The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 2458

Clara sat there with her arms crossed, giving off a 'keep out' vibe like she was some kind of celebrity.

But Ivy? Ivy was the picture of ease and confidence, sitting across from her, forcing Clara to admit that she was outclassed.

Ivy's makeup was minimal, her lipstick barely there, and she was dressed in what looked like a high school costume for some low-budget play. Yet she didn't seem the least bit out of place.

"You seem to be doing well." Ivy said. Her hands were clasped casually on the table, her demeanor as relaxed as ever.

Well, of course, she was at home here, in this set, while Clara was the outsider.

Clara twirled a brand-new designer watch around her wrist, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Aren't you going to ask why I came here today?"

One of Ivy's eyebrows arched as she said, "If you have something to say, you'll say it. See, you already can’t wait, am I right?"

That composed smile on Ivy's face was like a red flag to Clara. She hated how Ivy always acted so nonchalant!

Clara's temper flared, and she yanked her sunglasses off, slamming them down on the stone table.

"Cut the act, Ivy. It's not like I don't know you."

Ivy's eyebrow quirked again; she knew her sister all too well. Just a bit of patience and Clara's true colors would show.

"And what is it that you think you know about me?"

Clara snorted. "The internet is blowing up over you. Surely even you can't be oblivious to the fact that you're like the town pariah everyone loves to hate!"

Ivy nodded thoughtfully. "I'm aware of the drama. And I also know that my dear sister here has been fanning the flames while I'm getting dragged through the mud!"

Ivy scoffed internally, saying, "No one else is here. Why keep up the facade? Haven't you done this for years? Apart from putting on a pitiful act, what else can you do?

But then again, Finn and Tessa are blind when it comes to you. You cry, and they believe every word."

Clara's smile held a touch of triumph. "Do you know why they believe me when I cry? Because they love me more. Oh, sister, did you think I was oblivious to what you care about the most?

What a shame that you, poor little thing, will never get the love you crave. Just keep hiding in your corner, envying me."

Had Ivy heard those words before Tessa’s arrival, she might have been hurt. That kind of wound, inflicted by one's own parents, never truly heals. It festers, hidden beneath the surface, a gap that could only be filled with even more love.

But now, Ivy didn't need the love of such irrelevant people. She no longer needed their affirmation to know her worth.