"Ivy..." Kevin suddenly grabbed her other hand as if he had gone mad and explained, "You have to believe me, I was framed by someone. I have no connection with Tanya. I..." Ivy suddenly pulled her hand back and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Alter, your relationship with Tanya has nothing to do with me." "Ivy... Please don't be like this," Kevin suddenly blocked the door she was about to close and spoke in a pleading tone. "My father is in a coma and in the hospital. I'm in complete chaos right now, but even so, all I can think about is coming to explain to you, Ivy. You have no idea how much I regret it. If I had tried to save our relationship when you wanted to break up three years ago, we would be together now." "Kevin Alter!" Ivy's blood pressure skyrocketed due to his words. She let go of his hand and opened the office door. Kevin had some space, quickly rushed inside, but Ivy just stood in place, looking at him coldly. "Can you be more mature?" She asked in a stern voice. "Your father is sick, the Alter Group is in chaos, and as the future heir, you should be focusing on managing the company instead of coming to me!" "I had to come to find you!" Kevin suddenly shouted as if he had gone mad, completely abandoning his usual suave demeanor. He stubbornly grabbed Ivy's arm and shook it frantically, behaving childishly and rebelliously. "I love you, it's been three years, even when I was abroad, you were always on my mind, Ivy, please, forgive me, can you?" His voice trailed off, and suddenly, as if he had gone crazy, Kevin was about to kiss Ivy. After the video was released, Kevin's heart turned completely cold. He knew that he had lost the last glimmer of hope with Ivy. How could he be content with this? "Kevin, calm down!" In her desperation, Ivy slapped him. Kevin was dazed and stood there, his face filled with shock and disbelief. But soon, he snapped out of his astonishment, lunged at Ivy, wanting to kiss her. Just as Ivy was giving it her all to resist him, the reporters from a magazine came in. Seeing the two of them entangled, the reporters quickly adjusted their cameras and began to shoot recklessly. Ivy determined, kicked Kevin in the abdomen. He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach in pain, grimacing.Ivy called the police, "There's a ruffian here trying to assault me." After hanging up the phone, she scolded Kevin in front of the reporters, "I've already called the police. Either leave, or we can go to the police station to resolve this." "Ivy..." Kevin was still immersed in his obsession, looking at her with deep affection, unwilling to leave. At this moment, Alter Group's bodyguards rushed in. One group of them used their large bodies to shield the reporters who were taking pictures, while the other group took Kevin away. Seeing Kevin leave, the reporters turned their cameras towards Ivy. "Dr. Jones, may we ask, what is your relationship with Kevin?" "Dr. Jones, are you Kevin's girlfriend? If not, why did he leave his father to come here after the video with Tanya was exposed?" Ivy didn't say a word, feeling extremely frustrated and hopeless. She knew that after tonight, the secret she had kept hidden for the past three years would no longer remain concealed. Her past with Kevin, her involvement with the Alter family, the Alter Group, and the child who had died on her operating table, those three dark and suffocating years, would all be exposed to the public. Ivy smiled bitterly and fell to the ground, overwhelmed by grief. "Make way for me!" After a while, Jasson's voice echoed as he kicked one of the reporters in the backside, sending him outside the door. "I am Dr. Jones' lawyer. Please leave, or I won't be polite!" He shielded Ivy behind him and warned the reporters. These paparazzi from gossip magazines had clashed with Jasson before, but this was the first time they had seen him lose his temper. The eyes he usually used to charm women were now filled with anger, like a protective wolf ready to bite at any moment. They hesitated for a moment and finally left, not willing to challenge him further. Jasson locked the door and reassured Ivy, "Don't be afraid; everything will be fine." However, after waiting for a long time without a response from her, Jasson turned around and was astonished to find Ivy had already passed out on the ground. "Tsk..." After making sure she had only fainted and was not seriously injured, Jasson shook his head in disbelief and said, "How can a doctor get sick?"Outside the main entrance of the County Clinic, The reporters who had been kicked out were cheering because they had captured first-hand material and were