"Guys, do you think Boss is in trouble?" Benny asked from the passenger seat beside Teddy, craning his neck as he tried to peer through the tinted windows of Xander’s car parked ahead of them.

"You can’t see anything anyway, Benny. So stop talking and let me sleep," Percy muttered lazily from the backseat before shifting and closing his eyes again.

The moment they had seen Ivy dragging Xander around like oversized luggage before shoving him into the car, Teddy had immediately called the others over. And now the four of them sat there silently observing from a distance.

"Nico, why are you so quiet?" Benny twisted around to look at him. "You were the one who said Boss never eats food from outside. But look at this— that crazy woman bought ice cream for both of them."

The second Benny caught sight of Nico’s exhausted expression, the corner of his lips twitched in amusement.

"Everyone, keep quiet," Teddy finally spoke after a long silence, his eyes still fixed on the car ahead. "Everything is fine as long as we’re here."

"But Teddy, we—"

Benny immediately stopped mid-sentence when Teddy shot him a deadly glare.

He quickly mimed zipping his lips shut and leaned back in surrender.

****

Meanwhile, inside the car, Xander stared at the ice cream in his hand before slowly lifting his eyes toward Ivy.

She seemed completely immersed in enjoying hers while he sat there contemplating whether he should even take a bite.

"Is it really that good?" he finally asked.

Ivy paused for a second before nodding seriously.

"You should eat it before it melts," she said before returning to her ice cream again.

When Ivy had dragged him into the car earlier, claiming she was taking him somewhere, he hadn’t expected to end up parked outside a roadside ice cream stall.

And he definitely hadn’t expected her to force one into his hand like it was some life-changing experience.

Xander looked back down at the melting dessert suspiciously.

"You’re looking at it like it’s poison," Ivy commented between bites.

"That’s because I’m still questioning your intentions."

Ivy rolled her eyes dramatically. "It’s ice cream, not a business deal."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"It’s called relaxing," she replied. "Normal people do it sometimes."

Xander stared at her for a moment before finally taking a cautious bite.

The cold sweetness spread across his tongue instantly, making him pause.

Ivy immediately noticed the subtle change in his expression and smirked.

"See?"

Xander clicked his tongue softly. "It’s acceptable."

"Acceptable?" Ivy repeated in disbelief. "That’s the best chocolate ice cream in the city."

"I’ve had better."

"You’re lying."

"I never lie."

Ivy narrowed her eyes suspiciously before snorting. "You’re impossible."

Xander didn’t respond immediately and simply continued eating the ice cream in silence.

To his surprise, it tasted far better than he had expected. In fact, this was the first time in his life he had ever eaten ice cream.

He had never been fond of cold food since it usually left him sick afterward. But somehow, sitting there with Ivy beside him, he felt like he could get used to it.

"You like it, don’t you?" Ivy asked knowingly.

Xander paused mid-bite and looked at her directly before giving a small hum in response.

A victorious grin instantly spread across Ivy’s face.

"Do you want to taste mine too? I’m sure you’ll like it," she offered, extending her cup toward him.

Xander blinked, his gaze shifting between the ice cream and Ivy’s face.

Then slowly, the corner of his lips lifted.

"How about I taste it this way instead?"

Before Ivy could process his words, Xander reached out, gently holding the back of her neck before pulling her toward him.

His lips captured hers without warning.

Ivy’s eyes widened instantly.

The kiss was brief, yet slow enough to leave her breath caught in her throat. Xander tilted his head slightly, savoring the faint sweetness of chocolate lingering on her lips before finally pulling away.

"Hm," he murmured softly, licking his lips afterward. "It does taste good."

He stared shamelessly at Ivy’s completely flustered expression.

The sight alone was enough to make him smile faintly.

Meanwhile, Ivy remained frozen in place for several long seconds, her brain struggling to catch up with what had just happened.

"You—"

Her voice failed midway while Xander calmly took another spoonful of his ice cream like nothing unusual had happened at all.

"You stole my first kiss over ice cream," she finally whispered in disbelief.

