Buying My Forever Wife novel Chapter 196

Ivy knew she was starting to fall for him.

But to him, she meant absolutely nothing.

She was just a vain gold digger he paid for—someone at his beck and call, easily bought and easily discarded.

That night, Ivy barely slept.

As soon as dawn broke, she prepared to get out of bed to make breakfast.

But Alaric tightened his arm around her, pulling her firmly back against his chest. Half-asleep, he murmured, "Sleep a little longer."

Ivy froze.

Then, she obediently settled back into his embrace.

She couldn't help but wish time would just stop right here.

If this man could just belong to her forever, maybe her chest wouldn't hurt this much.

Ivy wasn't entirely sure when she had started developing feelings for him.

All she knew was that she now cared deeply about how he viewed her.

She hated seeing him get close to any other woman.

But she also knew perfectly well that she had zero right to lash out at him, let alone voice her dissatisfaction or grievances.

Ivy felt the familiar prickle of tears threatening to well up again.

Just then, the man shifted slightly, his warm breath ghosting against her ear.

"Help me pack my bags later. You're coming with me on a business trip."

Ivy was stunned. She turned her head to look at him.

"What did you say?"

Alaric opened his eyes to look at her, his expression perfectly neutral. "I said, you're coming on a business trip with me."

The morning light was already pouring through the windows.

They could see each other clearly, down to the smallest shift in expression.

Ivy pulled away from his embrace, sat up, and began throwing on her clothes.

"Why are you taking me on a business trip? What about Stella if I leave?"

Alaric sat up as well and began getting dressed.

"Elena will watch Stella. If you come with me, I'll give you a $500,000 allowance for the trip."

At the mention of $500,000, Ivy's eyes lit up.

She agreed without a second's hesitation.

Yet, seeing her this happy made him feel completely at ease. Why did her mood affect him so much?

Wanting to see her smile even more, Alaric picked up his phone midway through his meal and transferred the funds.

He sent the entire $500,000 in one go.

When Ivy saw the notification, her jaw dropped, pure excitement bubbling over.

She looked up at Alaric, completely unable to suppress the massive grin spreading across her face.

"You're sending it now? Aren't you afraid I'll just run away with the money?"

Alaric gave her a cool look. "With those little legs of yours, you wouldn't make it an hour before I caught you. Behave yourself. If I'm happy with you, maybe there will be a bonus."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Alaric realized he really was acting like an absolute fool with deep pockets.

He knew Ivy was vain and would do anything for a paycheck, yet here he was, actively encouraging the behavior.

"Thank you, Mr. Foster!"

Ivy practically shoved her phone into her pocket, absolutely overjoyed.

Before sprinting upstairs to pack, she tossed a final comment over her shoulder.

"For the record, I don't think you're old and ugly at all. You're incredibly handsome. You're the best-looking, most generous, and most amazing man I've ever met in my entire life."