Undressed By His Arrogance-Chapter 212: We Gotta Go

Then, just as Ivy’s body betrayed her completely and she was on the precipice of climax, Winn pulled his fingers out. Her body shook, knees trembling as she tried to keep herself composed.

He casually raised his fingers to his nose, inhaling deeply, closing his eyes, a private act of triumph.

Meanwhile, the evidence of her surrender was undeniable—her underwear was soaked. Winn’s eyes flicked to her with a smug smirk that said everything without a word.

He didn’t need to speak to assert the truth: he had her completely, utterly, and she had no choice but to burn with it.

About an hour later, as everyone headed out, Winn suddenly noticed Jasper was absolutely nowhere to be seen. "Jas!" Winn called out.

"I’m sure he’s somewhere in the house," Sam said. "Look upstairs."

Ivy shot Winn a quick glance before walking Eugene outside.

Winn climbed the curved staircase. "Jas! Come on, boy, we gotta go!" he called again, checking the empty hallway. He ran a hand down his face and sighed. "Stop hiding. If you would convince her to be with me, you would see her all the time, now wouldn’t you?" He said it jokingly.

He walked down the hall again, looking for any movement, any wagging tail, any sign of the furry traitor. "Jas!" he called out with impatience creeping into his voice. But the hallway remained empty. Finally, with a resigned breath, Winn tried Ivy’s bedroom.

He pushed open the door gently—and there was Jasper, sprawled shamelessly on Ivy’s duvet.

Winn sighed heavily, shoulders dropping as he entered the room. He sat beside the dog. Jasper whined, curling into a tighter ball. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Dude," Winn murmured, running his hand slowly over Jasper’s fur, "you gotta come home. I don’t have anyone except you." Jasper whined again, softer this time, as if saying, Well whose fault is that, sir?

"I know," Winn muttered, lowering his head. "I want her there too but well..." He let out a slow breath, staring at the edge of her pillow, imagining her hair spread across it. "We gotta take her in bits right now until she is ready to come back to us." "Piece by piece," he whispered.

He stood, clapping his hands lightly. "Come on, boy!"

Jasper gave him a look that could only be described as bro, seriously? before slowly dragging himself off the bed. His paws hit the floor with a reluctant thud, and Winn couldn’t help but chuckle. "Yeah, yeah. Drama king," he muttered.

As Winn and Jasper stepped out of Ivy’s room, the door right next to hers caught his eye. A tiny wooden plaque hanging slightly askew. A baby plaque. Winn stopped mid-stride. His brows pulled together.

As far as he knew, there was no baby in the Everest household. The staff lived in the quarters behind the main building; no one had their kids running around the mansion. Evans and his family didn’t live there.

Curiosity warred with caution, but curiosity won.

He reached for the doorknob.

It turned easily.

The moment the door swung open, he froze.

A burst of pink flooded his vision. Pink cot by the window. Pink drapes with tiny embroidered butterflies. A rocking chair in the corner draped with a baby blanket. The walls were painted with delicate murals—Ariel swimming across the north wall, Elsa conjuring snowflakes on the other.

But none of that was what rooted him to the floor.

His eyes locked on the banner above the cot.

WELCOME HOME, ELIZABETH KANE.

Kane.

Elizabeth Kane.

His ribs tightened around his lungs. Blood rushed in his ears. His hand found the cot rail, steadying himself.

He swallowed hard.

A baby room. A baby with his last name.

Winn stared at the banner again.

Elizabeth Kane.

*******

Ivy came back into the house after Eugene’s car disappeared down the driveway. "Gramps, did Winn find Jasper?" she asked.

"I told him to look upstairs. Haven’t seen them."

"Okay, I’ll go check...Did you take your medicine yet?"

Sam groaned. "Ughhh... fine!" He pushed himself up with his cane and shuffled toward the counter.

Ivy smiled faintly. She walked to the staircase, her hand trailing the banister automatically. The soft glow of the hallway lights greeted her as she reached the top.

Then she heard it.

A faint sound from the first door.

Her heart lurched.

Jasper’s soft whine.

The door—open.

Her pulse spiked instantly, fingers trembling as she stepped closer.

She hadn’t stepped into that grief-soaked room in months.

He can’t be in there. He can’t.

She pushed the door open farther.

And saw him.

Standing beside the cot.

His shoulders were rigid.

Her blood ran cold.

Winn turned fully to face her, and she saw the questions forming in his mind.

She took a step back.

The only course of action was to run.

It wasn’t time to explain yet.

She couldn’t say it.

And even if she could...

Not to him.

"Ivy? What’s this?" Winn managed to force out. His eyes were wide, haunted, fixed on her.

And then Ivy ran.

Pure reflex. Pure terror.

Her heart slammed violently against her ribs as she bolted down the hallway. "Ivy!"

She flew down the staircase, her breath shaky and uneven. Sam turned at the commotion. "Sweetie? What’s going on?"

But Ivy couldn’t answer. Couldn’t even form a sound. Her chest burned with grief and fear as she rushed past him, through the foyer, and out into the night air.

The estate grounds stretched out before her.

She didn’t know where she was going. Didn’t know where she could hide. She only knew she had to run before the truth swallowed her whole. Before Winn saw all of her broken pieces.

Behind her, the sound of heavy footsteps pounded against stone.

"Ivy! That’s enough!"

She halted.

Her body trembled violently.

"Enough! For God’s sake!" Winn’s voice cracked.

He closed the distance between them in long strides.

"I’m done," he said, breath unsteady. "I’m done playing hide and seek with you."

His chest heaved as he stepped closer, towering over her but not touching her.

"I deserve answers." His eyes locked on hers, painfully earnest, painfully vulnerable. "You left me and suddenly reappeared. I didn’t question you. I didn’t demand anything from you. But this?...This... I deserve to know."

(This is for 200 power stones. Can we make it 400? I will get to all the questions soon, I’m a little bit under the weather. Typing this from the hospital bed. 😂.

For those who have read my other works, I never leave any stone unturned in my story. So, all loose ends will be tied.)