Transmigrated: I Became My Nemesis's Woman

Chapter 163: I trust you

The drive back to the mansion was unusually quiet.

Neither Xander nor Ivy made an effort to start a conversation.

The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, though. If anything, it felt natural. Ivy didn’t seem to mind having Xander beside her, and Xander appeared perfectly content simply being there.

By the time they reached the Emerson Mansion and walked into their room, the tension from the evening had faded slightly.

As Ivy set her keys on the table, Xander spoke. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"Was everything alright at the reunion?"

She paused and turned to look at him.

There was no visible emotion on his face, but she had learned one thing about Xander over the past few months: he never asked questions without a reason.

Trying to read his expression was pointless.

If he was asking, he already knew something.

Ivy let out a quiet breath.

"Not exactly. Nora tried her best to paint me as the villain. She spilled wine on me, accused me of pushing her, and hoped everyone would believe her."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Fortunately, a witness saw the whole thing. In the end, she was the one everyone questioned."

Xander listened without interrupting.

When she finished, he asked in the same calm tone,

"Is that everything?"

The smile disappeared from Ivy’s face.

She frowned slightly.

"What are you trying to ask, Xander?"

He remained silent for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone.

Unlocking the screen, he held it out for her to see.

"What about this?"

Ivy looked down.

The image showed her and France standing close together. The angle had been deliberately chosen to make it appear as though they were sharing an intimate moment, even though she knew nothing inappropriate had happened.

Her expression darkened instantly.

"Nora."

She clenched her jaw.

"She must have taken this at the reunion."

Frustration bubbled inside her.

For the first time all evening, she regretted not confronting Nora more harshly.

Looking back at Xander, she quickly explained,

"Xander, this isn’t what it looks like. France approached me unexpectedly, and before I could walk away, Nora must have snapped the picture to make it seem like something else."

She barely finished speaking before Xander stepped forward.

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her and gently pulled her against his chest.

The unexpected embrace left Ivy frozen.

She could hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear.

After a moment, his quiet voice broke the silence.

"Did he bother you?"

The question wasn’t filled with suspicion.

It was filled with concern.

And beneath that concern, Ivy could sense something else simmering just below the surface.

Anger.

Not at her.

At the thought that someone might have made her uncomfortable.

For a few seconds, she simply stood there, too surprised to react.

Then she slowly relaxed in his embrace.

"He didn’t do anything," she murmured. "He tried to talk to me, but I made my boundaries clear."

Xander’s hold loosened slightly, though he didn’t step away.

"Good."

His answer was short, but the firmness in his voice told her everything she needed to know.

He had never believed the photograph.

He had only wanted to know whether she was safe. For he only knew no one from the Ford’s family was good with Ivy.

Realizing that, Ivy couldn’t help but smile.

"You know," she said softly, "most people would have asked if the picture was real."

Xander finally looked down at her.

"I trust you."

The simple statement caught her completely off guard. There was no hesitation, no doubt, and no demand for proof.

Just unwavering trust. For reasons she couldn’t explain, that affected her far more than the photograph ever could.

She rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder and let out a quiet laugh.

"I guess Nora wasted her effort after all."

A faint smile crossed Xander’s face.

"She chose the wrong person to try and convince."

A faint smile lingered on Ivy’s lips, but her mind was elsewhere.

Nathan’s words refused to leave her thoughts.

*Logan Moritini... there are still people you need to meet...*

Questions continued to pile up with no answers in sight.

Part of her wanted to tell Xander everything—to confess what Nathan had said and how little she actually understood. But another part held her back. She didn’t even know the full truth herself, and bringing Xander into the mystery without certainty felt unfair.

Once I know everything, she promised herself silently, I’ll tell him.

The thought had barely settled when a small, sleepy voice interrupted the quiet.

"Mommy... Daddy... can I sleep here with you tonight?"

Both Ivy and Xander instinctively stepped apart and turned toward the doorway.