Xander raised a brow. "Technically, you offered it first."

Ivy could only stare at him speechlessly while the smug look in his eyes deepened.

The two eventually finished their ice cream, though this time Ivy made sure to keep her cup far away from Xander’s reach.

Once they were done, she started the car and drove them back toward the mansion.

Xander quietly watched her from the passenger seat, genuinely impressed by her driving skills.

Ivy was full of surprises.

She wasn’t someone who needed constant protection or guidance. She could take care of herself perfectly well, and somehow that made her even more intriguing in his eyes.

"Achoo!"

The sudden sneeze immediately pulled Ivy’s attention away from the road for a second.

Her eyes darted between Xander and the street ahead just in time to hear him sneeze again.

"Don’t tell me you seriously can’t handle cold food?" she asked in disbelief.

Xander’s nose had already turned slightly red.

They had only eaten ice cream, yet the man looked like he was losing a battle against winter itself.

When Xander remained silent, Ivy let out a frustrated groan.

"Then why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve bought you something else."

To Ivy, ice cream was practically a universal comfort food. Kids loved it. Adults loved it. Even sad people magically felt better after eating it.

But seeing Xander sneezing beside her felt oddly unreal.

The man looked untouchable from the outside, cold and composed enough to intimidate anyone.

Yet he had been defeated by a cup of ice cream.

"I didn’t want to ruin your mood," Xander finally replied calmly. "You seemed like you were enjoying yourself."

His answer instantly left Ivy speechless.

"It wasn’t about me," she said after a pause, her voice softer this time. "I wanted to cheer you up."

Xander turned toward her slightly, surprised.

Only then did he realize why she had dragged him out in the first place.

She hadn’t brought him there because she wanted ice cream.

She had done it for him.

For a brief second, something unfamiliar flickered across Xander’s usually unreadable face.

But before either of them could say another word—

A loud screech tore through the road.

BAM!

Another vehicle slammed violently into the side of their car.

The impact jerked them hard in their seats as the sound of twisting metal echoed through the night.

"What the hell—!"

Ivy cursed loudly as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

Before she could fully recover from the first hit, another violent jerk slammed into the side of the car, making the vehicle swerve dangerously across the road.

Her eyes widened in shock.

"Are they insane?!" she shouted, struggling to steady the car.

Xander’s entire expression changed instantly.

The softness from moments ago disappeared, replaced by sharp alertness.

He immediately turned to look through the rear window, his eyes narrowing the second he spotted the black SUV tailing them aggressively from behind.

The vehicle stayed dangerously close, almost glued to their bumper.

And then he noticed another car approaching from the side again.

"They’re targeting us," Xander said coldly.

Ivy’s heart skipped a beat.

"What?"

"Speed up, Ivy. Now."

His voice remained calm, but the authority in it sent adrenaline rushing through her body.

Ivy didn’t hesitate.

The moment her foot slammed onto the accelerator, the engine roared loudly as the car shot forward through the nearly empty road.

Behind them, the SUV accelerated too.

"They’re still coming!" Ivy said, glancing nervously at the mirror.

Xander quickly pulled out his phone, but before he could dial—

BAM!

Another car rammed into them from the side.

"Shit!" Ivy hissed as the steering wheel jerked violently in her hands.

The tires screeched against the asphalt while the car nearly lost balance.

"Keep your eyes on the road," Xander ordered sharply, bracing one hand against the dashboard while the other steadied Ivy by her shoulder.

The touch lasted barely a second, but it grounded her immediately.

"Take the next right," he instructed while watching the cars behind them carefully.

Ivy nodded quickly and swerved into the narrow road just as another vehicle tried to block them from behind.

The atmosphere inside the car changed completely.

Moments ago, they had been arguing over ice cream and stolen kisses.

Now the tension felt suffocating.

Ivy’s pulse hammered wildly as she tightened her grip on the wheel. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Who the hell are these people?" she demanded.

Xander’s gaze darkened dangerously.

"People who should’ve known better than to come after me."