Chapter 535: Ivy Sherwood Really Can’t Do Without Him

"I’ve already told the police everything I have to say. Charlie Rhodes made me do it. He’s my godfather, and he saved my life. I wouldn’t be who I am today without him, so I’ve always listened to him."

"I didn’t dare refuse what he told me to do. He liked Ivy Sherwood, so he wanted me to find a way to lure her to the house. Then he would make his move on her. It was all his plan. I was only responsible for getting Ivy to come over. I don’t know anything else!"

Ruby Sterling quickly handed over the items she had used to lure Ivy Sherwood. "These belonged to Yvonne Summers. I thought they looked expensive back then, so I secretly hid them away after she died. I’ve never worn them, not even once."

"This was the only mistake I made, Quentin. Ivy is a Sherwood, after all, and I raised her for over a decade. Even if I haven’t earned any merit, I’ve put in the hard work. I may not have been the best to her, but I never let her go without food or clothing."

"The fact that Ivy grew up to be an adult... surely that cancels out this one moment of foolishness, right? Or, let me see Ivy. It’ll be fine if I just talk to her."

Ruby Sterling still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking Ivy Sherwood might not press the issue.

Quentin Blackwood’s gaze was terrifyingly cold. "As far as I know, just a few days ago, Ivy Sherwood transferred a large sum of money to Timothy Sherwood and cut all ties with the Sherwood Family. Everything you spent on her over the years has been paid back in full, with interest."

"Since you seem to think Ivy is one of the Sherwoods, someone you raised yourself, how could you possibly help Charlie Rhodes do something like this?"

Quentin Blackwood’s voice was cruel. A person like Ruby Sterling deserved no sympathy.

She was purely evil. She was capable of handing her own daughter over to Charlie Rhodes, to say nothing of Ivy Sherwood.

"It was just a moment of foolishness! And I really had no choice but to listen to Charlie Rhodes. He’s my godfather! He did all of this. At most, I just helped him lure Ivy over."

"How exactly did Charlie Rhodes die?" Quentin Blackwood had no patience to listen to any more of Ruby Sterling’s excuses.

Ruby Sterling froze, almost forgetting to keep up her act.

’Why is Quentin Blackwood asking that? Don’t tell me he’s found something?’

"I don’t know. Didn’t Ivy Sherwood kill him? He died on the way to the hospital."

"You had the Rhodes come to us to extort money, and you told them to insist that Ivy Sherwood was the killer?" Quentin Blackwood’s eyes narrowed.

In truth, he was just saying it—it was only a guess to see if Ruby Sterling would give herself away.

And clearly, when he’d first asked, Ruby Sterling had been flustered.

"The Rhodes came looking for trouble with me, so I had to tell them that. I didn’t have a choice!" Ruby Sterling continued to play the victim.

"I’ll ask you one more time. How exactly did Charlie Rhodes die!" Ian Quincy’s eyes narrowed, his patience gone.

"I don’t know! You’re not trying to pin this all on me just to get Ivy Sherwood off the hook, are you? Don’t tell me you’re going to say I killed Charlie Rhodes?" Ruby Sterling switched tactics, launching a preemptive strike.

"This is a complete setup! I know I’ve wronged Ivy, and I know she’s your woman. You’re Quentin Blackwood—rich and powerful. You want to get her out of this mess, to keep her from being branded a murderer, so you want me to take the fall. If that’s really what this is about, then fine! I can tell the police I killed Charlie Rhodes. But will Ivy be able to live with her conscience then?"

Ruby Sterling shouted at the top of her lungs, putting on the perfect performance of a wrongly accused woman.

At this point, Quentin Blackwood couldn’t even stand the sight of Ruby Sterling. The moment he looked at her, his hands began to clench, overcome with the urge to strangle her.

"I’m giving you one day. Tell me everything you know. I’m having Charlie Rhodes’s body autopsied. If anything is found, you will meet the same end he did!"

