Chapter 568: This Thing Cannot Be Told to Anyone

"Guess what’s inside," Ivy Sherwood said, not rushing to open it.

Quentin Blackwood didn’t know. Judging by the size of the box, whatever was inside had to be substantial. He shook his head.

Ivy then opened the box, revealing... a clay figurine? The clay had completely dried out, so Quentin couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be.

He asked, "Is this a clay figurine you sculpted when you were little?"

Perhaps it held great significance for Ivy. Quentin understood that—such things were precious and irreplaceable.

"...What clay figurine? Give me a moment," Ivy said. With that, she picked up the figurine and headed over to the sink. After filling a basin with water, she submerged it directly into the water. "It’s probably been too long. The clay is completely dry, so it should need to soak for a while."

After it had soaked for a bit, an undeniable golden gleam began to peek through. The radiance was like gold glittering amidst gravel. Ivy continued washing it until the object’s true form was revealed.

It was a golden statue. Once all the dirt was washed away, its golden luster was truly dazzling.

Ivy asked, "Does it look familiar?"

"This..." Quentin was momentarily speechless with surprise.

Wasn’t this... the statue of a holy maiden that had served as the grand finale at Jason Summers’ birthday banquet auction?

The statue of a holy maiden was made of pure gold, sparkling and exceptionally beautiful. Its expression, its clothing, and every intricate detail were crafted to perfection. It didn’t look like an artifact from thousands of years ago at all. It was precisely because of this craftsmanship and its long history that people considered it so extraordinarily valuable.

When Ivy had previously claimed that the statue of a holy maiden was a fake, he had assumed she simply had a deep understanding of antiques. He never expected that the real statue of a holy maiden was actually in Ivy’s hands.

"Did Mom leave this to you too?" he asked.

Ivy nodded. "Yes. When I was very young, my mother gave this to me. She told me to keep it safe and never tell anyone."

Perhaps even Timothy Sherwood didn’t know about the existence of this statue of a holy maiden. If anyone else had known, it would likely have been snatched away long ago. It was simply too precious. Being carved from such a massive chunk of gold, it was already incredibly valuable in its own right, let alone anything else. Moreover, achieving such masterful carving in ancient times, without modern technology, was truly remarkable.

Ivy had only managed to sneak the statue of a holy maiden out of her home by thinking of this clever method. At the time, Timothy had merely seen a clay figurine, which was why he hadn’t said anything. Ivy’s mother had truly thought of everything; she had essentially left her entire legacy to her daughter.

Jason Summers’ statue of a holy maiden was a fake, and the real one was here with Ivy. Did Jason Summers know about this?

"If Mom told you not to tell anyone, why are you telling me?"

Ivy looked at Quentin with sincere eyes. "Because I trust you. I know you wouldn’t try to deceive me. Besides, I don’t feel like the statue of a holy maiden is safe with me. It’s too precious, and I can’t protect it properly on my own. So, I want you to help me protect it."

Quentin placed his hand over Ivy’s. Together, they held the statue of a holy maiden as he nodded. "Alright."

Seeing the statue of a holy maiden from such a close distance was truly breathtaking and awe-inspiring. It depicted a young girl cradling the fruit of hope. The girl’s facial features were vivid and playful. It was a truly rare and priceless treasure. Just laying eyes on it made Quentin feel incredibly fortunate.

***

After packing their belongings, Ivy and Quentin boarded a flight to Aethelgard the very next day.

Thinking about it now, the last time she went to Aethelgard was when she had gone to confront Quentin and break things off with him. In the blink of an eye, nearly half a year had passed.

"So, how is Joy Sheridan doing now?" Ivy asked.

"I don’t know," Quentin said, shaking his head.

"I’m not trying to test you. I’m genuinely asking about her situation!" Ivy thought Quentin was deliberately playing dumb for fear of upsetting her.

Quentin took Ivy’s hand and led her upstairs. This was the place where they had lived together for a long time.

"I really don’t know," Quentin said. "She’s at the Sheridan family home, I suppose. I’ve arranged for people to keep an eye on her; she can’t leave."

The bodyguards would only call Quentin if something happened. Although Quentin wasn’t actively paying attention, Zane Linton was monitoring the situation around the clock. Joy wouldn’t be going out anymore. She would remain confined within that massive villa, surrounded by the remnants of Old Master Sheridan’s life, left to repent for her crimes.

Upon entering the house, Quentin pressed Ivy against the back of the door, leaned down, and captured her lips in a kiss.

With the baby’s due date drawing nearer, Quentin hadn’t dared to take things further in the bedroom, settling only for kisses. Yet, it felt as though he could never get enough. And with Quentin, a kiss was rarely just a simple kiss. He loved leaving his marks on Ivy’s body, as if laying claim to her.

"Don’t..." Ivy protested, trying to stop him. "I’m going to see Edie and the others tomorrow. It’ll be so embarrassing if they see it!"

Ivy hadn’t seen Edie and the rest of her team in a long time. Since Edie happened to be in Aethelgard as well, they had arranged to meet for dinner.

"It’s fine. They’re adults. It’s time they learned some tact." As he spoke, Quentin sucked a hickey onto her neck.

Her resistance proved futile, and Ivy had no choice but to endure his affectionate teasing.

"Do you want me to go with you tomorrow?" Quentin asked.

"It’s a staff dinner for our company. Why would you come?"

"Aren’t I part of your company, too?"

"Since when? How come I, the boss, don’t know about this?"

"I’m Boss Sherwood’s exclusive driver," Quentin stated matter-of-factly.

Ivy was speechless. "Drivers aren’t allowed at the table!" she retorted fiercely.

Quentin figured that, sooner or later, he was going to squeeze his way to the table.

***

The next day, when Ivy arrived for the gathering, Edie and the other team members were already there.

After honing her skills during this period, Edie had transformed into a professional, strong-willed businesswoman. Ivy almost didn’t recognize her. Was this really the same fresh college graduate from back then?

Edie and the others were equally thrilled to see Ivy. "Boss, it’s been so long! You’re actually having a baby!"

"Right, right! Shouldn’t we prepare some red envelopes? The boss treats us so well. When the baby is born, I’m definitely going to prepare a massive red envelope!"

While they were still excitedly discussing this, it was Ivy who brought out the red envelopes.

"You’ve all worked so hard lately. You must be exhausted. I’ll have the finance department double everyone’s quarterly bonuses. Once this busy period is over, I’ll arrange a half-month overseas vacation for all of you!"

Ivy truly treated her employees exceptionally well. Every single employee at Iris Company enjoyed excellent benefits, which motivated everyone to work incredibly hard—so they could earn even more bonuses.

"Long live the boss!" Edie and the rest cheered joyfully.

After all, having worked under Ivy for less than a year, Edie had already bought a house in Aethelgard. Although she still had a small mortgage left, she was confident she would pay it off entirely by the end of the year.