Ivy looked at Balfour with an apologetic expression and gently pulled his hand into her own, holding it tenderly. âNo more dangers. Maraâs been caught, and itâs all over now. Today was a bit of a shocker, wasnât it? If you hadnât contacted me earlier, I might not have come up with the plan to finally deal with her. It took a bait and switch to bring her down for good. Youâve been amazing, Mr. Howard.â
Her eyes were full of affection as she gazed at Balfour, resting her cheek softly against his palm.
The morning had barely started when Ivy came to her senses, and learning that she was expected to get such a bombshell awake had filled Balfour with joy. However, from Olivia.
He told Ivy about it and it was indeed her own clever idea, but Balfour was opposed to it at first. She had just woken up; how could she go along with such a risky plan? What if Mara had actually hurt her? There was no way he would gamble with Ivyâs safety.
Yet, as Ivy had pointed out, if they didnât catch Mara now, were they supposed to live in constant fear forever?
They werenât afraid of Mara, but they couldnât let their guard down. Mara might pull another dirty trick, and Balfour couldnât be by lyyâs side every second of every day. So, they decided to seize the opportunity and capture Mara once and for all.
Eventually, Balfour relented, albeit reluctantly, and agreed, on the condition that Ivy would be safe. âIf anything had happened to you, I canât even imagine how Grandma would have chewed me out. She asked about you, and Grandpa and I didnât dare tell her the whole truth. Weâll wait until sheâs completely well before we break it to her gently. Knowing her temperament, sheâd have leapt out of bed to give us a piece of her mind!â
Balfour tried to keep the mood light with his tone, not wanting them to dwell on negative emotions.
Ivy smiled wearily, âIâll visit Grandma after a few more days of recovery. I donât want to worry her in my current state.â
Balfour nodded and anxiously tucked Ivyâs hand back under the blankets. âYou just focus on getting better. I canât stand being on edge like this.â
âMm, Iâm a bit tired. Iâll take a nap,â she murmured.
Ivy needed a full week of rest before she could be discharged. In the meantime, she had already postponed her fan meet-and-greet, which had been arranged well in advance.
She had Evadne prepare lavish goody bags as a way of making up for her delayed appearance.
08:44 Being a fresh face in showbiz, Ivy didnât have any endorsements yet, despite the occasional brand promotion offers. So, each gift was personally selected and paid for by her, from cosmetics to everyday items. She imagined the joy on her fansâ faces upon receiving these gifts and didnât mind the cost.
Ivyâs extravagant fan meet-and-greet surprised many, as it seemed like she was bidding farewell to the entertainment industry.
Hearing such speculation, Ivy laughed it off without much explanation. She knew her intentions, and that was all that, mattered.
For her fans, getting a chance to see her wasnât easy. To Ivy, their support and love meant more than money. They had invested so much time and effort just for a moment with her, and she was determined to give them the best experience possible.