With that, Quentin Blackwood stood up and strode out of the police station.

He was in a hurry to get back and check on Ivy Sherwood.

He couldn’t rest easy for a single moment.

He left the rest of the matters there to his men—whether it was filing lawsuits, making the Rhodes Family pay the price, or putting pressure on Ruby Sterling, he could just hand it all over to his subordinates.

...

At the hospital, Jason Summers still hadn’t left. He was still waiting, and no matter how much Miles Mercer tried to shoo him away, he wouldn’t go.

Besides Jason Summers, another man also arrived in a hurry.

"Where is Ivy Sherwood?" Elijah Hawthorne looked travel-worn, clearly having rushed over in a great hurry.

Although Elijah Hawthorne had been out of town, he had people stationed in Lustre who kept him informed of the situation. He’d heard last night that something had happened to Ivy Sherwood.

Elijah had rushed over at the first opportunity. ’What the hell is wrong with that Quentin Blackwood?’ he thought. ’If he can’t even protect one woman, he should just let her go.’

’And Ivy must be blind. There are so many good men out there, a hundred times better than Quentin, but she just had to fall for him!’

"Who do you think you are? My little sister is resting right now." Miles Mercer saw the man’s hostile demeanor.

’I think I’ve seen him before,’ he thought. ’Didn’t he come looking for trouble with my sister?’

Elijah Hawthorne had a foul temper and very little patience. He tried to push his way in, but Miles Mercer blocked him.

"Move!" Elijah Hawthorne didn’t want to lose his temper, but he was not a patient man.

"And who are you? You think I’ll move just because you say so?" Miles Mercer didn’t want anyone disturbing his sister.

Elijah Hawthorne threw the first punch, and Miles Mercer fought back. The two of them started brawling, seemingly evenly matched.

Hearing the commotion from inside, Ivy Sherwood quickly got out of bed to open the door.

"Brother!" Ivy Sherwood cried out, only then noticing that Elijah Hawthorne was there too.

She looked at the man in surprise. "Mr. Hawthorne? What are you doing here?"

’Elijah Hawthorne is in Lustre? How did I not know?’

"I heard you were in trouble, so I came to see you," Elijah Hawthorne said, walking straight inside and shutting the door behind him.

Nina Scott was also in the room. Elijah Hawthorne looked at her. "Is there something you need?"

Nina was speechless.

’Shouldn’t I be the one asking that question?’ Nina thought. ’What’s his problem? How dare he just barge in here to see Ivy?’

"What do you want?" Nina Scott didn’t know Elijah Hawthorne well, but she knew he was not a good person.

In Nina’s eyes, Elijah might as well be the same type of person as Charlie Rhodes. ’I have to protect Ivy!’

"Get out. I have something to say to her," Elijah Hawthorne ordered domineeringly.

"I’m not your employee. Why should I get out?" Nina Scott wasn’t about to be intimidated.

’Miles is right outside,’ Nina thought. ’He wouldn’t dare throw me out, would he?’

Elijah Hawthorne looked at Ivy Sherwood. This was her friend, so it wasn’t his place to get physical.

Ivy said, "Nina, why don’t you step out for a bit? I’ll just have a quick word with Mr. Hawthorne."

Nina was still worried, but Ivy said, "He’s my friend."

Nina was floored.

’Since when are Ivy and Elijah Hawthorne friends? Isn’t he famous for never making friends with anyone?!’

But since Ivy had put it that way, Nina left the room.

Alone in the hospital room, Elijah Hawthorne looked at Ivy Sherwood’s bandaged hand. "Charlie Rhodes did this?"

’How dare someone else bully the person I haven’t even had a chance to bully yet?’ he fumed inwardly.

The more he thought about it, the more he saw Quentin Blackwood as a useless piece of trash. And Ivy... it seemed she couldn’t be left on her own for a second. He was only gone from Lustre for a short time, and she’d already ended up in the hospital.