Afterwards, Balfour made his way upstairs to the study.
With Ivy in the company of Dean and Alyssa, he felt at ease.
âAh, Ivy, youâre finally back. If Balfour hadnât texted me to say you were with him, your grandfather and I would have been worried sick!â
Ever since Ivy had a scare near the bookstore last time, the elderly couple had been extremely concerned about her.
Not only did they insist on chauffeured rides for her commutes, but they also demanded that Balfour keep them informed. If he was available, they wanted him to pick up Ivy.
Ivy had been touched more than once by their care.
But in most families, it was rare for grandparents to go to such lengths for their granddaughter-in-law.
âGrandma, Grandpa, donât worry. Iâm back safe and sound, standing right here in front of -you, arenât I?â
Alyssa chuckled and pulled Ivy to sit beside them.
âWeâre just being cautious. After all, itâs better to be safe than sorry. We canât let what happened last time happen again.â
Dean nodded solemnly, âYour grandmaâs right. We were lucky last time, but who knows about the nextâ¦â
âKnock on wood, you old man, donât talk such nonsense!â
Alyssa smacked Dean a few times.
Dean felt a bit wronged and pouted, âI was just making a point. Iâm not really cursing Ivy.â
âNo matter the point youâre trying to make or whatever, you just canât say things like that. Ivy and Balfour are going to be just fine. Speaking of which, howâs the situation with the film crew? Balfour told us yesterday not to worry, that heâd handle everything. I wonder if heâs just talking big.â Alyssa asked with a smile.
Even though she verbally doubted Balfour, her expression said otherwise.
Balfour, as one of the top business moguls in the country, certainly had his mettle. From a young age, if he promised something or set a goal for himself, he made sure to follow through. So, when they heard Balfourâs assurance yesterday, they felt relieved.
He would surely handle it smoothly.
âIâd say so too, the lad better not be all talk.â Dean rustled his newspaper and added his opinion with a sideways glance.
Ivy paused, realizing that Balfour had indeed been planning since yesterday. At that time, she had mistakenly thought he only had eyes for Giselle, and that even if she could be the one who framed her, he insisted on being with her.
Now, looking back, she wondered how far off the mark her imagination had taken her.
Ivy gave a light smile, âDonât worry, Grandma and Grandpa. The issue has been resolved smoothly.
Otherwise, how could I come back so light-hearted to see you?â
Alyssa patted her hand, âThatâs good to hear! If anything comes up, just call Balfour. Donât try to be a hero on your own! Ivy, Balfour is your husband, and you can rely on him openly!â
Ivy felt a bit embarrassed.
Alyssa didnât know that they were still in a contractual relationship; it wasnât right to bother Balfour with every little thing.
Alyssa held her hand with a loving expression.
âIvy, Iâll say it again, just do what you want to do, and leave the rest to Balfour. Go for it. If you want to be a good actress, then just act. Prove yourself with your performances. The Howard family has enough resources to get you the scripts you desire.'â