Chapter 208: Where are you taking my children
For years, he had challenged Xander in business, believing his cousin would always remain rational.
But today...
He had crossed the one line Xander would never tolerate.
"I-I..." Gavin stammered.
"I didn’t mean for things to go that far—"
Before he could finish, Xander shoved him away.
Gavin stumbled backward and crashed onto the floor, barely managing to catch himself.
His heart pounded wildly as he looked up at Xander in fear.
Just then, his phone began ringing.
The shrill ringtone echoed through the silent conference room.
His trembling hands hurriedly answered the call.
"What is it?" he snapped.
The panicked voice of his assistant came through immediately.
"Boss, there’s a huge problem!"
"What happened?"
"The Business Welfare Investigation Bureau has arrived at the company. They’re conducting an emergency investigation."
Gavin’s expression froze.
"What?"
"They’ve already entered the finance department."
"We... we think they’ve received evidence regarding the undisclosed funds."
"Our off-the-books accounts..."
Before the assistant could finish speaking, Gavin slowly lifted his head.
His horrified gaze landed on Xander.
Xander stood there with both hands in his pockets, his expression frighteningly calm.
"I gave you enough chances," Xander said evenly.
"You mistook my patience for weakness."
His eyes hardened.
"But the moment you involved my family..."
"...you crossed my bottom line."
Realization finally dawned on Gavin.
"It was you..."
His voice trembled.
"You reported me."
"I didn’t create your crimes."
Xander’s reply was emotionless.
"I simply handed the authorities the evidence."
"If your company had nothing to hide..."
"...there would be nothing to investigate."
Gavin felt the strength leave his body.
Everything was falling apart.
His carefully built network...
His hidden accounts...
Years of planning...
They were collapsing all at once.
Desperate, he crawled across the floor until he reached Edward.
"Grandpa..."
He grabbed the old man’s trouser leg.
"Please..."
"Help me."
"I know I was wrong."
"I won’t do it again."
Edward looked down at him.
For a brief moment, sadness flickered across his weathered face.
Then...
He struck the floor with his cane.
The sharp sound made Gavin instinctively flinch.
Edward slowly pulled his leg away.
"You brought this upon yourself."
His voice carried neither anger nor sympathy.
Only disappointment.
"You were given every opportunity to become a respectable man."
"Instead, you chose greed."
"You chose betrayal."
"And worst of all..."
"You harmed your own family."
Edward’s eyes met Gavin’s.
"From this day forward..."
"...you are no longer my grandson."
Gavin’s face drained of all color.
"N-No..."
"Grandpa..."
"Please..."
But Edward had already turned away.
"Whatever consequences await you..."
"...you will face them alone."
Without another glance, Edward walked toward the exit.
Xander followed beside him, while Taylor quietly gathered the remaining documents before falling into step behind them.
The conference room doors slowly closed.
Leaving Gavin alone on the floor.
For the first time in his life...
He realized that in trying to destroy Xander, he had instead destroyed himself.
***
Meanwhile, at the Ford residence, a heavy silence filled the living room.
The television continued broadcasting Ivy’s press conference, but no one spoke.
Florine, Nora, and France remained frozen in their seats, each wearing an expression of disbelief.
On the screen, Ivy calmly held up her marriage certificate before dozens of reporters.
The official document was displayed clearly enough for everyone to see.
There was no room for doubt.
"We are legally married."
Ivy’s firm voice echoed through the television.
The words struck the three members of the Ford family like a bolt of lightning.
Nora abruptly stood up.
"How is that possible?"
Her eyes remained fixed on the television.
"When did they get married?"
Until yesterday, she had been convinced Ivy was merely staying at the Emerson Mansion because she was Leo’s biological mother.
She had assumed Xander was simply taking responsibility for his son.
Never—not even once—had she imagined that the two of them were already husband and wife.
Florine’s face was equally grim.
"This doesn’t make any sense."
She clenched her fists tightly.
"If they were married, why would they keep it hidden all this time?"
France narrowed his eyes as he stared at the television.
Unlike Nora and Florine, he wasn’t focused on the marriage itself.
Something about today’s events felt... planned.
First, Ivy publicly revealed the marriage.
Then Xander announced the same thing during Globe International’s board meeting.
The timing was too perfect.
Someone had anticipated their every move.
