The Kiss that Sparked it All

Chapter 2517

Balfour didn’t dare admit he had no clue about Ivy’s tolerance for booze. Little did he know

that she’d be tipsy from just a glass of wine, her head swimming in a gentle haze.

Ivy’s cheeks were flushed a lovely shade of pink, and as she lay in bed, she seemed restless, not

entirely at ease.

Alyssa instructed Balfour not to return downstairs. “Just stay here and look after Ivy, dear. Your

grandfather and I will handle the rest.”

He rose to see Alyssa out, still concerned. “You both are getting on in years. I’ll look after her for a bit,

and if all is well, I’ll come down shortly.”

Alyssa waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t fuss, just stay with her.”

The guests who’d come today, to put it nicely, needed Alyssa and Dean to entertain them.

To be frank, aside from a few close friends, they weren’t exactly the life of the party.

Such a small matter wouldn’t be too much for them to handle. Reassured by Alyssa’s words, Balfour

relaxed. Soon, someone brought up a cup of strong coffee, the perfect remedy for Ivy’s condition.

Althea instructed Balfour to help Ivy drink it. “Otherwise, she’ll wake up with a dreadful headache.”

Downstairs, Mara watched them, restless. Seeing the two head upstairs again, she could barely

contain herself and followed suit.

It was at that moment that Olivia caught her.

“What are you planning on doing in their room how, Mara? It’s not that I’m trying to stop you, but have

you thought this through? You’re in the Howard household. Any misstep could ruin the impression

you’ve made. Do you think Balfour would choose you after that? No matter how anxious you are, now

is not the time. It’s Alyssa’s birthday party, for heaven’s sake. There are so many guests. If you cause a

scene, it’ll be a mess that no one can clean up.” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

She spoke with genuine concern, for Mara was her friend.

Despite their differences, Olivia wanted to prevent Mara from doing something irreparable. Mara’s face

became gloomy. “What do you mean? Haven’t we already agreed? You chase your man, and I’ll go

after Balfour. What’s it to you? You’re not helping me, and now you’re here blocking my way. What

happened to your promise?”

Olivia’s face hardened. She was indeed at the mercy of Mara, but that was no excuse for Mara’s

sarcasm.

Mara crossed her arms and scoffed, “You think you’re someone important? If it weren’t for me, you’d

probably be wandering the streets by now. Don’t you dare try to lecture me from your so-called moral

high ground! No one can stop me from doing what I want.”

With that, Mara turned to leave, but Olivia grabbed her arm. “Do you really think I want to stop you? I

came with you today because I don’t want your mess to drag me down. How are we any different? If it

weren’t for your sister saving Balfour’s life back then, do you think you’d even be here?”

Mara hated being reminded of the past. True, if Victoria hadn’t saved Balfour, she wouldn’t have what

she does now. But that was her family business, and she wouldn’t allow anyone to use it against her.

“So what? I’ve known for a long time how jealous you are of me. But it was my sister who saved him,

not yours. You’re just jealous.”

“Jealous of you?” Olivia laughed scornfully.