âMr. Howard, I know youâre here, and since Ivy heeds your consent to share, are you cool with her dishing out the details on your romance?â
Ivy had already gone sullen the moment the fan bellowed Balfourâs name.
Balfour wasnât a public figure. Ivy had always been vigilant about his privacy. Though Balfour claimed it didnât bother him, ever since paparazzi started snapping pics of them left and right, Ivy had cut down on their public outings.
She didnât want Balfour constantly to be thrust into the spotlight because of her, but it never crossed her mind that her own fans might cross the line.
As the other fans around that female fan shot her disapproving glances, she remained unfazed and excited.
âDonât you guys want to know? I surely do. Besides, Ivy said it herself â if the big boss gives the nod, sheâll spill the beans. Everyoneâs gossiping that Ivyâs just throwing herself at him and their relationshipâs all kinds of shady. Donât you wish to hear Ivy set the record straight? So that there would be no more rumors.â
Many were swayed by her words, but some stood firm and chastised her, âAll you want was to satisfy your own nosiness, so drop that holier-than-thou excuse.â
âGossip never ends, and Ivy shouldnât have to explain herself every time. Youâre the one taking it too seriously, pushing Ivy to share how they met. Seems to me youâve already made up your mind. If you canât trust Ivyâs word, then what kind of fan are you?â
Other fans nodded in agreement; they didnât want to cause Ivy any trouble.
âExactly! If you trust Ivy, why would you need her to explain? If you donât, then no explanation would change your mind.â
Ivy saw the commotion unfolding and caught Evadne signaling to her, asking her to try calm things down. They couldnât let one person ruin a perfectly good meet-and-greet.
Balfour furrowed his brow, peering toward the so-called fan in question through the glare of the lights.
He made a mental note of her seat number. Heâd do some digging later.
Claiming to be a fan, yet asking questions only a gossip journalist would relish â was she really a fan?
Even though Mara was already behind bars, Ivyâs success may bred more envy in this cutthroat industry, as she was a shining star. There were definitely more than just ClaraDunhill whoâd take a swing at her.
As Ivy was about to respond, the fan persisted) âIvy, are you feeling guilty? Is your relationship really the sordid affair, just like how the tabloids described? If so, Iâm beyond disappointed. I thought you were positive, vibrant, and inspirational, but it turns out youâre not who Iâve thought you are. Youâve let me down!â
âHold up! Cut her mic+â
White Ivy called for backstage assistance, the girl kept ranting into the microphone, âWhy are you cutting me off! Are you really like those tabloid stories? If thatâs the case, what right do you have to host this fan event? Youâve truly betrayed everyoneâs love!â
By now, Balfour was almost certain this person was no fan of Ivyâs. She was here to wreak havoc. True fans wouldnât let her get to them, but understandably, they were upset. They worried about Ivy being affected by the troublemaker, yet they couldnât help but be rattled by those accusations.