Chapter 2371
“Balfour, are you actually insinuating that I deliberately knocked Ms. Lewis down and then played the innocent right in front of you?”
A quick frown creased Balfour’s brow before smoothing out again. “I didn’t say that, but you know exactly what went down in that restroom. You claim ignorance and you couldn’t even hold my gaze. How do you expect me to take your word for it?”
Balfour had always prided himself on knowing Ivy well. If she were truly as forthright as she claimed, she wouldn’t appear so weak.
“Ha, so that’s your rationale for pinning this on me? Why not consider that Ms. Lewis took a tumble on her own? And let’s not forget I’m still hobbling around on crutches!”
Ivy’s hands shook ever so slightly. Though she had mastered navigating with crutches, her arms were sore and growing weary. She was nearing her limit.
But Balfour’s concern was solely for Victoria, still lying on the floor. How could he notice Ivy’s impending fall?
With a self-deprecating thought, Ivy recognized that she would always be an afterthought
in the face of Mara.
She had long known this, so why did it still cause her pain?
Without thoroughly investigating, Balfour had already deemed her the culprit behind Mara’s injury.
Did the truth even matter anymore? He had already made up his mind.
Then suddenly, Nolan appeared behind Ivy, steadying her arm.
“Ivy, are you alright?”
She turned, offering Nolan a grateful glance. “Thanks for asking, Nolan. I’m managing.”
Nolan’s eyes were full of concern, though he tried to mask it with a smile. He could see right through her.
They didn’t know what happened exactly, but with a growing crowd of onlookers eager for a spectacle, the situation was far from ideal.
“Balfour, the paramedics are almost here. We should let them take over. With all these people watching, any gossip could hurt us all.”
Balfour glanced at Nolan’s hand on Ivy’s arm, his eyes swiftly moving away. He said nothing but stood up from Mara’s side, whispering instructions to the manager, who nodded and began to manage the situation.
Once the crowd had dispersed and the ambulance arrived, the paramedics did a quick
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patch-up job on Mara before transferring her to the stretcher.
“Who is the family? Who is coming with us?”
Balfour accompanied the doctor into the ambulance. Before the door closed, he hesitated and looked at Nolan
Nolan nodded, assuring Balfour that he would safely escort Ivy back to the film set.
“Let’s go, they’re off to the hospital now. Shall I take you back to the set?”
Nolan supported Ivy the whole time, feeling her exhaustion but knowing better than to offer to carry her – she would never agree to that.
Ivy managed a smile, at a loss for words. Once they were in the car, she stared out the window, her mind elsewhere.
Under normal circumstances, she might have enjoyed a chat with Nolan, not wanting to leave him feeling awkward. But today, she was simply drained.
After the confrontation in the restroom and the subsequent accident, all she wanted was to curl up and hide away. If only she could retreat to her room immediately, to be alone, away from everyone.
“Nolan,” Ivy suddenly turned to him, a serious look in her eyes as he drove, “do you believe I’m responsible for this? That I’m the reason Ms. Lewis is in the hospital?”
Her eyes, wide and earnest, tugged at Nolan’s heartstrings with just a glance.
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