Chapter 67

Ivy had heard everything. She couldn’t ignore the shift in Mr. Jacob’s expression when Aaron mentioned his mother’s name. The moment Maria Hilton left Aaron’s lips, Jacob’s face changed—he looked stunned… and scared. He didn’t answer properly. He just ran off, as if something had caught fire inside him. Ivy’s eyes narrowed. Later that day — Noon Whenever Charles came to visit, the house slowed down. No one worked. Even Ivy’s father, Franklin, took a break. Today, they were all at the golf course—Charles’s idea, of course. Franklin was up first, but his swing barely lifted the ball. Charles scoffed and crossed his arms. “What are you doing, brat? That’s not how you play golf,” he snapped. “You know I hate this game, Dad,” Franklin muttered. “Why do you keep dragging me out here?” “Because you need to learn,” Charles shot back. “I’m not a kid. I’m too old to start learning golf.” “You lazy, overweight fool—don’t even talk about age!” Charles barked, poking him with the golf club handle.