Chapter 2627
Mara told Balfour things were a mess at home and she didnât want to drag him back into it. Seemed
like there was no reason for him to get involved anymore-it was her familyâs dirty laundry, after all.
When he got home, he told his grandparents about Victoria's suicide, but they were skeptical.
âThat girl doesn't strike me as the type to do something so rash,â Alyssa said, peering over her
glasses.
Balfour exhaled heavily. âMaybe it's the fallout from what happened before. She's been off-kilter
since her dad went into a coma. I guess I've got my own part in dragging her
down.â
Deep down, they all knew that from the moment Elton became a vegetable, the Howard family had
a hand in shaping the fate of those two girls
They couldn't just stand by and watch the rest of Victoria's life unfold without them.
"When the time's right, ask her if there's anything she needs help with,â Dean suggested.
Balfour nodded-it was the least he could do to shoulder some of the responsibility.
The real kicker came after Victoria's affairs had been settled. Elton woke up in the hospital, and they
were the first to get the call since the Howards had arranged his care.
Balfour and Mara arrived at the hospital almost simultaneously.
After catching up with Mara for a bit, Elton asked why Victoria hadn't come along. Mara and Balfour
exchanged a look, both at a loss for words. Sensing something was off, Elton, frail as he was,
pressed them for answers.
Under his persistent questioning, Mara broke down and revealed the somber truth about Victoria's
suicide. The news nearly sent Elton back into oblivion.
Thanks to the doctors, Elton regained just enough consciousness to entrust Mara to Balfour, making
him promise to take good care of her and keep her safe-no matter what. Already burdened with
guilt, Balfour agreed without hesitation. After unloading that last wish, Elton closed his eyes,
seemingly at peace, reuniting with Victoria in whatever lay beyond.
That day, Mara's cries were heart-wrenching. Balfour, wracked with guilt, stayed by her side,
eventually arranging for her to be taken home and sorting out Eltonâs final arrangements.
What he didn't expect was Maras request to help with her transfer to a school abroad so
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09.30.
soon after.
"Why choose somewhere so far? There are plenty of top-notch universities stateside,â Balfour said,
puzzled.
But Maraâs voice was laced with a desolate tone on the phone.
âI need to leave this city of sorrow. It's filled with memories of my sister and dad, and it hurts too
much. I can't stand to stay,â she confided.
Balfour was silent for a long while. âIf you're set on going abroad, I'll take care of it. I'm just worried
it might be a spur-of-the-moment decision.â
"What do I have left to be impulsive about? My sister's gone, so was my dad. Balfour, just let me go.
I can't bear to stay here any longer.â
With Mara feeling so adamant, Balfour couldn't refuse. Within a week, he'd arranged everything,
and Mara was on a flight to study overseas.
At first, out of a sense of obligation, Balfour would occasionally fly out to see her, given that she was
all alone in a foreign country. That was how they'd kept in touch over the
years.
Listening to Olivia recount their past, Balfour was reminded that Mara hadn't been on good terms
with Victoria before her death. Strangely, Mara seemed to miss her sister more as time went on.
âSo you're saying Victoria didn't take her own life? That Mara had a hand in it, making it look like
suicide?â he asked Olivia, disbelief plastered across his face-a look of confusion rare on the face of
such a high-powered executive. It was clear how taken
aback he was.