âGrab a seat. Itâs been a while! How have you been?â Ivy greeted Nolan with a warm smile as he walked into the room, bypassing Balfour without so much as a nod.
It was only after a brief exchange of pleasantries with Balfour that Nolan turned to Ivy, his eyes twinkling with mischief. âThings are going great. Remember that shaky deal I mentioned last time?
Nailed it.â
Ivyâs face lit up at the news. âThatâs fantastic! I knew that deal was a tough cookie to crack, but with a team like yours and your charm, I doubted any client could resist.â
Nolan chuckled and casually reached out to ruffle Ivyâs hair. The gesture caught both Ivy and Balfour off guard.
Ivy instinctively ducked away, puzzled by the sudden display of affection, especially with Balfour there, making the moment all the more awkward.
âAh-thanks, Nolan,â she stammered, suddenly self-conscious. âJust wrapped up a shoot, totally forgot about my hair.â
Nolan kept grinning, offering no explanation for his behavior.
Balfour, meanwhile, had risen to his full height, looming a solid inch over Nolan. His stature alone seemed to fill the room with a silent authority.
Ivy tugged at Balfourâs sleeve, hoping to avoid a scene. Nolan didnât drop by often, and she didnât want to spoil the visit.
Catching Ivyâs eye, Balfour acknowledged his quiet defeat. He couldnât bear to see her upset, not after heâd already let her down once before.
With a resigned sigh, Balfour settled back onto the couch, allowing the conversation to continue without his input. Despite the tension, he stayed put, a silent sentinel.
âAnd what about you?â Nolan asked, redirecting the focus back to Ivy. âHowâs filming been since you got back? I heard your crew cleared their name. No more bullying accusations, right?â
Ivy beamed with pride. âItâs been a breath of fresh air since we went public with the evidence. Weâre no longer walking around with that label hanging over us. Just like you said, although not everyoneâs a fan, thereâs definitely a buzz about the movie now,â she continued. âBefore, we were all tight-lipped, worried about any backlash. Now, weâre free to speak our minds.â
Ivy was well aware of the skeptics who thought the controversy was a publicity stunt, but the majority were genuinely excited, especially about her performance. Critics who once spewed venom now praised her acting chops, though she took their words with a grain of salt. For lvy, the real judges were always the audience.
As long as there were people willing to pay to see her work, that was all that really mattered.
Ivy couldnât deny the earlier accusations had made them all look a bit foolish, but she wasnât about to argue. Sometimes, itâs best to let the work speak for itself.
âYou have no idea,â Nolan confided to Ivy, a wave of relief washing over him. âWhen I mentioned having a junior on Coltonâs set, everyone was envious. But after the incident. last time, some people started making sarcastic remarks, and I dare-not say much. I believe in you for sure. But now, after the clarification, thatâs all in the past. Thatâs great!â
Ivyâs relief was palpable, not just for herself, but for her fans too. They now had the vindication they deserved.