Chapter 409: Chapter 409

Chapter 409:

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Finally, she stepped back, a grin tugging at her lips. She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You look… adorable. This little ponytail is just too much. It’s standing up like it has a life of its own.”

Kellan turned, curiosity piqued by her reaction. The soft overhead light caught Allison’s face, her bright eyes and wide smile almost too dazzling for the moment.

He reached up to run a hand over his newly styled hair. “From that look on your face, I’m guessing it’s ugly.”

Allison shook her head, stifling a laugh. “Not ugly. It’s quite charming. It just makes you look… different.”

“Different how?”

“It makes you seem less…” She paused, searching for the right word. “Less like a businessman and more like someone… approachable.”

Someone alive, she almost added, but stopped herself. The quirky little tuft softened his edges. It took away the formality that usually made him look so cold.

Their gazes met, and for a brief moment, the rest of the room seemed to fade away. There was an unspoken connection, something quietly lingering between them. Before the silence could stretch awkwardly, Allison cleared her throat, leaning casually against the bedside table.

“Well, I guess I owe you a favor now. Anything within reason, of course—nothing crazy or illegal.”

Kellan’s gaze lowered slightly, as if weighing his options, before he met her eyes again. There was a curious intensity in his expression now, something deeper than before.

“In a week,” he began slowly, “would you have time to go on a pretend date with me? It’s something I’ve never experienced, and I’d like to try it.”

The question hung in the air, thick with implications.

Allison blinked, momentarily thrown off. A date? That was the last thing she’d expected. Of all the favors he could’ve asked for, why that?

She blinked again, her gaze drifting to the tuft of hair bobbing slightly on top of his head, as if it were nodding along in agreement. It was absurd, and yet…

Kellan, ever poised, seemed to sense her hesitation. “If you’re not comfortable, it’s fine. I didn’t mean to pressure you. This whole thing was just a joke, after all.”

But something inside her rebelled at the idea of backing down.

With a slight tilt of her chin, she said, “A date? Why not? I don’t break promises, and it’s no big deal.”

She crossed her arms, her mind already spinning with possibilities. Where would they even go?

“But what kind of date are we talking? Dinner? Movie? Or maybe… an amusement park?”

She mulled over images from TV dramas, recalling typical date scenes of couples holding hands in the soft glow of evening lights, laughing and kissing.

“Yeah, that’s what people usually do,” she said absentmindedly, before glancing at Kellan for his thoughts. “What do you think?”

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