The Villainess Needs a Hug (Ivy Windsor) novel Chapter 881

Jamison's father grew increasingly choked up. If they hadn't had an audience, he likely would have broken down in tears.

Jamison had zero interest in making small talk with his relatives. Exhausted, he simply lay back and closed his eyes to rest.

Ivy stayed by his side, gently squeezing his hand. She knew there were certain boundaries her husband couldn't cross with his family, so she decided to play the bad cop.

"Dad, mom," Ivy said, keeping her tone warm but firm as she addressed her in-laws, "Jamison is exhausted and needs some quiet time. It's almost noon—why don't I make a reservation at a nice restaurant so you all can grab lunch before heading home?"

Boyd's mother immediately caught the hint and jumped in. "No, no, you don't need to do that! Lunch is on me. Danny, it's so rare that we run into you both. I'll take care of lunch today, and you can head back after."

She turned back to Ivy with a warm smile. "What do you two want to eat? I have to come back to the hospital later anyway, so I can bring something back for you."

"Oh, you really don't have to—" Ivy started, but Boyd's mother waved her off with insistent enthusiasm. "Don't be silly! I'm coming back anyway. It's no trouble at all."

Seeing there was no getting out of it, Ivy graciously accepted the offer.

Jamison was recovering well, and as long as his meals were relatively plain, there were no strict dietary restrictions to worry about.

Before the group left the room, Adela stepped up to the edge of the bed.

Looking at how much weight her youngest son had lost during his hospital stay, her heart ached. "You just focus on resting, Jamison. Your father and I will come back tomorrow."

Jamison opened his eyes. "Don't bother. I'm being discharged in a couple of days anyway."

His parents were getting older, and traveling back and forth in the increasingly hot weather would only exhaust them. If they pushed themselves too hard, it would just cause more problems.

Knowing how stubborn they could be, Jamison made sure to emphasize his point. "Just stay home and relax. Once I've got my strength back, Ivy and I will come visit you."

After making sure Boyd's mother was completely out of earshot, he lowered his voice to add one final warning. "And keep quiet about Ivy's pregnancy for now. Don't go broadcasting it to the world."

Adela lifted her chin defensively. "Don't worry, I know how this works! Not a word until she's past her first trimester."

"I'm just worried you'll get too excited and start showing off," he retorted.

"I won't. I know how to keep a secret," Adela promised repeatedly.

Once the older generation finally cleared out, Ivy pulled up a chair and let out a heavy sigh. "Thank God for the twins. If we hadn't used the babies to change the subject, they would have been arguing about things for hours."

Jamison nodded, his hand reaching out to gently rest over her flat stomach. "These two little ones are already doing some heavy lifting. They're helping out their mom and dad before they're even born."

The thought of carrying two babies filled Ivy with an overwhelming sense of joy, her mind already drifting to beautiful visions of their future as a family of four.

Jamison was notorious for his icy indifference toward others, but when it came to his beloved wife, he was more than happy to listen to every little word she said.

"I'm in. Please pass on my deepest thanks to the management team," Ivy said, unable to hide the massive smile spreading across her face.

"You'll have to come by the office when you officially onboard, right? You can thank them in person then."

Edmond had always been Ivy's greatest professional mentor. From the moment he discovered her on that financial forum, he had been guiding and elevating her career at every step.

Ivy was profoundly grateful for everything he had done. She lifted her water glass and smiled. "Edmond, lunch is on me today. Thank you for always looking out for me. I can't drink right now, so I'll toast you with water. Thank you!"

Edmond raised his coffee mug and clinked it gently against her glass. "Don't mention it. Having the right connections opens doors. With your talent, you're definitely going to surpass me one day. Just don't forget about me when you make it to the top."

"I would never!"

When Ivy returned home from lunch, she found Dr. Ludwig—who was supposed to be recovering—deep in a video conference with a panel of medical experts. She instantly frowned.

He was supposed to be resting peacefully, but instead, he was still running his department from their living room.

Between expert consultations and remotely supervising surgeries, he was working around the clock. He certainly didn't look like a man on medical leave.

If she called him out on it directly, he'd definitely get annoyed.

A wicked smirk curled the corners of Ivy's lips. Without saying a word, she strolled over and casually dropped right into her husband's lap.