The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 2627

Mara told Balfour things were a mess at home and she didn't want to drag him back into it. Seemed like there was no reason for him to get involved anymore—it was her family's dirty laundry, after all.

When he got home, he told his grandparents about Victoria’s suicide, but they were skeptical.

“That girl doesn't strike me as the type to do something so rash,” Alyssa said, peering over her glasses.

Balfour exhaled heavily. “Maybe it's the fallout from what happened before. She's been off-kilter since her dad went into a coma. I guess I’ve got my own part in dragging her down.”

Deep down, they all knew that from the moment Elton became a vegetable, the Howard family had a hand in shaping the fate of those two girls.

They couldn't just stand by and watch the rest of Victoria's life unfold without them.

“When the time's right, ask her if there's anything she needs help with,” Dean suggested.

Balfour nodded—it was the least he could do to shoulder some of the responsibility.

The real kicker came after Victoria's affairs had been settled. Elton woke up in the hospital, and they were the first to get the call since the Howards had arranged his care.

Balfour and Mara arrived at the hospital almost simultaneously.

After catching up with Mara for a bit, Elton asked why Victoria hadn't come along. Mara and Balfour exchanged a look, both at a loss for words. Sensing something was off, Elton, frail as he was, pressed them for answers.

Under his persistent questioning, Mara broke down and revealed the somber truth about Victoria's suicide. The news nearly sent Elton back into oblivion.