The Kiss that Sparked it All

Chapter 1904
“Sorry, I don’t think I know the person you’re talking about. Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”
Quinton didn’t show any signs of panic. He pulled out a crisp two hundred-dollar bills and handed it to Ivy. “He said that you
would remember if you saw
this.”
“This is...” Ivy’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the slightly crumpled bill, and suddenly, the events of that morning flashed
through her mind.
So, this Mr. Howard was the guy from last night? The man who seemed to have a lot of clout?
And now he was sending someone to find her. It couldn’t be to settle scores, could it?
Ivy felt a twinge of fear and glanced over to see Clara’s puzzled face.
If she got into with this suit guy now, there was no way last night’s escapade would stay a secret.
Clara hadn’t gained anything the previous day and was sure to seize this opportunity to make a scene!
Rather than going home and having Clara spill the beans to their parents, Ivy decided it was better to see what this Balfour
wanted.
“Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Under Clara’s baffled gaze, Ivy followed Quinton to his car and the car quickly drove off.
Clara watched the luxury car disappear, envy bubbling inside her, yet she was utterly confused. How does Ivy know someone
with a fancy car like that? “Clara, was that Ivy who just came by? I swear I heard her voice!” Tessa emerged from the house, only
to find Clara standing alone at the door. Clara snapped back to reality, nodded, and said with a hint of sarcasm, “Yeah, she was
here but got whisked away by a man.”
“Whisked away by a man?” Tessa’s face clouded with concern. “Which man? She didn’t come home last nigh, and now she’s
gone again just after getting back?”

Clara scoffed and stepped inside. “What else could it be? A girl not coming home after a night out is obviously up to no good with
some guy! I saw her get into a luxury car with a married man. Probably off to be some rich guy’s mistress! Tessa, you really
should keep a better eye on my sister. Let her not get into such disgraceful situations!”
“A mistress? Ivy would never...” Tessa looked at her, with disbelief etched on her face, finding it hard to believe her daughter
would do such a thing. “Impossible, Ivy’s never even had a boyfriend, how could she...”
Just then, Finn Dunhill descended the stairs, catching the tail end of Tessa’s words. “What’s going on? What about Ivy?”
“Dad, Ivy’s become some rich man’s mistress. She probably won’t be coming home anymore.” Clara lied with ease, secretly
thrilled at the thought of Ivy coming back to a scolding.
Finn was usually busy with work and didn’t involve himself much with home affairs, but he valued family reputation above all and
despised such scandalous behavior.
“What? She’s become a mistress for whom? A daughter of our family can’t be involved in such indecency!” Finn’s stern gaze fell
on Tessa.
Tessa, knowing her husband was angry and feeling her own lack of standing in the household, quickly adopted an indignant
tone. “Oh! It’s my fault for not disciplining her. When she gets back, we need to teach her a lesson!”
Ivy was oblivious to Clara’s machinations back home. She rode in Quinton’s car to a posh suburban neighborhood, pulling up in
front of a grand villa. “Ivy, get out. Mr. Howard is waiting for you inside.”
It wasn’t until she was standing at the villa’s entrance that Ivy truly began to feel nervous. She had no idea what or who awaited
her inside.
Taking a deep breath, Ivy stepped forward and rang the doorbell.