Still, he responded smoothly, “You must be quite the prodigy, then.”
“And your legs are indeed a marvel of modern medicine, Mr. Lloyd,” Allison shot back, her words carrying a subtle edge.
The air grew heavier with tension, further cooling the already strained atmosphere.
Allison’s fingers grazed the sharp blade, poised to strike at any moment. Kellan might be skilled, but his handicap made him an easy target.
Kellan’s reputation for ruthlessness had been earned over years of cutthroat business moves. While Allison had often dismissed the rumors, she knew that his rapid ascent within the Lloyd Group wasn’t due to kindness.
His constant use of a wheelchair seemed like a cover for something more. Now that she had discovered a piece of his secret, he might be driven to take action, protecting himself from a threat she hadn’t even known she was posing.
Suddenly, breaking the silence, Allison smiled. “That necklace in your clothes is quite striking.”
The sight of it brought her back to that fateful night on the cruise when a gun had been pressed against her side.
Kellan twirled the necklace between his fingers, his voice low and gravelly. “A memento from a woman.”
He locked eyes with Allison and added deliberately, “A rather intriguing and dangerous woman. It certainly piques one’s curiosity to uncover her true identity.” Allison’s combat skills had been top-notch. Her actions on the cruise were impressively professional, far from the demure Mrs. Stevens the rumors had portrayed. Kellan, ever the skeptic, wondered if their encounter had been mere happenstance or something more sinister.
“Be cautious, Mr. Lloyd. Curiosity can be quite the double-edged sword.”
Allison threw another log on the fire, her expression serene as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. The flickering flames cast shadows on her face, making her look both captivating and perilous. “But that necklace is exquisite. The previous owner must have had exceptional taste.”
Kellan couldn’t help but laugh. She truly had a flair for self-praise, even with the unspoken understanding between them. It took guts to compliment oneself so subtly.
Suddenly, Allison looked up and flashed him a smile.
“You’re quite skilled yourself, Mr. Lloyd,” she remarked, her fingers lightly brushing against the blade concealed in her hand.
Kellan’s expression hardened. “Just a bit of play. But I appreciate your assistance, Ms. Clarke.”
He knew all too well that Allison was a woman who struck first. After all, that night, he had even brandished a gun at her back to coerce her.
The tension was almost palpable, their gazes locked in a silent duel.
It felt as if an invisible fog was rising between them, filling the cave with an unspoken threat.
The cave was silent, the air heavy and oppressive. The crackling of the fire was the only sound, as embers danced in front of them.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I didn’t get a proper look at your wound earlier.”
Allison slowly rose and crouched down in front of Kellan. He could feel the soft brush of her hair against his cheek, a slight tickle in the warmth.
Then, she smiled gently.
“You’ve got a cut here. It doesn’t look like a knife wound.”
“More like a branch scratched you.”
As she spoke, her cold fingertips grazed his chest. The small blade hidden between her ring and pinky fingers was now dangerously close to his heart. “How about I take a closer look for you, Mr. Lloyd?” Her voice was warm and sweet, and she smiled.
But the sharp blade slipped easily through her fingers.
Just as Allison was about to strike with the blade, Kellan’s hand shot out like a serpent, seizing hers and prying the weapon from her grasp.
He moved with such swiftness that even as the blade sliced into his skin, he didn’t flinch, the pain barely registering in his steely gaze.
“Trying to cut me down, Ms. Clarke?” he inquired, his tone smooth but edged with an underlying tension.
“Of course not,” she replied, her voice as cool as a winter breeze.
Their hands lingered together, fingers brushing against each other, casting shadows on the cave wall that looked oddly intimate-like lovers caught in a fleeting moment of connection.
But Kellan wasn’t one for playing games. He cut straight to the heart of the matter.
“Indeed, my legs were once paralyzed, but I’ve since recovered. The Lloyd Group is surrounded by enemies and internal strife. I kept up the pretense of being wheelchair-bound to lure out the real threats.”
He locked eyes with her, the proximity so close that Kellan could see his reflection mirrored in her eyes.
“As for that night on the cruise, I was drugged. I wasn’t in command of my actions when I stumbled into that room. I never expected to cross paths with you there, Ms. Clarke.”
Kellan’s jaw tightened as he recalled the night she had pinned him down. It was an indelible memory, but he was ready to face up to his role in it.
“I will take responsibility if anything. Walking away was never in my plans,” he stated firmly.
But Allison withdrew her hand, her expression unperturbed.
“There’s no need. I’ve already erased it from my memory. It’s a non-issue.”
She wasn’t one to linger on complications, especially not with someone like Kellan. His every move was a calculated play, his act of feigning disability a strategic ploy to manipulate his adversaries. It spoke volumes about his ruthlessness.
“I’m just someone who recently went through a divorce and nearly ended up on the streets,” Allison said with a disarmingly innocent smile. “Colton and Melany already see me as a threat and make my life difficult. I’m just trying to keep the drama to a minimum. Now that I’ve heard this bombshell about you, I doubt I’ll live long enough to spread it around.”
He flashed a brilliant smile, his face glowing in the firelight. “So don’t worry. I’ll pretend I’m in the dark.”
Kellan chuckled, realizing how absurd his earlier explanation must have sounded. Wolves masquerading as sheep – such pretense didn’t suit people like them.
“Cut the charade,” Kellan said with a smirk. “It’s awkward for both of us. No wonder your ex-husband went for someone like Melany. If you’re aiming to play the innocent lamb, you might want to polish your acting skills.”
“And you, Mr. Lloyd?” Allison retorted, no longer interested in pretense. Now that they were being candid, she found him considerably more bearable.
Kellan, showing no sign of his earlier brush with danger, assessed the situation calmly. “If you try to kill me, the Lloyd family will hunt you down like a dog. They will track you to the ends of the earth. Even if you manage to slip away, Ontdale will be a distant memory.”
He was sure that her decision to stay put after her divorce and remain in Ontdale meant she had something here she couldn’t easily walk away from. Whatever it was, killing him would only make her life more precarious. The blade had felt more like a test than a genuine threat. Her demeanor grew cooler, aware that Kellan’s words were veiled threats.
If she were to kill him, the Lloyd family’s reach would make her life unbearable in Ontdale. She needed to stay, at least until she participated in the International Perfumery Competition and uncovered clues about her mother’s disappearance, which had led her here.
Talking to someone as sharp as Kellan had its downsides. They both knew how to keep each other in check.
But outwardly, Allison remained composed. “I can leave anytime I wish. People like me don’t cling to places.”
Kellan, peering into her unflinchingly steady eyes, proposed, “How about we strike a deal that benefits us both?”
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.