Even though neither Quentin Blackwood nor his little sister would blame him, Miles couldn’t forgive himself.

Quentin Blackwood quickly left to handle things. Nina Scott went into the hospital room, and her heart ached at the sight of the gauze wrapped around Ivy’s wrist.

’No wonder Ivy’s mother made her dress down when she was growing up. Being beautiful really does attract so much trouble. It’s not the beautiful person’s fault, of course, but so many people see it as your problem. ’Why did you have to dress so nicely? Why did you have to look so pretty?’ Some even think, ’She’s just a woman, what’s the big deal about playing around a little?’’

Thinking of this, Nina Scott felt that man, Charlie Rhodes, wasn’t worth the slightest bit of pity. He deserved to die.

Miles Mercer followed her in. ’If Grandpa and Big Brother saw our little sister like this,’ he thought, ’they’d probably kill me.’

’Grandpa can’t find out about this, but I already notified my older brother. He’s already given me an earful and is on his way back to the country now.’

Nina Scott reached out to touch Ivy’s hand, but Ivy woke up the moment she made contact.

Seeing Nina Scott, Ivy sat up in a hurry. "Nina, are you okay?"