With a deliberate flourish, Melany pulled out an ornate envelope. “Here’s our wedding invitation, Allison. It would mean so much to us if you could witness our happiness.”
Her eyes flicked toward Kellan, gauging his reaction.
But instead of the polite dismissal she had expected, Kellan gave a cold, cutting laugh.
“Feelings for Mr. Stevens?” His voice dripped with disdain. “Johnson, your insults are impressively subtle.”
Melany was speechless. It was clear that Kellan was mocking them.
Allison’s eyes flicked to the invitation, barely lingering before she tore it into pieces, letting the shreds fall into the trash.
“No thanks. I find it disgusting.” She reached for a wet wipe, but before she could, Kellan was already offering her a black handkerchief with a faint, knowing smile. “Better wipe thoroughly. You just touched something filthy.”
Rebecca, who had been silently enjoying the show, chimed in with a smirk. “Exactly! Some people are really ominous. Attending their wedding? That would curse you for a whole year!”
Melany’s fury nearly overwhelmed her, but she was powerless as Allison and her group left, leaving her to stew in her humiliation. The store staff wasted no time blacklisting her and Francene, ushering them out.
Unable to hold back any longer, Francene snapped at Colton once they were outside. “You’re supposed to be a CEO! How could you let that man humiliate us like this?”
Colton’s voice was ice-cold. “So you think I should start a public war with the Lloyd family?”
Francene stiffened, her anger deflating as the reality of their situation settled in. Colton wasn’t just avoiding a scene – he was avoiding disaster. The Lloyd family’s reach was vast, and crossing them could bring down their entire empire.
Sensing his growing impatience, Melany quickly intervened, clutching his arm. “Colton, my mom didn’t mean it like that. She’s just upset after being treated so unfairly.”
She then shot a glance at Francene. “Mom, it’s just a dress. What’s more important than our wedding? Once I’m Mrs. Stevens, we’ll surpass the Lloyd family for sure.”
Francene, catching on, forced a smile and awkwardly patted Colton on the shoulder. “Of course, of course. Melany’s very business-minded. She’ll help the company grow once you’re married. Don’t take my outburst to heart, Colton.”
He gave a curt nod, not particularly bothered.
Years ago, Francene had forcibly broken up his relationship with Melany. Now that she had finally come around to approve the wedding, it should have been a relief. But it wasn’t.
The excitement he once felt about marrying Melany had faded, replaced by a growing frustration.
After seeing Allison tear up the wedding invitation without a second thought, that frustration became impossible to ignore.
At the restaurant on the top floor, what was meant to be a dinner for three quickly turned into an intimate affair for two. As soon as they sat down, Rebecca’s phone rang. After a brief conversation, she made her exit.
“My dad suddenly needs me back at the office for some last-minute work. It’s chaos over there. So… take your time, Mr. Lloyd, Allison. I’ve got to go handle some company matters.” She flashed them both a meaningful smile before leaving, clearly creating an opportunity for the two of them.
Shortly after, Allison’s phone buzzed with a message: “Allison, you owe me one!”
Allison shook her head, exasperated. Rebecca would probably never believe her if she said there was nothing going on between her and Kellan.
Now, with just the two of them left, Kellan looked at her. “Anything you don’t eat, Miss Clarke?”
“I’m not picky. Whatever you like is fine,” she replied with a relaxed smile.
Fortunately, the meal wasn’t awkward at all. Conversation flowed easily, and they were both at ease.
As Allison admired the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she casually asked, “How’s Lorna doing these days? She may be in her own world most of the time, but she really cares about you. I remember how terrified she was when you were sick. Did you manage to comfort her?”
“Yes,” Kellan responded, his voice steady. “And I owe you thanks for that. You had Jim take Lorna upstairs when I couldn’t. I was too caught up in everything and ended up neglecting her.” He glanced up, catching the soft glow of light on Allison’s face, making her look radiant. “And thanks to you, my headaches have eased up a lot.”
“Mr. Lloyd, it was nothing,” Allison replied, brushing off the praise with a modest wave of her hand.
Satisfied that Lorna was fine, Allison smiled. “Didn’t we agree you’d thank me with this dinner? That’s plenty. You’ve already done more than enough, Mr. Lloyd.”
She knew he’d been thoughtful in choosing the venue.
Kellan had impeccable taste. The rooftop restaurant offered a perfect view of the clouds by day, and by night, the city lights twinkled beneath them, a soft hum of life in the distance.
“One meal isn’t enough.” His voice lowered, taking on a more personal tone. “I plan to teach you the perfume-making techniques I learned from my grandmother. It’s my way of repaying you for everything. I hope you won’t find it too dull, Miss Clarke.”
His eyes were dark and unreadable. He wasn’t sure if he was offering to teach her out of gratitude or if he simply wanted to create more opportunities to spend time with her.
“Of course not. I’d love that,” she replied with a soft, easy smile. But behind her calm demeanor, Allison’s mind was elsewhere. Learning perfume-making was just a cover. She needed answers-and fast. Her top priority was finding out where Kinslee’s nursing home was.
She needed to get that information from Kinslee herself. As her thoughts raced, a sudden bang from outside interrupted her. A deep, resonant voice cut through her thoughts.
“Miss Clarke.”
Startled, Allison looked up to meet Kellan’s gaze. He gestured toward the window. “Fireworks.”
Her breath caught for a moment as their eyes locked. Her heart skipped a beat, but she quickly turned toward the window.
The sky outside was alight with fireworks, bright and breathtaking, each burst like a shooting star against the night sky. The display was stunning.
From where they sat, their reflections shimmered against the glass.
Allison rested her chin in her hand, a soft sigh escaping her lips. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
Kellan’s gaze lingered on her for just a moment-her long lashes, the soft curve of her lips-before he looked away. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed, his voice hushed and rough around the edges. “Yes. Very beautiful.”
A month had passed, and Allison found herself spending more and more time with Lorna. The bond between them had grown stronger-almost unspoken but deeply felt.
“Lorna, you’re doing great, but your lines need a bit more control here. See this curve?” Allison gently took Lorna’s wrist, guiding her hand. “You need to apply more pressure with your wrist, like this.”
In the past, their lessons had always taken place in the cold sculpture studio. But now, Lorna often invited Allison into her bedroom-an unmistakable sign of her trust. Allison knew how difficult it was for Lorna to let others in, so this was no small victory.
“Perfect, just like that,” Allison encouraged warmly. Not far away, Kellan, seated in his wheelchair, quietly observed them. A faint smile touched his lips as he watched the two interact. When Lorna finished the line perfectly, she looked up at Allison with wide, shining eyes, silently asking for praise. Allison smiled and gently patted her head. “Lorna, that was wonderful.”
The Lloyd family had been nothing but courteous to Allison over the past month. Unfortunately, she had yet to uncover any significant information-just a few trivial details here and there. Still, she understood that even the smallest clues could prove vital, especially when it came to uncovering her mother’s situation. Patience was her greatest ally.
As the lesson wound down, Kellan mused aloud, “I believe today is Colton and Melany’s wedding. Are you sure you don’t want to attend, Miss Clarke?”
Allison barely lifted her head, her voice playful as she replied, “Mr. Lloyd, we don’t have any deep-seated grudges. But do you really need to bring up such a distasteful event to get a rise out of me?”
“It was just a joke,” Kellan chuckled, relieved to see her unbothered by the mention of Colton’s wedding. The two shared a laugh, the moment light and easy. Kellan had learned much about Allison’s past over time, and he still found it difficult to imagine her once hiding her sharpness and talents, playing the role of a docile housewife for a man like Colton.
Colton must have meant a lot to her at one point.
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.