Ivy’s brows furrowed, and her eyes darkened.

"So you were there the whole time?" she asked, her voice sharp. "Doing what? Standing back and watching while your so-called fans harassed us?"

Her anger wasn’t directed at the girls’ blind admiration for Kevin.

It was because they had targeted Lola as well.

Ivy knew she could handle situations like that herself. She had dealt with far worse. But Lola was different. The woman had been cornered simply because she was Ivy’s manager, and that was what truly bothered her.

Ivy had never tolerated people picking on those they considered weaker.

Sal and Lola stared at her in surprise.

Kevin, on the other hand, shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He had expected Ivy to be upset, but not this upset.

Now that he was seeing things from her perspective, he couldn’t deny the guilt settling heavily in his chest.

"I’m sorry," he said sincerely.

But Ivy wasn’t finished.

"Tell me, Kevin," she continued, leaning forward slightly, "how far are your fans willing to go to make someone’s life miserable just because they’re working with you?"

Kevin blinked, caught completely off guard by the question.

Before he could answer, Ivy delivered another blow.

"If working with you means dealing with unnecessary harassment and trouble, then this will be our first and last project together."

The room fell silent.

"..."

Even Lola and Sal were speechless.

Ivy rarely spoke so bluntly.

The incident in the parking lot had clearly affected her more than she’d let on.

Yes, she had handled the situation calmly and professionally. She had even tried to teach those girls a lesson instead of escalating things.

But that didn’t change the fact that the problem still existed.

And if working with Kevin meant constantly being dragged into situations like that, she wanted no part of it.

Across from her, Kevin’s face visibly paled.

"Ivy, what are you saying?" he asked, quickly setting his coffee cup aside.

His chest tightened.

He had never imagined she would consider refusing to work with him in the future.

Not when he had spent years unable to forget her.

Not when he had finally found her again.

And certainly not when he had been hoping for a chance to get closer to her.

The thought of Ivy walking away—professionally and personally—hit him harder than he cared to admit.

Is this girl out of her mind?

Lola felt like she had just witnessed Ivy announce her retirement before her career had even taken off.

Working with Kevin was an opportunity countless people dreamed of. Yet here Ivy was, practically drawing a line between them without a second thought.

Still, sensing the tension hanging heavily in the room, Lola decided against interfering.

This was clearly bigger than a professional disagreement.

Across from them, Kevin stared at Ivy in disbelief.

Just how much had she changed over the years?

The Ivy he remembered had always been shy and timid, but this version of her felt distant. Untouchable.

Was life really that difficult for her?

Was that what had turned her into someone who wouldn’t even accept a sincere apology?

Kevin took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"Fine," he said. "Then tell me what I need to do to make you take those words back."

Ivy remained silent.

"I know I mishandled the situation. I’ll admit that." His gaze stayed fixed on her. "But if you’ve already decided you’ll never work with me again, then tell me what I should do."

His voice was steady.

Too steady.

Because beneath that calm exterior was desperation.

He couldn’t let her walk away like this.

Not again.

Ivy stared at him, genuinely caught off guard.

For a brief moment, surprise flashed across her face before she quickly hid it behind her usual composed mask.

Does he still not understand?

This wasn’t about an apology.

She was drawing a boundary.

And Kevin kept trying to step over it.

Ever since they had met again, Ivy had sensed where his attention was heading.

Which was exactly why she wanted to stop it before it went any further.

Being professional was one thing. Reopening old Chapters was another. Now that she finally had people who genuinely cared about her, she didn’t want her past complicating the life she had built.

Kevin waited for her answer.

But when he saw the conflict hidden behind her expression, something seemed to click into place.

Slowly, he stood up. "I know what I have to do."

The sudden declaration left everyone staring at him.

"What does that mean?" Lola blurted out.

Kevin simply shook his head.

"You’ll see."

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the apartment.

The door closed behind him.

Leaving behind four confused people and a lot of unanswered questions.

***

Kevin stepped out of the building with his phone pressed against his ear.

By the time he reached his car, the call had already connected.

His expression was grim.

"Do it."

The person on the other end immediately understood.

Kevin climbed into the vehicle and drove away.

***

Meanwhile, another car was parked across the street.

The moment Kevin left, everyone inside became alert.

Percy lowered his sunglasses.

"There he goes."

Their attention soon shifted toward the apartment building.

A few moments later, Ivy, Sal, and Lola emerged from the entrance.

Benny narrowed his eyes.

"What do you think happened in there?"

He might not always notice details about himself, but when it came to Ivy, his instincts rarely failed him.

Something definitely felt off.

Before anyone could answer, Nico’s phone suddenly buzzed.

He glanced at the notification.

Then blinked.

Once.

Twice. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Holy crap!"

Everyone jumped.

"What?" Benny snapped.

Nico shoved the screen in front of them.

"Kevin just posted a statement!"

The entire car leaned closer.

Nico quickly read aloud.

"Any individual who harasses, threatens, stalks, or causes harm to my colleagues, staff, or collaborators will face immediate legal action. This behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

His eyes shot up as he looked at his friends in surprise, but seeing their blank face only made his lips twitch.

"hehe... have I told you my girlfriend is Kevin’s fan"

"..."