After filing their complaint at the police station, Allison and Kellan spent three more days in Athton, as Emanuel insisted on ensuring their full recovery.
As they prepared to leave, Emanuel, his eyes shining with unshed tears, said goodbye to them.
âTake care, Allison, you wheel freak!â
Although Allison was hesitant to part, she had urgent matters at hand.
Back at the Green family home, Allison took a shower.
Towel-drying her hair, she headed to the secret room her best friend had designed.
There, she picked up a spare black phone and dialed a number.
The voice on the other end of the phone was initially stunned, but soon turned melodramatic, dripping with disappointment.
âBoss! You finally decided to call me! Have you forgotten about Cobweb?â
Allison's response was curt.
"I need you to find someone.
"
Gordon Herbert sneered, âA lover, right? You finally reach out to me after all this time just to give me work? All right, whoâs the lucky one?â
"Gather everything you have on Kellan Lloyd and send it to my computer.
"
âKellan Lloyd? The guy from the Lloyd Group?â Gordon, despite his playful tone, was quick and efficient.
Within a minute, a decrypted file landed in Allisonâs inbox.
âHis information is top secret.
Many have tried to dig up dirt on him.
â
Allison didn't say a word.
She examined Kellan's file in silence.
Her brow furrowed in concern.
It was no wonder Kellan had mentioned family issues.
The situation here was chaos.
His mother had died prematurely and his father, the head of the Lloyd Group, was no pushover.
With a slew of illegitimate children, it was no wonder the family was embroiled in fierce power struggles.
Kellan, the rightful heir, was at the centre of it all.
The present Mrs.
Lloyd had started out as a mistress.
Although her youth had faded, the photos showed a woman who still exuded charm.
She had employed every tactic to secure her position in the family.
He also had a son, Hoyt Lloyd, who had recently caused a sensation.
âWhatâs Hoyt Lloydâs story?â Allison asked.
"That boy? Another illegitimate child, but he managed to elbow his way into the throne and become the official heir.
"
«He's ruthless and ambitious, even launching his own luxury brand to rival Kellan's.
And behind the scenes? His methods are dirtier than a coal miner's hands.
It's common knowledge that Kellan and Hoyt hate each other.
They'd probably love the chance to take each other down.
»
Allison's review of Hoyt's background suggested that the killer hunting them had likely been his work.
Gordon sighed dramatically on the other end.
He sounded bored.
âBoss, donât you miss us? Iâm practically bored to death running the Webway alone.
Some of these clowns canât gather information to save their lives.
If you were here, things would run like a well-oiled machine.
â
"Hang in there.
I'll be back soon.
"
"What? Really? I'll start organizing and preparing things.
"
Gordon's excitement was palpable.
He had only hoped that Allison would be able to help him from a distance, but the prospect of her returning in person was like hitting the jackpot.
âDonât get so excitedâ¦â Allison felt her head ache at Gordonâs overly enthusiastic response.
She had never liked being the center of attention.
Just as Gordon was about to get even more excited, she heard footsteps outside and quickly ended the call after giving him some last-minute instructions.
âHey, all fresh and clean, huh? You smell great, Allison.
â Rebecca came out from behind the couch, wrapping Allison in a hug as if she were a child seeking affection.
âReally? Youâre an adult now.
â Allison knew Rebeccaâs carefree spirit well.
To spare her worries, Allison hadnât shared Athtonâs perilous situation with her.
âYouâve been out having fun, havenât you? You have no idea how busy Iâve been sorting things out for you.
â Rebecca, unaware of the true events, assumed that Allison had been having fun and continued proudly, âIâve already submitted your name for the perfume contest, just like you asked.
I didnât use the alias Scarlet Snake this time.
I chose Lemonade instead.
â
"Well, now I feel like having a drink when I hear that name.
"
Allison chuckled, amused and a little mute.
Before she could thank Rebecca, her friend pulled out a set of keys with a smile.
âI know you havenât worked on any fragrances in the past three years, so Iâve prepared a whole lab for you! You can practice until you drop, and when the time comes, weâll aim for victory!â
âRebecca.
â Allison smiled warmly at her friend.
She had been mulling over the perfume competition on the way back and was pleasantly surprised by Rebeccaâs initiative.
Allison grew serious for a moment.
âThank you for everything youâve done.
â
âFor me.
I really appreciate it.
â Rebecca puffed out her chest proudly, hugging Allison even tighter.
âSee? This is why having a best friend is the best thing ever!â
âIâm going to take a look at the lab now,â Allison said with a playful smile.
"Take care of yourself!"
To prevent Rebecca from noticing her hidden injuries, Allison sneaked into the lab.
Inside, the laboratory was fully equipped with everything he could possibly need.
There were materials from renowned perfumers and samples of their fragrances.
All the information he could ever want was at his fingertips.
Opening the scent library, she discovered over eighty meticulously organized base fragrances, but Allison was in no hurry to dive into them.
Instead, she sat quietly, letting memories of her childhood wash over her.
The array of perfumes surrounding her evoked distant memories.
Smells had a magical way of preserving memories, evoking a sense of familiarity when revisited.
Allison set out to capture her mother's blurry memories through scents and preserve them in a new form.
She was determined to find the enigmatic creator of the Charisma company.