The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 1917

Ivy had been up since the dawn broke, busy in the kitchen preparing a hearty breakfast. After baking some scones and frying up a batch of eggs, she decided to finish off with a pot of oatmeal.

While the oatmeal simmered gently on the stove, Ivy's stomach gave an unexpected lurch. She glanced over at Leila, her expression a mix of discomfort and urgency. "Leila, I gotta go to the bathroom. The oatmeal's not ready yet. Could you keep an eye on it for me?"

"Sure thing, Miss," Leila replied, watching Ivy rush off, and a cryptic smile crept over her face.

When Ivy returned, she noticed that Leila had already served the oatmeal. "It's ready, huh?"

"Yes Miss, all set." Leila was setting the table with three breakfast plates. "I'll go fetch Mr. and Mrs. Howard for breakfast."

Ivy nodded with a smile and took a seat in the dining room.

Something made her uneasy though – the way Leila looked at her seemed strange, almost as if she harbored some dislike. But Ivy shook off the thoughts, hoping she was just being paranoid.

Soon after, Dean and Alyssa made their way into the dining room.

Their eyes lit up at the sight of the spread. Alyssa, with her grandmotherly warmth, beamed at Ivy. "Did you prepare all these up, Ivy?"

"Yeah, I woke up early and thought I’d whip up something special for you and Grandpa!" Ivy ladled some oatmeal into bowls for them. "Grandpa, Grandma, I made this oatmeal specially for you. Tell me if it's to your liking?"

Alyssa adored the thoughtful girl and gladly took the bowl from Ivy, tasting a spoonful. "Mmm, that's quite tasty."