Just as he was lost in thought—
Ding Dong.
The sudden sound of the doorbell echoed through the house.
All three instinctively looked toward the entrance.
Florine frowned. "Who could that be?"
She glanced at France. "Go see."
France lazily rose from the sofa.
"I’ll check."
He walked toward the front door without much concern. As he reached the entrance, he casually unlocked it and pulled the door open.
The moment he did— several uniformed police officers stood outside.
France’s relaxed expression immediately disappeared.
The officer in front stepped forward and displayed his identification.
"Mr. France Ford?" France frowned.
"Yes?"
"We have an arrest warrant issued in your name."
Before France could react, the officer continued,
"You’re under arrest on suspicion of money laundering and assisting in the concealment of illegal assets with Mr. Gavin Emerson."
France’s pupils contracted.
"What? There must be some mistake. I’m innocent."
"You have the right to remain silent," the officer replied calmly. "Anything you say may be used as evidence during the investigation."
Without giving him another chance to protest, two officers stepped forward.
Click.
Cold handcuffs locked around France’s wrists.
"What are you doing?" France struggled instinctively.
"Let go of me! I haven’t done anything!"
The commotion immediately drew Florine and Nora to the entrance.
The moment they saw France in handcuffs, both women froze.
"France!"
Florine rushed forward.
"What is the meaning of this? My son hasn’t committed any crime!"
One of the officers turned toward her.
"Mrs. Ford, all relevant evidence has already been submitted to the authorities. The investigation has been approved by the court. If Mr. France is innocent, he will have every opportunity to prove it during the legal process."
Nora stared blankly at the handcuffs around her brother’s wrists.
Her mind refused to accept what she was seeing.
Only moments ago... they had been discussing Ivy’s marriage.
Now...the police had arrived to arrest France.
Everything was happening so quickly that neither of them had time to process it.
France’s face had turned pale.
As the officers escorted him toward the waiting police vehicle, he suddenly remembered Xander’s calm expression from the day before.
A chill ran down his spine; only then did he realize... this wasn’t a coincidence.
"Miss Nora, you are also under arrest."
The words hit her like a cold splash in the face, and she froze.
"Where are you taking my children? They have not done anything. They are innocent." Florine lost her composure as she saw both of her children being dragged while they continued to claim innocence.
***
After publicly revealing her marriage to Xander, Ivy didn’t linger at the venue.
Once the press conference concluded, she thanked the media, bowed politely, and stepped down from the stage.
Surrounded by Sal and Lola, she made her way through the backstage exit to avoid the crowd gathering at the main entrance.
The three of them walked in silence until they reached the parking area.
Just as Sal unlocked the car, Ivy noticed a familiar figure standing a few meters away.
She stopped in her tracks.
"...Kevin?"
Kevin stood beside a black sedan with his hands in his pockets.
He had clearly been waiting for her.
The moment their eyes met, neither of them spoke.
Lola instinctively looked between the two before quietly asking, "What is he doing here?"
Sal too looked surprised. "I don’t know," he said.
However, Ivy knew Kevin well enough to understand that his appearance wasn’t a coincidence.
He hadn’t come to congratulate her.
He was here because of what she had just revealed.
***
"So... you really are Mrs Emerson now," Kevin said with a faint smile, though the sadness in his voice was impossible to hide.
Only a few days ago, he had learned about Ivy’s connection with Xander Emerson.
Today... she had stood before the entire nation and revealed that they were legally married.
Reality had finally sunk in.
Ivy looked at him quietly.
She could see the disappointment in his eyes.
After all, the woman he loved had just confirmed that she belonged to someone else.
"I told you to move on, Kevin," she said gently.
Kevin lowered his gaze before giving a small nod.
"I know."
His smile carried a hint of self-mockery.
"I agreed that we’d remain friends."
"But..." He let out a quiet laugh. "A part of me still hoped that maybe one day you’d look at me the way you used to."
He paused.
"I guess I was holding onto something that no longer existed."
Ivy remained silent.
She understood how difficult it was to let go of someone you loved.
Yet she also knew it would be unfair to give him false hope.
If she were still the Ivy Kevin had once known...
Perhaps things might have been different.
But she wasn’t.
Too much had changed. She was no longer Ivy, but Raven
The woman standing before him today had already chosen the path she wanted to walk.
