Mara chased after the car, a tinge of disbelief shadowing her features as she realized she could not make him stay. She watched his disappearing figure with frustration, stamping her foot in vexation.
Ivyâs influence on Balfour was not to be underestimated!
Meanwhile, Ivy closed her eyes, pulling the blanket over her head. In the confines of her small ward, she found a fleeting sense of security.
âMaybe itâs best to pretend none of this ever happened,â she mused, trying to convince herself that the fluttering heartbeats she felt for him were nothing but a dream, best forgotten.
But no sooner had she settled into her cocoon of denial than her blanket fortress was abruptly torn away.
âAre you out of your mind? Trying to suffocate yourself?â Balfourâs voice cut through the silence.
Ivyâs pupils dilated in surprise-she could not fathom why Balfour had returned after leaving. Caught in her disheveled state, her gaze flickered, uncertain.
âWhy are you back? Werenât you supposed to take Mara home?â
Balfour himself was not sure how to explain his return. He was worried about leaving Ivy alone in the hospital despite having arranged for a nurse to look after her.
When Mara had walked in, Balfour sensed something off in Ivyâs demeanor, suspecting she still felt unwell.
But if she was still unwell, why keep it to herself?
As he sat in the car, his concern would not abate, and he found himself running back to check on her, leaving Mara to wait.
âAre you feeling unwell again?â He simply asked. Ivy averted her gaze and shook her head, âNo. You should go back. Itâs not right to keep your friend waiting. Iâm fine, really. Iâm almost recovered. Maybe I can even be discharged tomorrow. You donât need to worry about me anymore.â
Hearing her mention discharge, Balfourâs eyebrows shot up. âNonsense! How can you even think of leaving the hospital now? Who told you youâre almost recovered? Didnât the doctor say you need to rest for a while? Itâs only been a short time since the accident. Canât you just stay put?â
Ivy looked at him, baffled. She did not understand why he was making such a fuss about her dislike for hospital stays. The place made her uneasy-why was that such a big deal to Balfour?
It was then that Balfour remembered he had not told her about the full extent of Dianaâs involvement in her accident.
Pulling up a chair beside her hospital bed, he took a moment to gather his thoughts before laying them out for her, to hear.
âI donât want you to leave the hospital just yet. Itâs related to the incident on set. You thought it was an accident, but I found out the truth. Diana had tampered with the equipment, making it look like you were entangled in seaweed. One of the lifeguards was in on it. Thatâs why you were not discovered until after youâd lost consciousness. If it were not for the timely rescue and getting you to the hospital⦠you mightâve been, wellâ¦â
Balfour trailed off, unable to finish his sentence, as he watched shock register in Ivyâs eyes. He did not want to say something so negative, not when she was lying there alive and well.
Realizing how close she had come to danger sent a shiver down Ivyâs spine.â
Diana had been the closest to her at the time of the incident. Any slight misstep and she might not have been alive to tell the tale.
Why had Diana resorted to such drastic measures against her?
Ivyâs mind flickered back to when Giselle was sent to prison. Back then, Diana had even shown her a semblance of kindness.