Chapter 1919
Ivy snapped back to reality, frustration bubbling up inside her as she marched over to confront her accuser.
As Ivy closed in, Leila began to dodge nervously, retreating until she stumbled and fell onto the floor with a thud. “Ms Dunhill, I… I didn’t mean to blurt it out… But with the Senior Mr. and Mrs. Howard in such a situation, I had no choice but to tell Balfour any suspicious details. I couldn’t hide it any longer.”
Ivy’s brow furrowed as she looked down at Leila sprawled on the ground. “What are you playing at, fabricating lies out of thin air?”
Leila’s eyes darted about, feigning an almost tearful fear, inching towards Balfour for protection.
Balfour’s gaze hardened as he addressed Ivy, “Tell me, why would you poison my grandparents?”
Hearing him speak so, Ivy realized he had chosen to believe Leila.
It made sense, after all. One was a maid who had worked for his family for years, and the other was a recent acquaintance, virtually a
stranger.
It was clear who Balfour would trust.
In the past, Ivy might have let this go without explanation.
But from the moment she decided to leave her family, she vowed never to suffer from unnecessary injustices again. No one was worth her bearing such grievances!
“Leila, remember your words! You accuse me of poisoning the elderly, yet I have a way to prove my innocence!”
Ivy turned to Balfour, shock etched on her face. “I brought my own pots for cooking breakfast today, and I personally scrubbed every utensil before use. After that, no one else touched them!”
Ivy was suddenly grateful for her habit of cleaning before cooking. Without it, she wouldn’t know how to prove her innocence now. “During my cooking, I had once used the restroom when I felt unwell.”
“What are you implying?” Balfour’s cold eyes fixated on her.
Ivy turned to Leila on the ground. “Since the pot is mine and I cooked alone, there shouldn’t be any fingerprints on it besides mine. If there is any, then I’m not the only suspect. Anyone who touched that pot could be the poisoner!”
She faced Balfour with determination. “I may not be clever, but I’m certainly no fool! If I wanted to harm someone, I wouldn’t poison the food I prepared myself. Only an idiot would sign their name to a crime like that. Unless someone is trying to frame me!”
Balfour squinted, finding Ivy’s argument logical. He pulled out his phone and called Quinton. “Get over here, now.”
Balfour’s request for Quinton meant he was considering Ivy’s words, preparing to have the pot examined for fingerprints other than hers. Leila rose from the floor, her head low and her demeanor uneasy. “Mr. Howard, I just remembered, Talia asked me to fetch some fresh clothes for the Senior Mr. and Mrs. Howard. I must hurry back.”
Balfour simply nodded, and Leila quickly headed for the elevator.
Leila left the hospital and hailed a cab back to the Howard Mansion.
Ivy saw right through Leila’s ruse and grabbed Balfour’s arm to follow suit. “Mr. Howard, I put nothing in the breakfast, but my word alone isn’t proof. This must be connected to Leila. She’s rushing back to destroy evidence! If you’re skeptical, let’s secretly follow her and see for ourselves.”
Balfour looked at Ivy with a mix of suspicion and doubt. It was hard for him to believe that Leila, a trusted long-time servant of his household, would have any reason to harm her own employers.
