The Kiss that Sparked it All (Ellinor and Theo) novel Chapter 2524

He was consumed with regret. If only he had been by her side, perhaps this tragedy could have been averted.

Had he been there, at the very least, he could have caught her—prevented her from lying here all alone, so vulnerably sprawled on the cold floor.

At that moment, his thoughts were a whirlwind. He had talked about life and death with ease when discussing it with the kids. They had made a pact, he and she. Whoever was left behind would carry on, get the other’s funeral in order, and then swiftly follow the other.

But now that it was all happening, he found that he couldn't. He simply couldn't accept her departure.

"Why aren't you bossing me around now, huh? Get up and nag me, will you? I just had a couple of beers with Stellan, and you're not here to scold me?"

Dean's face, lined with age, crumpled with grief, his tears welling but not falling, was heart-wrenching to behold.

Ivy stumbled and fell to the ground next to Balfour. She gazed at Alyssa before her, wanting to help but afraid to touch, "Grandma, wake up. What happened? You were just fine a minute ago."

Ivy's question snapped Balfour out of his reverie. With his eyes red with sorrow, he stood up and scanned the room.

"Did anyone see what happened? How did my grandma fall? Please, if you saw anything, tell me. I won't let your help go unnoticed."

He couldn't fathom how a perfectly healthy person could just fall down the stairs like that.

Despite the abrupt end to the birthday celebration, no one complained. After all, faced with such a sudden family crisis, no one wanted to make a scene.

Especially not with Balfour, his eyes rimmed with red, struggling to maintain composure as he spoke to them. It was a sight that tugged at everyone's heartstrings.

Once the guests had left, and only a handful of close family and friends remained, Balfour collapsed onto the sofa, cradling his head in his hands, lost in the chaos of the night's events.

Ivy looked on, her heart aching for him, but she knew this was no time for sorrow. She sat beside him, took his face in her hands, and forced him to meet her gaze.

"Balfour, this is not the time for tears. We need to be clear-headed. We need to figure out whether tonight was a terrible accident or if someone deliberately meant harm."