Kellan raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes. No one had ever dared to boss him around, but Allison’s tone was so natural and fearless. She intrigued him.
“Count on me,” Kellan said calmly.
“Good lad! You’ve been bugging me for days, so it’s only fair you do some work!” Emanuel laughed, wiping his hands as he headed off to eat. After all, a full stomach was essential to truly appreciate the masterpiece in the making!
Surrounded by an enthralled crowd, Allison gently picked up a lump of clay, sprinkling it with water.
It was then that Kellan realized she had been deliberately slowing her pace to guide him through the basics. In less than a minute, the clay in her hands had already begun to transform.
The art of sculpting gave way to the precision of carving. “It’s like watching a movie,” someone murmured, awestruck.
Colton and Melany, who had earlier ridiculed Allison, now showed visible signs of anxiety, their foreheads glistening with sweat.
They scrutinized her every move, wary of any hint of deception.
Kellan had expected Allison would need his assistance, but she only occasionally requested him to hand her a file. “Get the smaller one,” she instructed calmly, her voice a steady anchor in the charged atmosphere.
Her hands moved with deliberate grace, and the clay seemed to yield to her touch, coming to life under her skilled fingers.
Kellan handed her the smaller file from behind. In that fleeting contact, he caught another whiff of the plum blossom scent she carried.
His throat tightened, and he delicately wiped the sweat from Allison’s forehead with a clean handkerchief, his fingers brushing gently against her smooth skin. As he withdrew his hand, he experienced a strange sense of familiarity.
He marveled at how her skin could be as smooth and fine as porcelain.
But Allison appeared completely absorbed in her work, her focus unbroken. With a swift flick of her finger, a piece of clay fell away, and her slender fingers moved like a butterfly, deftly shaping the material. A gentle stroke of her brush breathed life into the clay, capturing the essence of a majestic mountain.
At that moment, Kellan felt an unusual tranquility, as if they were the last two people on earth, alongside the ceramics that surrounded them.
There were no schemes or bloodshed, just a serene space that seemed to ease the constant restlessness coursing through him.
Allison was enigmatic-young yet supremely composed, distant and aloof, as if her heart was locked away from everyone.
Kellan was reminded of the woman he had met on that crazy night.
She had effortlessly disarmed him and vanished by morning. During her most fervent moments, her gaze had been as distant as an ancient glacier, standing in solemnity.
In the small courtyard, initial whispers of admiration gave way to a profound silence as everyone’s focus remained solely on Allison.
The collective breathlessness around them was palpable. Even Colton, who had anticipated Allison’s failure, now struggled to process the scene before him. “How can this be…”
He was suddenly reminded of the small ceramic dog Allison had given him three years ago. In a fit of nostalgia, he had shattered it on the floor. The cute figure had splintered into pieces, possibly cutting her arm – or perhaps not… At the time, his attention had been elsewhere.
Since then, Allison had grown even more reserved, never offering him anything again.
Colton felt a pang of regret, realizing he might have overlooked something deeply significant.
As the day drew to a close, and the sun began to set, Allison completed her masterpiece. The entire process had been flawless. Emanuel could hardly contain his enthusiasm. “Excellent! Simply excellent!”
As Allison looked up, a black handkerchief was extended toward her. She accepted it calmly, wiping her brow, while cheers erupted, nearly shaking the heavens. Even Kellan’s eyes sparkled with amusement.
“I’d pay a fortune to have Ms. Clarke manage my ceramic gallery!” someone declared. A few began to vie for her favor.
Emanuel swiftly cleared everyone out.
“Leave! My shop is closed for the month!”
He then carefully picked up the patterned tea set, his eyes brimming with tears. “This set is truly magnificent! Seeing it, I can die without regrets!”
“That’s nonsense, you’ll live to be a hundred,” Allison reassured him.
Emanuel’s love for beautiful ceramics was well-known. With a serene expression, Allison turned her gaze toward the now embarrassed figures.
“Since you agreed to the bet, it’s time for you to kneel!”
“Colton!” Melany’s voice quivered, her eyes welling up with tears that painted a picture of deep humiliation. Gone was her usual softness, replaced by a pitiable beauty that anyone would want to protect. Her tears were a call for comfort, yet Emanuel was back in his house, clutching his prized tea set. Allison stretched and yawned with a detached air, while Kellan savored the unfolding drama. Only Colton, with a heart full of concern, moved to offer her solace.
Melany murmured, “In my heart, you are a true man. Even if you’ve been deceived, you shouldn’t have to kneel. You need to keep your pride.”
Colton’s emotions churned with a mix of bitterness and anger as he watched his beloved plead with Allison.
“Ms. Clarke,” she began, her voice strained. “Even though you and Colton are divorced, some dignity should be preserved, especially as he represents the entire Stevens family. I know I’ve wronged you, and I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me. I’m willing to kneel in his place.”
Melany poised herself to kneel.
“Though we were the ones who wronged you first, you’ve kept this hidden for three years. Perhaps you simply dislike me, but I hope that after kneeling before you today, you’ll reconsider making things difficult for us.”
Allison raised an eyebrow, almost applauding Melany’s brazen maneuver. What a master of shamelessness. Melany and Colton had lost a bet, yet they were trying to frame and guilt-trip others with tears and a kneel. If Allison didn’t know Melany’s true nature, even she might have felt a pang of sympathy.
Just as Melany’s knees were about to touch the ground, Colton grabbed her by the arms, shielding her as if she were being unjustly attacked.
Fury simmered in Colton’s eyes as he spat out, “Allison, I usually don’t lower myself to your level, but you’ve crossed the line! You’ve clearly set us up. For three years, you never mentioned your pottery skills or that you were Emanuel’s teacher! Were you planning this humiliation all along? Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”
“I mentioned my interest in pottery a long time ago,” Allison responded calmly. “You simply didn’t believe me, or perhaps never paid attention, just like that ceramic dog I gave you.”
Colton’s memory flickered to the shattered ceramic dog, and his confident accusation wavered. A twinge of guilt crossed his face as he met Allison’s crossed arms and indifferent gaze.
“I’m genuinely curious about how someone can be so ungrateful like you,” Allison said, her tone laced with curiosity.
Colton’s fleeting sense of guilt evaporated. “You!”
Kellan chuckled softly. While everyone claimed he had a sharp tongue, Allison’s ability to counter was even more impressive.
Still, Colton’s fault in this situation was undeniable. Colton’s face flushed with anger as he struggled to find a retort.
“At the end of the day, this is all a misunderstanding. We were once married. Must you be so unforgiving? My grandfather always said to leave room for future encounters. You might need my help someday. After all, I am the CEO of the Stevens Group…”
It was a bet made in the heat of the moment, but Colton’s elevated status prevented him from kneeling so easily.
Allison couldn’t help but laugh at Colton’s desperate attempt to use his grandfather as a shield. “But as your grandfather also said, integrity is key in both life and business. As the CEO of the Stevens Group, honoring your word should be a given.”
Colton’s face flushed crimson, his usual sharp retorts failing him in the face of this truth.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.