Allison was speechless for a beat, then her lips twitched into a smile. She was quite certain Kellan was just making excuses. After all, it was only rain, not an earthquake. What could possibly happen?
But as she glanced at him, the candlelight casting flickering shadows across his face, she noticed something else – his barely concealed anxiety.
She couldn’t help herself.
“Mr. Lloyd, you said I’m just a woman, not strong enough to defend myself. If you decide to do something inappropriate in the middle of the night, what am I supposed to do? Scream for help? No one would come…”
Kellan recognized the teasing lilt in her voice, but it didn’t make the situation any less embarrassing. He was a grown man, afraid of the dark, needing to sleep on the floor in her room – it sounded absurd even to him. But he tried to maintain his composure, replying as calmly as possible,
“That’s not going to happen, Ms. Clarke. Besides, don’t forget – you’ve already bested me twice.”
Allison raised an eyebrow.
“But didn’t you just say you wanted to protect me?”
Before she could finish, Kellan let out a slow breath and, in a rare moment of vulnerability, reached out, his fingers brushing the hem of her sleeve.
“Ms. Clarke… I’m really afraid of the dark.”
Kellan’s sudden confession caught Allison off guard. His face was half-buried in shadow, while the flickering firelight illuminated the other half, making his features seem even more defined and striking. Yet, his voice was unexpectedly soft, almost vulnerable.
“Because I’m afraid of the dark. I wonder if I could stay with you, Ms. Clarke.”
He sighed inwardly, realizing that he had fallen prey to her charm once again.
“Well then, Mr. Lloyd,” Allison replied with a teasing tone, “I suppose you’ll have to rough it on the floor.” Though she didn’t push it further, she couldn’t help but enjoy seeing him so different from the man she had grown accustomed to.
She rummaged through a cabinet, pulling out a blanket. The floor would be unforgiving, and the thin blanket was no match for a proper bed, but he was the one who had volunteered to be her protector, after all. That was the price he had chosen to pay.
Without a word, Kellan stretched out on the floor, his stoic expression unbroken.
“Good night, Ms. Clarke.”
“Good night,” she replied, but sleep refused to come. She found herself tossing and turning.
For some reason, even in the early hours of the morning, she was still awake, despite being exhausted in the lab not long ago.
She watched the occasional flicker of lightning through the curtain’s narrow gap, the rhythmic sound of rain hitting the window soothing but ineffective.
Listening closely, she realized Kellan’s breathing wasn’t the steady rhythm of someone asleep.
“Mr. Lloyd, you’ve got work tomorrow. Why aren’t you sleeping?” she asked, turning to face his rigid back.
Even with the dim glow of the candlelight, he couldn’t seem to unwind.
“You’re the president of a massive company. You carry everything on your shoulders. Have you ever thought about letting go, just a little? You know, like most people do?”
Kellan opened his eyes slowly, his voice a low rumble in the quiet room.
“I’m no good at relaxing. Besides, aren’t you the same? You pretend to be all innocent, but deep down, you’re a cunning fox, always with a trick up your sleeve.”
Allison responded with feigned innocence.
“If you want to believe I’m a fox, I won’t argue. But if I’m as crafty as you say, why do you still trust me enough to keep me around?”
He hesitated for just a second, clearly caught off guard by her playful jab.
Kellan was a man who usually saw through people, always on high alert. But when it came to Allison, it was different. He didn’t say what he was thinking, and he couldn’t quite figure out why he trusted her so much.
His voice softened, as though speaking more to himself than to her.
“Maybe because I’d rather keep you where I can see you, make sure you don’t pull anything while my back’s turned.”
Allison smirked.
“Didn’t expect you to be so ‘attached’ to me, Mr. Lloyd.”
She slipped out of bed and grabbed a roll of ribbon from the bedside drawer.
“Then let’s do as you wish.”
Before Kellan could respond, she took his wrist, wrapping the silky ribbon around his hand with slow, deliberate movements. The soft glow of the candle cast a golden light over her skin, and her delicate collarbone caught his eye, making his heart race unexpectedly.
“What are you…?”
Allison met his gaze, her eyes glinting with mischief. She tied the other end of the ribbon to her wrist.
“You said you wanted to keep an eye on me. Now, we’ll be inseparable. But be careful, Mr. Lloyd. Stay on your toes, or you might stumble into one of my traps – and then, you’ll have something to worry about.”
After tying the ribbon, Allison returned to bed. The length of red silk extended from the top of the bed down to the floor, an invisible bond between them.
Kellan was momentarily taken aback, his eyes following the soft curve of the ribbon. Then it clicked – Allison had sensed his unease and quietly offered this simple gesture, a way to ease his nerves without drawing attention. She had saved him from embarrassment.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice low, almost a murmur.
It was clear she was trying to put him at ease.
A warm sensation spread through Kellan’s chest, something he hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever. The feeling reminded him of the herbal tea he had earlier. It was as if his entire being was immersed in a calm, warm bath, utterly relaxed.
If Jim had been here, he would’ve been shocked by the smile that tugged at Kellan’s lips.
The deep-seated anxiety and restlessness that had been gnawing at him all evening slowly ebbed away, replaced by this quiet warmth. With a contented sigh, Kellan closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.
But peace was short-lived. Kellan’s brow furrowed as he slipped into a fitful dream. He murmured softly,
“Don’t…”
In the haze of sleep, Kellan found himself running down a long, endless road. No matter how far he went, the road stretched on ahead. He had no idea where he was or what he was meant to do. All he knew was that he was carrying a small girl on his back, her weight pressing down on his shoulders.
He ran unevenly, stumbling as the ground beneath him seemed to shift. The girl, however, grew lighter with each step, as if she were slipping away from him. Panic surged through Kellan, and he tightened his grip, fists clenching instinctively.
Then, he heard her whisper – a soft, familiar voice, brushing against his ear.
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.