The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 871

"Exactly. It's all to put her at ease," Katrina Lester said with a nod. "My mother wants me to settle down, to have someone I can rely on and share my life with. She thinks that's the only way I can stand up to the Lester family and not be controlled by them. She knows Naylor Wilson is unlikely to marry me, so she wants to find what she considers a good match for me while she still can."

"You mean, your mom wants you to marry her friend's son?" Ivy Windsor asked, a little surprised.

"Of course she does, but I…" Katrina sighed, caught in a difficult position. "I can't bring myself to marry a man I don't love, let alone someone I barely know."

But if her mother's condition worsened, she wasn't sure how long she could hold onto her principles. Maybe she would end up like Ivy, compromising her own rules for the sake of someone she loved. Ivy understood her friend well enough to read between the lines.

Before they could finish their meal, Ivy's phone rang. She pulled it out, her voice warm and affectionate as she answered, "Hey, what are you up to?"

Jamison Ludwig was missing his wife again. "Isn't your defense over? Why aren't you back yet?"

"Katrina came back to campus today, so we're having lunch together," Ivy explained, then asked with concern, "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I have." Jamison's recovery was going well; he could already get out of bed and walk around slowly. The light activity was good for his rehabilitation. He was standing by the window, watching the bustling city below, already starting to miss his usual busy schedule.

"We're almost done. You should take a nap, don't wait up for me," Ivy said, instructing her husband as if he were a child, knowing she wouldn't be back for a little while.

Jamison squinted at the bright sun outside, remembering the real reason for his call. "Grandma has asked a few times for you to come over for dinner, but I'm still telling them you're away for a training seminar. Do you… want to go back?"

Ivy hesitated. She had never gone back to the family estate on her own, but if she didn't, she knew the old woman would keep worrying. And with the elaborate lie her husband was telling, things could get complicated if the matriarch discovered something was amiss.

"I'll ask my sister-in-law later. If she can go back with me, it shouldn't be a problem." Besides, she now had the ultimate trump card; the old lady probably wouldn't give her a hard time anymore.

"Ivy, this is a very difficult surgery. We weren't sure about the approach, so we came to ask Professor Ludwig for his input. We'll be done in a minute."

Seeing how they seemed almost afraid of her, Ivy smiled warmly. "Don't rush. Take your time. Saving a life is what's important."

She knew that after days of being confined to a bed, Jamison was itching to get back to work. As long as he wasn't stepping into an operating room, she wouldn't get angry about him offering some technical guidance.

About ten minutes later, the doctors in their white coats stood up to leave, and Ivy saw them to the door.

Once the door was closed, she turned back to see her husband rising from the sofa and heading to the counter to pour himself a glass of water.

Ivy arched an eyebrow. "Well, it looks like Dr. Ludwig is recovering nicely. How about a few laps downstairs?"