Ivyâs tears cascaded down her cheeks, the swollen skin tingling with each droplet. Balfour reached for a tissue and tenderly dabbed at the wet trails on her face.
âAre you gonna go off on your own again next time? If youâd just let me arrange a ride for you, none of this would have happened!â Ivy locked eyes with him, her vision blurred by tears. She could not make out his expression, but she felt the worry behind his harsh tone.
âI⦠I just didnât want to be a botherâ¦â
Her fingers clung to the hem of his shirt, unwilling to let go.
âHow is this a bother? You, of all people⦠Forget it. Youâve learned your lesson, right?â
Ivy nodded obediently.
Balfour soothed, âitâs okay now. Thank goodness you used that emergency credit card I gave you. It tipped me off that something was wrong. Youâve never used it before, so I knew something was up when a million dollars suddenly went missing. Especially when your phone was off, I realized it was serious.â
Ivy pouted, âI bluffed to them that I was loaded, struck a deal so they wouldnât lay a hand on me, and even managed to get the mastermind caught. Butâ¦â
Biting her lip, Ivy still seethed with anger, âI never would have guessed that it was my own sister, Clara!
Itâs justâ¦
Her words tumbled out faster and faster, driven by the shock that without Clara, none of this dayâs terror would have existed. âClara?â Balfour furrowed his brow. He had been so focused on Ivy that he had not paid attention to the others. It was a shock to learn that Ivyâs sister from the Dunhill family was behind it all. What kind of grudge could lead a sister to harm her own flesh and blood?
âI never felt much sisterly love from her, but I never thought to hurt her. I donât understand what I did to make her hate me so muchâ¦â
Ivy looked down, her demeanor helpless and confused.
Balfour realized it was not just the shock of the attack that hurt Ivy; knowing Clara was the real perpetrator was a deep psychological blow. If it had just been some thugs, she could have blamed their greed. But Clara had claimed hate and accused. Ivy of stealing everything from her.
It made Ivy involuntarily question herself. Had she really done something wrong?
Balfour gently lifted Ivyâs chin, making her look at him.
âYou cut ties with the Dunhill family, right? Sheâs not your sister anymore. Donât bother with people like that. She needs to face the legal consequences of her actions today. Donât go easy on her. Pursue it to the end!â
After speaking, Balfour pulled Ivy into his arms, adjusting her into a comfortable position, and wouldnât let her move.
âAlright, stop thinking about this stuff. Try to get some sleep.â
Ivy, who thought her racing heart would keep her awake, found herself enveloped by Balfourâs familiar scent. It calmed her, and she relaxed into sleep.
Meanwhile, Clara was escorted back to the station by the police.
âMs. Dunhill, please consider your answers carefully to the questions we are about to ask. Everything you say will be recorded and may be used in court.â
Clara nodded, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular. She was the victim, so why was she the one being interrogated?
Why was Ivy not being questioned?
Why?
It was not fair!
With that thought, Clara could not help but blurt out, âWhy are you only questioning me? What about Ivy? Why isnât she here being. interrogated with me?â
âClara, Ivy is the victim, unlike you, the perpetrator. Cut the crap. Which platform did you use to contact those thugs? Why hire them to harm Ivy? What conditions did you offer? What demands did you make? Spill it all!â