The female voice called him, “Gerard..”
Gerard looked toward the source of the voice, and he could see a blurry female figure.“Gerard..” the female voice said again.He could see the female figure coming closer and closer.As the figure was within arm’s length, he reached out his hand and pulled her toward him.“Ivy, I miss you,” he mumbled.How Gerard missed his wife. He wished for her to appear, and here she was in front of him.“Let’s go back to bed, Gerard,” the soft female voice said.Gerard pulled her closer to him, wanting to feel her warmth and smell her scent.The moment the female sat down on his lap, he realized it wasn't his wife. They smelled different. Ivy had a distinct soft smell of roses, but this female’s rose scent was strong. It made him want to puke.He pushed her away abruptly. “You are not Ivy,” he slurred.“Gerard..” the female reached out her hand, but Gerard slapped her hand away.“You are not Ivy!” he shouted with a clear voice despite being drunk.“Gerard, it’s me, Mia,” the female finally said her name.“Mia?” Gerard was confused about why she was in his house at this time of night.Everyone knew he was not to be disturbed every year on this date. What was Mia doing here?“I’m here because Grandpa was worried about you,” Mia explained. “Let’s get you to bed, okay?”Mia reached out again to support him, but Gerard slapped her hand away again and stood up.He staggered toward the master bedroom where he and Ivy used to sleep, with Mia following closely behind.Once in front of the room, Gerard struggled to open the door. When he finally succeeded, Mia stepped forward.“Gerard, let me help you clean up,” Mia said, wanting to enter the room.Gerard stopped in his track and said coldly, “No woman is allowed to enter the master bedroom except Ivy.”With that, he closed the door with a bang before locking it and collapsing onto the bed. Finally, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.Mia, who was standing outside and nearly hit by the door, had a bitter expression on her face.She knew she wasn't allowed to be here. She had tried to come every year to see what Gerard was doing on this exact date but was always turned away by the butler.This year, she lied and said Grandpa Huxley sent her to check on Gerard. No one dared to disobey the Old Master of the Huxley family, and thus the butler let her in reluctantly.When she heard Gerard’s heartbreaking sobs, she was shocked. She had never seen Gerard crying like a baby. Even during his parents’ accident, Gerard only cried silently.Mia had purposely worn a rose-scented perfume similar to Ivy’s this night, hoping Gerard would mistake her for Ivy and bring her to bed.But who would have thought Gerard could distinguish between her and Ivy, even in his drunken state? She felt humiliated by Gerard’s rejection! Good thing he was drunk and might not remember what happened tonight.Ivy, Ivy, Ivy! Mia stomped her foot in frustration and anger.She hated Ivy with all her heart. She had known Gerard from childhood and was the one who always stayed by his side, even after Ivy died tragically.But why couldn't Gerard fall in love with her? Why did he choose someone as lowly as Ivy? And why couldn't he forget Ivy?“Ivy, even in death, you still haunted Gerard, huh?!” Mia snorted with her fists clenched tightly“I won't give up. Sooner or later, Gerard will be mine,” Mia said with determination before she turned around and left Gerard’s villa.The next morning, Gerard woke up with a headache. He automatically reached the bedside table to take a glass of honey water, but his hand only touched the air.There was no glass of honey water.He laughed with a sad feeling. Only Ivy would make him honey water every time he got drunk from socializing, but now Ivy was no more.Dragging himself to the bathroom, he took a shower. When he came out of his bedroom, gone was the heartbroken man. It was replaced by a cold, indifferent handsome man.Gerard wore a slim-fit three-piece tailored black suit that cocooned his perfect Greek-God-like body. His hair was combed back, making him look mature.He went downstairs and saw a simple Western breakfast on the table, with two paracetamol on the side.His servants were all highly trained and knew what to do without him needing to tell them anything. They knew their master had drunk last night, thus the two paracetamol on the table.His most trusted aid, North, and his secretary, William, were ready on standby.Gerard sat down and began eating his breakfast. His every move was elegant, and he always gave out a noble aura in whatever he was doing.After eating, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and took the two paracetamol before standing up and going to the front door.North and William followed him silently.They knew their boss had changed since the death of his wife. He used to be chatty and smiled a lot, just like his wife. But now, he was cold and indifferent to everything around him.Even William and North, and all the servants and butler, were sad and couldn't help but cry during Ivy’s funeral. Ivy was always good to them. She didn't treat them as some lowly subordinates.They reached the Huxley Tower in no time, and Gerard went straight to his private elevator, looking as cold and indifferent as ever, not even bothering to look at his employees.“What’s the schedule for today?” he asked in his deep voice as he leaned back on his swivel chair.“No meetings, just need you to check and sign some documents,” William began saying and paused.He was hesitant to say the rest of his words as he knew it would affect his boss’ mood.