The Kiss that Sparked it All (Ellinor and Theo) novel Chapter 2448

Balfour silently watched Ivy, his eyes full of understanding, a clear sign that he knew everything that had unfolded.

Ivy, with a pang of anguish, closed her eyes, her voice choked with sobs. "Please don't look at me like that."

Blind to the compassion in Balfour's gaze, she felt his gentle touch on her forehead, his hands warm and reassuring as they rested there.

He was silently offering her strength.

"Do you think I'm pitiable?" she asked.

"None of this is your fault," he replied.

"Yeah, I know it's not my fault. But after living in that kind of environment for over twenty years, sometimes I can't even tell who's to blame anymore. My mom... she just wanted to get along better with her foster daughter. But she forgot about me. She always tried so hard to please Clara, forgetting that she had another daughter who needed her care. I'm her flesh and blood for heaven's sake! Couldn't she spare a little concern for me?"

Ivy's eyes snapped open, tears streaming down her cheeks as she searched Balfour's face for some kind of answer.

"Why wouldn't she turn around and look at me, her own daughter? We share the same blood. They chose to bring me into this world. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be here. Yet, it's my own mother who gave up on me first!"

Balfour's voice was hoarse with emotion. "If there were a test to take before becoming a parent, Tessa and Finn would certainly not pass."

"Exactly. If there was such a test, maybe I wouldn't have had to come into this world only to suffer."

Ivy turned away, unwilling to delve further into a conversation that reopened old wounds.

Even with Balfour, she didn't want to expose the pain she had endured. Some things were just too embarrassing to voice.