"This girl really has some nerve," Eli sneered, finally pulling her eyes away from the phone in her hand before looking at Nora and the other two girls sitting beside her.

"I thought we’d still get a chance to deal with her a little," Olivia added with a scoff. "But judging by her lack of response, it’s obvious she won’t attend the get-together."

Polly rolled her eyes while recalling their last encounter.

"I saw her recently at that bar," she said with visible disgust. "She looked absolutely pathetic in that waitress uniform. And the way she kept ignoring me only made her look even more irritating."

"By the way, Nora," Eli suddenly asked while turning toward her, "why do you even want her to come? She’s not worthy of standing among us."

"I agree," Olivia chimed in immediately. "We’ve all become successful in life, so why would you want your so-called sister attending the reunion?"

To them, Nora and Ivy might have been sisters by blood, but the image Nora had carefully built over the years had completely separated them in everyone’s eyes.

In their minds, Nora was the kind and gentle younger sister.

While Ivy...

Ivy was the selfish, jealous one who always tried to take everything away from Nora—from their father’s affection to the attention of others.

And even now, after Nora had fabricated stories about how difficult her life had supposedly been because of Ivy, they still believed her without question.

"You can call her whatever you want," Nora said softly, lowering her eyes with a sad smile, "but she’s still my sister. No matter how badly she treats me, I still want to support her."

Her gentle tone instantly made Eli, Polly, and Olivia exchange emotional looks.

That was exactly why they adored Nora so much.

To them, Nora had always been too kind for her own good.

Especially after the incident involving Kevin back in school.

Back then, Nora had convinced everyone that Ivy deliberately set her up out of jealousy, resulting in Nora getting suspended unfairly.

From that day onward, their hatred toward Ivy only deepened.

"You’re honestly too kind, Nora," Polly sighed sympathetically. "Even after everything Ivy did to you, you still want the best for her."

"But honestly," Olivia added with a frown, "having someone like Ivy around only ruins your image."

Eli crossed her arms before scoffing coldly.

"Ivy is exactly the type of person who would drag everyone down with her if given the chance."

Nora mentally smirked as she watched her friends continue blaming Ivy for everything that had happened back then.

Their unwavering hatred toward Ivy only pleased her further.

After her mother warned her to stop pursuing Xander, Nora had been furious and unwilling to accept it. But now, with this sudden reunion invitation, she finally saw another opportunity to get back at Ivy.

Back then, after her lies were exposed, Nora had cleverly chosen to play the innocent victim and quietly accept the suspension. And seeing how blindly her friends still believed every word she said, she realized she had never truly lost her place in their eyes.

In fact—

Their sympathy for her had only grown stronger over time.

"It’s been years, girls," Nora said softly while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I think we should all try to grow up and move on from the past."

Her voice sounded calm and understanding.

But unlike Nora, the three girls sitting around her were nowhere near as forgiving.

"Grow up?" Eli scoffed immediately. "Nora, you’re only saying that because you’re too nice."

"Exactly," Polly agreed while crossing her arms. "If someone had done even half the things Ivy did to me, I would never forgive them."

Olivia nodded firmly.

"She literally spent years trying to compete with you for everything. I still remember how obsessed she was whenever Kevin was around."

At the mention of Kevin, Nora lowered her eyes slightly, pretending to look uncomfortable.

"That incident wasn’t entirely Ivy’s fault..." she murmured gently.

But her weak attempt at defending Ivy only made the girls even more protective of her.

"See?!" Eli exclaimed dramatically. "This is exactly why Ivy always got away with things. Because you keep protecting her."

Polly let out an annoyed sigh.

"Honestly, if Ivy actually attends the reunion, she’ll probably embarrass herself anyway."

"Especially after the rumors about her," Olivia added mockingly. "Didn’t someone say she was working as a waitress recently?"

The three girls exchanged amused looks.

Meanwhile, Nora quietly stirred the coffee in her cup, hiding the satisfaction in her eyes.

Yes. She wanted Ivy to attend. Because after everything that had happened recently, Nora desperately wanted to remind Ivy of where she truly belonged.