“What? If you have something to say, just say it. Don't waste my time,” Gerard said coldly.William gulped before braving himself to say, “The Old Master asked you to go back to the Huxley Mansion for dinner tonight.”Just as expected, the temperature in the room dropped. Gerard’s expression became colder, and his aura became icier. It made whoever was around him feel like they were at the North Pole.“Documents,” Gerard tapped his desk without acknowledging William’s previous words.William quickly placed the stack of documents on Gerard’s desk and waited patiently while his boss checked and signed them.With his boss’ current mood, William didn't even dare to breathe loudly in case it would irk the boss.Once the boss got angry, no one would be at his mercy.Gerard kept flipping the documents in front of him, signing where he needed to sign, and correcting mistakes on those plans that could have been better executed.“Rubbish!” he threw nearly half of the documents William had handed him to the floor.“Get them to redo the whole plans and give them back to me by tomorrow, or they will all be fired,” Gerard said harshly.William knew there was nothing wrong with those documents; they were all done by the qualified staff of Huxley Group.But with his boss’ current mood, he would become stricter and always find faults in everyone. This had been the case since his wife died.William kept quiet, collected the documents scattered all over the floor, and was ready to flee when they heard a knock on the CEO’s office door.Gerard looked at William and gestured for him to open the door.Before William could open it, the door opened by itself, and a lady appeared in the doorway.The lady wasn’t beautiful or ugly - she looked average. She was different from Ivy, who was 1.7m tall. This lady was only 1.55m tall, and her facial features were nowhere as beautiful as Ivy's.Today, she wore a knee-length white summer dress, making her look youthful. With her height, the way she dressed, and her soft temperament, some men would have no choice but to want to protect her.“Miss Gant,” William greeted her.“Oh, just call me Mia, William. We’ve known each other for so long. There’s no need to be that courteous,” Mia laughed.“Alright, Miss Gant,” William smiled politely, but he still didn't change how he addressed Mia.Some people didn't like Mia, including William and North. They felt she was too scheming and shameless. Even though she was Gerard’s brother, Louis's girlfriend, she kept latching herself to Gerard.People knew she wanted to be Gerard’s wife, especially after Louis died, but Ivy got in her way. Even though she never did anything terrible to Ivy, the fact that she always shamelessly wanted to be the third wheel on their dates was evidence enough for everyone to see.Only Gerard and Ivy didn't see it. Gerard only saw her as his childhood friend, and Ivy, in turn, treated her as her best friend.Gerard’s expression softened when he saw Mia.“What are you doing here, Mia?” he asked. Even his tone of voice softened too.No matter what, he couldn't bring himself to be cold toward Mia. Besides being childhood friends and Louis’s girlfriend, Mia had once taken a bullet for Gerard’s brother. There was no way Gerard could act coldly toward Mia.“I’m here to bring you lunch,” Mia said as she went to Gerard’s desk and put the lunch box she had brought in front of him.She opened the lunch box and showed Gerard the lunch she had prepared.“Mia, I’ve told you so many times not to do this. William will always buy me lunch,” Gerard said without looking at the food.“Home-cooked meals are always better than those cooked in restaurants,” Mia said with a soft smile and gave Gerard the spoon and fork for him to use.“Thank you. I still have some works to do. I’ll eat it later,” Gerard told her without taking the utensils from her.Mia felt embarrassed by Gerard’s words. It was clear that he was throwing her out. Even though she wanted to see him eat the lunch she made for him and was reluctant to leave, she couldn’t force him to do anything. And this has always been the case since three years ago.“Alright. Don't forget to eat it. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Mia said and went to the door.“Mia,” Gerard’s deep husky voice sounded, making Mia’s heart skip a bit.The way Gerard called her name was like a seductive voice of a siren. She couldn't keep her calm and wanted to throw herself into Gerard’s arms.She turned around with a sweet smile, thinking Gerard would let her stay, but his next words erased her hope.“I don't want what happened last night to h
When Old Master Huxley heard his grandson’s voice, he stopped watching a video on his phone and looked at his grandson instead.His grandson was perfect. He had a perfect physical appearance, had always been a genius with a high IQ that he was able to skip grades and finish his Master's Degree at the age of eighteen, and had the ability to make the company soar to a new high. The Huxley Group was now the number one group in Artea and was even well-known in other countries.Old Master Huxley wanted to say something, but seeing the cold demeanor of his grandson, he could only say, “Come sit and have dinner.”Gerard nodded like a robot and sat down opposite Old Master Huxley.Once Gerard sat down, the maids started putting the dishes on the table. It was difficult for Old Master Huxley to invite Gerard to dinner. Not that Gerard wouldn't accept his invitation, but because Old Master Huxley knew his grandson hated him, and he didn't want to make him hate him more by asking him to come to t
