Undressed By His Arrogance

"Er... no," Ivy murmured, her lips quirking into a small smile. She slipped out of his hold and grabbed her bag from the chair. "I want to stop by the nursing home and see my mum. Give her the news. She should at least know her daughter is getting married... even if she’ll forget the next minute." Her throat tightened, and the smile she wore wavered. Saying it out loud hurt.

"Okay then," he said after a pause. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her temple, lingering just long enough for her to feel his warmth. "I’ll see you tomorrow. And prepare for dinner at my parents’ house on Sunday evening."

"Oh Lord," Ivy groaned, closing her eyes. She knew the Kane name carried weight and scrutiny. Meeting his parents was initiation into a dynasty.

"My mum will love you," Winn replied confidently, his grin tugging at one corner of his mouth.

Ivy arched a skeptical brow, lips curling. "How would you know?" she teased.

"She would love a monkey if I brought it home as a fiancée," Winn deadpanned. For half a second, Ivy stared at him before the absurdity crashed into her, bursting laughter out of her throat.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking. Winn watched her, his eyes darkening. She pressed her fingers against his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath his shirt.

"You’re beautiful when you laugh," Winn murmured. His hand slid down her spine, lingering at the curve of her waist.

Suddenly, she was achingly aware of how close they were. Her lips parted as if in invitation before she quickly pulled back, cheeks flaming. "We should go," she said.

"Yeah, we should." They walked down the staircase of the House of Kane together. Ivy’s gaze darted toward the employees still lingering in the lobby. She caught the janitor watching with thinly veiled curiosity. Forcing a smile, Ivy gave him a small wave, trying to appear casual.

Outside, she dug her phone out of her bag, and requested an Uber ride.

"I’d wait with you," Winn said. "But I have to go relieve Sharona."

Ivy managed a small smile. "Of course, sure. Go on. I’ll be fine."

The sound of tires crunching over gravel pulled her attention as Reese drove the car out of the garage. Winn slid into the backseat. He raised a hand, a simple wave, but his gaze lingered on her a moment longer than necessary before the door shut. Then, the car pulled away, leaving Ivy alone.

Her Uber arrived within minutes, and she slid into the back seat, pressing her bag tightly against her chest. The ride was quiet, the driver indifferent, while Ivy stared out the window, her thoughts tangled between the joy of telling her mother the news and the ache of knowing her mother might not even remember her name by tomorrow. By the time she finally returned to her modest apartment later that night, exhaustion pressed on her bones. All she wanted was to slip into bed.

But someone was waiting.

He turned as if he’d been expecting her all along. "Mr. Kane... how can I help you?" Ivy asked.

Tom Kane. Winn’s father. His smile didn’t reach his eyes as he stepped down from the porch, straightening his suit jacket. "Hello, future daughter-in-law," he drawled.

The way he said it—it was a taunt. She clutched her bag tighter, heartbeat hammering against her ribs.

"You should invite me in," Tom continued smoothly. His eyes roamed over her door, then back to her, pinning her.

Ivy bit her lip. She fumbled for her keys.

The key clicked into the lock, and with a shaky breath, Ivy pushed open the door. "Fine," she said softly. "Come in."

"Nice little house you have here." Tom Kane’s eyes roved over the framed photos on the wall, the worn sofa. To him, it must have screamed beneath Kane standards.

Ivy clasped her hands in front of her, trying to stand taller than she felt. "Thank you," she said carefully, watching him. "It’s my childhood home. It means a lot to me." This house was her anchor—memories of her mother’s laughter, her late father fixing that same creaky front door Tom had just walked through. The last thing she wanted was a Kane sneering in her safe place.

She turned as he finally lowered himself into the single armchair, spreading out. "What can I do for you, Mr. Kane?" she asked, keeping her tone polite.

"Came to make you an offer," he said smoothly, crossing one leg over the other.

Her brows arched. "What kind of offer?" she asked.

"Winn doesn’t love you. I think you know that." He leaned back, studying her reaction. "He just wants to use you to secure his investors’ interest in his project."

"I know that already, Mr. Kane." Her chin lifted. She did know.

Tom’s lips twitched. "And what do you get out of it?"

"All I am doing is helping him, sir," Ivy replied softly.

"So selfless..." Tom said with mock admiration. "But what if he gets what he wants and kicks you to the curb? What happens to you then? Divorced and broke? Back in this... modest little box of a house, except with Kane attached to your name?"

"I still don’t understand the point of this conversation," she forced out.

"The point," Tom said, "is that if you’re going to marry my son, you should have a retirement plan."

Ivy was beginning to get the wrong kind of vibe from Tom. It was the tone that made her skin prickle. Every instinct screamed at her to throw him out immediately.

"Do as I say and you will benefit from the marriage," Tom said smoothly, his lips curving as if he were offering her a generous gift.

"I am going to ask you to save your breath, Mr. Kane. I have been patient out of respect for you. But you began to annoy me at retirement plan. Whatever scheme you want to carry out behind your son, you are going to count me out. I will not be a party to anything that keeps him in the dark."