Chapter 15:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

When Allison returned to her apartment, Rebecca was on the verge of a meltdown.

“Allison, honey! Thank God you’re finally home!” The moment Rebecca laid eyes on her, her heart, which had been somersaulting all night, finally found its rhythm, though the tension still clung to her.

“I must’ve called you a hundred times last night, and not a single answer! I even had people combing through the city for hours! If that cruise ship hadn’t been stuck at sea, I’d have rung the police for sure. Your message this morning was the only thing keeping me sane, but wait…” She paused, her eyes narrowing as they noticed something curious about Allison. There, just peeking out from her collar, were faint red marks that told a story all their own.

“Wait a second… Did you get lucky last night?”

Allison gave her a light pat on the back and, without missing a beat, shrugged. “Yeah, I’m alright. Spent the night with someone, no big deal.”

Rebecca’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Ohhh, I see now! You ignored my calls because you didn’t want me crashing your little party!”

Now that she knew Allison wasn’t lying in a ditch somewhere, Rebecca’s nerves began to untangle, the panic replaced by something much lighter.

In a flash, she lunged at Allison with playful curiosity. “Alright, fess up! What went down last night? Did you ditch me for a guy? Come on, let me see!”

“Get off me.” Allison laughed, swerving out of her way. “It was a chaotic night.”

She gave Rebecca a quick rundown of the previous night’s events.

ɢ𝓪𝓵𝓷𝓸vє𝓵𝓼.co𝓶 for more reading

“The guy had a body like a Greek statue, and he wasn’t half bad in bed either. But… he was packing heat. Dangerous type, for sure. If I hadn’t been racing off to get this divorce finalized, I might’ve actually taken a good look at him.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened in shock, then softened into a teasing grin. “Sounds like you’ve got a little crush. Guess he put those gigolos I set you up with to shame. Why can’t I ever be the one getting this kind of luck?”

They were close enough for banter like this, but the conversation wasn’t all fun and games. There were still things to handle.

With a serious glint in her eyes, Rebecca ran her fingers through Allison’s hair and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered. I’ll get someone to dig up the details and make sure every scrap of footage is wiped clean. No way you’re getting dragged into whatever…”

“Guess he’s involved in.” Though Allison appeared unfazed, Rebecca knew better. A man with a gun meant danger, and she wasn’t about to let her friend waltz into it blindly.

“Alright,” Allison said, starting to feel some of the tension drain from her, though her body still ached in all the wrong places. She rubbed her sore back and stomach before asking, “Did I miss anything big at last night’s event? Was the CEO of Charisma Company there?”

Rebecca shook her head.

“Nah, it was the usual crowd. Same old faces, all loosely connected. The CEO didn’t make an appearance. Probably didn’t want to show his hand just yet. But here’s the kicker.” Rebecca’s face lit up like a match striking flame. “The Fourth International Perfumery Competition’s about to start. Ontdale’s biggest ad company is hosting it, and guess what? The top three winners are getting sponsored by Everett Group to launch their brands. The scale of this thing? It’s monumental.”

Allison nodded. The event sounded like a stage set for giants.

Rebecca smirked and further explained, “Here’s the real juice: the CEO of Charisma Company’s entering the competition too. Anyone who can craft a scent that lingers like his? He’s no ordinary guy. Plus, this year, all finalists have to reveal their identity, so if you join, you’ll cross paths with him.”

Grinning like a cat who’d just caught a mouse, Rebecca added, “Now, tell me how you’re gonna thank me for bringing you this.”

Allison’s mind was already whirling. If he really was entering, their meeting was inevitable. “You sure your info’s solid?”

“Of course! I’ve brought back the registration forms for you. What do you think? First, you ditch me for a guy, and now you doubt my skills!” Rebecca laughed, tousling Allison’s hair. “You’re a menace, and someday, I’ll get even with you!”

“How could I ever doubt you?” Allison teased, snatching a throw pillow and settling her head comfortably on Rebecca’s shoulder. “Since you’ve laid out the red carpet, I’ll dive in. And mark my words, I’m making it to the finals.”

Rebecca raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Well, listen to you. All full of yourself now, huh?”

“Confidence is my middle name.” Allison stood up, stretching her stiff muscles. “But first things first, I need a shower and a long nap.”

Her mind wandered to the looming visit she had with Colton’s grandfather, Keanu Stevens, tomorrow.

The mere thought of Colton and Melany cozying up together during the divorce proceedings made her stomach twist like a knotted rope. As she headed toward the bathroom, she couldn’t resist mocking Melany’s syrupy sweet voice.

“Rebecca, you don’t mind if I shower here, right? Promise, there’s nothing happening between us,” Allison mimicked, her tone dripping with fake innocence.

Rebecca burst into laughter, grabbing a pillow and flinging it at her. “Go already! You’re giving me the shivers!”

The bathroom quickly filled with a cloud of steam as the hot water cascaded over Allison, washing away the stress of the day.

She glanced at her skin, where the red marks from the night before still lingered. That man had been like a storm—fierce and overwhelming. In hindsight, she figured she should’ve kept her money in her pocket and skipped the tip altogether.

Yet, despite herself, she couldn’t stop thinking about his deep, unreadable eyes, the kind that seemed to hold entire oceans of secrets.

It wasn’t until the water nearly burned her that she snapped out of her thoughts, suddenly realizing there was something crucial she had almost let slip from her mind.

.

.

.