âSend him another message, he wonât reply like that, because he loves me! How could he possibly reply like that? Youâre messing with me, right?â
Ivy furrowed her brow and glared at Clara, whose patience wearing thin. Without another word, Clara slapped Ivy so hard she crashed onto the bed.
âBelieve it or not, thatâs the message your so-called beloved sent you. Oh, and your love? Itâs as fragile as a house of cards-it doesnât even need a gust of wind, just a swollen cheek to vanish. Pathetic, really.
But hey, Iâll do you a solid because of your sad little display and ask him again.â
Claraâs fingers danced across her phone as she sent Balfour another message: [Your ladyâs with me.
Face is not as pretty as it used to be. But Mr. Howard, youâre a man of romance, probably wonât mind shelling out a few million for an ex, right?]
Balfour was on edge, waiting for Claraâs text. The moment he saw it, he grabbed his phone and drafted a quick response but hesitated. If he was to show he didnât care about Ivy now, how could he reply so quickly?
âMr. Howard, we can only confirm that Mrs. Howard is in a village on the outskirts, but weâre not sure of her exact whereabouts.â
âKeep searching-accuracy is key. We donât want to startle them. If necessary, get in touch with the village head. Tell the locals Iâll generously reward any useful info, no expense spared.â
âUnderstood.â
Balfour clasped his hands, praying that nothing else would go awry. He knew Clara was there, but not if Mara was or if they had called anyone else. He couldnât risk Ivyâs safety.
âOuch-looks like your rich hubby really doesnât care about you. Minutes have passed, and no reply.
Wonder which lady heâs with now.â
Clara was getting impatient when the thug from the next room poked his head in. Ivyâs heart skipped a beat, hoping it wasnât as bad as she feared.
âHey, superstar, youâre awake! Iâm a big fan. Friends call me Ellis, heh.â.
âWhat are you doing? Didnât I tell you to wait? If I need you, then you come.â
Ellis scratched his head. âI figured half an hours passed, Clara, and you still donât need me? What happened to her face? Man, thatâs heartbreaking to see.â
Clara was about to scold him when her gaze fell on Ivy, who was trying to avoid Ellisâs leering stare.
Clara then flashed a suggestive smile.
âOops, forgot to introduce todayâs special guest. Ellis, meet Ivy. You two will be getting very acquainted soon. Isnât that right? Youâre the acting pro, so remember to flash us your best smile, huh?â
Ellis, glancing at the now-awake Ivy, grew fidgety, rubbing his hands together.
âSorry, superstar, it looks like youâre in my hands today. Lucky me. Couldnât even snag a ticket to your fan meet last time, and now look at this chance, hehe.â
His sleazy laugh and lecherous gaze made lvy incredibly uncomfortable. She wished she could curl up and disappear.
âClara, what the hell do you want?â