Ivy had no idea how she managed to make it back to her room, but before she could step inside, Butler Rupert’s voice suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Madame."

Ivy jumped slightly at the sudden call and turned around in confusion.

"Are you still not feeling well?" the old man asked with concern.

Only then did she realize how absentminded she must have looked.

"Oh, no, Butler Rupert. I’m absolutely fine," she replied with an awkward laugh, somehow managing to convince him.

"That’s good to hear," Butler Rupert said with a gentle smile. "I’ve rarely seen Master become so worried after hearing about someone’s health yesterday."

Ivy’s smile disappeared instantly.

"No way... you’re lying," she denied immediately, unable to believe his words.

But the old man simply chuckled softly.

"When it comes to Young Master, he does not easily show concern," Butler Rupert explained. "So seeing him worry about someone other than Young Master Leo truly surprised me."

Butler Rupert had served the Emerson family for many years. He had watched Xander grow up before his eyes.

He had seen him smile as a child.

He had seen him cry.

And after his parents’ death, he had watched that warmth slowly disappear from him entirely.

The first time Butler Rupert had seen Xander genuinely panic again was when little Leo had fallen seriously ill.

And then...

There was Ivy.

For the longest time, Butler Rupert believed there would never be anyone whom his master would allow into his personal space, much less someone he would become emotionally attached to.

But he had been wrong.

After Leo, Ivy had become the exception.

Ivy stared at him in utter disbelief.

She simply couldn’t bring herself to accept what he was saying.

But when she remembered last night—how Xander had rushed to her room the moment Butler Rupert mentioned her condition—her heartbeat unconsciously quickened.

The way he had cupped her face...

The way his brows had furrowed with genuine concern...

It had made her heart race uncontrollably.

Ivy had never experienced such strange emotions before.

Not until Xander entered her life.

Raven, remember this body belongs to Ivy... and so does her heart.

She quickly pushed those wandering thoughts away and immediately denied Butler Rupert’s claim.

"I doubt that, Butler Rupert," she said with a forced laugh, trying to brush the topic aside.

But the old man merely smiled knowingly, causing her smile to falter.

"Ahem." Ivy awkwardly cleared her throat before looking away. "I-I’ll head to my room now."

Butler Rupert nodded gently before walking away.

The moment Ivy closed the door behind her, she let out a long sigh.

Even though she kept trying to convince herself that Xander wasn’t truly bothered about her, Butler Rupert’s words continued replaying in her mind.

Get a grip, Raven. Don’t get swayed just because someone is showing concern for you.

Raven had never been someone who was cared for.

Whether she was hurt, sick, or exhausted, she had always been the one taking care of herself.

So hearing that Xander had actually worried about her...

Her mind simply couldn’t process it properly.

"Maybe it’s just because of the contract," Ivy muttered to herself. "He probably just wants to make sure nothing happens to me."

Having finally reached that conclusion, she nodded to herself.

"Anyway... what should I even do now?"

Without Leo around, the mansion felt far too quiet, making her feel even more restless.

Ivy was still wondering how she should spend the rest of her day when suddenly her phone buzzed.

Blinking, she reached for it and noticed a message from someone named Eli.

[Hey Ivy, are you going to the get-together?]

Ivy frowned as she reread the message.

A moment later, memories of Eli surfaced in her mind.

Eli had been one of Ivy’s classmates back in school, but after graduation, Ivy had gradually lost contact with almost everyone.

Suddenly, a heavy feeling settled inside her chest.

And Raven instantly realized where those emotions were coming from.

Ivy did not have good memories of her school days.

So now that Eli had suddenly contacted her again, she found herself hesitating over whether she should even consider going at all.

Ivy continued staring at the message, her thumb hovering uncertainly above the screen.

Part of her wanted to ignore it completely.

The memories attached to Ivy’s school life were far from pleasant. Most of them were filled with whispers behind her back, mocking laughter, and the suffocating feeling of never truly fitting in.

Raven could feel those lingering emotions clearly.

Even years later, the wounds had not completely disappeared.

Just as she was about to lock her phone and forget about the message entirely, the screen buzzed again.

