“I'm still jet-lagged. Didn't you call me back to get your Balfour back? But look at him and Ivy now. Does he look like he's going to change his mind and be with you? I've advised you not to hang yourself on one tree. If you don't listen to me now, you'll regret it sooner or later."
Mara stood up abruptly, casting a shadow across the room that seemed to chill the air itself. Olivia's retort was smothered by the sudden, grim atmosphere.
"You were bragging on the phone that there's not a man alive you can't seduce. So why the sudden flop with Balfour, huh? If you're really as helpless as you're acting, maybe you should just catch the next flight home. Besides, you're not scared of a mob boss's daughter hunting you down, are you?" Mara's voice was cool and detached as if Olivia's safety was the least of her concerns.
Mara had always been ruthless in cutting off dead weight, even when it came to her close friends. She wouldn't have taken on this headache if it weren't for Olivia's confident claim that she could fix things. Back home, entangling with a mob's daughter was asking for trouble. But being overseas, in the vast expanse of another country, that kind of influence couldn't touch them. That's why she had called Olivia back.
As the new semester loomed on the horizon, Mara knew she had to figure out a plan. She wanted no part in this kind of strife.
Olivia's face drained of color at Mara's words. It was her bad luck that she had accidentally crossed paths with the wrong woman's man. But she was innocent! When she had asked the guy, he had been vague about his relationship, and there didn't seem to be a need to pry into his life as if conducting an interrogation. Who would have thought a moment of carelessness would lead to such a disaster? Now, the idea of returning home was too dangerous to consider, and if Mara kicked her out, she wouldn't know where to turn.
"Mara, you're joking, right? Ha, we've been friends for years. No need for such harsh words, right? You just want Balfour to come around again, don’t you? I can help with that," Olivia said, attempting to lighten the mood.
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