I stared at the money. "Ivy, where did you get this?"
"Work." She shrugged, turning to pour us each a glass of wine. "Had a client who wanted some one-on-one time. He paid extra."
The realization of what that meant hit me. "Ivy, you didn't?—"
"What if I did?" She handed me a glass, her expression challenging. "I'm doing what I have to do. Just like you. I'm able to do this, I know it's not what you want me to do, but I'm willing to."
I closed my eyes, fighting back the protest rising in my throat. "I just want you to be safe."
"I am." Her voice softened. "Don't stress, okay? I know what I'm doing."
I tucked the money into my wallet, guilt and gratitude warring inside me. I knew if I tried to hand it back, she'd fight it with tooth and nail. I knew what battles I could win with her, and this was not one of them. "Thank you."
"That's what family does." She clinked her glass against mine. "So, how was day two at Evil Sibling Corp?"
I laughed despite myself. "It's not evil. Everyone's been nice so far."
"Even Mr. Intensely hot IT Guy?"
I felt my cheeks warm. They were doing that far too often in regard to Jackson. "I actually ran into him this morning. Literally. Spilled coffee all over both of us."
Ivy's eyes widened with delight. "No way! What did he do?"
"He was... nice about it, actually." I took a sip of wine. "But he disappeared after that. Seemed like something was wrong."
"Ooh, mysterious." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Speaking of mysterious, that drunk client who was badmouthing the Donatis wasn't there last night. I'll keep an ear out, though."
We moved to the couch with our laptops, researching the Donati family more thoroughly. They owned businesses across several cities, but information about the family itself was surprisingly scarce, although I was beginning to get an uneasy feeling.
"It's like they've scrubbed themselves from the internet," Ivy muttered, scrolling through search results.
"Or they're careful about their digital footprint," I replied. "Macey mentioned they're very private."
"People this good at keeping a low profile online despite having such a notorious name aren't normally good news," Ivy stated as she clicked her tongue. "Maybe they're mafia or drug lords. Or into human trafficking."
"Ivy!" I hissed, and she cast me a wicked grin.
"Hey, you never know. People this rich don't tend to have legal ways, especially if there's no news on why they're so well-off. No oil found on an old family property so not exactly generational money, no lotto winnings, no great business schemes that sky-rocketed them into fortune and fame. And the girls at work know the name, but they're quiet about it too. Makes me uneasy, Elena," Ivy said as her brow furrowed seriously.
I paused, pursing my lips at this.
Was it actually possible? Was I digging somewhere I didn't want to meddle?
My phone rang, interrupting our research and my spiraling thoughts. Mom's face lit up my screen, distracting me instantly.
"It's Mom," I said, answering and switching to video. "Hi, Mom!"
"There's my girl!" Her smile was tired but genuine. "Is Ivy there too?"
"Right here, Mama!" Ivy crowded into the frame beside me, waving.
Mom's face brightened. "My two girls living together again! How's the new place?"
"It's great," I lied, not mentioning the leaky faucet or the neighbor who played death metal last night at 2 AM. Maybe my four hours of sleep was more like three.
"Ivy, what happened to that Gavin fellow you were living with?" Mom asked.
Ivy rolled her eyes. "Old news. Found out he knocked up his ex again, so I bounced. Best decision ever."
