âOh itâs just a newly adopted dog. It was making a ruckus when I brought it home, so I didnât let you meet it earlier. The folks over at the pet clinic said itâs got a wild streak and canât be around people yet.
Iâll bring it around for you to meet once itâs trained up properly. If thereâs nothing else, letâs get going. Iâll come with you to the hospital and lend a hand.â
After quite a while, Balfourâs face showed a resigned smile.
âMara, when will you drop the act? Iâve given you plenty of chances since Iâve come to see you, but not a single word from you has been the truth!â
Maraâs eyes flickered with panic. She stepped back, her smile freezing on her face.
âWhat are you talking about? I donât understand, Balfour. Are you too tired? Youâre not making any sense. I havenât done anything to hurt you. I havenât lied, either. If you donât believe me, thereâs nothing I can do to explain.â
âThe same old story, is that all youâve got?â
Balfourâs expression turned stone cold as he stepped past Mara, heading straight for the door.
In a panic, Mara grabbed his arm, âDonât go there-I told you thereâs an untrained dog inside. Why wonât you listen to me?â
âIs it really a dog, or is it the truth youâve locked away? We both know whatâs really behind that door.
Are you going to open it yourself, or shall I?â
Balfour grabbed Maraâs hand, leading her to the door and placing her hand on the doorknob with a determination that showed he wasnât leaving without seeing what was inside.
Olivia jumped up at the sound of commotion at the door. She crept carefully to listen who was outside.
If it was just Mara, she couldnât risk it. But if someone else had come, she needed to find a way to cry for help.
Mara was always on the verge of a breakdown, and Olivia didnât want to end casualty in this house.
She still had a world of people out there waiting to get to know her!
âOpen it.â
Balfourâs watchful eye, Mara slowly tumed the up another turned the doorknob, all the while scrambling for an excuse to explain why she had locked Olivia in the room.
08:18 âIs that Mr. Howard? Please save me!â
Both Balfour and Marȧ heard Oliviaâs plea from inside. Mara forced a sheepish smile, âOlivia is just joking around with you, you know, her ideas have been a bit out there since she came back from abroad.â
Balfour snatched the keys directly and swung open the door. Olivia darted out from the room, not trusting anyone.
She stood at a distance, eyeing both of them as an awkward triangle formed in the room.
have âEnough, itâs all out in the open now. Iâm asking you one last time, Mara. Do you anything to do with what happened to Ivy?â
Even now, Mara still wanted to dodge the question. She lifted her tear-filled eyes to Balfour, âWhy canât you trust me? Even if I disliked her, I would never do anything like that to her!
If you trusted me, you wouldnât keep questioning me over and over. But if you donât trust me, nothing I say will change your mind. Balfour, I should have realized that youâre not the same person you used to be, are you?â
Her voice was so soft, as if she might shatter at any moment.
Before Balfour could respond, Oliviaâs voice cut through first.