16. Ivy
Ivy
“Uh…”
I stare at the gorgeously appetizing platter of Wingstop chicken tenders in shock.
“Young Miss, the young master said if this doesn’t alleviate your hunger or pain, then you should know that there’s a fully stocked kitchen in the east wing of the residence as the one in the north is now shut down pending reconstruction due to the breach in etiquette from some people who forget themselves. ”
Wow!
The hit is definitely aimed at Vaughn, but would Emmett go so far as to reconstruct an entire kitchen just because some fish was prepared in there?
Yes. Yes, he absolutely would.
“The young master also said if you choose the second option, his personal chef is ready to make anything you’d like as he would like to avoid a situation where you cook.
He said it’ll only result in a repeat of last time, however the hospitals here might not have an antidote for your brand of self-poisoning,” Ty goes on, looking deadly serious.
“What?”
Oh, that jerk! It was only one time!
“He also said if you burn the house down, you’ll have to pay to rebuild it, but he’s afraid you can’t afford that just yet.”
My jaw drops to the floor and before I can muffle it, laughter erupts from me.
It’s absurd but then again, absurd people clearly do absurd things without care. Laughing seems to be the only response as my mind races back to the past.
When I was ten, Grammy had brought me to the estates to check on Astraea who had gotten a bad cold. I went to Emmett’s house and found him in the kitchen…
I told him I could make pancakes, but I had never cooked a day in my life. He let me do it with a skeptical look on his face, and well, a big fire broke out.
“It was only one time! How long is he going to hold that over my head?” I laugh but immediately catch myself when I realize all eyes are one me… and none of them find this exchange funny.
Awkwardly, I shift in my seat, but I can’t help but feel a slight warmth in my chest.
Years later Emmett still remembers our childhood antics enough to use them as a way to tease me like this. He even remembers that I’m severely allergic to seafood!
But more than that, I know this is Emmett’s way of communicating with me.
He’s aware of everything happening here.
The silence in the room is loud as the plates with seafood are quickly taken away.
The tough-looking men in black open all the windows in the room, letting in a fresh, clean breeze. As if chasing out the fishy smell…
While this happens, no one says a word.
Ty doesn’t move away from where he stands a few paces behind me.
No one tells him to leave, but they all keep glancing at him.
Emilio and Giovanni exchange looks several times, uncertainty in their eyes.
Hell, even Grandpa Armando doesn’t say anything. He just calmly cuts through his steak and starts eating like Scarlet, while everyone else just stares at their plates in shock, not moving at all.
“This is very interesting.” Grandpa Armando chuckles, glancing at me. “I have never seen my grandson do anything of this sort before.”
If my blush was transparent, it would be over for me.
“Uh, yeah…” I mumble, not knowing what to say.
“Oh, don’t let me stop you,” he says, gesturing to my platter with a mix of lemon pepper and garlic parmesan tenders with a smile, his eyes twinkling, like he knows a secret that he’s dying to share. “Go ahead and enjoy yourself, sweetheart.”
Everyone is still looking at me as I reach for a piece and start eating.
The anger in the room is like an actively erupting volcano, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying myself.
Since I’ve been sick, I haven’t exactly eaten anything in two days. Besides, fried chicken really does strangely help with the migraines.
Emmett just played a hand of petty to the nth degree.
The man isn’t even here and yet, he has commanded such a potent response in this room.
Across the table, Emilio is incredibly livid; his face is still red.
Vaughn suddenly turns around. “Grandfather hasn’t heard anything from my dearest cousin in days. Did he run away?” Vaughn demands in a snarky way.
Run away? Why would Emmett run away from anything or anyone?
“Cousin isn’t a coward like you, Vaughn,” Scarlet suddenly says, in her smoky but deadly tone that carries like a bullet in the room.
I look at Scar and notice the cold smile on her face that doesn’t reach her eyes at all.
“Ty, do you know when my cousin will be done with his business?” Scar suddenly asks and to my surprise, Ty answers her instead.
“Miss Scarlet, it’s not known when the young master will return. I have not received any news,” Ty says with a level of respect for Scar that he never showed for anyone else but… me.
That gnawing, sinking feeling kicks back into gear.
I take a quick look around the table and notice the slight relief on Emilio’s face, but Giovanni is still staring at me.
What’s up with that?
Ty comes to my left and picks up the empty platter, while servers take away Scar’s and her grandfather’s plates.
But the plates with the raw, bleeding pieces of beef are left there.
None of the servers from before are present. It’s like they’ve been replaced by another team of efficient servers and just behind them are the tough-looking men in black, all standing at the edge of the room directly behind me, with Ty slightly forward.
I don’t miss the way everyone around the table is glancing at me, but none of them say a word.
“ Padre , are you going to allow them to stay in here while we have our family dinner?” Giovanni suddenly demands, looking at his father.
“They’re here for someone,” Grandpa says mindlessly, not bothered at all.
All eyes swing to look at me. Again.
Three servers come in and place dessert in front of me, Scarlet, and Grandpa while everyone else is ignored.
This distinction seems to blow another grenade as Emilio bangs his fist on the table and gets up quickly.
“ Padre …” he starts.
“Is there a problem?” Grandpa questions as he scoops a bit of his matcha ice cream, not even looking at his enraged son.
