Chapter 25: Chapter 25: His Body Is First-Rate, and I’ve Touched It
As always, Quentin Blackwood wore a perfectly tailored, bespoke suit. His jawline was strong and severe, his expression firm and commanding. An icy chill radiated from him, and his gaze—sharp, as if it could see through everything—was enough to make one’s heart pound.
The moment Quentin Blackwood appeared, all eyes fell upon him. His commanding presence and the mature charisma forged in the crucible of experience were so captivating that the women in the room couldn’t tear their gaze away.
Murmurs of discussion and excited squeals followed in an endless stream.
Ivy Sherwood’s gaze also fell upon the man. She hadn’t seen Quentin Blackwood in the days since that night at the hotel.
The sight of Quentin Blackwood made her legs go weak. She would never forget the wildness of that night. The marks he’d left on her body hadn’t even completely faded.
’Quentin Blackwood with his clothes off is a beast. With his clothes on, he’s a beast in a suit!’
The man exchanged a few words with a member of the Scott Family before walking inside. His gaze was as indifferent as ever, and Ivy Sherwood quickly lowered her head as it swept across the crowd.
"Ivy! Ivy! Look! He’s surrounded by women! See that one over there? That’s Cheryl Yates, Lustre’s number one socialite. Countless men have fallen head over heels for her, but she never gives them a second glance. And now she’s actually walking right up to that man!"
Nina Scott was practically vibrating with excitement for the drama.
Ivy Sherwood looked up and saw that, sure enough, a crowd of young women had gathered around Quentin Blackwood. Cheryl Yates was in the lead, offering him a glass of wine.
Her cheeks were flushed. "May I offer you a drink?"
’She knew Cheryl Yates—a woman so proud she didn’t even think much of Silas Blackwood. Rumor had it her family had powerful connections in Veridia.’
"Ivy, do you think he’ll take the drink?" Nina Scott asked, still unaware of the man’s identity.
"He won’t."
"How can you be so sure?" Nina Scott found her certainty odd. ’Does Ivy know this man?’
Nina continued, "Cheryl Yates is gorgeous, though, so you never know. She’s hailed as the most beautiful woman in Lustre. Of course, I don’t think she’s nearly as pretty as you. Those people only think Cheryl Yates is attractive because they don’t know what you really look like."
Ivy Sherwood paid little mind to Nina’s words. Her gaze was fixed on Quentin Blackwood, just like most of the people in the room.
Just then, Quentin Blackwood suddenly turned his head and looked right at Ivy Sherwood. Their gazes locked.
"Ah! Ivy, I think he’s looking at us!" Nina exclaimed, too excited to notice the panic on Ivy’s face.
Her heart hammered in her chest. Thankfully, Quentin Blackwood quickly looked away.
’That look from Quentin Blackwood just now nearly scared me to death!’
However, Quentin Blackwood didn’t so much as glance at the woman before him. Without taking the glass she offered, he walked straight into the main hall.
A flicker of stiffness crossed Cheryl Yates’s face. It was the first time she had ever been so thoroughly rejected.
’In all of Lustre, no one had ever rejected her—Cheryl Yates!’
People nearby began to whisper. "I’ve never seen Cheryl Yates look so awkward before."
"She’s always so high and mighty, acting like every man is in love with her. She made the first move this time, and got shot down. How humiliating."
Cheryl Yates was mortified. Overhearing the whispers of the gossips nearby, her hand trembled, and the wine glass nearly slipped from her grasp.
A hand shot out and caught the glass before it fell. She looked up into the eyes of Silas Blackwood, the man who had saved it, then turned and walked away without so much as a thank you.
Being so blatantly ignored by a beautiful woman left a sour taste in Silas Blackwood’s mouth.
’Everyone knew Cheryl Yates was a proud peacock. But now that peacock had humbled herself before Quentin Blackwood, yet wouldn’t spare him a single glance.’
’And all the women’s eyes were on my uncle, as if he were the center of the universe wherever he went.’
’What is it about him that I can’t compete with?!’
A man’s competitive drive can be a terrifying thing, and Silas Blackwood was choked with frustration.
’This isn’t even a major banquet. I only came because Father said we should show the Scott Family some courtesy. It’s not even important enough for Caleb Blackwood himself to attend. So why, of all people, did my uncle have to show up here?’
A flash of annoyance crossed Silas Blackwood’s face. Beside him, Anna Nash had seen him catch the glass for Cheryl Yates, and she was none too pleased either.
"Silas," she said, walking over to link her arm through his again. "Let’s go for a little walk over there, shall we?"
’Anna Nash knew Silas Blackwood was a philanderer. She was only able to keep him hooked because she was beautiful and obedient, and he hadn’t grown tired of her yet.’
’If he did get tired of her, her chance of marrying into a wealthy family would vanish completely.’
’So before that happened, she had to secure her other trump card: she had to get pregnant with a child of the Blackwood Family!’
’She’d seen Quentin Blackwood, too. She knew he was leagues above Silas Blackwood, but Anna Nash knew her place. A man who wouldn’t even give Cheryl Yates the time of day would certainly never look twice at her.’
’Knowing a man like that was out of her league, she wouldn’t even entertain the notion.’
"Mm," Silas Blackwood nodded.
From a short distance away, Nina Scott, who had seen the whole exchange, said, "Ivy, did you see that? Your fiancé is already interested in another woman. I give that Anna Nash a few more weeks, tops. She’ll definitely be dumped!"
Ivy Sherwood said, "He’s not my fiancé."
"Ivy, what do you think of that other guy? I think he’s a million times better than Silas Blackwood. Look at those legs, that waist... he has that whole untouchable, abstinence-is-sexy vibe. I wonder what his body is like under that suit."
"His body’s incredible."
Nina Scott turned to Ivy. "How would you know?"
Ivy replied, "I’ve touched it."
"Huh?"
"Felt... a strong feeling about it, I mean. You can just tell from his build that he must have a great body."
Nina was still a little confused, but she didn’t press the issue.
"You should go for it! Go get him, and piss Silas Blackwood off!"
Ivy was speechless. "..."
"And what exactly counts as ’getting him’?"
"You have to sleep with him first, obviously!" Nina declared.
They were all adults, after all. In the adult world, you follow your urges, not your heart. Especially in the world of the ultra-wealthy, where a word like "love" was an extravagant luxury and most unions were business alliances.
"Silas Blackwood has slept with who-knows-how-many women. It’s not a big deal for you to sleep with just one. You’re not seriously planning on saving yourself for him, are you?"
Ivy was speechless again. "..."
For a moment, Ivy didn’t know what to say. She could hardly tell Nina that she had, in fact, already slept with him. Twice.
"Alright, alright, let’s drop it. The banquet is about to start."
Nina had no interest in the banquet itself. She grabbed Ivy’s arm and pulled her toward the main crowd.
"Ivy, let’s go get something to eat. You’re too beautiful to be hiding in a corner. We need to make sure everyone sees you."
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