Chapter 1945
Balfour didn’t give the man a second glance as he pushed his wine glass aside and strode down the stairs. “Talk to Quinton about work stuff; he’ll pass your proposal to me.”
With those words hanging in the air, Balfour descended without a backward glance, leaving the middle-aged man looking helplessly after him, not daring to follow or speak further.
Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Balfour made a beeline for Ivy. He was curious to see what all the fuss was about, what could his flamboyant fiancée possibly be discussing so animatedly with another man?
“When did you get here?” Balfour’s voice cut through the chatter.
Ivy’s smile froze upon hearing the familiar tone. She turned her head and, as expected, found Balfour with that stern expression plastered on his face. Just by looking at his countenance, she could tell he was not in the best of moods.
Thinking of Nolan sitting beside her, Ivy inwardly muttered, “This doesn’t look good…”
Balfour had warned her to keep things professional during their business partnership, and here she was, laughing it up with another guy in public. No doubt Balfour was irked again.
Sighing, Ivy stood up to reply, “I was just…”
“I’ve only arrived a short while ago,” Nolan cut in, rising to his feet before Ivy could finish her sentence. “Didn’t expect to see you here, my dear cousin.” Wait, cousin?
This time, Ivy was genuinely surprised. She hadn’t expected Nolan to be Balfour’s cousin. The world seemed impossibly small at that moment.
All she could hope for now was that Balfour wouldn’t probe further into their conversation; she wasn’t ready for Nolan to learn about her ‘marital’ status with Balfour.
“I’ve been back in the country for a few days, quite busy, actually. Haven’t had the chance to visit your parents. How are they doing?” Nolan engaged Balfour in family talk with ease.
Balfour’s gaze remained fixed on Ivy, showing no interest in Nolan’s questions, responding only with a noncommittal hum.
“And you? When did you show up?” Balfour asked Ivy, eyes narrowing slightly.
His question shattered Ivy’s hopes.
Nolan blinked, a puzzled look crossing his face as he turned to her. “Ivy, you know
“Yeah… I know him,” Ivy replied awkwardly, forcing a smile through her discomfort.
my cousin?”
Balfour was clearly displeased with Ivy siding with Nolan instead of immediately aligning herself with him. Despite being his fiancée, she seemed too cozy with other men:-
“Ivy, come here,” Balfour called out.
Ivy was still caught between responding to Nolan and Balfour’s summons. She looked at both men, then reluctantly made her way to Balfour. “Mr. Howard, what can I do for you?”
“Quinton sent you here for what exactly? Do you even remember?” Balfour’s tone was icy.
Ivy chuckled nervously, “He asked me to find you.”
“In that case,” Balfour paused for a moment before leaning in closer to her, “why didn’t you come looking for me as soon as you arrived at the party?”
Ivy finally comprehended the reason behind his grim expression. He was blaming her for not seeking him out right away.
