Chapter 65.1: The good old days

Jin was looking at the books of accounts closure for the year. With Ivy's knowledge of accounting, she noticed the company was making a loss and majority due to a shocking merger of the construction business their dad decided on his own with their Uncle Charles.

"It would be natural for them to need lots of raw materials in the beginning," Ray stated while looking at the accounts from his tablet.

"Yes…but…" Jin mumbled in doubt while scrolling as Ivy scrolled her tablet sitting next to Ray facing Jin. Jin has doubt about Peter's decision as he knew Peter wouldn't act rashly unless something was provoking him but Jin couldn't figure out what was it.

"In fact, the merger should have been delayed to next year for a better outcome…" Ivy pointed out."I wonder what dad's plans are to push forward the merger in a rush and show a loss," Ray questioned as Jin pondered on this point for a long time and could only come out with one clear possibility.

"It might be due to the fact that the construction company was not making money or even involved in illegal acts and disguising the fact with the merger…" Ivy said again as Jin squintted his eyes at Ivy's thoughts.

"I should speak with Uncle James..." Jin thought to himself. He didn't like that though the investment was 30%, it had already made the company unstable and fall into a loss and speaking to their dad was out of the question as he had been trying to avoid all of them lately after the sudden merger with Charles' construction company.

Ryu stepped in to Jin's office being frustrated with his fans' matters after knocking on the door. He grunted and threw himself to the couch instead as the siblings wrapped up their conversation.

"What's the matter, yo?" Ivy coaxed Ryu to tell them his issues as she walked over to the couch and sat beside him.

"The fans just had to intrude on my privacy and even harass the guards below just to meet me… I mean, I am a nobody…" Ryu grumbled in frustration as Ivy interrupted him.

"Wait, wait… You're not exactly a nobody. As far as I know, you're a national basketball player on the team aside from being the youngest heir to the Ophal's group…" Ivy pointed out as Ryu rolled his eyes in annoyance while the other two brothers chuckled.

"What's so great about it huh? I'm only human who wants to focus on my life." Ryu whined while rolling his eyes.

"You don't get a choice. Fame gets you where you are and so you return the favor with more attention…" Ivy teased as Ryu raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Ryu asked skeptically as Ivy gave him a mysterious chuckle.

Ray noticed Ivy take off her metal bracelet as the brothers listened in to their conversation. Ivy winked. "Leave it to me… I will plan a surprise for you and your fans…" Ivy said as Ryu panicked.

"No, no…" Ryu held on to her arm as Ivy giggled and tried to let go.

"Don't worry…" Ivy reassured with a mysterious smile as she loosen her arm to collect her handbag. Ryu stood to stop her from going further when Ray decided to let Ivy's plans to fall through as he changed the topic and helped out Ivy.

"Ivy, not wearing the metal bracelet anymore?" Ray asked while Jin took his blazer walking towards Ryu who was a little dumbfounded and led him out of his office.

"Oh, I took it off. It was inconvenient, especially since it wasn't exactly easy to match with my formal wear." Ivy made up an excuse as Ray nodded as they both joined the other two brothers heading home for dinner.

In actual fact, she just didn't believe the metal bracelet was helping her to dream lesser after that miserable sleep paralysis night she had by the side with Nick. So instead, she chose to carry it around in a pouch.

Ivy has gotten busy with the preparations for Ryu's basketball party on new year's eve thereafter. She requested her brothers' cooperation to participate in a friendly match with Ryu but go easy on him and let him win instead. She even helped to design an e-poster and posted it on Ryu's social media platform for his fans to participate in a contest where they had to post the best shots of Ryu during his basketball competitions to win the limited 100 invites to watch the match and an after-party. She decided instead of holding it at their property, she chose the downtown hotel's park instead.

She made Cassandra pick out the winners together as Jin and Ray vouched if their choice of winners were worthy. Nick was also there on the actual day to coordinate the ushers and dispatched gifts at the end of the event.

Despite the awkwardness between the siblings and their father, Peter still attended the event as he sat quietly enjoying the match and the after party. Ryu was the only one who seemed to be not interested. Ivy even prepared photo booths to let his fans have up close pictures with Ryu or any of them and baked basketball cookies so-called made with love by Ryu for his fans' door gifts.Ryu's fans were easy to please as they were mostly little high school girls. During the match with his siblings going easy on Ryu, he won easily alone although it was three siblings against him alone.

Ivy, after the event made his fans promised to not harass Ryu and in return she would ensure Ryu posted updates from time to time on his social media. After the free firework show for the new year celebration by the hotel's management, one of his fans, Lily, was the last to leave that night as she couldn't help but snapped lots of good pictures of Ryu and the entire family.

She had skills and everyone could tell she also had a huge crush on Ryu from the way she blushed every time Ryu made eye contact. Unfortunately, Ryu never bothered as he had never wanted to date anyone just yet.

Ivy didn't let Lily's matter slide as she spoke with Lily and supported her in her passion but told her to stay focused on her studies as Ryu was a brilliant student and to stand by his side, Lily shouldn't compromise her future and studies. Lily was easily handled too as thereafter, Lily encouraged Jin's fans club to focus on their own life studies or career while idolising Ryu as Ryu would want them to be successful like him. She was no doubt, made the leader of his fans club and stated that they as fans reflected what Ryu's image was like so it's best everyone is a smart fan instead.

The harassment instantly stopped after that night and turned out to help support Ryu by living their life better and always cheering for him. "Oh my goodness! Sis! You're fantastically brilliant! Look everyone has stopped the harassment!" Ryu cheered with overjoy as Ivy beamed with proudness.

"So, tell me, how do you want to reward me?" Ivy asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Anything... I will do anything…" Ryu was so delighted as he continued to scroll his fans' page."Fine, take over my house chores from now on…" Ivy smirked as Ryu's mouth opened up in surprise.

"No, no... just one week…" Ryu counter-offered."

One month… Take it or leave it. Otherwise, I will spread rumors and…" Ivy threatened playfully as Ryu finally gave in.

"Fine, fine! Alright! One month! No rumors please!" Ryu surrendered in defeat as Ivy laughed victoriously.

Later that week, Ivy was reminded about her birthday end of the first month of the new year. Soon, it was also going to be her grandma's one-year death anniversary too.

A sad smile formed as she gathered some courage to speak with dad who had been estranged. She went over to her dad's room to look him but instead she found a note of her biological mother's psychiatrist contact details and a picture of her on his study desk. Ivy was shocked to learn her looks were identical to the lady she often sees in her nightmare whom she was calling out to while falling off a tall building. Peter walked in to find her looking at the picture with a pale face.

"Ai Lee…" Peter turned her around. Ivy was speechless for being so shocked as tears fell from her eyes.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Peter said as he pulled her in for a hug to comfort her.

"Is this my… biological mother?" Ivy mumbled as Peter nodded. Ivy swallowed her saliva.

"Daddy, when I was young… Was there an accident where she almost dropped me off a tall building?" Ivy asked with a shaky voice as Peter's eyes grew wider.

"You remembered?" Peter asked as Ivy cried.

"So, it's true?" She asked while trying to deny the fact."

"It wasn't… an accident. She lost her sanity when postpartum aggression happened and nearly killed you by hurling you off the rooftop…" Peter said solemnly as he patted gently on Ivy's head.

"But you were fortunate that grandma caught you as she was on the next floor where you were to land." Ivy tried to force her tears from flowing after discovering the nightmare in her paracosm was all that had happened in the past.

"I thought you were too young to even remember this since you were still an infant…" Peter comforted her as he gently tapped her shoulders while Ivy wept in his hug.