The Kiss that Sparked it All (Ellinor and Theo) novel Chapter 2413

Mara's mind raced as she pieced together the puzzle. Something told her that Balfour had been onto her for a while now.

Why else would he confront her so directly? He seemed to be waiting for her to slip up and confess.

With a frustrated nibble on her lip, Mara cursed her luck. She had thought her scheme was foolproof, but Balfour's intuition had sniffed something out after all.

Yet, despite everything, seeing Ivy's online reputation shredded to the point of universal disdain was a small victory she could savor.

Whether Balfour knew the truth or not, as long as Ivy couldn't hold her head high in public, Mara had won.

As for Balfour's opinion of her, that was the least of her worries.

For years, all she had to do was evoke the memory of her late sister, and Balfour's defenses would crumble. He owed her that much, didn't he?

She had already rehearsed the perfect act of innocence and victimhood for their next encounter.

However, just as she settled into her thoughts, her phone buzzed with a message from her friend, Olivia, urging her to call as soon as possible.

"What could be so important now?" Mara muttered, exasperation creeping into her voice.

Resigned, she dialed the international call, ready to face whatever came next.

"So, what happened that's got you this upset?"

Olivia bit her lower lip, struggling to start her story, but finally, she seemed ready to confide in her friend.

"I didn't mean to, but I think I pissed off some mob boss's daughter. We were out last night, and I got chatting with this guy, and…"

Suddenly, Olivia stopped, as if remembering something painful.

"Turns out the guy had a girlfriend, and she came at me like a freight train. Gave me a couple of slaps right across the face. It still hurts, look!"