Chapter 2345
Mara's cryptic text, complete with a selfie, buzzed on Ivy's phone just as she was
engrossed in reviewing the next day's script sent by Colton
Sometimes, Ivy had to hash out plot points with Colton, and had she decided to go to bed. early
that evening, she would have missed Maraâ's bombshell photo. But as fate would have it, she was in
the midst of a late-night chat with Colton.
Curious about what Mara could possibly have sent her, Ivy tapped into the conversation thread only
to find a selfie of Mara and Balfour!
Disbelief washed over her as she zoomed in on the photo. It was unmistakably Balfour, and there
was Mara, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
Why on earth would Mara send her such a picture?
Exiting the chat, Ivy attempted to open the message again, only to discover Mara had retracted the
previous texts.
[Oops, sent that to the wrong person] came Maraâs nonchalant follow-up.
With a smug smile, Mara powered off her phone, content in the knowledge that she wouldn't be the
one losing sleep that night.
The thought of Ivy's shock and rage upon seeing the photo and message filled Mara with an
unspeakable glee, a rush more intoxicating than the moment the picture was taken. Tossing and
turning in her bed, excitement kept her awake for hours.
âThat poor girl must be sulking in her shabby dorm on set by now. Oh, Ivy, my dear, Balfour is mine.
I'm just giving you a heads-up to face the music sooner rather than later. Bail out now, and you
might spare yourself some misery, or stick around and watch the show,â Mara mused before drifting
off, lost in her fantasy of Ivy's despair.
And Mara was right about one thing: lvy had been staring blankly at her conversation with Mara for
a solid half-hour, reeling from the shock.
The unexpected twist left her grappling for answers. She didn't understand how it had happened,
and Balfour was even angry when she made a scene about moving out alone. He was concerned
that she wasnât taking her well-being seriously. As an actress, she prided herself on seeing through
facades, discerning genuine emotion from performance. Yet how could Balfour, within mere days, be
so intimately cozy with another woman? Could it be that even she, the actress, had been fooled by
Balfour's act? Had his pleas for her to stay been nothing but a charade? Was he, in fact, eagerly
awaiting her departure so he could be with Mara?
Ivy shuddered at the thought, feeling the chill of the solitary room seep into her bones. Mara's so-
called âmistakeâ message seemed almost comical now. Was it truly a slip of the
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Chapter 2345
finger, or had it been intentional?
Hugging herself in anguish, Ivy flung her phone aside, no longer inclined to respond to Mara'âs half-
hearted explanation. Letting Mara know she'd seen the photo would only make her appear more
pitiful, clinging to Balfour's side.
How she loathed the ludicrous contract she had signed with Balfour. If only she weren't bound by it,
she would have walked away without a second glance.
And to think it was her own family that had driven her to such desperation.
In the end, the only sounds that filled the room were Ivy's soft sobs.
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