Chapter 2296
Ivy stepped in to defuse the tension, but Mara was far from grateful. In fact, she harbored a deep-seated resentment towards her.
Without Ivy’s interference, she would have naturally found herself by Balfour’s side!
Mara wasn’t about to grovel for a maid’s position. She washed her hands, playing the part of the obedient girl, and then stood aside to watch the others bustling about.
She had wanted to stand next to Balfour, but Ivy had already claimed the spot. Mara had to content herself with craning her neck from a distance to watch.
“Wow, Balfour, you’re getting really good at this!” Her voice dripped with syrupy praise, earning her a piercing glance from Ivy.
Ivy didn’t want to hold it against Mara specifically, but she just didn’t quite understand why a sweet looking girl had to be so pretentious in everything she said and did.
Ivy wasn’t one for empty flattery. “Let’s keep going, we’ve got plenty more to do. Look at how fast Grandpa and Grandma are moving!”
Hearing Ivy prod Balfour along, Alyssa didn’t get upset. Instead, her eyes twinkled with amusement, leaving Mara completely baffled.
Had Ivy somehow cast a spell on Alyssa?
Why would she watch her beloved grandson be bossed around by Ivy?
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Alyssa, however, felt that a little teasing and laughter were the ingredients for a happy marriage, regardless of their different worlds – one an actor, the other a CEO. At the end of the day, they needed to live like any other couple.
Balfour grew up under their watchful eyes, and what they desired most was for him to have a bustling, warm family life, to banish the loneliness.
Now, with Ivy, Balfour was more lively than ever, his life infused with a new vitality.
Alyssa saw all this and was overjoyed.
The meal prep took nearly two hours, but it only took twenty minutes to bake and serve the pies at their table.
“Let’s make extra and freeze them. Next time you crave them, you can just take them out and bake them,” Balfour suggested, not wanting Ivy to miss out when he wasn’t around.
Mara found Ivy annoying. If she wanted pies, just buy some frozen ones or order takeout – why fuss over Balfour!
“You’ve only just recovered,” Alyssa said to Ivy with a look of affection, as if Ivy were her own granddaughter. “Once you’re home, I’ll have the staff prepare something to help you
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regain your strength.”
Mara was green with envy but knew that to become Mrs. Howard, she needed the approval of these two.
It seemed now that Alyssa and Dean were her biggest obstacles.
Balfour watched with a tender smile as Ivy savored the smaller pie he had prepared especially for her. This was the best meal she had had in days.
“If you like pies so much, shall we have them again tomorrow?” he offered.
Ivy shook her head, her guard up. “No, thanks. Tonight’s feast is enough. Good things should be savored slowly, not every day!”
“Alright, we’ll decide on tomorrow’s menu when it comes.”
”
Ivy hinted, “Who knows? I might just come home tomorrow.”
“That makes sense,” Balfour conceded.
This meal left Ivy feeling satisfied, and before they left, Alyssa packed a lot of fruits for
them.
Ivy originally planned to come back tomorrow after being discharged, but these were all gestures from the elderly, so Balfour and Ivy had to take everything with them.
Aside from the unexpected encounter with Mara at the Howards, the day had been perfect.
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