The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 1909

The name "the Howard Group" seemed to act like a magic spell on the waiter's demeanor. No more than a moment had passed before he ushered the two guests to a plush booth, serving them a complimentary pair of ice waters.

"Please hang tight," he said with newfound deference. "I'll fetch the boss straight away."

The stark shift in the waiter's attitude was a clear testament to the might of the Howard Group's influence in the city.

Ivy's heart began to race; she had never mixed with such high-rollers before. Now, she was on the brink of being married to one of them for a whole year, and she couldn't fathom what that might entail.

The bar owner arrived posthaste with a practiced smile on his face. "My apologies for the wait. I hear you had a bit of a mishap with some lost belongings. Looking to check last night's surveillance footage, are we? This place is quite the maze, lots of angles to cover. Can you tell me where to start looking?"

Quinton glanced over to Ivy.

Standing, Ivy pointed to the booth nearby. "Around this area, and the corridor leading to your hotel."

"Will do. Give me a moment."

The bar owner instructed an employee to fetch a laptop and queued up the relevant footage.

Sure enough, the surveillance footage clearly showed yesterday's scene with Clara urging Ivy to drink, every gesture and expression painfully evident.

And there, in the corridor footage, was Clara entangled in chatter with Vincent. Initially, Vincent seemed intent on coaxing Clara upstairs, but after a brief exchange, he left with a chuckle and a nod, heading up alone.

Ivy could only surmise that it was then Clara had struck her deal with Vincent, promising to deliver her sister to his bed after the night's festivities.

Oh, what a doting sister Clara was!

"Boss, I need a copy of this video. It's important."