The Kiss that Sparked it All

Balfour rebuffed her with a dismissive wave, “No need for that. I’m here talking to you because I still remember all the years we’ve known each other. If you really want to burn. bridges, keep up this nonsense.”

Without another word or a backward glance, he pressed the elevator button, leaving Maral without a chance to explain.

“Balfour! Balfour, wait-”

No matter how loudly Mara called after him, he never looked back.

As he walked away with such cold indifference, Mara could no longer contain her fury and flung the bagel and coffee she was holding against the door.

“That witch! Ivy, may she rot in hell!”

Hatred seethed in Mara’s eyes. Had it not been for Ivy, Balfour would never have treated her with such disdain. What poison had that woman whispered into Balfour’s ear to make him so blindly devoted to her?

Was she, Mara, not worth more than Ivy? They had such beautiful times back in the day. It was all ruined by Ivy. After calming down, Mara dialed Clara’s number.

“Is that offer you mentioned still on the table?”

“Oh, you scaredy-cat. Weren’t you the one afraid of not being able to handle the fallout?” Clara scoffed, now with nothing left to lose.

Just last week, Ivy had moved Tessa from that hospital to another, stripping Clara of her last leverage. With nothing left to lose, Clara was itching for a showdown with Ivy, despite Mara’s constant cautions to play it cool and bide their time. From NôvelDrama.Org.

But now, Mara was asking if the plan was still a go.

“I’ve thought it over. I’ve got nothing to fear; it’s do or die. If it works, Ivy’s reputation will be mud, and I’ll get the man I want. You’ll be back on easy street. If it fails, well, I’ve got nothing to regret; it can’t get any worse than this.”

Hearing Mara’s determination, Clara’s excitement sparked as she asked, “Are you Because if you are, I’ll get the ball rolling. I can’t wait to see Ivy begging for mercy.”

“Absolutely. I’ll handle the setup. I’ll get her to meet. You just make sure all the pieces are in place.”

Mara’s eyes glittered with cunning, and Olivia instinctively stepped back, unclear of the full extent of their plot. She had come back from abroad to help Mara win back Balfour, but it was apparent he was far from changing his mind.

Deep down, Olivia considered backing out, wanting to urge Mara to stop hanging her hopes on a lost cause. But seeing Mara’s venomous hatred for Ivy, she knew there was no turning back.

After Mara hung up, she breezed past Olivia without a glance, heading back to her apartment.

“Seriously? You’re leaving this mess for me to clean up?”

In the end, Olivia quietly cleaned up the breakfast wreckage. Leaving it would only give the neighbors more reason to gossip about the lack of class in the household.