âIt was Clara, Ivyâs sister, who did this. Whether others were involved, Iâve sent Leo to follow up,â said Balfour, his voice heavy with the weight of recent events.
Dean had been grappling with a series of unfortunate incidents that had befallen the two people closest to him, plunging the family into a state of grief. Yet, there was no time to dwell on sorrow. There were matters to attend to and perpetrators to catch.
âStay with Ivy here. Iâll take another look at the companyâs situation. We need to catch whoever else is involved to give Ivy some peace,â he declared.
Balfourâs eyes, red from sleepless nights, met his grandfatherâs. âGrandpaâ¦â
âThereâs no need for formalities, weâre family. Just pull yourself together, young boy. Ivy needs you more than ever now,â the elder consoled.
Balfour nodded, and as his grandfather turned to leave, he spoke up, âGrandpa, you stay with her. If anything happens, call me at once. need to go somewhere first.â
Everything seemed to lead back to Mara!
At home, Mara paced restlessly. Ever since the day sheâd conspired with Clara, a sense of foreboding had haunted her.
Clara was a loose cannon, capable of dragging Ivy down in flames and possibly taking Mara with her.
From the start, Mara had prepared for every eventuality, ready to make a clean getaway should the walls start closing in.
Watching Maraâs anxious pacing, Olivia finally burst out, âWhat on earth is wrong with you? Youâve been on edge all day.â
âMind your own business. Go flirt with your boy toys or something,â Mara snapped back her mood swinging wildly.
The doorbell rang-a sharp, insistent âding-dong.â
âIâll get it,â Olivia announced, walking towards the door.
âWho could it be at this hour?â she muttered in confusion.
Maraâs heart raced with the suspicion that it might be Balfour. She composed her features into a facade of nonchalance.
As long as she kept her story straight in front of Balfour, she reassured herself, everything would be fine.
âMr. Howard, what brings you here at this hour? Arenât you supposed to be at the hospital with your grandma? Is she awake now?â Oliviaâs curiosity was piqued as she opened the 08:13 door and see Balfourâs face. She knew Balfours routine was a constant shuffle between the hospital and the company. His visit at this hour was unexpected.
Her gaze shifted to Mara, who was already trying to present a bright smile.
âMy grandmaâs not awake yet, thanks for your concern. Iâm here to see Mara.â
Balfourâs tone seemed extraordinarily cold and Olivia nodded subconsciously, âIâll go to my room then.
You can talk in the living room.â
âBalfour, what a surprise to see you! I was hoping for some good news from your grandma, too. Have you eaten? Do I need to cook something for you?â Mara offered, trying to play the gracious hostess.
Balfour closed the door behind him, his towering presence suddenly imposing. Mara couldnât help but step back.
âNo, thanks. Iâm here to ask you something,â Balfour said in a cold voice.
âOh, Balfour, you can ask me anything. Weâve known each other for years. What could possibly be off-
limits between us?â Mara replied, her voice a mix of sweetness and trepidation.