Ivy’s patience thinned at the smug tone in his voice.
“Your brother tanked your contract, and you walked away with neither the money nor the woman.
And you’re still smiling?
Impressive nerve.”
Desmond’s smile flickered, just for a second.
Sebastian’s about-face had blindsided him completely.
He’d been too furious to sleep, so he’d had someone watching the Wolfe estate overnight.
Word had come back about the scene there, and he’d shown up first thing this morning specifically to twist the knife.
What he hadn’t expected was this Ivy shrugging off a loss like it cost her nothing, somehow more magnetic now than she’d ever been playing the obedient wife.
“Even if you salvage the Barrow account, everyone’s already calling you a traitor to your own company, Ivy.
How exactly do you keep working at Wolfe Jewels after that?” Desmond pressed, merciless about it.
“Nathaniel doesn’t trust you anymore, you’re worth nothing there now.
Come to Thornwood instead.
I’ll make you vice president, benefits that’ll make Wolfe Jewels look like a charity case.
Isn’t that a better kind of revenge on the two of them?”
“Desmond, you always think you’ve got every angle covered, but here’s the thing” Ivy pulled the car door open, smirking.
“Nathaniel’s no prize either.
You two came out of the same father.
Which tells me exactly what kind of bird you both are.”
Desmond’s face drained of color instantly.
“Watch your mouth.”
Nothing set him off faster than being lumped in with Nathaniel under any pretense of brotherhood.
His father had abandoned his mother for an affair with Nathaniel’s, married in a rush, and left his mother to waste away from the grief of it.
He’d walked away from the Wolfe name entirely, if only to watch the old man and his golden son choke on the consequences.
Ivy was grateful she’d moved fast another few seconds of that and he might have actually swung at someone.
“I don’t have time for whatever this rivalry is.
Desmond, I don’t care how many people you’ve got watching the estate.
Just call them off.
Stop having me followed.”
Without eyes inside the house, there was no way he’d have known about last night this fast, let alone shown up at her hotel by morning.
This man is relentless.
At the design department.
Ivy caught Chloe’s voice through the door before she’d even reached it, playing wounded and delicate for the room.
“Everyone, please don’t be too hard on Director Hart.
She’s leaving soon of course she wants something impressive to bring to her new company.
I really do think she knows she was wrong.”
The words landed exactly where Chloe wanted.
“She’s going to use our work as her resume, and she won’t even bother designing anything herself?”
“This project is a full month of this whole department’s work.
Everyone’s been pulling all-nighters, all so the launch would land and we’d all get something out of it.”
“She smiles at us while we work ourselves into the ground, and the second it’s done, she sells it out from under us.
She’s genuinely rotten.”
“She only became a director this young because she’s married to the boss.
What’s she actually got, compared to someone who’s actually earned it?
The deputy director runs circles around her.”
“If she’d never shown up, our deputy director would’ve been running this department years ago.
How long are we supposed to sit under some kid who got here by marriage?”
The deputy director glanced around the room.
“Unity matters right now more than panic.
Nathaniel gave her a week.
Let’s hold off until then.”
Gregory Shaw pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
“I trained her myself.
If this is true I’ll be the first one who doesn’t forgive her for it.”
That’s when Ivy pushed the door open.
“Professor Shaw, rest easy.
Everything you taught me still holds.
I’ll put this company’s interests first.
I am not the kind of person who only chases profit.”
A brief silence settled over the room.
Gregory studied her for a moment, then scoffed.
“Judging by how you’re talking, I take it this is handled?”
The looks aimed at her had shifted entirely, no admiration left in them, just contempt.
“You actually have the nerve to walk back in here?”
“Barrow Group has agreed to renew.” Ivy checked the time.
“Let’s get into the conference room and start revising the design specs.”
She headed toward the meeting room.
No one followed.
Chloe, privately delighted, played concerned instead.
“Everyone, please, let’s not do this.
Director Hart’s clearly trying to make this right.
If we give her a little more effort, there might still be a way through this.”
If only she’d stayed quiet.
The room erupted the second she opened her mouth.
“Is this a joke?
Barrow signed with Thornwood publicly.
You’re just handing out empty promises and dragging the rest of us into more wasted work.”
“How do we know you won’t just turn around and hand all of this to Thornwood next, to buy your way in with the new boss?”
The room had fully turned on her now, treating her like the enemy.
“Hazel, call Amy.
Confirm the timing for today’s signing.” Ivy looked toward her assistant, who’d been quiet in the corner the whole time.
Privately, Hazel didn’t actually believe Ivy had betrayed anyone but with the room this loud, she’d kept her head down, unwilling to get caught in the crossfire.
Ivy’s request gave her the opening she needed.
“Right away, Director.”
The second Hazel stepped out, Gregory looked at Ivy and shook his head.
“I know you and Amy go back.
I know you’re hoping she’ll help you put on a show here.
But you haven’t heard, have you with the Barrow heir running things now, Amy’s been sidelined completely.
She can’t do a thing for you.
You’re young.
Don’t let hope make a fool of you.”
The room’s anger surged again.
“You’re still trying to spin this, Ivy!
You don’t belong in this department anymore.
Get out.”
Chloe leaned in close, murmuring with false regret.
“Director, it doesn’t look like the team you built is actually on your side anymore.”
Ivy didn’t dignify it with a response.
Hazel returned with the phone still connected, Amy’s voice audible through the speaker.
“Director Hart, Mr.
Barrow’s office confirmed the signing for two this afternoon, conference room one at Barrow Group.
Contract terms still need finalizing, but it’s happening.”
The room went quiet with disbelief.
“Why would Barrow Group drop Thornwood on the spot and come back to us?” the deputy director asked, skeptical.
“Ivy what exactly did you do?”
“Professor Shaw, that’s not really the question that matters right now.
It’s ten thirty.
Are we going to keep standing here, or are we going to be ready by two?” Ivy opened the conference room door, calm and unbothered.
“Anyone who doesn’t want to be in that room for the signing doesn’t have to come in.”
Hazel followed her in immediately, practically glowing.
“Director, I knew you’d figure something out.
You always do.”
The room exchanged glances, then turned toward the deputy director for a cue.
Gregory rose first and walked in without another word.
“Well?
What are you all still standing around for?
Let’s get this meeting started.”
Seeing him fall in line, the rest of the room filed in after him, no one bold enough to challenge Ivy out loud anymore.
Chloe tried to slip in last, but Hazel blocked the doorway.
“Secretary Bennett.
You’re not part of this department anymore.”
Chloe’s expression cracked, and she looked at Ivy, biting her lip.
“Director Hart, Nathaniel asked me to learn from you directly.
So why does everyone around you treat me like this?”
The mention of Nathaniel’s name shifted the mood in the room instantly, expressions turning pointed and knowing.
Ivy didn’t even glance up.
“Hazel, let her in.”
Hazel shot Chloe a resentful look before seating her deliberately in the far corner of the room out of sight, and firmly out of mind.