More than a year of searching and investigating, even the police couldn't find anything. But why did suddenly all the evidence appear now?“You still want to believe that bastard?” Old Master Huxley was fuming, seeing how Gerard was still questioning the evidence right under his nose.“But.. What was his motive?” Gerard’s hand was clenched tightly; he crumpled the papers he was holding.Old Master Huxley quickly took the papers away from Gerard, afraid he would ruin them.“His motive? Did you not read their chats? It’s to make you the sole heir of the Huxley Group and Ivy as his daughter, and your wife will get the benefits!” Old Master Huxley answered with annoyance and especially emphasized the words ‘your wife’ to Gerard.Gerard was too shocked and in a state of disbelief that his mind was blank, and he couldn't remember much of what was written. Hearing his grandfather’s words, he became even more doubtful.Ivy’s family was a wealthy, middle-class family. If Gerard became the sole
Gerard searched around the hotel but couldn't find Ivy, which made him anxious. Did she go home?He called North and asked if he had driven Ivy back home, but North replied that he had left once he had dropped Ivy at the Starlight Hotel. Gerard became even more frantic. Where could Ivy go? Then he remembered the bridge he used to bring her to watch the sunrise and sunset. She loved it there; could she have gone to the bridge?Gerard quickly walked out of the hotel but was stopped by his bodyguard. Gerard had two trusted bodyguards other than North, and the one in front of him, Fred, was one of them.Fred was panting and sweating as if he had run quickly to find Gerard.“What happened?” Gerard asked quickly.“Boss... The Missus..” the bodyguard looked nervous, scared, and hesitant to continue.His reaction only made Gerard more anxious. “What happened? What happened to her? Tell me!”“The missus... The missus..” Fred gulped, afraid to say his following words.“TELL ME!” Gerard roared
North was worried sick looking at his boss’ condition at present - pale face, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, fast and short breathing, and his body shaking badly.Hearing his boss’ words, North moved fast.He reached into his pocket, took off a small medicine bottle, and handed his boss two pills.Gerard popped the pills into his mouth without even needing water, nearly dropping them in the process due to his shaking hand.North was anxious, looking at his boss. He knew what his boss was thinking when he had his episode. The only thing that could set off his boss’ panic attack was the thought of Ivy’s death. No one knew of Gerard’s condition except his psychologist, North, William, and no one else - not even his trusted bodyguards or Old Master Huxley.William and North always carried a bottle of Gerard’s anti-panic medication in case he had an attack and needed it. They were always prepared to give him his medication anytime and anywhere as long as they were with him.North w
Once they landed at Modestria, a car was already waiting for them. They went straight to the Moonlight Hotel, another hotel owned by the Huxley Group.When they arrived at the hotel, Gerard and Mia waited in the lounge while William went to get their keys.While they were waiting, suddenly, a man, a butler, approached Gerard.“Mr. Huxley, I am the butler of Senator Morgan. He heard of your arrival at Modestria and would like to invite you to his birthday banquet tonight,” the butler bowed a little as he handed an invitation card to Gerard with both hands.Gerard took the invitation languidly and had a mind to refuse, but then the butler added, “It is a special banquet. Senator Morgan will introduce his wife for the first time to the invitees. He hopes Mr. Huxley could attend as the representative of the Huxley Group.”Gerard raised an eyebrow. Senator Sebastian had taken a wife? He knew then this was important, so he had no choice but to agree to attend.Once the butler heard his word
Mia didn't know why, but she felt very anxious even though she had heard the girl was called ‘Amelie’ instead of ‘Ivy’.There couldn't be people with identical voices. There just couldn't, she thought.“You... You don't have to keep going. The dress looks nice, and I believe it’d suit me perfectly. Just help me take it off and wrap it for me,” Mia told the sales assistant who was helping her.There was only one thing on her mind now: to run out of the dressing room and see this Amelie person.“Hurry up!” Mia shouted to the sales assistant, who took too long to get the dress off. Her well-behaved, gentle, and kind demeanor was no longer visible as she shouted at the sales assistant and fidgeted in her spot.The sales assistant was stunned and scared after being shouted at, and she hurriedly loosened the lace at the back of the dress, not caring if the delicate materials could be ruined. This person would buy it anyhow, she thought.Once out of the dress, Mia quickly donned her own dre
Gerard shrugged, hearing Nathan’s question. He then answered lightly, “One can never get enough money or power.” If he were more powerful back then, he would be able to save Ivy. He wouldn't need to listen to his grandfather’s requests.Still with a gentle smile, Nathan took a sip of wine before throwing another provoking sentence. “As can be expected from the Ice King of Artea.”Gerard also took another sip of his wine before answering Nathan with a lazy smile. “Surely I can't be compared to the Cunning Fox of Esmea.”They both looked at each other with a smile on their exquisitely handsome faces. It looked and sounded like they were complimenting each other, but William knew they were asserting their dominance.Suddenly William saw an image of an Ice King above Gerard’s head, looking down coldly at the image of a small orange fox above Nathan’s head. But even if the fox was way smaller, it wasn’t afraid of the Ice King; it instead smiled cunningly.William shivered as he felt their