Chapter 463:
ð ð ð ð ð
âCome on, Kellan, you must be starving⦠Oh, my apologies, I didnât realize Ms. Clarke was here too.â Carole finally seemed to take notice of Allison.
âI only brought two lunches, so⦠how about this? Kellan and I can share one, and we can give the other to Ms. Clarke.â Her tone was light, almost friendly, as she nonchalantly slid the lunch box onto Kellanâs desk.
But before Carole could even settle into a chair, Kellan dismissed her outright.
âCarole, itâs good youâre back, but you should know that our engagement ended a long time ago.â
Steam rose from the polished black surface of his desk, the aroma of the rich, tempting dishes barely offsetting the chill in Kellanâs toneâa coldness that cut right to the bone.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but Carole thought his gaze held an eerie, unapproachable iciness.
Still, she couldnât walk away empty-handed. No, she had come here to make her mark, to reclaim her ground with Kellan.
A flicker of complexity crossed Caroleâs eyes, but she made an effort to pretend she didnât understand. âOf course I remember! But what can I say?â Carole shrugged with feigned innocence. âEver since the engagement was canceled, my parents have been relentless, nagging me to no end. The moment I set foot back here, they started pressuring me to reconnect with you.â
With a sincerity that almost sounded rehearsed, she continued, âBut donât worry, Kellan. Itâs not like Iâm here out of some long-lost affection. Itâs just to keep my parents off my back, so I thought Iâd pop by now and then.â
With that, Carole opened the lunch box, took a deliberate taste of the vegetables, her exaggerated expression of delight almost theatrical, and then, with exaggerated generosity, divided the meal in half.
Your next adventure is at g al n ovels . con
âHere, take this. No need to be bashful with me.â
However, Kellan didnât accept it. His response was swift and direct.
âI donât share food with people I donât like, Carole. Help yourself.â
In truth, Kellan had a slight aversion to sharing anything so personal. The very idea of kissing once seemed distasteful to himâa simple, unnecessary exchange of saliva. But ever since meeting Allison, his body had betrayed him with its yearning. Something about her stirred an ache in him, a desire he hadnât known, fierce and barely containable.
From the press of her lips to the thrill in his veins, he found himself drawnâirrevocablyâto every stolen breath they shared.
The edge in his voice left no room for interpretation.
Carole was rendered momentarily speechless. For her, this was uncharted territory. Sheâd never faced such blunt rejection before.
Meanwhile, Allison seemed thoroughly uninterested in the awkward scene playing out before her.
âWell, Iâll leave you two to catch up. Iâm not hungry anyway.â
And truly, Allison had no appetite.
She might have understood that nothing couldâor wouldâunfold between Carole and Kellan, but certain memories lingered, unbidden. Once, Colton had been engaged to Melany, and Allison had taken the role of the stand-in. Now, whatever existedâor didnâtâbetween Kellan and Carole was no longer her concern.
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