Chapter 457:
ð ð ð ð ð
Her gaze flickered briefly to his shoulder, where a bandage peeked out from beneath his shirt. âBesides, youâre not even fully healed.â
Her words settled in the space between them, a stillness that seemed to sink deep into Kellanâs chest.
His face clouded, a shadow of realization washing over him. She wasnât just holding him back; she was pulling away.
Allison lifted her hand in a casual wave that said everything she wouldnât. âWell, goodbye, Kellan.â
Without looking back, she stepped away, her silhouette fading into the dusk. For a moment, her reflection lingered in the rearview mirror, and then she was gone.
Kellan sat there, staring at the spot where she had been, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips. âWhatâs wrong with me?â he murmured, leaning back in the driverâs seat.
He fished a cigarette from his pocket, flicking his lighter. The flame danced in the dark.
It had been months since heâd last smoked, but tonight the burn felt right â a small distraction from the cold ache spreading through him.
He took a long drag, watching the ember glow. It only made him feel more suffocated. He doubled over and coughed bitterly, clicking his mouth in mockery.
The red tip of the cigarette pulsed like an open wound, the heat searing yet adding to the chill deep in his bones.
Exhaling, he watched the smoke twist into the night and let his gaze drift to Allisonâs villa in the distance.
It wasnât until her porch light flickered on that he crushed the cigarette against the ashtray with a final drag and sped into the night, not looking back.
At the Herbert estate, Gordon absentmindedly snapped stems from the flower bed, his mind clearly elsewhere. When Allisonâs call interrupted his thoughts, his face immediately brightened.
âAllison! Itâs like you read my mind â I was just thinking about you, and here you are!â Standing by the expansive floor-to-ceiling window in his room, Gordon spoke with excitement, his usual serious demeanor melting into an unexpected gentleness.
But the warmth on his face quickly faded as Allisonâs next words carried a gravity he hadnât anticipated.
âI need you back in Cobweb, Gordon. Weâve uncovered something big about my mother. Iâll send you the information as soon as I finish compiling it,â she said, her fingers flying over her keyboard as her expression remained controlled.
âThe priority is to investigate Vriningâs Fleeingland,â Allison continued. âFocus especially on their connections to the human experimentation lab.â
Gordon immediately grasped the significance of what she was saying, the weight of the situation sinking in. A dark glint sparked in his eyes as her suspicions began to fit together in his mind.
.
.
.