Chapter 65.2: The good old days

"It had been my constant nightmares on certain nights… I don't know why I do remember it. Is she doing fine these days?" Ivy mumbled as Peter sighed and shook his head.

"She has gone mad and can be dangerous. That's why she is in the psychiatric hospital." He explained. Ivy was half scared but she knew she needed to meet her someday. Peter watched her fighting with herself.

"Take your time… Think over it… When you're ready, we will visit her alright?" Peter comforted her as he hugged her while she nodded in his arms.

"By the way, please don't throw any birthday party for me… I don't usually celebrate them and besides, it's close to grandma's first anniversary." Ivy explained as she looked up at Peter with a sad expression.

Peter nodded in agreement. "Alright, sweetheart… We will visit grandma during her anniversary…" Ivy wrapped her arms around her dad's waist for comfort as she counted her blessings.

Meanwhile, Jeremy, ever since the Christmas party was trying to confirm his suspicions about Jason's and Ivy's relationship. He had noticed Jason was easily restless and often daydreaming during family dinners or when spotted at work or even while his spies spied on Jason. One thing for sure was, Jason had been visiting Nancy in the hospital lesser than before.

Jeremy wondered if Nancy had noticed these apparent signs. Nancy was no doubt not at ease at all after Ivy fulfilled her promise to her on Christmas eve. She grew even more obsessed and sceptical at Jason's excuses for not visiting her any more. To satisfy her curiosity and obsession, she decided to hire an investigator and always got news of Jason being in Landsfield.

Jason although he was caught up with his thoughts of trying to win Ivy back, he was also catching up on work. He had noticed the abnormality of activity from the construction company abruptly merging into Ophal's organisation. As a shareholder, he had spoken with Peter but Peter being a director of the group did have the mandate to be the sole decision maker and he was good at concealing the real reason that he made an excuse saying it was a strategic move for the group and shareholders. Jason wasn't convinced but he had no choice but to stop prying further before he triggered to offend Peter. Instead, Jason who has disliked his family dinners had no choice but to attend in order to keep a close eye on Jeremy.

Besides, it was a good excuse to keep his lonely mother accompanied since his father had always been a busy businessman. As for Jeremy, he was always a nuisance to all of them with his so call fiance whom he was on the verge of breaking the engagement off again. During one of the family dinners, Jason decided to throw his stern warnings at Jeremy after Jeremy poked his nose into Ivy's matters and kept questioning him about her details.

With that, Jeremy successfully confirmed his brother's heart was focused on Ivy. Jeremy was in luck when his spies accidentally bumped into Nancy's investigator. With that, Jeremy decided to meet up with Nancy to make a pact instead. His ultimate motive was not only just to own Ophal's group as it was his brother's business but also to capture the love of Jason's life, Ivy. He would never settle for second best as he will always hunt for whatever belonged to Jason as he thought only then he could win his father's recognition.

"Yo, ex-sister-in-law… How's it going with my brother lately?" Jeremy teased at first as Nancy squinted her eyes in annoyance.

"Don't get agitated just so fast yet…" Jeremy said as his minion revealed the investigator Nancy had hired her eyes widened in terror.

"What do you want?" She asked in a shaking voice.

"Nothing much… Just a simple collaboration…" Jeremy inched closer to face her and whispered those words to her.

"You only wanted my brother. I only wanted his girl. So, it's a win-win situation you see…" Jeremy explained. Jeremy knew it was enough to provoke Nancy to do berserk stuff as they came to an agreement that he will ensure Ivy is in safe hands and stay far away from Jason by all means while Nancy had to keep Jason by her side far away from Ivy.

With that, they both came to a consensus that neither could resist. As Ivy's birthday was closer, Jason couldn't help but have a tight uncomfortable feeling tugging in his guts while repeatedly playing the scenes of his confession on her birthday in his mind. He decided to look deeper into the construction company with Marcel and noticed Jeremy was also a shareholder in the construction company. However, it didn't matter to his company since the investment was done by Ophal side but the bad feeling just won't go away.

"Bro… You need a break... You might be thinking too much too." Marcel suggested as he watched Jason holding onto his head at his office table.

"Marcel… I need your help…" Jason decided he should come up with a backup plan just to be prudent. It would also be just to repay her kindness for when she offered to help out his failing business before this. Marcel looked into Jason's eyes and knew he was serious as Marcel nodded with assurance.

"In any emergency or when I get into any trouble, you have the mandate to execute all of my assets to be transferred to Ivy including my shares. At all costs, ensure Ivy's safety is always monitored." Jason said calmly as Marcel widened his eyes. In his mind, he knew Jason must have suspected things might get dangerous soon as he nodded to his request.

"I will head to the lawyers to prepare the papers tomorrow," Marcel said nonchalantly as he patted Jason's shoulder." You have seen through her sacrifices finally." Marcel praised as Jason smiled. "How could I be so blind lately? Did you know about any of her arrangements? Especially the one with Nancy?" Jason questioned as Marcel scoffed.

"Are you going to finally make a move?" Marcel asked as he remembered it was Ivy's birthday in the next few days. Jason nodded as Marcel smiled satisfactorily. While driving home, Jason glanced over Nick's house and saw the lights were on. He had noticed Nick had been staying close by Ivy's side ever since the Christmas party. As he got back to his empty quiet house as Daisy was now accompanying his mother in his old house, he had the urge to call Nick out for a drink at his house, by the big sliding door facing his tiny garden where Nancy used to sit and waited for him. Thousands of memories he had with Nancy and Ivy in the house crossed his mind while he waited for Nick to walk over briefly after he texted him. Jason was firm with his decision this time as though he had cleared all the cloudiness in his mind and finally could see his future with clarity.

"Hey…" Nick greeted as he walked into Jason's opened door.

"Sit…" Jason smiled as he poured Nick a glass of whiskey"

"Been a while since we sat like this…" Jason said as Nick smiled and took a sip of the whiskey.

"You know it's funny how it felt like only yesterday that we were trying to keep Nancy sane from her stalkerish behavior to now, protecting Ivy from all the dangerous wonders heading her way," Jason said nonchalantly as Nick burrowed his eyebrows.

"Is there something wrong with Ivy that you know of?" Nick couldn't help but ask worriedly. Seeing his friend's reaction, Jason knew Nick must have cared a lot for Ivy.

"Bro, I don't want to sound like a jerk who keeps snatching the girl you like. But this time, with Ivy, I must. With the instability in her father's business, it's only safe for her to stay by my side. That way, even if Jeremy wants to reach her, he will have great difficulty." Jason explained as Nick finally understood that there was indeed something bad going on behind the background.

"Bro, I have always trusted you, and this time I do. Just, Nancy might be the issue again." Nick couldn't help but ponder on the days he had to drag Nancy away from Jason's garden.

"You know, she has been recovering a lot lately with her therapy. I am sure with time, soon, she would be understanding…" Jason said wearily but he hoped it would be true.

Nick raised his glass of whiskey to cheer Jason. "I will try my best to keep an eye on Nancy even if she hates it 'cause I know how much you cherish Ivy and want to protect her. She is just too young to handle the company's crisis that is heading their way. I am sure Peter has his plans but I have a bad feeling about his plans." Nick explained as Jason nodded with assurance.

"Thank you, bro…" Jason said as Nick poured him some more whiskey as Jason drank with him.

"I hope we get to drink together again more often in the future," Nick said as Jason chuckled and clank his glass to Nick's as they both spoke about their good old days in the band the entire night.