Another text from Eli popped up.

[By the way, Kevin’s coming too.]

The moment she read the name, Ivy froze.

A memory instantly surfaced in her mind.

Kevin Hartwell.

The senior Ivy had secretly crushed on during her school days.

Back then, Kevin had been the definition of perfection in Ivy’s eyes. Handsome, smart, popular—everything about him seemed completely out of reach.

And unlike the others, Kevin had once shown her kindness.

It was such a small memory, almost insignificant, yet Ivy had treasured it deeply. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

She still remembered sitting alone near the school garden during lunch after accidentally spilling juice all over herself. A group of girls had mocked her endlessly while she stood there embarrassed and close to tears.

And then Kevin had appeared.

Without saying much, he had simply handed her his handkerchief and told the girls to stop bothering her.

That single act of kindness had stayed with Ivy for years.

For someone who spent most of her school life feeling invisible, Kevin had unknowingly become the center of her small, silent affection.

Raven blinked slowly as more fragments of Ivy’s memories surfaced.

The little glances.

The hidden admiration.

The nervousness whenever Kevin walked past her.

It was innocent.

Pure.

And painfully one-sided.

Because Kevin had never known.

Ivy hugged her knees while staring at the phone screen thoughtfully.

"So she had a first love too..." Raven murmured softly.

For some strange reason, her chest felt complicated.

Maybe because those emotions were still lingering somewhere deep inside this body.

Or maybe because she suddenly remembered someone else.

Xander.

His cold face unconsciously flashed through her mind.

The way he had looked worried last night.

The way he had tucked her into bed.

And the way his voice had softened while speaking to her.

Ivy immediately smacked her cheeks lightly.

"What am I even comparing?" she muttered in frustration.

One was Ivy’s innocent school crush.

The other was Xander Emerson—a walking red flag with terrifying emotional confusion and deadly eye contact.

There was absolutely no comparison.

...Right?

Ivy groaned and flopped backward onto the bed dramatically.

Her life was becoming more mentally exhausting with each passing day.

Meanwhile, her phone buzzed once again.

[Come on, Ivy. It’ll be fun. Everyone’s coming.]

Ivy stared at the message for a long moment before narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

Knowing her luck, this "fun" gathering would probably end in emotional damage, public embarrassment, or somehow both together.

Ivy remained sprawled across the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling while her thoughts spiraled once again.

The reunion invitation was still open on her phone, but her attention had long drifted elsewhere.

Slowly, her gaze shifted toward the cupboard beside the bed, more specifically toward the photograph hidden inside it.

For a few seconds, she simply stared at it in silence before finally sitting up.

At first, she thought it was simple curiosity. But now... it had become something deeper.

Raven had spent most of her life under Hardley Morris’ control. He had taken her in when she was still young, shaping her into the perfect weapon.

She had never questioned it before. Because surviving had always mattered more. But now, for the first time in her life after he gave her his parting gift, she felt conflicted.

She had no recollection of her past, but now with those photos, there’s a chance that someone out there might have known who she truly was before Hardley took her away; it gave her hope. And somehow... that thought made her chest tighten strangely.

"What if they’re still alive?" she whispered softly.

The idea sounded ridiculous. After all these years, how could she possibly find them? But despite that, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

’And what are those dreams signifying to me’

Raven had never belonged anywhere. Not in the organization. Not in the cruel world Hardley raised her in. And certainly not in this strange life she was currently living.

But for the first time... she wanted answers.

She wanted to know if someone had once searched for her. If someone had once loved her before she became Raven.

Ivy lowered her eyes and tried to ease her mind.

Maybe that was why she suddenly wanted to leave the mansion.

Not just because she was bored or restless.

But because staying here made her feel trapped.

If she truly wanted to search for the people in the photograph, then she needed freedom first. And to gain that freedom... she needed to start stepping outside again.

"I know what I’m supposed to do," she said suddenly, her determination visible, and she quickly unlocked her phone and typed a message.

And the second she hit the send button, the person on the other side quickly called her.

"What do you mean by you want to work?"