âIn a society governed by law, I canât lay a finger on you indeed. But your words have been duly noted, and you can bet your bottom dollar that youâll be spending the rest of your life behind bars.â
âWhat do you mean? Ivyâs fine, isnât she? What gives you the right to lock me up for life?â
Clara, who had previously been blustering about going down with Ivy if it came to that, suddenly found her legs turning to jelly at the prospect of actually being imprisoned.
She had years of good times ahead of her-there was no way she was going to that hellish cell!
âYouâve already admitted that you orchestrated the whole thing single-handedly. Thereâs nothing left to argue about. My lawyer will take care of the rest.â
Balfour didnât even deign to give her a second glance, leaving Clara wailing and desperately clutching at his legs, âWait, I donât want to go to jail. Iâm only twenty-five, I canât go back in there!â
Oh, sheâs twenty-five, is she? How about Ivy?
Ivyâs even younger. Did Clara ever spare a thought for Ivy when she was busy plotting her downfall, that Ivy was barely in her early twenties?
Balfourâs heart was as hard as stone at that moment. Anyone who had hurt Ivy was beyond redemption in his eyes. She was his soft spot, his one and only red line.
âIâll talk! I admit it wasnât all my idea-it was Mara pulling the strings. I would never have taken such risks if it hadnât been for her! Please, Balfour, you have to believe me!â
Truth be told, Balfour had been bracing himself for this, but hearing Maraâs name still made him sigh heavily.
As he looked at Ivy, who was lying on the bed weak and frail, he knew that even if it was Mara, she would pay the price.
âQuinton, get Leo to handle Clara. He knows what to do next.â
âGot it.â
After giving Ivyâs wounds a cursory bandage, Balfour gently brushed her hair behind her ear.
The sound of the ambulance pulling up was a relief, and he finally exhaled a breath.
The paramedics were taken aback by the scene and carefully transferred Ivy onto the stretcher.
Even the short distance to the ambulance was enough to rouse Ivy from her pain-induced 08.13 stupor, sweat beading on her forehead.
âBalfour, save meâ¦â
Balfourâs heart twisted in pain at her muffled cries.
âIâm here, Ivy. Iâm right here. Youâre safe now, donât be afraid. Iâm sorry Iâm late.â
Ivy seemed to take comfort in his words, murmuring his name a few more times before slipping back into unconsciousness.
They raced to the hospital.
Dean saw the scene of Ivy being wheeled out of the ambulance and furrowed, asking Balfour what in the world had happened.
Balfourâs gaze followed Ivy into the emergency room. Then he let out a sigh, slumping into a chair.
âI failed to protect Ivy. I failed to care for Granny, and thatâs why all of this happened. I blame myself for not seeing people for who they truly are.â
Before the old man could grasp the full story, Balfour was already confessing and apologizing. Dean couldnât help but smack his grandson lightly on the back of the head.
âWhat good is sulking now? Since itâs happened, we need to find a way to fix it. You havenât even told me how Ivy got into this state. Was it another accident?â
Ivy had been kidnapped once before, and since then, they had been extra careful with her security.
But he never expected that heâd see his granddaughter-in-law being carried out of an ambulance once again.
In that moment, it felt as if his own breath had stopped.
His wife had just had an accident. He couldnât bear the thought of his granddaughter-in-law facing the same fate.