Chapter 173: I expected that answer
Back in the study, Ivy remained silent after seeing the photograph.
She stared at it with lowered eyes, her grip so tight that the edges of the paper had begun to crease beneath her fingers.
Xander watched her for several moments before the silence became unbearable. Walking around the desk, he stopped beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ivy... what’s wrong?"
He knew something had changed the instant she looked at the picture. But when she finally lifted her head, the sight of her bloodshot eyes caught him completely off guard.
He had never seen her like this.
There was confusion, grief, and disbelief swirling in her gaze, making his own chest tighten with unease.
He wanted to ask what had happened. He wanted to know why she had suddenly gone quiet and why she looked so shaken.
His eyes drifted to her trembling shoulders, but before he could say another word, his phone rang.
The shrill sound broke the tense silence.
Both of them snapped out of the moment.
Ivy quickly took a step back and turned away, hiding her expression.
Xander’s hand lingered in the air for a brief second before he reluctantly withdrew it and answered the call.
"Hello."
"Boss, Logan Mortini has agreed to meet," Taylor reported from the other end.
Xander’s expression immediately hardened.
His grip on the phone tightened.
"All right," he replied. "I’ll be there shortly."
He ended the call and turned back toward Ivy.
She looked at him and forced a small smile, but it never reached her eyes.
"I have to go," Xander said quietly. "Logan agreed to meet with me."
For a fleeting moment, the smile on Ivy’s face faltered before she composed herself and nodded.
"Then you shouldn’t waste any time."
Though her voice was steady, she was silently trying to reassure him that she would be all right.
Xander remained where he was, torn between staying and leaving. There were countless questions on the tip of his tongue, but he sensed that Ivy needed space just as much as he needed answers.
After a long pause, he gave a reluctant nod.
"We’ll talk when I get back."
Without another word, he left the study.
The soft click of the closing door echoed through the room.
The moment she was alone, Ivy’s carefully maintained composure collapsed.
She sank into the chair, clutching Frederick’s family photograph to her chest before lowering it into her lap.
Her eyes settled on the smiling faces once more, lingering on the man she now believed to be her father.
"There is no way you’re gone, Father," she whispered, her voice breaking.
A single tear slipped down her cheek, but the sorrow in her eyes gradually gave way to determination.
She would remember.
Not only the fragments from her dreams, but everything that had happened before Hardy had taken her in.
No matter how deeply the truth had been buried, she would uncover it.
***
[Daffodil Academy]
Leo and John were halfway through their lunch when they noticed Mia sitting unusually quiet across the table.
Instead of enjoying the meal—one of her favorites—she was completely absorbed in her phone, a smile spreading across her face as she watched something on the screen.
John frowned in confusion.
"What has her so distracted?" he muttered.
Leo glanced over as well before calling out, "Mia, why aren’t you eating? You said you were starving this morning."
Without looking up, Mia waved a hand dismissively.
"Don’t interrupt me. I’m busy admiring beauty."
The dreamy expression on her face only made the boys more curious.
They exchanged puzzled looks before setting down their spoons and scooting closer to peek at her phone.
The moment they saw the screen, both of them froze.
"Wait..." John’s eyes widened. "Did they already release the music video?"
His voice was filled with disbelief.
Leo didn’t answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the video, and before long, a soft smile appeared on his face.
On the screen was none other than Ivy, gracefully performing in the newly released music video.
"No wonder she’s been staring at it," Leo murmured.
John slapped his forehead dramatically.
"How did I miss this? It came out already!"
Without another word, he abandoned his lunch, pulled out his own phone, and hurriedly searched for the video.
Within seconds, it was playing on his screen as well.
"I swear," John said with a grin, unable to look away, "Miss Ivy somehow looks even better on camera."
Mia nodded enthusiastically, still watching the performance.
"I’ve replayed it five times already."
Leo chuckled quietly before returning his attention to the video, pride flickering in his eyes as the three children forgot all about the food sitting untouched on the table.
"Wow... I wish I could meet her in person," Mia sighed dreamily, her eyes still glued to the screen. "She’s absolutely incredible."
Although Ivy had only recently stepped into the entertainment industry, she had already attracted significant attention. Her successful magazine debut had opened new doors, and now her appearance in the music video was creating waves online. In fact, much of the audience seemed to be talking about her performance rather than the song itself, with many even saying she had stolen the spotlight from Kevin.
John suddenly turned to Leo, his eyes lighting up.
"Wait a second! Leo, your dad owns the agency she’s signed with, doesn’t he? You must have met her before."
Mia’s face brightened instantly.
"That’s right!" She grabbed Leo’s arm excitedly. "Please, can you arrange for us to meet her? I just want one photo with her. Just one! I’d treasure it forever."
Neither Mia nor John had the slightest idea that the woman they were fangirling over was actually Leo’s mother.
Leo blinked at their eager expressions, then glanced at the paused image of Ivy on the screen. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I suppose... I could try," he said, carefully choosing his words.
"Really?" John and Mia exclaimed in unison.
Leo nodded with an innocent look. "No promises, though. She’s probably very busy."
Mia clasped her hands together dramatically. "Even five minutes would be enough! I’ll behave, I swear."
John laughed. "Speak for yourself. I’ll probably ask for an autograph too."
Leo chuckled, trying not to give himself away.
"I’ll see what I can do."
Inside, however, he couldn’t help but think that introducing them to Ivy might be easier than they imagined. He just wasn’t ready to reveal the truth yet—and judging by their reactions, keeping the secret a little longer might make the surprise even more fun.
***
[Orian Grand Hotel]
Logan sat across from Xander in the private lounge, his hands clasped tightly on the table. Neither of them spoke for several moments, the silence between them heavy with years of unresolved questions and buried resentment.
Although Logan had finally agreed to this meeting, he remained conflicted. The Emerson family had once helped him without hesitation, and in return, he had disappeared from their lives when they needed him most.
Even now, he was uncertain how much he should reveal.
For years, he had convinced himself that the past was over—that by walking away, he had protected his family and left the danger behind. But everything changed the day Xander started asking questions about the people his father had once been involved with.
Logan let out a weary sigh.
"I won’t waste your time, Xander," he began. "The people you’re trying to find are far more dangerous than you realize."
Xander’s expression remained unreadable, though his piercing gaze never left Logan’s face.
"They’re not the kind of enemies you can defeat with money or influence," Logan continued. "Once they decide you’re a threat, they won’t stop until they’ve erased you."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering.
"When I walked away from your family after Lucas died, I made a choice. I buried everything I knew and never looked back. It was the only way I could convince myself that my wife and I would be safe."
His eyes met Xander’s with unmistakable sincerity.
"But your investigation is stirring up ghosts that should have stayed buried."
Xander finally spoke, his tone calm but firm.
"Are you trying to protect me... or protect yourself?"
The question hung in the air.
Logan didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he said quietly, "I’m trying to stop history from repeating itself."
He paused before adding, "If you keep digging into your father’s past, you’ll end up facing the same fate he did."
Despite the warning, Xander’s expression didn’t change.
"If finding the truth puts me in danger," he replied, "then so be it. I’ve spent too many years chasing shadows to turn back now."
For the first time since the meeting began, Logan realized that the boy he had once known was gone.
The man sitting across from him would not be frightened into walking away.
A flicker of frustration crossed Logan’s face.
"I expected that answer," he admitted quietly. "You always were as stubborn as your father."
At the mention of Lucas, Xander’s eyes sharpened.
"Then stop speaking in riddles and tell me what really happened."
