Chapter 170: Just stay with me
"Hailey?" Xander repeated, a flicker of recognition crossing his face.
Ivy noticed the subtle change immediately. Straightening up, she shifted to sit properly and looked at him curiously.
"Why did you react like that?"
Xander tilted his head slightly before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"The name sounds familiar."
Ivy narrowed her eyes and folded her arms.
"Xander Emerson... are you trying to tell me you’ve been paying attention to another woman behind my back?"
The teasing accusation wiped the smile from his face.
"What? No," he replied quickly. "That’s not what I meant."
Seeing that she was still staring at him expectantly, he sighed.
"Do you remember the client I mentioned a while ago? The one I’ve been trying to work with?"
She nodded.
"His wife’s name also happens to be Hailey. That’s why I was surprised when you mentioned it."
Ivy’s playful expression disappeared.
"And what was her full name again?"
"Hailey Mortini."
The room fell silent.
Hailey Mortini... Then the client Xander was talking about must be Logan Mortini.
She quietly pieced the information together before asking, "Did he agree to work with you?"
Xander shook his head.
"No. He’s been difficult to persuade."
Then he noticed the change in her expression and frowned.
"What are you thinking?"
Caught off guard, Ivy blinked.
She had almost forgotten that Xander noticed even the smallest shift in her demeanor.
"It’s nothing," she said after a brief pause. "I was just remembering what happened at the flower shop."
She hesitated before continuing.
"When I checked Hailey’s pulse, it was so faint that I could barely feel it. At the time, I thought it was unusual for someone who had simply skipped a meal."
Xander’s expression immediately turned serious.
Without another word, he picked up his phone, opened a photograph, and handed it to her.
"Is this the Hailey you met today?"
Ivy glanced at the screen and nodded.
"Yes. It’s her."
She didn’t pretend to be surprised. She had already connected the dots.
Still, her calm confirmation left Xander momentarily stunned.
"So it really was Hailey," he murmured, taking the phone back.
A thoughtful silence settled between them.
Finally, Xander looked up.
"There’s something you don’t know about her."
Ivy waited patiently.
"Hailey is terminally ill," he said quietly. "The doctors believe she doesn’t have much time left."
Ivy frowned.
No wonder she looked so pale and weak, she thought. It wasn’t just because she skipped a meal.
She looked back at Xander.
"But I still don’t understand. What does her condition have to do with your business with Logan?"
Truthfully, she knew very little about Logan Mortini. But the more she learned, the more curious she became.
If Xander was this invested in meeting him, there had to be a reason.
Xander held her gaze for several seconds.
He had no desire to keep secrets from her anymore.
After a moment of quiet reflection, he made his decision.
"Logan Mortini is one of the few people who might be able to help me identify the people responsible for my parents’ deaths."
Ivy’s eyes widened.
She had always believed his parents had died in a tragic accident.
"Killers?" she asked softly.
Xander’s jaw tightened.
"My parents were murdered."
His voice remained calm, but the pain beneath it was unmistakable.
"The accident that took their lives was carefully orchestrated. It wasn’t an accident at all."
He looked away for a moment before continuing.
"My father had uncovered information about a powerful group involved in activities that endangered countless innocent people. He intended to expose them."
"And before he could..."
"They silenced him."
The words hung heavily in the room.
"They arranged the crash and made sure neither of my parents survived."
Ivy remained silent, trying to absorb everything he had just revealed.
It was a truth she had never expected to hear.
As the weight of his confession settled over her, she finally understood the depth of Xander’s determination.
This wasn’t about business.
It wasn’t about money.
It was about justice—and a son who had spent years carrying the burden of losing his parents while searching for the people who stole them from him.
Ivy sat in silence, carefully absorbing everything Xander had told her.
Only after gathering her thoughts did she turn to face him.
"So how do you plan to convince Logan to work with you?" she asked.
Xander drew in a slow breath before answering.
"Through Aaron."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"He’s been studying Hailey’s medical case for some time. According to him, her condition is extremely difficult to treat, but it isn’t completely hopeless. There may still be a chance."
