Olivia nodded somberly, the weight of her words as heavy as the air in the room. âI know I donât have enough proof right now, but Iâve lived with her for years. Sooner or later, sheâll slip up; sheâll leave a trail.â
Balfour found the whole thing absurd. To commit fratricide for what she deemed love was beyond his comprehension! Yet as Olivia laid out the evidence before him, those peculiar details from the past began to resurface in his mind.
âThatâs why I need to tell you, Balfour, sheâs dangerous, incredibly so. Ivyâs kidnapping had to be her doing. I even suspect that Alyssaâs fall down the stairs wasnât an accident at all!â
Balfour closed his eyes briefly.
From the moment Olivia decided to lay it all out, she knew where her loyalties lay. Choosing between Balfour and Mara was a no-brainer for anyone with half a brain.
After making arrangements, Balfour left the house in a rush, quickly getting into his car and driving back to the hospital. He couldnât stop worrying about Ivy. If Mara was as vengeful as Olivia described, he was certain she would come back to finish what she started.
He couldnât fathom what he had done to remembered any connection between them, besides Victoria.
To think he had been friends with a murderer for so long, Balfour could not forgive himself.
1th carn Maraâs twisted affection. He barely Upon arriving at the hospital, before he could even enter Ivyâs room, he heard the good news that Alyssa had awakened!
His heart lifted at the sight of two guards stationed by Ivyâs room, a sign that she was safe.
Now, his priority was to find evidence against Mara, to bring her to justice and make her face the consequences of her actions.
Alyssa was frail but managed a pale smile when she saw Balfour rush to her side, reassuring him with her eyes.
Dean, usually so composed, couldnât help but tear up as he clutched her hands beside the bed, as if fearing heâd lose her if he let go.
âBalfourâs here, honey,â he choked out.
âGrandma!â Balfour knelt on one knee by her bed.
Alyssa stroked his head with her weathered hands. âOh dear, such a big man and still so sentimental.
Iâm alright, arenât I? I know these past days have been hard on you. Howâs Ivy? I heard there was a bit of a mishap.â
Dean had refrained from telling her everything, fearing it would be too much for her just after waking up, merely mentioning that Ivy had a small accident.
Balfour, understanding Deanâs concerns, managed a smile. âDonât worry, sheâs going to be fine.
Grandma, I wanted to ask about the day you fell. Did you suspect-â
âYouâve figured it out, havenât you?â
Balfour nodded. âI only learned today of some truly terrible things. Iâve been blind, Grandma, befriending a wolf in sheepâs clothing for years. But donât worry, I wonât let this go lightly. She will pay for what sheâs done!â
Alyssa, seeing Balfourâs anger, sensed there was more to the story. She wanted to press further, but her energy was failing her after just waking up. Noticing her fatigue, Balfour stood to leave, assuring her that Dean would take care of her.
âGrandpa, you take good care of Grandma. Leave the rest to me.â
Dean nodded, waving Balfour off with a gesture that said, âGo, Iâve got this.â