And if possible, completely crush whatever confidence Ivy had managed to rebuild.

***

Meanwhile, Ivy spent the entire day doing absolutely nothing in her room.

She continued sulking over Xander rejecting her request and kept stuffing herself with snacks just to calm her frustration.

If Xander wanted to annoy her, then she would happily eat away her anger.

And unfortunately for the kitchen staff...

She was very committed to that decision.

By the time evening arrived, Ivy finally decided to stop rotting in bed and head out to pick Leo up from school along with the guards.

No matter how complicated her life became, ignoring Leo was never an option for her.

So while Teddy drove the car and the guards followed closely behind, Ivy quietly waited outside the school gates.

The moment the final bell rang and children began pouring out of the building, her eyes immediately found Leo among them.

And the second the little boy noticed her standing there—

His eyes lit up instantly.

"Mommy!"

Leo ran toward her excitedly with his little backpack bouncing behind him.

Ivy quickly bent down and scooped him into her arms before he could crash into her.

"Mommy, you came!" Leo exclaimed in surprise.

Usually, the driver would pick him up from school, so seeing Ivy there personally made the little boy unbelievably happy.

Ivy simply smiled softly and hugged him tightly.

"Of course I came," she said while gently pinching his cheek. "Did you think I’d abandon my favorite little potato?"

Leo instantly puffed his cheeks.

"I’m not a potato!"

Teddy, who stood nearby, immediately looked away to hide his smile.

Meanwhile, the guards exchanged amused glances.

Ever since Ivy had gone silent after returning from the Old Emerson Residence, the atmosphere around the mansion had gradually become dull.

And seeing her now—smiling naturally while carrying Leo in her arms—made even them feel relieved.

Compared to the cold and distant Ivy from before, the current Ivy felt far warmer and more genuine.

Leo happily wrapped his tiny arms around her neck while Ivy carried him toward the car.

Ivy had expected Aaron to come along as usual, but when Leo informed her that he was busy at the clinic, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though her punishment was technically still ongoing, Ivy thought that not having Aaron around would at least give her some peaceful alone time with Leo.

"Mommy, where are we going?" Leo suddenly asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Ivy smiled before ruffling his soft hair.

"Surprise."

The moment she said that, Leo blinked in confusion before turning toward Teddy, who merely smiled politely without saying a word.

Unlike Leo, even the guards following behind them had no idea where Ivy was planning to take the young master.

However, the moment the car finally came to a stop in front of a massive amusement park, everyone instantly realized what awaited them.

Benny’s eyes widened in horror as he stared at the gigantic rides spinning violently in the distance while people screamed at the top of their lungs.

"Is she seriously planning to take us on those things?" Benny gaped in terror.

His soul nearly left his body the moment he saw one of the roller coasters flip upside down.

"I was happy that Madam started acting normal again," Nico muttered stiffly, "but bringing Young Master to an amusement park was definitely not something I expected."

The moment another loud scream echoed through the park, both Benny and Nico visibly paled.

Meanwhile, Leo’s eyes sparkled brighter than the entire amusement park itself. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Mommy!" he gasped excitedly while pressing himself against the car window. "Are we really going there?!"

Ivy grinned proudly.

"Yes."

Leo immediately exploded into happiness.

Meanwhile, behind them, Benny looked like he was preparing for his funeral.

"Teddy," he whispered weakly, "if I die today, tell my mother I loved her."

Teddy looked at him blankly.

"You’re not the one riding anything."

Benny slowly turned toward him.

"...You think Madam won’t force us?"

Silence.

Teddy suddenly looked away.

Benny’s legs nearly gave out.

"No," he muttered in despair. "No, no, no... I didn’t sign up for this kind of dangerous mission."

Nico nodded seriously beside him.

"We usually deal with guns and assassins."

"Exactly!" Benny cried. "Not giant spinning death machines!"

Meanwhile, Ivy had already gotten out of the car with Leo in her arms, completely unaware that the trained guards behind her were internally fighting for survival.