They never stop to think-if she had an ulterior motive, how on earth would she get close to Balfour in the first place?
Whatâs more, they seriously underestimated Balfour.
Heâs been a shark in the business sea for years, so did anybody really believe he couldnât spot a gold digger from a mile away?
But she bet they didnât care about the facts. They just wanted to hear it straight from his mouth-that Ivy was chasing him for his wallet.
Her dignity? That was probably the last thing on their minds.
If they could just get a snippet from Balfour, that would be enough to fuel their headlines.
More scoops, more clicks-itâs the mantra. In this era, itâs all about the buzz. And whoever has got the buzz reigns supreme.
When they finally broke through the mob and made it back to the car, Ivy let out a sigh of -relief.
In the car, it was just the two of them aside from the driver. The disappointment on Ivyâs face was unmistakable.
Nowadays, people often overlook her talents, fixated only on her beauty and Balfourâs wealth.
Everyone assumes sheâs hit the jackpot by being with Balfour, and without anyone els the picture, Ivy would tend to agree.
She was constantly thinking how lucky she was by having Balfour in her life.
To her, meeting Balfour felt like a gift from the heavens. But constant scrutiny was wearing her down.
When would people see them and just think, âWhat a perfect matchâ?
Ivy sighed. She knew the road ahead was long and tough.
She just didnât want doubts cast upon their relationship and their love to be seen as fleeting.
All she hoped for was blessings, not curses.
Balfour, sensing the tension, leaned over and stroked her hair, asking, âWhatâs wrong? Are you upset?
The press frenzy today was unexpected. Next time, I swear you wonât have to go through that panic again.â
Ivy leaned against Balfourâs shoulder and shook her head, her hair tickling his face.
âItâs not just that. Iâve thought about how traveling might not be so easy in the future. Sure, Iâm not exactly tabloid royalty yet, but Iâm semi famous. These gossip hounds never let up on someone like me.
But today was a fluke, and you couldnât have predicted it. I canât expect you to bail me out every time, can I? Itâs just thatâ¦â
Balfour sat up straighter, lifting her chin to meet her gaze, âWhat do you mean you canât expect me to bail you out every time?â
Ivy blinked her wide eyes innocently, âIâm just speaking the truth. Iâm an independent person, and you canât be by my side every second of the day. How can I rely on you for everything? Otherwise, if I run into a situation like todayâs, Iâll still have to face it alone, wonât I?â
Even though Ivy was being rational, Balfour felt a twinge of discontent. He wanted to be her rock, always there for her to lean on.
âWell. Whether or not I can be there is one thing; whether you want to rely on me is quite another.â
Once Ivy caught on to what was really bothering Balfour, she couldnât help but laugh, âOh, so thatâs what this is about. I feel pretty lousy, to be honest. I didnât want to answer any of those reportersâ
questions. Is every interview going to be like this from now on?â
Ivyâs vulnerability, her willingness to share her discomfort with Balfour were so endearing to him.