Chapter 1970
Nolan had been closely observing Ivy’s face.
If Ivy’s expression during the phone call raised suspicions for him earlier, now her demeanor was practically screaming at Nolan that something was off about her supposed marriage to Balfour.
“Balfour seems a bit cold, doesn’t he? It must be tiring dealing with him on the daily, huh?” Nolan casually probed, masking his intense scrutiny as idle
chit-chat.
Ivy nodded vigorously as if she had found a kindred spirit, “Oh, absolutely. He’s really aloof, and his mood swings! Like, one minute he’s all ice and the next he’s a tempest. It’s frustrating!”
“Mood swings?” Nolan arched an eyebrow, “Balfour might be like that with strangers, sure, but he married you. He’s gotta like you, right? How can he be cold to you too?”
Ivy let out a sigh of resignation, “Who knows! Sometimes I don’t even know what ticks him off. Communicating with him is like walking through a minefield!”
“That doesn’t make sense. If Balfour treats you that way, why would you agree to marry him?” Nolan’s suspicions were thickening like a plot in a dime novel, convinced that their relationship wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.
Ivy shook her head. “Nolan, you have no idea how difficult Balfour can be, If it wasn’t for…”
She was about to vent further but suddenly sensed it, snapping her mouth shut.
She had let her guard down around Nolan, and in a rare moment of solidarity against Balfour, almost spilled all her troubles.
She had nearly exposed their marriage for the sham contract it was. That was close!
Thankfully, she hit the brakes in time and didn’t let slip anything incriminating.
“What’s up?” Nolan felt he was on the verge of unraveling the mystery when Ivy clammed up.
Ivy giggled nervously, “Oh, nothing. I was just kidding! Of course, I married him because I like him. Why else?”
Though her response seemed flawless, Nolan sensed that Ivy had intended to reveal something else entirely.
“Ivy.” Nolan was about to press further when the office door swung open, and in strode Balfour, his presence commanding as he entered. He scanned the cozy scene, his expression unreadable, “Am I interrupting something?”
Ivy shot up from her seat, “Balfour, what brings you here?”
Weren’t
you the one who texted me for a rescue?” Balfour squinted, flashing his phone screen at her, which displayed a message from Ivy. Ivy smiled awkwardly. “Uh… bit of a mix-up. Nolan wasn’t hitting me up for money. He just offered me a job at the Harris Group.”
“A job? Can’t the Howard family support you, or are you lacking something? What’s the thrill in running off to work? Enough of this charade!” Balfour grabbed Ivy’s hand, “Done playing games? Let’s go home.”
With no choice but to follow him, Ivy could only hastily wave goodbye to Nolan, a gesture of awkward farewell.
As Nolan watched their retreating figures, his eyes darkened with thought.
He wasn’t pleased with Balfour barging into his office, but he wasn’t about to make a scene.
His family and the Howards were related, but only distantly, and a powerful family like the Howards was not to be trifled with.
However, he was dead set on getting to the bottom of this. The relationship between Ivy and Balfour was certainly more complex than it appeared.
