Chapter 1905
The door swung open from the inside, and there stood Balfour, clad in a sleek black tracksuit, the epitome of casual luxury.
“Your guy said you… you wanted to see me?”
Without a word, Balfour turned and sauntered deeper into the house, leaving Ivy no choice but to follow him inside.
The interior was a study in minimalist elegance, the kind of understated opulence that made her family’s attempts at grandeur look like child’s play.
Standing in the living room, Ivy maintained a careful distance. “So, what’s up? Why’d you call me here?”
“Take a seat.” Balfour slid a folder across the table toward her. “If there’s anything you don’t like, we’ve still got time to change it.”
Ivy’s face was a mask of confusion as she flipped the folder open. The bold letters on the first page left her speechless, “Marriage Agreement? What’s this? Who’s getting married?”
“You and me,” Balfour said nonchalantly, taking a sip of his coffee as if proposing a business merger rather than a lifelong commitment.
Ivy scanned the document. It was pretty straightforward – marry Balfour, stick it out for a year, and walk away with a million-dollar annual compensation. Was this some kind of arrangement? Did this man really see her as someone who’d sell herself for money?
“I’m sorry, when exactly did I agree to marry you?” Ivy scoffed at the absurdity of the contract, closing the folder with a snap and sliding it back across the table. “I’m not interested in what’s written here. If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way.”
With that, she rose to leave, but just then, her phone buzzed. It was her mother, Tessa, calling.
Balfour watched her go, making no move to stop her, no attempt to speak.
After all, if it weren’t for the need to appease his grandparents, he’d never even consider marrying a woman like her.
Earlier that morning, after Ivy had left the hotel, Alyssa Howard’s call had come in, nagging him about settling down, giving him an earful.
His grandparents were getting on in years and increasingly anxious about his bachelorhood, setting him up on blind dates left and right, hoping he’d tie the knot soon.
In the beginning, Alyssa would consult Balfour about these setups, but now she merely informed him of the time and place, completely disregarding his personal feelings.
“Grandma, I’ve told you, I’m not looking to get married just yet.”
At those words, Alyssa’s expression darkened. “Do you really intend to be the death of us? At our age, all we want is to see you kids settled down. Otherwise, your granddad and I will go to our graves with eyes wide open.”
Every time Balfour voiced his reluctance, Alyssa resorted to threats of mortality.
Sigh.
“Balfour, be honest with me, do you just not like women?”
A flicker of emotion crossed Balfour’s stoic face before calm returned. “No, I already have a fiancée. I’ll bring her to meet you in a few days.”
“A fiancée? Really?” Skepticism was thick in Alyssa’s voice.
Looking at the two hundred bucks on the ground, Balfour came up with a compromise. “Yeah, Grandma, you’ll see her soon enough.”
