The Kiss that Sparked it All

Chapter 2448

Balfour silently watched Ivy, his eyes full of understanding, a clear sign that he knew everything that had unfolded.

Ivy, with a pang of anguish, closed her eyes, her voice choked with sobs. “Please don’t look at me like that.”

Blind to the compassion in Balfour’s gaze, she felt his gentle touch on her forehead, his hands warm and reassuring as they rested there.

He was silently offering her strength.

“Do you think I’m pitiable?” she asked.

“None of this is your fault,” he replied.

“Yeah, I know it’s not my fault. But after living in that kind of environment for over twenty years, sometimes I can’t even tell who’s to blame anymore. My mom… she just wanted to get along better with her foster daughter. But she forgot about me. She always tried so hard to please Clara, forgetting that she had another daughter who needed her care. I’m her flesh and blood for heaven’s sake! Couldn’t she spare a little concern for me?”

down her cheeks as she searched

share the same blood. They chose to bring me into this world. If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be

take before becoming a parent, Tessa and Finn would

maybe I wouldn’t have had to come into this world

further into a conversation that reopened old wounds.

Balfour, she didn’t want to expose the pain she had endured. Some

up this subject. He didn’t want to pry into her painful memories. While listening to Ivy’s past was manageable for him, he understood it

someone Ivy could trust ‘implicitly,

to find. He didn’t want those who were too caught

in a fragile state, and a careless word could deepen her emotional scars. Balfour needed to

back into a deep sleep did Balfour carefully withdraw his hand and take

expected to see a