Chapter 2164
Ivy was right there, almost blending into the wallpaper, when Balfour didn’t even bother to ask her for a tissue, opting to ask Giselle instead. It was pretty obvious who mattered more to Balfour.
“Sure, I’ve got plenty!” chirped Giselle, her voice bubbling with faux embarrassment as she paused mid-stride towards her tote. She turned to Balfour with a coy tilt of her head, “Oh, Balfour, silly me, I almost forgot about Ivy right there! Wouldn’t it be better if you used Ivy’s tissue instead?”
As she spoke, Giselle cast a glance at Ivy, who watched the scene with a detached coolness.
When their eyes met, Giselle deliberately shuffled closer to Balfour, feigning fear and vulnerability.
Ivy had to suppress a chuckle.
Giselle’s performance in front of Balfour was Oscar-worthy, far surpassing any of her
-on-screen roles.
Balfour, unfazed by the theatrics, glanced at Ivy but avoided any real eye contact.
“Just get me one, that’s all,” Balfour said, his voice even and indifferent.
Now confident that Ivy was out of favor, Giselle’s triumph was hard to contain, “Alright, just hang on here, I don’t have my bag with me! I’ll fetch it for you!”
Balfour nodded, indicating he would wait right there.
Excited, Giselle flounced off to grab the tissue, the crowd parting again automatically to let the drama queen through.
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Actresses always seemed to carry an arsenal in their oversized designer totes makeup to emergency outfits – and Giselle was no exception. She had a penchant for the same understated luxury brand that Balfour often wore. He had a knack for choosing clothes that were elegant without screaming for attention, devoid of flashy logos.
In her quest to catch Balfour’s eye, Giselle had deliberately started buying from the same brand. Occasionally, she’d wear a matching item, fueling the gossip mills.
“Silver Screen Queen Spotted in Matching Outfits with the Elusive Howard Heir – Wedding Bells by Year’s End?”
“Understated Romance: The Giselle Way”
“Another Starlet Set to Join the Howard Dynasty”
Headlines like these would sporadically pop up. Alyssa, the family matriarch, on the other hand, discreetly disposed of such tabloids.
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She knew that without Giselle’s consent, such lowbrow gossip would never make it to print. Clearly, some were playing a calculated game, aiming to link themselves romantically with her grandson.
“Pfft, as if they’re Howard material,” Alyssa scoffed, her disdain for Giselle palpable.
Giselle, for the life of her, couldn’t figure out how she had offended the old dame. Despite her efforts to curry favor – never missing a holiday or birthday gift – she had yet to receive even a hint of warmth from the matriarch.
If it weren’t for Alyssa’s meddling, Giselle mused, she might already be the respected Mrs.
Howard.
What Giselle failed to grasp was that she had taken a misstep from the start. Alyssa would never allow someone who used her grandson as tabloid fodder to cross her
threshold.
How could a woman who played such games truly love Balfour? To think she could bind the Howards with such scandalous tactics was both low and misguided.
Alyssa had seen it all in her years. Nothing was new under the sun. Giselle’s cunning little ploys were transparent and unbecoming in the eyes of the seasoned matriarch.
It wasn’t until Ivy appeared that Alyssa finally felt satisfied. Ivy was the sort of partner she envisioned for her grandson – not particularly grand or exceptional, but kind-hearted and genuinely in love with Balfour.
Despite the current ups and downs between Balfour and Ivy, their gazes held a truth that
couldn’t be faked.
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