âIâll try to keep it down.â Elara whispered.
Balfour had no objections to the physical check-up. His brow furrowed with concern as he accompanied Elara to the bedside of Ivy, who was just beginning to rouse from her sleep, rubbing her eyes wearily.
âUgh,â she murmured.
âAh, Mrs. Howard, youâre awake. Perfect timing, we need to draw some blood. Once Iâm done, you can snuggle back under the covers with Mr. Howard for a bit more shut-eye,â Elara said with a soft chuckle.
Ivy, slightly embarrassed, nodded without making eye contact with Balfour, who was standing like a sentinel by her bed. She couldnât believe she had spent the last half hour just watching him sleep.
As Elara prepared to draw Ivyâs blood, Balfour watched intently, concern etched on his face. At the slightest furrowing of Ivyâs brow, he couldnât help but interject, âCanât you be more gentle?â
Ivy glanced at him, surprised, and then exchanged a look with Elara. Elara was being as gentle as possible, but a needle piercing skin was bound to cause some sensation.
Noticing Balfourâs pallor, Ivy quickly reassured him, âIâm fine, really. It doesnât hurt much. Elaraâs got a good hand â quick and smooth.â
Elara didnât take offense. She understood that family members could get anxious. After pressing a cotton ball to the draw site, she excused herself to give them some privacy.
When they were alone, Balfour sat down beside Ivy and held the cotton in place, his hand gently stroking hers.
Thatâs when Ivy noticed something was troubling him. He seemed lost in thought, staring at the small puncture wound. She whispered, âIt might look painful, but itâs really just like a mosquito bite.â
âNo way itâs the same. Donât lie to me. Promise youâll tell me right away if youâre ever hurt,â he said firmly.
Ivy nodded silently, then asked, âDid something happen last night?â
He met her gaze, then looked away as if debating whether to tell her the truth.
âDoes it have to do with me? Trouble on the set again?â
Ivyâs expression tightened with anxiety. Despite her own frail state, the mere mention of the film set unsettled her.
Balfour couldnât fathom what kind of spell that place cast over her.
âDonât worry. Apart from you, the setâs fine. We caught a suspect who may be behind your accident and traced several clues through him,â Balfour explained, trying to ease her worries.
Ivyâs heart raced. She had thought the near drowning was an accident. The idea that someone had deliberately tried to harm her was frightening. Why would anyone go to such lengths to hurt her?
Reading her expression, Balfour reassured her, âYou donât need to worry about these things. Just remember that youâre the victim here, and youâve done nothing wrong. Iâll handle the rest and let you know once itâs all sorted.â
His words bolstered her spirits, and the warmth from his palm soothed her. His grip on her hand gave her strength.
Ivy had woken up early, and soon her eyelids drooped again with fatigue. Recognizing her need to rest, Balfour left her to sleep peacefully before heading out.
He drove to the film set, using the quiet time to piece together the events of the previous night.
They had apprehended Kael without causing a stir, detaining him on the set premises.
Facing Kael, Colton couldnât grasp why he would throw away his future.
Was it all for Diana?
Diana had always looked down on the average Joe. Prideful and ambitious, she only had eyes for men of stature.
Kael, having been in her orbit for years, should have known that better than anyone.
Yet, he refused to accept it, seemingly willing to risk everything for her.