Read Novel Full Chapter 425: Emotional
Chapter 425: Chapter 425: Emotional
"What’s the reward?" she muttered instinctively.
In response, a single-goal upgrade appeared before her eyes.
Ivy’s breathing steadied. She clenched her fist and nodded to herself. ’Then I’ll do it.’
Exiting the temporal storage, she returned home deep in thought. It was already lunchtime, and hunger gnawed at her stomach.
The moment she stepped inside, she froze.
The atmosphere was unbearably tense.
Both groups, the Nightnane family and the Blackthorn family, were seated at the same dining table, glaring at one another like enemies forced into a truce. Forks paused midair. Plates remained untouched.
Ivy stood there, utterly speechless.
’If you hate each other this much,’ she thought dryly, ’why not part ways? Why sit together and pretend you’re close?’
Just as Ivy reached the dining area, a sharp, sarcastic voice cut through the tense air.
"If I had known earlier that Silas was a Blackthorn child," Helena sneered, her tone dripping with mockery, "I would’ve rejected him on the spot."
Before the words could even settle, Alice straightened in her chair, her eyes turning razor-sharp.
"Don’t flatter yourself," she shot back coldly. "I never liked Ivy to begin with. I only accepted her because of my foolish son. Otherwise, she would’ve never earned my approval either."
Ivy froze.
For a moment, the clinking of cutlery and the faint smell of food seemed to disappear entirely.
Her ears rang, and her chest tightened.
’So that’s how it is,’ she thought bitterly. She instinctively scanned the room, searching for Silas. All she wanted was to find him and leave.
Later, Felix quietly informed her that Silas was still stuck at the military base.
’Please come back soon,’ Ivy prayed silently, her heart heavy.
But her luck seemed rotten today.
Instead of Silas arriving, the Nightbane family noticed Ivy standing there. Without missing a beat, they switched into pitiful expressions.
"We never imagined the Blackthorn family hated you this much," Helena lamented loudly, her voice trembling theatrically.
"If that’s the case, we’ll take our daughter away. She won’t interact with Silas anymore."
The Blackthorn family stiffened in shock.
They truly were surprised. They hadn’t expected Ivy to be standing right behind them while they spoke so freely.
For a fleeting moment, they even wondered if the Nightbane family had orchestrated this entire scene.
Alice panicked. She turned to Ivy, worry written all over her face. "I didn’t mean it like that..."
Ivy cut her off with a pale, strained smile. She understood that the parents were verbally attacking each other more than they were attacking her, but this... this was too much.
Neither side was right.
Without acknowledging anyone, Ivy turned and walked toward her room.
The door slammed shut behind her with a loud bang, the sound echoing down the corridor like a final verdict.
It was more than enough to convey her disappointment.
Behind her, Helena glared at Alice, venom burning in her eyes. "This is your fault," she snapped. "Because of you, my baby girl is angry with me."
Alice bristled, nearly spitting fire. "You’re the one who kept provoking me!"
Helena scoffed. "You still haven’t changed since college."
Alice laughed coldly. "And you’re still the same orthodox woman you were back then."
Nearby, Ember and Felix exchanged sharp banter with Asher, words flying back and forth like sparks.
Talia and Kael were no different, their voices clashing in constant disagreement. It was clear both families viewed each other as enemies.
Even Ivy, listening faintly from her room, was stunned.
’How did it come to this?’ she wondered. She had never imagined that two families living in the different country could harbor such deep hostility.
It felt as if the Nightbane family and the Blackthorn family were destined to oppose each other.
’If that’s the case... do I really have to live through an enemies-to-lovers fate?’
The thought made her heart ache.
And suddenly, she missed him terribly.
It had been far too long since she and Silas had been together.
With a small sigh, Ivy waved her hand.
In the next second, her agricultural book appeared in front of her.
Lately, she had been obsessively reading books on agriculture, as if her instincts were screaming that something important was approaching... something she needed to prepare for.
She immersed herself in the pages, learning method after method, completely losing track of time.
A knock on the door startled her.
Only then did Ivy realize that two hours had passed.
She opened the door calmly. Standing outside was the Nightbane family, all wearing sheepish expressions.
"What are you doing here?" Ivy asked evenly.
Helena’s eyes instantly welled with tears.
She stepped forward and hugged Ivy tightly. "I never meant to provoke our allies," she whispered, her voice breaking.
Ivy gently but firmly replied,
"Even if that’s true, you shouldn’t have dragged Silas into this. He’s innocent. Why bring him up at all? Why insult him while disregarding my feelings for him?"
The color drained from everyone’s faces.
Victor spoke carefully, his tone restrained. "We won’t do it again. In the future, we promise."
Ivy remained silent for a moment, then said quietly, "I hope none of you will ever put Silas down again."
All of them nodded at once.
Finally, Ivy smiled faintly and patted Helena’s back. The simple gesture eased Helena’s heart. ’My daughter really is too good,’ she thought. ’So reasonable... so composed.’
From a distance, Alice watched the scene with unconcealed envy.
’I want a daughter like that too,’ she thought wistfully. Someone soft, gentle, and affectionate, unlike Talia, who always analyzed everything with ruthless logic.
Even though Alice herself was strict and orthodox, she still yearned for a daughter who was beautiful, tender, and willing to be cuddled.
Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she had asked Talia for a hug.
Talia had been only seven years old, yet she had frowned in disgust and refused outright.
Now, thinking about Ivy potentially becoming her daughter-in-law, a spark of anticipation lit up Alice’s eyes.
’Maybe... maybe Ivy will hug me instead,’ she mused, nearly laughing to herself.
Just then, Dante walked over and glanced at the scene. He snorted. "They’re all too emotional."