Nolan had been closely observing Ivyâs face.
If Ivyâs expression during the phone call raised suspicions for him earlier, now her demeanor was practically screaming at Nolan that something was off about her supposed marriage to Balfour.
âBalfour seems a bit cold, doesnât he? It must be tiring dealing with him on the daily, huh?â Nolan casually probed, masking his intense scrutiny as idle chit-chat.
Ivy nodded vigorously as if she had found a kindred spirit, âOh, absolutely. Heâs really aloof, and his mood swings! Like, one minute heâs all ice and the next heâs a tempest. Itâs frustrating!â
âMood swings?â Nolan arched an eyebrow, âBalfour might be like that with strangers, sure, but he married you. Heâs gotta like you, right? How can he be cold to you too?â
Ivy let out a sigh of resignation, âWho knows! Sometimes I donât even know what ticks him off.
Communicating with him is like walking through a minefield!â
âThat doesnât make sense. If Balfour treats you that way, why would you agree to marry him?â Nolanâs suspicions were thickening like a plot in a dime novel, convinced that their relationship wasnât as straightforward as it seemed.
Ivy shook her head. âNolan, you have no idea how difficult Balfour can be, If it wasnât forâ¦â
She was about to vent further but suddenly sensed it, snapping her mouth shut.
She had let her guard down around Nolan, and in a rare moment of solidarity against Balfour, almost spilled all her troubles.
She had nearly exposed their marriage for the sham contract it was. That was close!
Thankfully, she hit the brakes in time and didnât let slip anything incriminating.
âWhatâs up?â Nolan felt he was on the verge of unraveling the mystery when Ivy clammed up.
Ivy giggled nervously, âOh, nothing. I was just kidding! Of course, I married him because I like him. Why else?â
Though her response seemed flawless, Nolan sensed that Ivy had intended to reveal something else entirely.
âIvy.â Nolan was about to press further when the office door swung open, and in strode Balfour, his presence commanding as he entered. He scanned the cozy scene, his expression unreadable, âAm I interrupting something?â
Ivy shot up from her seat, âBalfour, what brings you here?â
Werenât you the one who texted me for a rescue?â Balfour squinted, flashing his phone screen at her, which displayed a message from Ivy. Ivy smiled awkwardly. âUh⦠bit of a mix-up. Nolan wasnât hitting me up for money. He just offered me a job at the Harris Group.â
âA job? Canât the Howard family support you, or are you lacking something? Whatâs the thrill in running off to work? Enough of this charade!â Balfour grabbed Ivyâs hand, âDone playing games? Letâs go home.â
With no choice but to follow him, Ivy could only hastily wave goodbye to Nolan, a gesture of awkward farewell.
As Nolan watched their retreating figures, his eyes darkened with thought.
He wasnât pleased with Balfour barging into his office, but he wasnât about to make a scene.
His family and the Howards were related, but only distantly, and a powerful family like the Howards was not to be trifled with.
However, he was dead set on getting to the bottom of this. The relationship between Ivy and Balfour was certainly more complex than it appeared.