Chapter 2340


    Chapter 2340


    Ever since Ivy left, Balfour found himself lingering in the study until the wee hours before dragging


    himself to their shared bedroom.


    Balfour felt hollow in the room without Ivy’s presence, and he only returned to it when sleep imed


    him, each moment within its walls a stark reminder that she was no longer by his side.


    “Knock, knock, knock-”


    The sound at the door jolted Balfour from his thoughts. For a fleeting second, he imagined it was Ivy,


    but the harsh reality quickly set in. Ivy had moved into her dorm, and there was no way she’d be


    standing outside his study. With a sigh, he masked his disappointment.


    “Come in.”


    Mara entered with a warm smile and a ss of milk in hand. “Balfour, are you swamped tonight? You


    barely touched your dinner and headed straight here. Althea asked me to bring you a ss of milk.”


    Balfour watched her ce the ss before him, wordlessly. His mind wandered back to when Ivy had


    first mentioned moving out. Would she have stayed if Mara hadn’te into their lives?


    Mara blushed under Balfour’s intense gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that, Balfour? Is there


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    something on my face?”


    Realizing he wouldn’t find his answers in Mara’s face, Balfour exhaled, shaking his head. “It’s nothing.


    If you’re done, please leave. I have work to finish.”


    But Mara, seemingly oblivious to his request, scanned the impressive study and asked, “Do you always


    work in here, Balfour? You hardly spend any time in the bedroom these days.”


    Balfour frowned, puzzled by Mara’s idle chatter. He needed to focus on the documents in front of him,


    not engage in small talk.


    “I have work to get through, Mara. Please, if there’s nothing else, I need to concentrate.”


    Undeterred, Mara excitedly bounded to the bookshelf, grabbing a book. “I’ve been searching for this


    original edition back home forever! I can’t believe you have it! Balfour, may I stay and read it here? I


    promise I’ll be quiet.”


    Seeing no harm in letting her stay, Balfour nodded and returned to his paperwork.


    Since making his mark in the business world, no one dared to challenge Balfour tantly. The


    document before him was an anomaly, signaling an unexpected instance of maliciouspetition.


    Initially, Balfour hadn’t taken this rivalpany seriously, but their recent underhanded tactics forced


    him to act. He had already sent Quinton to investigate. The findings were intriguing; thepany was


    foreign, and Balfour couldn’t pin down the shadowy figure targeting the Howard Group.


    If the people behind all this were locals, they would surely know better than to provoke Balfour. It was


    akin to courting disaster.


    Lost in thought, Balfour was pulled back by Mara’s cooing reminder, “Balfour, the milk’s getting cold. It’s


    best to drink it warm, especially with your stomach troubles. Althea reminded me to let you drink up


    before it cools down.”


    Balfour then remembered Mara’s presence. After downing the milk, he suggested she take the book to


    her room, signaling her to leave.


    Mara’s eyes flickered hesitantly, but this time she heeded Balfour’s request without protest. She picked


    up the milk ss and left somewhat hurriedly, even forgetting the book she imed to be so eager to


    read, which nowy abandoned on the couch.