âLook, once weâre hitched, Iâm gonna need you to come with me to meet my folks, but letâs keep your financial status under wraps for now, okay?â Ivy said, biting her lip with worry.
She knew her parents, Tessa and Finn, had a nose for money, and if they caught even the slightest whiff of wealth from her future hubby, theyâd be all over it like bees on honey. She didnât need that kind of trouble.
The man simply nodded. âSure thing.â
Ivy couldnât help but appreciate Balfourâs easygoing nature. Without further ado, she scribbled her name on the prenup.
Even though it was only a year-long commitment, at least she wouldnât have to worry about getting kicked to the curb with nowhere to go.
After watching Ivy sign the contract, Balfour didnât utter another word. He just stood up, ready to head upstairs.
âWait, hold up⦠What should I be doing now? Whatâs next?â Ivy asked, rising to her feet in a hurry.
Quinton will fill you in on the details,â Balfour said, and with that, he strode upstairs.
Man of few words, huh?
Ivy pursed her lips and got up, heading out the door where Quinton was waiting with a polite smile.
âHey, Mr. Howard said I should come see you about what comes next?â
Quinton nodded and handed her a folder from his car. âMr. Howard asked me to get some newlywed essentials ready for you. Hereâs the list I put together. Anything missing?â
Ivy flipped through the folder. It detailed every possible necessity, right down to tampons. âNo, itâs all there. More than enough.â
âGood to hear,â Quinton said, unsurprised. He was known for his meticulous nature-yesterdayâs oversight being a rare exception. âIvy, Iâll drive you back to your home so you can pack up your stuff.â
She nodded and got into Quintonâs car, her mind a bit fuzzy as she stared out at the passing scenery.
Suddenly, she spotted yesterdayâs bar!
She and Clara had been there last night, where Clara had deliberately gotten her drunk. Maybe the barâs security cameras caught something.
âQuinton, could you stop the car for a sec? I wanna check out that bar!â
Quinton wasnât one to take orders, but as Balfourâs wife-to-be for the next year, Ivy was essentially his boss.
If her requests were reasonable, heâd oblige.
He pulled into the barâs parking lot and they stepped inside together.
The bartender hurried over as they entered. âSorry, weâre just cleaning up. Not open for business yet.â
âIâm not here to drink. I lost something here last night and Iâd like to take a look at your security footage,â Ivy explained.
The bartender hesitated. âSorry, but we canât just show our surveillance footage to anyone.â
Ivy had anticipated this resistance and turned to Quinton with pleading eyes.
Catching her look, Quinton knew exactly what to do. âIâm the executive assistant to the President of Howard Group. If you canât make the call, get your boss out here.â