The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 1972

Balfour wasn't in the mood to probe further, simply murmuring a response as his gaze shifted to the gashes on her arm. "What happened to your arm?"

"I accidentally scratched it." Ivy had been so emotionally scattered that she hadn't even noticed her own injury. It was only when Balfour's grip tightened that she felt the sting.

She had scratched Clara's face in the heat of an argument, and Clara had retaliated with equal measure, leaving several deep gashes on Ivy's arm.

Balfour's brow furrowed. "Hurting that bad from just a scratch? Come on, tell me the truth!"

With a resigned sigh, Ivy relayed what happened earlier to Balfour. "It was Clara, my half-sister. She accused me of being loose, completely messed up my interview, and then she hit me. I lost it and hit her back."

The look in Balfour's eyes was hard to decipher.

What kind of life had this woman led to grow up into the person she was today? What had she been through?

"Why didn't you tell your family about your current status as Mrs. Howard? If you did, they wouldn't dare lay a finger on you."

Ivy fell silent at his question.

Indeed, the name of the Howard family could keep the Dunhills at bay.

But that would only lead to more trouble. The Dunhills were insatiable in their greed; knowing her connection with the Howards would only make them more eager to exploit her for climbing the social ladder.

She wasn't the real Mrs. Howard and didn't want to cause trouble for the Howards.

"You can't imagine the depths of the Dunhills' shamelessness. They'd do anything for their own benefit. Not even three million dollars would make them leave me alone. If they knew about my connection to the Howards, they'd come knocking for favors. Better to let it be."

Ivy turned her head, spreading her hands in resignation. "I can only use the Howard name for a year, and then I'll be back to nothing. Why bother telling them?"

Balfour watched her with a mysterious smile. "You seem quite clear-headed now! When push comes to shove, you still know to call for my help."

His slight smile caught Ivy off guard; she had pegged him as an ice mountain, never expecting him to have such a pleasant smile.