“Ms. Clarke,” Kellan replied. “You’re being overly cautious. No one’s around at this hour.” He leaned back in his wheelchair, a subtle but chilling authority radiating from him. “And if someone does want to start a rumor, I have ways of making them regret ever being born.”
Allison smiled. “Just trying to avoid unnecessary drama, that’s all. I’ll be down in a bit.”
“Fine,” Kellan replied, his face a mask of indifference, though something unreadable stirred behind his eyes. “I’ll wait for you in the garage.”
Even as he wheeled out, Kellan’s thoughts were tangled. Allison always kept a certain distance, like she was holding something back. Last time, she insisted he not drive her, and now here she was again, keeping him at arm’s length. It made him curious.
No, more than that – it made him want to figure her out. Maybe he was even beginning to enjoy this strange push-and-pull between them.
Ten minutes later, Allison headed downstairs.
From the shadows of the first floor, Marc quietly emerged. He watched her step into the elevator, his lips curling into a sneer.
“Allison, this is your last night here,” he muttered under his breath. He was determined to see her out of Charisma for good!
Allison parked near Muisvedo, unbuckling her seatbelt with a teasing smile playing on her lips.
“Mr. Lloyd, your Maserati’s holding up well. I’m impressed it didn’t break down again,” she teased, standing in front of the villa.
“Would you care for some coffee? I promise there won’t be any power outages tonight.”
Kellan simply chuckled.
“If this car fails me again, Sherman better pack his bags. I’ll ship him off.”
Allison had been showing a more playful side in front of him lately, and Kellan found himself gradually getting used to it. In fact, he realized he was far less reserved around her now than when they had first met.
Their relationship had become more familiar.
“It’s late, and I should be going. You get some rest, Ms. Clarke,” Kellan said, glancing at his watch.
“Okay, goodnight, Mr. Lloyd.” Allison waved casually as she turned and walked inside.
Kellan didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he waited, watching the lights flicker on in the villa to ensure she was safe before slowly driving back to Lloyd Mansion.
Once home, Allison took a long, hot shower. She didn’t head to bed immediately. Instead, after drying her hair, she walked into her study. Locking the door behind her, she drew the curtains and activated a concealed switch on the wall.
As a black curtain fell, she turned on a computer she had built herself, her fingers moving deftly across the keyboard. The screen flickered to life, and she initiated the transfer of data she had secretly copied from Marc’s computer.
As the progress bar hit 100%, a flood of hidden files popped up on the screen.
“Just as I thought,” Allison muttered, her face hardening as she scrolled through the files.
Ever since her discussion with Aimee, she had been biding her time. She collected surveillance footage and evidence, confirming that Marc had stored the incriminating material on his private computer. And now was her time to act.
Marc had been at this far longer than she had anticipated. She sifted through files taken from his private computer, her gut churning as she viewed the images and videos.
It wasn’t just Aimee – there were pictures and videos of other young women, all caught in compromising situations.
“How can there be so many?” Her frown deepened.
Most people in this situation might go to the authorities, but Allison knew better. Even if Marc were arrested, the legal system wouldn’t punish him harshly. He’d be out in no time.
Worse, the victims would have to relive their trauma, identifying themselves in those humiliating photos.
She wasn’t about to let that happen.
But Allison wasn’t a soft-hearted person either. Marc needed to be dealt with. Picking up her phone, she dialed Gordon from Cobweb.
“I need some people from the underworld,” she said without preamble.
Gordon, half-asleep, groggily replied,
“What’s the target?”
“I’ll send you the details. Make sure Marc disappears from Ontdale – quietly. I want him to experience something worse than death,” she said.
Gordon yawned.
“First thing in the morning?”
“No,” Allison replied sharply.
“I’ll give you the signal when the time is right.” She had been watching Marc closely. She knew he had been tampering with the security system lately. She knew he’d make his move soon.
She was waiting for him to make his move – so she could expose him and take down the others involved.
Once the call ended, Allison connected to Marc’s computer. She quickly hacked into his control program, skimming through his recent messages. To her surprise, she found a series of exchanges between Marc and Melany.
“Don’t worry, I won’t mess up this time!” Marc had written confidently.
“Allison isn’t stupid. But if you ruin her reputation, I’ll pay you triple,” Melany had replied.
Allison’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile.
“So, Melany’s in on this too. She’s asking for it.”
It wasn’t just Marc’s dissatisfaction with her position. Melany had been pushing him from behind, hoping to bring her down. With that, Allison deleted the files from Marc’s computer, installing a virus that would render the machine useless. The moment Marc tried to use it, all he would see were lines of code scrolling as the system self-destructed.
The next morning, Aimee arrived at work as usual. She was always the first to arrive, often helping the cleaning staff when they were shorthanded. The cleaners liked her and would sometimes bring her fruit from home.
“Thank you so much,” Aimee said softly, accepting an orange from one of them before sitting at her desk. But as soon as she looked up, her heart sank. Memories of the previous day rushed in.
Marc was standing nearby, watching her with a smug expression.
Marc sauntered over, his voice dripping with mockery.
“So, Ms. Clarke came to your rescue yesterday, huh? And yet, here you are, still too scared to speak up. You’re such a coward, Aimee. Trying to play both sides? Impossible!”
Aimee bit her lip but didn’t respond. Following Allison’s instructions, she quietly turned on the recorder she had hidden in her desk drawer.
Seeing her meek silence only fueled Marc’s arrogance.
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.