A look of understanding crossed Ivy’s face.
Now the pieces finally fit together.
Xander wasn’t approaching Logan through business or influence.
He was trying to reach him through the one person Logan would do anything to save—his wife.
"But there’s a problem," Xander said quietly.
Ivy frowned.
"What kind of problem?"
He leaned back slightly, the conflict in his expression impossible to miss.
"Logan doesn’t trust the Emerson family."
"He has deliberately kept his distance from us for years. Every attempt I’ve made to approach him has been politely rejected."
Ivy listened without interrupting.
Xander continued, "Even if Aaron genuinely has a chance of helping Hailey, that doesn’t mean Logan will accept our help."
His gaze drifted toward the window.
"From his perspective, it could look like I’m exploiting his wife’s condition to gain something in return."
The thought clearly frustrated him.
"I have a plan, and I believe it could work," he admitted. "But in the end, the decision isn’t mine to make. It depends entirely on whether Logan is willing to trust me."
The room fell quiet once more.
After a moment, Ivy spoke.
"Then don’t give him a reason to think you’re trying to use him."
Xander looked back at her.
"If your intentions are sincere, prove it through your actions—not your words."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"That’s easier said than done."
"Maybe," Ivy replied, meeting his gaze, "but desperate people can tell the difference between someone offering help and someone asking for a favor."
For the first time that evening, Xander’s expression softened.
He realized she was right.
If he truly wanted Logan’s trust, he would have to earn it—not bargain for it.
The corners of Xander’s lips lifted into a faint smile.
Without another word, he pulled Ivy into a gentle embrace.
"I never imagined that simply talking to someone could make me feel this much lighter," he admitted quietly.
For as long as he could remember, Xander had carried every burden on his own.
He wasn’t the type to open up about his thoughts or emotions. Whenever problems arose, he dealt with them in silence, convinced that relying on himself was the only option.
There had been only one exception—his grandfather, Edward.
Even then, most of their conversations revolved around business and family responsibilities. Xander rarely spoke about his fears or personal struggles.
Still, deep down, he believed Edward understood him without needing an explanation.
Ivy listened without interrupting.
Then she wrapped her arms around him in return and rested her chin lightly against his shoulder.
"Maybe it’s time you stop carrying everything by yourself," she said softly.
Xander remained silent.
She continued, "You don’t always have to be the strongest person in the room. Sometimes, sharing what’s on your mind doesn’t make you weak—it makes the burden easier to bear."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"Is that your professional advice?"
"No," Ivy replied with a smile. "It’s advice from someone who knows what it’s like to keep everything bottled up."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence between them felt peaceful rather than awkward.
Finally, Ivy gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"So from now on, try saying what’s in your heart instead of keeping it to yourself."
Xander looked into her eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly.
"I’ll try."
It was a simple promise, but for a man who had spent years hiding behind composure and restraint, it meant more than either of them cared to admit.
Silence settled between them for a few seconds as the couple remained wrapped in each other’s arms. Then Xander slowly slipped his hand beneath the hem of Ivy’s top, making her freeze.
"Do you know what I’m thinking right now?" he murmured, his lips brushing against her earlobe and sending a shiver down her spine.
Ivy swallowed hard before lifting her gaze to meet his dark eyes.
"W-What?" she asked softly, her breath unsteady as warmth rushed to her cheeks.
His eyes held hers as he replied in a low voice, "I want to lose myself in you and make you forget everything else."
His words lingered in the air, tempting enough to leave her heart racing.
Part of her felt shy, but a stronger part wanted to close the distance between them.
"Then don’t hold back," she whispered, slipping her arms around his neck. "I’m here with you."
With a gentle motion, Xander lifted her into his arms and laid her carefully on the bed.
"Just stay with me," he said, his forehead resting briefly against hers. "I want to hear you say my name."
A spark of emotion flickered in Ivy’s eyes, matching the intensity in his. She reached up, her fingers threading through his hair, and drew him down into a lingering kiss.
