The Kiss that Sparked it All (Ellinor and Theo) novel Chapter 2407

"Look, she can make other friends, right? She's got connections all over the world, not just with you. Why does she have to cling to you like a burr on a wool sweater? Balfour, you don’t have to bend over backwards to look after her, okay? We can hire a team of caregivers for her. And rest assured, the Howard family won't let her be shortchanged in terms of material needs. But emotionally? Step back from that. Keep it in check."

"Grandma, I assure you, I don’t harbor any inappropriate feelings for her."

Alyssa didn’t rush to contradict Balfour but asked with a weighted tone, "You claim you have no deep feelings for her, but what about her? Do you honestly believe she sees you merely as a friend? What normal person clings to a married man of the opposite sex like she does?

Balfour, you're married to Ivy now. Have you thought about how she feels?"

At the mention of Ivy, Balfour's face clouded over. He was well aware that since Mara's return, his relationship with Ivy had hit some turbulence.

No matter how you slice it, Mara's presence certainly threw a wrench in his life’s rhythm.

"And even if you don't consider Ivy's feelings, what do you think it looks like to outsiders?

Ivy's an actress, for heaven’s sake. People are talking. What will they make of your relationship with her? When this scandal broke, you should have been clearing the air for Ivy, not dilly-dallying."

Watching Balfour, now silent and brooding, Alyssa sighed. "Never mind. I'll handle this mess for you. But you need to give serious thought to this Mara situation. I’ve said my piece. You’ve always been sharp, but when it comes to matters of the heart, sometimes you just don’t see the forest for the trees."

Feeling weary, Alyssa let Balfour stew in his thoughts and left the room.

Ivy herself was bewildered, claiming she had no idea how Mara ended up on the floor. Everything happened so fast, and she was still in shock when Balfour rushed in.

So, how could a so-called bystander, hiding in the restroom, have such a clear view of Ivy allegedly pushing Mara? It reeked of a setup!

Alyssa had her doubts about the connection between Mara and this supposed bystander. She suspected they might have coordinated beforehand or knew each other already. Otherwise, why would a complete stranger go out of their way to tarnish Ivy's reputation?

Was it just a random act of malice?

Leo’s investigation was still in the preliminary stages, focusing on establishing whether there had been any prior contact between Mara and the alleged eyewitness.