Ivy followed her parents into the room where the dresses were placed and chose a pink gown. "Mom, I think I'll wear this one for the event!" Ivy was quite fond of the dress. "You can choose a few more outfits! The wedding will last two days, so you can wear a few different dresses each day!" Avery enjoyed dressing her daughter. Ivy laughed. "That's too much! It's not my wedding, so I'm just going to stick to one dress per day!" She did not want to steal the spotlight from the bride. Ivy picked up a light blue outfit. "This one will be great for the second day." "All right! Do you want to look at the room where your brother will spend his wedding night?" Ivy could not help but chuckle. "Of course! I'm curious about how you've decorated the room." "We didn't decorate their bedroom. That was Shelly's mother," Avery explained. Avery respected her in-laws; though Shelly's family tended to tiptoe around the Fosters and allowed the Fosters to make most of the decisions, the ro
"Darling, I'm not talking about you." "Lucas is someone's baby, too. If his mom learns that someone is looking down on him, she'll be devastated." "I'm sorry for being so prejudiced," Avery said guiltily. "I don't blame you for it, Mom. You guys haven't met Lucas in person yet, so being prejudiced is normal. If some guy came along one day wanting to take my daughter away from me, I would also be on guard." Ivy swiftly regained her composure. Avery smiled. "Indeed. It's quite hard for me to be fair with him." "If he refuses to come to Aryadelle with me, I won't be with him," Ivy promised. "Don't worry. I will never leave you and Dad." Avery nodded with a beaming smile. After checking the room, she took Ivy's hand and said, "Let me show you where we store the gifts." "Gifts?" "The gifts for guests," Avery explained. "The gifts this time are quite creative." "I saw the pictures. There's a picture of my brother, Shelly, and their two kids in the souvenir box. The design
"Ivy, you're such a good girl. Your big brother was worried you might be going through a rebellious phase. After all, you've only been home three years. Although you usually appear obedient, he's concerned that it might all be an act." Ivy could not help but burst into laughter. "I'm not that good of an actor. I was just as well-behaved before I came home. It's just my personality; it's in my genes." "If that's the case, then the guy you like, Lucas, is probably a decent young man." Frowning, Ivy considered Shelly's words. "His flaws are quite obvious. My parents and siblings don't think he's anything special. He's not good at communication, quite reserved, and even though he's started his own business, he hasn't achieved much." "Personality issues are manageable so long as they're not matters of character. Look at your big brother; he's not much of a talker either. If you want to be with Lucas, the main issue is his capability. Your family would probably find it hard to accept
Ivy gazed at Caspian's reply and immediately messaged back. [Caspian, how's Lucas doing lately? Is he okay?] [He's fine! The investment party sent a guy over recently, and he's been bugging him daily.] [Huh? Do you mean what I think you mean?] Ivy asked. [What are you thinking?] [Didn't you say that guy's been bothering Lucas every day? Does that guy like him?] [Haha! I don't think so! The guy isn't very familiar with our area, so he clings to Lucas wherever he goes. Lucas doesn't like going out, so I said I could accompany him, but he didn't want that.] [So, where have they been going?] Ivy typed. [Bars, nightclubs... Those places guys tend to like!] [...] [Haha, I feel like both the people sent by this investor aren't taking this very seriously. Ivy, I'll tell you everything when you return. Are you having fun being back home?] [Yeah, it's been fun!] [It's no wonder you've been away for so long. I thought you weren't planning on returning to Taronia!] Caspian co
"Hayden sent a pretty woman to seduce him, which didn't work, so now he's sent a guy to take Lucas to clubs and bars. I don't think that's going to work. Not all men like those places," Ivy said. Layla tapped her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Hayden will come up with new ways." "Yeah. I trust him." Two days later, Ivy arrived at Taronia alone. Avery wanted Archer to follow her, but Ivy objected to it, and since Hayden had stationed his man by Lucas' side, Avery did not insist. As Ivy stepped out of the airport, she spotted Caspian and Lucas. Caspian was beaming, but Lucas seemed gloomy and looked as though he had been dragged there. Ivy was pleasantly surprised by their presence. "You two came to pick me up?" "Yes! Feel like a big shot, don't you?" Caspian said, taking her suitcase from her. Ivy smiled and asked Lucas, "Mr. Woods, aren't you working today?" "It's the weekend, Ivy! If he didn't come with me to pick you up, he'd have to accompany that man, Anson, so
When they arrived at the hotel, Caspian stayed inside the car. "Lucas, you go up with Ivy. I'll just drive around." Lucas recalled that Ivy had brought a large suitcase with her and obediently exited the car. Before getting out of the car, Ivy thanked Caspian. "Thank you, Caspian. I owe you one." "Sure. I look forward to being at your wedding with Lucas," Caspian teased. Ivy got out of the car, blushing, and Lucas took her luggage out of the trunk. The two entered the hotel Ivy had booked for the following month. Lucas watched as she checked with the receptionist about the discount and as the receptionist phoned the manager to confirm it before checking Ivy in. After making the payment, Ivy turned to look at Lucas. "Let's go!" Lucas dragged the luggage into the elevator with Ivy. "Mr. Woods, why aren't you saying anything?" Ivy asked as they entered the elevator, looking at Lucas. Lucas genuinely had no idea what to say. "What exactly am I supposed to say?" "I bro
Ivy sat down next to the bed and said, "Lucas, it's not that I wanted to hide things from you. It's just that my family situation is quite unique. Also, we haven't seen each other in three years, so I didn't know if you had changed." "I understand. You're now the young lady of a wealthy family. You can't casually reveal your identity to outsiders in case you get into trouble," he said. "It's not just that. My parents are concerned about my safety. I only brought one bodyguard the last time I was here." Lucas turned to look at Ivy and said, "If I'm not mistaken, your father is Elliot Foster." Ivy nodded. "During summer vacation three years ago, I went to Aryadelle, and I found my biological parents by accident. They wanted me to have a better life, so they faked my death in Taronia." "I understand. Finding your biological parents is a good thing. You don't have to work as a nanny for others anymore, and you don't have to cater to other people to make a living." "The scar I h
Ivy nodded. "If we were together, you would have to come with me to Aryadelle." Lucas shook his head. "Don't reject me now. My family isn't that difficult to get along with. They are very nice and are very respectful of my wishes. They wouldn't have allowed me to come here to see you if they didn't respect me." Lucas nodded. "It's great to see that you are doing well, but I won't leave this country." This place was his home; his mother was still here, so he would never leave. In truth, his attachment to this land was not as deep as others' love for their countries, but even so, he was unwilling to leave his country for a woman. Lucas had always been a prideful man, and even if Ivy's family was wealthy, he could not possibly trade his dignity for money. "Let's not talk about this for now. After being apart for so long, let's just treat each other as friends!" Ivy was extremely optimistic, and her smile was radiant and bright. Lucas nodded in agreement. Ivy leaned closer