Chapter 2310
âBalfour, what took you so long to find me? Do you have any idea how scared I was?â
Balfour's eyes finally found Mara amid the shadows, and it felt like a massive weight lifted
off his chest.
The last thing he wanted was for a sister of the Lewis family to come to harm on his
account!
He didn't push her away. Instead, he gently patted her shoulder and said, âThere, there, I've found
you now, it's all okay.â
Ivy watched their tender embrace with a bitter taste in her mouth. It seemed like there was no room
for her in this picture.
After calming Mara down for a while, Balfour finally let her go, âAre you hurt anywhere?â
Mara mumbled something about not knowing where she had run off to and then mentioned her
foot was aching a bit.
âYour foot? Let me check, did you twist it?â
Once Balfour had checked her over and was confident she wasn't seriously injured, he started
guiding her back.
"Your foot's probably just twisted a bit. Let's get a doctor to take a look once we're back.
Ivy had already turned off her flashlight when they started to leave. She leaned against a tree,
unsure whether to hide or to make her presence known.
She felt utterly ridiculous. She had rushed into these woods out of concern for Balfour and Mara,
only to end up twisting her own ankle while they were all lovey-dovey.
And to top it off, she was still stinging from the harsh scolding Balfour had given her before they
even started looking for Mara. She felt so wronged.
Mara hadn't walked far when she whispered in pain.
Balfour frowned; he hadn't brought any tools with him when he dashed into the woods, and now he
couldn't properly check her injury.
âBalfour, maybe you could carry me out. I'm worried if I keep walking, I'll worsen the injury on my
ankle,â Mara said, feigning embarrassment, her expression hidden by the dark shadows of the
bushes.
Balfour hesitated but seeing her limp, he crouched down.
Mara, not often this close to Balfour, was thrilled. She held her breath and carefully
climbed onto his back.
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09:27
Chapter 23
"We need to get out of here before it gets dark. It's not safe,â Balfour said, glancing back at the
thickening shadows of the woods. He was right; they couldn't stay any longer;
otherwise, both he and Mara might not make it out.
And Ivy is still waiting outside; she'd be afraid alone, Balfour thought.
As they passed a tree, Mara winced again. âBalfour, can we go a bit faster? My ankle is really starting
to hurtâ
Balfour's tone was sharp, âIf you hadn't insisted on running into these woods, you wouldn't be in
pain. Consider it a lesson, and next time, don't go off on your own!â
Though it sounded like a reprimand, Mara took it as a sign of his concern for her.
She sneakily glanced back at the tree they had passed; good, Ivy had seen everything and wisely
turned off her flashlight.
Mara wanted to make it clear to Ivy that she was the closest to Balfour.
That in times of trouble, Balfour would always choose her first!
And indeed, Mara had succeeded.
Ivy even covered her mouth to keep from making a noise and alerting Balfour to her hiding spot
behind the tree.
How embarrassing would that be?
Her heart was sour with jealousy.
What did she, Ivy, even mean to Balfour?
Why should Mara's reckless dash into the woods matter to her?
She was unjustly scolded, and now with a twisted ankle, she didn't even know how to get
out.
But at that moment, her pride had kept her silent.
Even though Mara knew it wasn't the time for a tantrum, she too had her pride and dignity to
uphold.