Balfour halted in his tracks, his gaze dropping earnestly to meet Ivyâs as he apologized.
âI messed up, I really did. I shouldnât have shot off my mouth like that. Sorry, Ivy, I wonât make that mistake again.â
But as Ivy locked eyes with him, all the hurt sheâd been holding back surged forth.
She bit her lip, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, determined not to let them fall.
âItâs fine, as long as you know you screwed up. It wasnât even my fault to begin with, and you just dumped the blame on me.â
Her tears trickled down her cheeks, dropping on Balfourâs arm. Even through the fabric of his long sleeves, Ivyâs tears seemed to scorch his skin.
He hadnât realized his careless words could wound her so deeply, nor had he seen past her carefree facade to the bitterness and hardship she kept hidden.
She was a good actress, never letting anyone see her pain.
His voice hoarse, he stopped in his tracks, looking deeply into Ivyâs eyes and said, âIâm sorry, truly, I apologize again.â
Ivy wasnât sure if she could trust him; theyâd had their squabbles before, and Balfour had always said sorry.
Yet, whenever Mara came around, Ivy felt pushed aside, an afterthought.
If she couldnât be the most important person in his heart, could she ever truly have him?
Ivy didnât just want a fraction of his love; she craved his undivided affection.
She buried herself in his embrace, putting off all other thoughts. For now, she had all of him to herself.
Alyssa gasped when she saw Balfour return with Ivy in his arms, âOh my, what happened? Did Ivy get hurt?â
Maraâs expression darkened. She had to ask Balfour to carry her, and yet he came back holding Ivy?
That girl was playing her cards well. Without her saying a word, would Balfour have ever scooped her up?
Then there were Dean and Alyssa, welcoming Ivy back with open arms and warm concern.
âItâs nothing serious, Grandma,â Ivy said, her face streaked with tears. âJust took a little tumble, might have twisted my ankle a bit.â
Thankfully, the dimming light hid her tear-stained cheeks. Alyssa, fearing the flashlight might hurt her eyes, had turned it off.
If Alyssa could see the tears, she would undoubtedly worry more.
But Alyssa knew Ivy too well. Hearing her downplay the incident, she didnât buy it for a second.
If it wasnât serious, why would Ivy let Balfour carry her all the way back?
âYou silly girl, trying to keep secrets from me again. Now that weâre home, you must tell me if youâre in any pain, alright? Let me take care of you. Today was just an accident, and since youâre hurt, we should head to the hospital right away. Dean already called the team leaders; theyâre on their way back now.â
Balfour held Ivy steady in his arms, not letting her down.
Feeling her struggle, he tightened his embrace, making sure she wouldnât move.
âYouâre injured. Do you want to make it worse? Do you even care about getting back to the set?â
With Balfourâs convincing words, Alyssa joined in persuading her, and Ivy finally settled down in his arms.
When she accidentally locked eyes with Mara, she saw the undisguised malice. Ivy returned the stare with a cool composure.
If Mara wasnât going to hide her dislike, then there was no reason for Ivy to go out of her way to please her.