The Kiss that Sparked it All

Ivy looked at Balfour with an apologetic expression and gently pulled his hand into her own, holding it tenderly. “No more dangers. Mara’s been caught, and it’s all over now. Today was a bit of a shocker, wasn’t it? If you hadn’t 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. You’ve been amazing, Mr. Howard.”

Her eyes were full of affection as she gazed at Balfour, resting her cheek softly against his palm. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

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 Ivy’s safety.

Yet, as Ivy had pointed out, if they didn’t catch Mara now, were they supposed to live in constant fear forever?

They weren’t afraid of Mara, but they couldn’t let their guard down. Mara might pull another dirty trick, and Balfour couldn’t be by lyy’s 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. “If anything had happened to you, I can’t even imagine how Grandma would have chewed me out. She asked about you, and Grandpa and I didn’t dare tell her the whole truth. We’ll wait until she’s completely well before we break it to her gently. Knowing her temperament, she’d have leapt out of bed to give us a piece of her mind!”

Balfour tried to keep the mood light with his tone, not wanting them to dwell on negative

emotions.

Ivy smiled wearily, “I’ll visit Grandma after a few more days of recovery. I don’t want to worry her in my current state.”

Balfour nodded and anxiously tucked Ivy’s hand back under the blankets. “You just focus on getting better. I can’t stand being on edge like this.”

“Mm, I’m a bit tired. I’ll take a nap,” 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 didn’t 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 fans’ faces upon receiving these gifts and didn’t mind the cost.

Ivy’s 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 wasn’t 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.