She beat them with a purpose.

Sensing his dissatisfaction, Ivy rubbed his thigh underneath the table her actions innocent.

She just wanted to soothe his anger but Marcellus suddenly pulled her hand his force neither heavy nor light and pressed her fingers on his groin. Ivy who was still as innocent as an unbloomed lily floating on the surface of a beautiful pond, panicked while withdrawing her hand.

Her face turned bright red like a cherry as she lowered her head. Because she listened to her mother's words she refused to sleep with him until they were married.

Her mother didn't want what happened with her sister's ex-husband to happen to her (Ivy). That hit and run was the stain she couldn't wash off no matter what.

What's even more unfortunate was that she was a virgin and told him that she wanted a committed relationship. She would treat him better than her sister ever did but in turn, he sold her a dream.

Tantalised by the idea of robbing her sister and getting the excitement of forbidden love she dove in head first and suffered a heavy loss.

It was because of this that she trained her daughter from the day she transitioned into womanhood.

This wasn't negotiable between the couple but Ivy was starting to feel his impatience. They would make out, he would fondle her underneath the shirt and for comfort, he would rub her down through the fabric. In turn, she would repay the favour by sucking that place.

She loved the feeling of being wanted by him but she also didn't want to disobey her mother. Thus she panicked at this moment more especially when her mother was here.

He soon let her go but this little game wasn't over at all. Marcellus took his cell phone out of his suit jacket and typed something.

A second later her cell phone buzzed. She swiped the notification bar down and read the message secretly under the table.

Hubby: Babe, I am hard.

Hubby: Will you help me?

Ivy licked her lips as though thinking about what to say. It didn't take long before Marcellus' cell phone was vibrating again.

IvyWifey: Okay, when we get home.

Marcellus opened the message with great anticipation but the smile on his face sank and he was unhappy again.

Hubby: I won't last that long.

Hubby: Meet me in the alley in ten minutes.

Ivy's face turned pale hearing this. Because she couldn't give him what he wanted she always felt like she had to overcompensate. She would satisfy all of his other requests but the ones where he asked to play in public, she truly disliked with all her heart but she never refused him.

She frantically typed a message trying to convince him to change his mind but he didn't even check his cell phone. His gaze just glanced at the unopened gift bag and Ivy stopped complaining.

All this, flew by Camilie who was still stuck on who Quinn was marrying and how she could get an invite. Her in-laws probably didn't know that Quinn beat up boys throughout preschool all the way to high school.

She completely disregarded that the beatings were warranted and they came after her first. Quinn didn't blindly beat people. She beat them with a purpose.

Camilie was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice her family's cabbage was about to get eaten clean.

"Quinn... who do you think she is going to marry?" asked Camilie after the appetisers were served. Because they had already picked the meals in each course when they booked there was no need for the waiter to take their orders. The meals were specific for them hence whether they ate or not the bill still had to be paid.

"Why do you ask?" asked Marcellus as he served Ivy a piece of the garlic and feta focaccia.

Ivy touched her mother's arm and said softly, "Mum," trying to stop her from going towards that topic.

Camilie just shrugged her shoulders and said, "What? I am just curious. Her temper is horrible and she is infamous for beating people. How could anyone find such a person attractive? Short of that face what other qualities does she have?"

She had her own reasons to mention this. She wanted to remind Marcellus that Quinn could beat him to death and his body would never be found. Something as gruesome and dark as this should quail the heat in his pants.

"She even slaughtered her pet in cold blood and my poor Ivy saw everything. She was so terrified and fell sick afterwards," said Camilie while pouring out some balsamic vinegar on top of the focaccia on her plate.

"Mum, please," whispered Ivy but Camilie turned a blind eye to her words.

"She also left a man paralysed after beating him up. If it weren't for your grandfather she would have been arrested. Whoever's son unlucky enough to marry her must be unaware of this. She is definitely a black widow... What do you think Marcellus?"

Marcellus who felt like this roundabout speech was going somewhere finally grasped her meaning. This meant he had been seen through in his moment of weakness.

Unlike Ivy who had the personality of a wee little lamb that was easy to deceive, Camilie was a piranha and an old fox that had seen the world. She wasn't so easy to deceive.

He suddenly felt very unhappy having been seen through. "She terrifies me too despite her size. Indeed black widow is the most perfect description."

Satisfied, Camilie smiled happily. Bite after bite, her mood improved by leaps and bounds. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the subtle tension in the air.

After one more bite, Marcellus wiped his mouth with the napkin before standing up. "Uh... what's wrong?" asked Camilie and Marcellus explained,

"I just remembered picking the wrong gift bag. This one is a gift for my mother from Ivy. I will go to the car and look for it."

"Oh," replied Camilie suddenly curious to know what sort of gift they picked for her in law. Was it better than hers?

She pulled at the edge of the gift box next to her to see but Marcellus picked it up before she could get a good look. When the bag was picked up some of the strong fragrance wafted in the air.