“ Padre , I think tonight is better than any other to finally settle that matter with the Hughes family, seeing as they came a long way. We have to operate in good faith.”
My heart jumps in my throat.
It’s clear what Emilio means, with that forced smile on his face.
Emilio glances across the table to Senator Hughes.
“Yes, sir. I believe there’s no better time like the present to settle matters,” Senator Hughes chimes in seriously.
From the corner of my eye, I see Vaughn glance at me, so I look at him, intentionally keeping a neutral expression on my face.
This makes him smile a bit, but inside, I’m panicking.
“Hmm, you’re right,” Grandpa Armando says after a long while, then his cold gaze cuts to me. “Have you decided?”
“Uh, do I have to say it now?” I croak.
“Is there a problem?”
“Uh…”
“Little girl,” Grandpa Armando starts. “The future of this family rests entirely in your hands.”
“That’s a lot of pressure,” I mumble.
The old man suddenly chuckles. “Then you are indeed smart. You understand the gravity of your importance.”
I doubt it’s me who’s important. I’m just the chip being used to play a sick, twisted game.
“Tell me, between my two outstanding, handsome grandsons, which of them have you chosen?”
As soon as the question falls, all eyes fall on me.
Anxious eyes, excited eyes, calculating eyes…
And suddenly I realize that Emmett knew this would happen.
There’s no other possible explanation.
I look straight into the old man’s eyes, with my heart practically in my throat.
Maybe I should feign a psychotic break? Scream and run out of here to save myself?
As if in a daze, I watch as the refined gentleman, who has been standing behind Vaughn’s grandfather, lean down and whisper something in the old man’s ear.
“Is it?” the old man asks, looking amused once again.
“Yes, sir.”
Vaughn’s grandfather suddenly looks at me with a chilling gaze that makes everything in me stand up on end.
“Ivy Marie, tell me this,” he says in a more serious tone than before. Even the look in his eyes is more intense than before, as if whatever information that was relayed to him just now flipped a switch. “Where did you grow up?”
“Uh… in Westbrook Blues, sir,” I mutter barely above a whisper.
The old man stares at me for what feels like eternity.
Then without another word, he raises his hand.
The man behind him grabs the handles of the wheelchair, turns the old man around, and they head out the room without a word of explanation.
As soon as they leave, it’s as if the entire room lets out a deep exhale, but not entirely because just as Vaughn turns to talk to me and Giovanni’s angry eyes track me, the man who just pushed Vaughn’s grandfather out comes right back in the room and everyone falls silent.
The man heads straight for me and without acknowledging anyone else or even looking at anyone, he bows his head to me, stunning everyone else, including Vaughn.
“Excuse me, Young Miss,” the gentleman says softly and respectfully, his voice thick with a European accent I can’t quite trace. “Please, come with me.”
My eyes widen in shock. “W-what? Me?”
The gentleman patiently nods. “Yes, Young Miss.”
“You want me to come with you? To where?” I ask as the sirens blare in my head.
“To get ready, Young Miss.”
“I want to speak with my father,” Giovanni suddenly demands, all the while glaring at me. “Whatever’s going on, it will have to wait.”
“Uncle,” Vaughn grits out. “Have you forgotten what’s at stake here?”
The glare between uncle and nephew is enough to freeze over the entire Atlantic Ocean, but from what I can deduce, Vaughn, his father, and Giovanni are all working together… but something is wrong with Giovanni.
“I’m more aware of what’s at stake here! This reject of a child should get the hell out of here! She’s not fit to be your wife, let alone an Easton! I forbid it!” Giovanni blows up, his face red as if it’s about to burst. “I’ll get rid of her!”
Just as Giovanni goes to grab my arm, with a murderous intent glowing bright in his eyes, Ty steps between us like a solid fortress falling in place.
“Mr. Giovanni, I advise you to calm yourself,” Ty speaks in a deep, somber tone that I’ve never heard from him before. “Or I’ll be forced to retire you.”
That wasn’t a threat… a quick glance to Vaughn shows that Ty’s words have an effect that’s at par with Ripley.
Blunt. Irreproachable. An oath of unimaginable violence.
Ripley also looks to Giovanni. “Please attend to the matters at hand.”
“I want to speak to my father, right now!”
Ripley doesn’t bother responding, he only looks at me. “This way, Young Miss.”
Vaughn frowns again at the way Ripley talks to me, but he doesn’t say anything.
With an angry huff, Giovanni turns on his heel and marches out the room, followed by his brothers and Senator Hughes.
As soon as Giovanni is out the room, Ty turns around to face me and bows his head and stands aside.
“Young Miss, please, come with me,” Ripley repeats. “Time is of the essence.”
He turns to Vaughn as well. “Mr. Vaughn, please go attend to your business.”
And with that, Ripley gestures his hand for me to walk ahead of him.
I look at Vaughn’s excited but slightly worried expression and then to Ty who looks impassive about everything.
What’s going on?
“Ty…” I start.
“Yes, Young Miss,” he says, stepping forward as if ready for anything.
“Where are we going?”
“He wants to talk to you,” he answers gently.
“Who?” I croak. “Grandpa Armando?”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
“Me? Alone? With that dangerous old man?”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure, Young Miss.”
“Can I decline?”
“No, Young Miss.”
Urgh!