In this world, money is power. When Ivy first arrived, the man thought she wouldn’t be able to pay. After all, it had only been a night, and with her family’s widely known troubles, where could she possibly find five million? His attitude toward Ivy was poor from the start.
But the moment Mio Walsh pulled out the check, everything changed. If Mio had asked him to kneel and bow, the man would have done so with a smile.
Ivy exhaled deeply, releasing her pent-up frustration. Mio’s gesture made her vanity soar. Even Zachary, standing by, felt a newfound sense of pride. Although he had never met Mio before, seeing him casually take out five million and being so close to Ivy, Zachary felt reassured. Mio Walsh had to be someone extraordinary.
Judging by Mio’s attire and demeanor, Zachary thought his sister had made an excellent choice. As they left, Zachary couldn’t resist kicking one of the casino staff. “You lowly scum who only respects money! Pathetic!” he sneered.
The man, holding the check, smiled even after being kicked. “Mr. Montgomery, take care. Please visit again soon.”
Zachary strutted out with his head held high. Ivy, clutching Mio’s arm, felt her belief that Mio was a good man grow even stronger.
Once they got into the car, Zachary’s excitement was evident. “Ivy, aren’t you going to introduce me to this handsome guy?”
“Hello, I’m Mio Walsh, your sister’s boyfriend,” Mio introduced himself calmly.
“Ivy, how could you not tell us you had a boyfriend? Mr. Walsh, you’re amazing! If it weren’t for you earlier, I would’ve been humiliated!” Zachary, the type to quickly forget his troubles, now spoke to Mio as if they were lifelong friends.
Ivy tapped Zachary on the head. “I’m warning you. If you ever go to a casino again, I won’t save you. Haven’t you learned your lesson from last time?”
“Ivy, I know I was wrong. I didn’t mean for this to happen. How was I supposed to know my luck would be so bad?” Zachary scratched his head awkwardly.
“Good thing Mom doesn’t know about this. You know how fragile her health is-she can’t handle any shock. Last night, she even made dumplings for us to eat when we got back. And you? You reckless fool. If it weren’t for Mio, what would you have done?”
“Alright, Ivy, I get it. I won’t gamble again, okay? Let’s just hurry home,” Zachary said, trying to placate her.
“I told Mom you were at a friend’s house. Don’t let it slip, you hear me?” Ivy warned, though her tone softened. After all, he had already suffered for his actions.
Zachary nodded repeatedly. “Mr. Walsh, you’re so generous. You just took out five million like it was nothing. You must own a company, right?”
Ivy shot him a glare. She had never asked Mio about his background, not wanting it to seem like she was with him for his status. Mio’s wealth didn’t matter to her-she had already decided to stay with him for a lifetime. If he was rich, it was just a bonus. But Zachary had no sense of propriety. How could he ask such things so casually?
“Why are you glaring at me? I’m just curious. Mr. Walsh won’t mind, right?” Zachary said, addressing Mio with exaggerated politeness, as if afraid to lose this golden opportunity. Given their family’s current situation, letting go of a potential benefactor like Mio would be a huge regret.
Besides, Mio wasn’t just wealthy-he was charming, eloquent, and handsome. Taking him out in public would be a source of pride. It wasn’t just Ivy who admired Mio; Zachary was equally impressed.
“We’ve only just started dating. Why are you asking these things?” Ivy wished she could disappear. Would Mio think her family was greedy?
“I’m just curious. Mr. Walsh is so impressive-he must own a company,” Zachary pressed.
“Mio, don’t take it to heart. My brother’s been spoiled since childhood and tends to speak without thinking,” Ivy said apologetically.
“It’s alright. You’ve never asked me before, so I didn’t bring it up. Talking about it seems like showing off. I’m the vice president of a company in New York,” Mio replied calmly.
Zachary’s eyes lit up. “Wow, Mr. Walsh, that’s incredible! Which company are you the VP of?”
Ivy was exasperated. “Are you a detective or something? Why so many questions?”
“R Company. Have you heard of it?” Mio asked.
“That’s a major corporation! It ranks high globally. I’ve even heard Dad mention it before,” Zachary exclaimed, referring to Magnus as his father without a second thought, oblivious to how strange it sounded.
Ivy had always known Mio was impressive, but she hadn’t realized he was the vice president of R Company. That position in such a massive corporation was no small feat.
“I’m warning you-don’t get any funny ideas. Mio is only here to spend a few days with me and will leave soon. From now on, you’d better stay away from places like casinos and focus on finding a proper job,” Ivy said firmly.
“I know, I know. Mr. Walsh, since you’re so amazing, why don’t I come work for your company? I can’t stay in this place much longer anyway,” Zachary suggested, trying to leverage the connection.
Mio’s brow furrowed briefly, but he quickly smoothed out his expression. Ivy didn’t notice the fleeting annoyance on his face.
“Have you graduated?” Mio asked, clearly uninterested in entertaining Zachary’s request. Bringing someone like Zachary into the company would only invite trouble. Though he wanted to refuse outright, it might affect his plans, so he responded tactfully.
“I have one semester left. But we’re interning during this time anyway. How about I start as an intern at your company?” Zachary said, eager to secure the opportunity.
Ivy also wanted her brother to find a stable job. It would put her and their mother at ease. She even considered working at Mio’s company herself. That way, she wouldn’t have to endure a long-distance relationship and could see Mio every day. She didn’t stop Zachary but instead looked at Mio expectantly. Would he agree?
As vice president, Mio should have the authority to bring on an intern. But Ivy also knew Mio wasn’t obligated to help. She had already relied on him for the five million and didn’t want to seem greedy. Still, deep down, she hoped he would agree-perhaps she could then bring up her own request.
Mio, of course, knew exactly what they were thinking. He maintained a calm expression. “How’s your math?”
Zachary was immediately stumped. He hadn’t attended many of his math classes and had failed most of his exams.