ready to return and write their stories. However, more than a dozen burly men suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking their way. "You... You..." The paparazzi had a bad feeling and instinctively protected their cameras and materials. Jasson's personal assistant came down from the car, with Sanders following behind him, showing his clenched fist. Jasson, no longer the gentle man he used to be, raised the corners of his thin lips in a cold smile and ordered, "Don't let them take anything from here, not even a single frame of video!" "Yes!" The bodyguards rushed forward, grabbing the paparazzi by their collars and taking their cameras, smashing them to pieces and even burning the film rolls. After destroying their equipment, they tied up several paparazzi and checked them one by one to ensure none were missed before finally releasing them. "Remember, that woman earlier is not someone you should mess with or report on. Understand?" The assistant crouched down like a thug and slapped the paparazzi's faces one by one, "If you dare to report anything about her, or if she even sweats a drop in your presence, I'll make you crawl out of this city!" "Do you understand?" "Yes... Yes! We won't dare again!" The paparazzi ran out in a hurry, and only when they were sure that the fierce men wouldn't catch up did they collapse on the ground. They looked at each other, bewildered. "Who were those people just now?" "I've seen that car before; it seems to be the private car of Cato Alter, the owner of DT Investments." "What?! Is there something going on between Ivy jones from the County Clinic and Cato Alter?" "No wonder they are cooperating!""What if there's something going on between them? Would you dare to report it?" "We dare not." The reporters discussed the matter excitedly, eager to break this explosive news, but when they thought about the scene they had witnessed, they swallowed hard and decided to drop the idea. ... Ivy slept for a full 18 hours before waking up. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in her own home. Sitting by her side was her mother, with red eyes, and Shawn, who was peeling an apple. Seeing Ivy wake up, both of them approached and asked in hushed voices, "Do you still feel unwell anywhere?" Ivy shook her head. Shawn explained, "The doctor examined you, and you were suffering from fatigue, combined with some emotional stress. The doctor said that a good night's sleep would help." Ivy felt embarrassed and tapped her head. It was embarrassing to have fainted like that. "Also," Shawn's handsome face darkened, "you shouldn't eat instant noodles anymore; you're already anemic." "What happened outside?" She asked Shawn, trying to change the topic. She thought that her past must have become a hot topic by now. "What do you mean?" Shawn handed her an apple and asked with a puzzled expression. "Not those news..." She looked at Shawn, who seemed quite relaxed. She quickly opened her phone, hoping to find news about herself on internet’s trending topics or news websites. However, after repeatedly searching, she couldn't find anything. The only thing she came across was a news release in a small corner about DT Investments preparing to engage in a deep collaboration with the County Clinic. It was an advertisement spot that Director Malcom had purchased at great expense. "Didn't the news about me and Kevin from last night... weren't the reporters going to spread it?" "With DT Investments involved, they wouldn't dare," Shawn said nonchalantly. But Ivy saw a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. "Cato Alter?" She was surprised and looked at him suspiciously. "Shawn, you're just a part-time consultant for DT Investments. Why would Cato Alter trust you so much?""It's not that he trusts me, it's that he has no choice. DT Investments wants to collaborate with the County Clinic, and during this critical time, they can't afford any negative news. Otherwise, they'd be labeled as a dominant force pressuring a small business into cooperation." "Oh." Although Ivy thought the explanation was a bit far-fetched, she had to agree. Big corporations like DT Investments cared a lot about their reputation, and no one wanted to mess things up during a crucial moment. However, the fact that her past hadn't spread widely was fortunate. Thinking about this, Ivy said, "Could you please thank Lawyer Brown and Mr. Cato Alter for me?" "Sure," Shawn stroked her hair and reassured her, "Rest now. I've got you, and I'll handle everything if the sky falls." "Okay." Ivy felt the warmth transmitted from his hand and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep once again. ***