Balfour had always known the fan world was a bizarre place, but it wasnât until he went undercover in the fan circles that he realized just how twisted some people could be. As it turned out, there were people who were so sick in their minds that they would join a fan meet-up just to hurt a celebrity they despised.
Before all this, Balfour could never fathom why such people existed in the world. Didnât they have their own lives to live? Why pour all their energy into someone they didnât even know? Plus, Ivy never met most of her fans. Balfour just couldnât wrap his head around why anyone would hate her so much that they would want to harm her upon meeting her. âIâm not telling you,â he said, his voice firm.
âWhy not?â Ivy whined playfully, throwing herself into Balfourâs arms. But he was too prideful, and no amount of coaxing from Ivy would make him spill his secrets this time.
Olivia hadnât been back to the country for ages, and when she stepped off the plane, she was hit with waves of nostalgia and surprise.
âMara, no wonder you didnât want to come back. This place has changed so much since I left.â Olivia marveled as they walked through the bustling airport. âI wouldnât mind staying at all!â
While Olivia was all bubbly with excitement, Maraâs expression was rather malevolent.
âSit tight and buckle up, â Mara quipped darkly as they got into the car.
After the initial buzz of being home wore off, Olivia took a good look at her friend. âWhatâs got you so down? And whereâs Balfour? Why didnât he come with you to pick me up?â
At the mention of Balfour, Maraâs face twisted with a bitter scowl. âItâs a long story. Heâs been snatched up by another woman!â
Olivia eyed her skeptically. âSeriously? That canât be right. That guy owes your sister a life debt. He promised your family heâd take care of you. How could he just allow some other woman to come between you two?â
Mara snorted with contempt. âOh, that woman is a real piece of work. If it wasnât for her scheming, Balfour would never have ignored me! I know I still mean something to him, but she lured him away.
Damn it!â
Olivia had been friends with Mara for years, yet she couldnât quite understand why Mara was so hung up on her childhood friend. If the guy was already with someone else, why not move on? There were plenty of fish in the sea.
âCheer up, will you? If you really want to get back with Balfour, Iâm here now. Trust me, Iâll help you out,â Olivia offered, trying to lift Maraâs spirits.
With a cold laugh, Mara shot back, âHelp me? And how exactly do you plan on doing that?â
âHey, donât underestimate me. You seem to forget that Iâm a pro when it comes to the dating game.
Men are all the same, arenât they?â
In fact, Mara did indeed have something she needed Olivia to do.
Two days later, Clara emerged from her room, a shadow of her former self. The past forty-eight hours had drained her of all her vim and vigor.
Tessa, who had raised Clara since she was a little girl, was beside herself with worry at the sight of the young womanâs frailty.
âClara, no matter how upset you are, you canât just do this to your body! Look at you. Youâve wasted away to nothing. How are you going to keep modeling if you donât take care of yourself?â Tessa fretted.
Clara looked at Tessa, her gaze steady, then suddenly broke into a smile. âHeh, do you actually care about me?â
âWhat kind of question is that? Iâm your mother; of course, I care about you. I knocked on your door so many times, and you didnât answer once. Youâre so caught up in your own anger that you donât even think to look after yourself,â Tessa rambled on, her voice tinged with concern.
Tessa had made up her mind. Now that she had severed ties with her biological daughter, it was more important than ever to ensure that the three of them â her, Clara, and her husband stuck together and made the most of their lives.