After freshening up, Xander returned to the bedroom.
The room was quiet, illuminated only by the soft glow of the bedside lamp.
Ivy was fast asleep, her breathing slow and even after the exhausting day she had endured.
A faint smile tugged at Xander's lips as he sat beside her. He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face before reaching for his phone.
His expression gradually turned serious as he opened the email Taylor had sent him.
He didn't want to doubt Ivy.
He trusted her.
But there were still parts of her past that remained a mystery to him, and he wanted to understand the woman he loved better.
Logan's words from earlier that day continued to linger in his mind.
That revelation had caught him completely off guard.
Taylor hadn't uncovered much. Most of Ivy's past was difficult to trace, likely because she had changed jobs so frequently after leaving the Ford family.
Still, one particular detail stood out.
It was the night they had first met.