Leo stood there in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes with one tiny fist. His hair was tousled from sleep, and he clutched the edge of the doorframe as though gathering the courage to ask.

The sight instantly softened Ivy’s expression.

She walked over and crouched to his level.

"Sweetheart, what happened? Couldn’t you sleep?"

Leo gave a tiny nod.

"I had a bad dream."

His voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.

Without hesitation, Ivy gently brushed his hair away from his forehead.

"Do you want to tell us about it?"

He shook his head.

"No... I just don’t want to be alone."

Before Ivy could respond, Xander stepped forward.

He knelt beside them, his usually reserved expression noticeably gentler.

"Then you don’t have to be."

Leo looked between the two of them, seeking reassurance.

"So... I can stay?"

"Of course," Ivy replied with a warm smile. "You never have to ask permission when you need comfort."

The little boy’s face brightened with relief.

"Really?"

"Really."

He immediately reached for Ivy’s hand with one hand and Xander’s with the other.

"Come on."

The couple exchanged an amused glance before allowing themselves to be led to the bed.

Leo climbed into the middle first, pulling the blanket over himself before patting the empty spaces on either side with complete seriousness.

"Mommy goes here."

He patted the left side.

"Daddy goes here."

Then, after thinking for a second, he added, "And nobody leaves."

A quiet laugh escaped Ivy.

"That’s quite the rule."

"It’s an important one," Leo mumbled, already sounding half asleep.

Ivy slipped under the blanket beside him while Xander settled on the other side. Nestled safely between them, Leo let out a contented sigh.

Within minutes, his breathing evened out.

The nightmare that had frightened him moments earlier seemed to melt away, replaced by the comfort of knowing both of his parents were close.

Ivy looked down at the sleeping child before briefly meeting Xander’s eyes over Leo’s head.

His voice was quiet, careful not to wake him.

"You should go get changed. I’ll stay with him until you come back."

Ivy glanced at Leo, who had instinctively curled closer to her in his sleep, his tiny hand still clutching the fabric of her sleeve.

She smiled softly and shook her head.

"Just a minute."

Leaving him like this felt almost wrong.

Just a little longer, she thought. Let me hold him for a while.

It had been quite some time since Leo had fallen asleep beside her like this. The warmth of his small body and the peaceful expression on his face made her heart melt.

She gently stroked his hair, savoring the quiet moment.

Across from her, Xander didn’t rush her. He simply watched the pair with a calm expression, understanding exactly why she was reluctant to move.

After several minutes, Ivy carefully eased Leo’s hand away from her sleeve and tucked the blanket around him.

Moving as quietly as possible, she stood up.

"I’ll be right back," she whispered.

Xander gave a small nod.

"I’ve got him."

Only then did Ivy head to the bathroom to freshen up. She changed into comfortable clothes, washed away the remnants of the long evening, and took a deep breath before returning to the bedroom.

When she stepped back inside, the sight waiting for her made her pause.

Leo was still sleeping soundly in the middle of the bed.

But sometime while she was away, Xander had leaned back against the headboard and drifted off as well.

One of Leo’s tiny hands rested on Xander’s arm, while Xander’s hand remained protectively near the boy, as if even in sleep he was making sure Leo wouldn’t wake up frightened again.

Ivy couldn’t help but smile.

For someone who rarely showed his emotions openly, Xander had a quiet way of caring for the people he loved.

Careful not to disturb either of them, she slipped into bed beside Leo.

The little boy stirred just enough to roll toward her, unconsciously seeking the familiar comfort of her presence before settling again.

Ivy adjusted the blanket over all three of them and lay back.

The room was silent except for the soft rhythm of their breathing.

For the first time that day, the worries about Nathan, Logan, and the secrets surrounding Ivy’s past faded into the background.

They could wait until morning.

Tonight, she allowed herself to simply enjoy the rare peace of sharing the bed with the two people who had, without even realizing it, become her family.