Chapter 90:

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Allison glanced at Kellan through the rearview mirror, her thoughts spiraling like smoke rising into the air. His kissing skills had surprised her, though she hadn’t analyzed the moment beyond its natural intensity. The kiss had simply felt… right—an impulsive reaction to the charged atmosphere between them. The DNA test had already confirmed they weren’t related by blood, and that strange pull she felt toward him, that deep, soul-stirring connection, was undeniable.

She wasn’t naive or inexperienced when it came to matters of the heart. Far from it. She knew Kellan felt something too—it was there in his eyes, in the heat of his touch. What it was, though, remained elusive, like trying to catch fog in her hands. Still, drawing closer to him would undoubtedly make gaining access to his grandmother far more straightforward.

“He’s got moves, I’ll give him that. But why’s he wasting away in that wheelchair?” Allison muttered to herself as she steered the car. Kellan presented a cold, detached mask to the world, but that kiss—so full of passion, so expertly delivered—betrayed an undercurrent of fire he’d kept hidden.

Recalling that fleeting kiss, packed with raw, almost destructive energy, she realized they had been on the verge of combusting together. Beneath their calm exteriors simmered a mutual madness, just waiting to detonate. It was what made Kellan so irresistibly captivating—cool and composed on the outside, but dangerously unhinged underneath.

“How does a guy like that even enjoy ceramics?” The thought amused her—the idea of someone as intense as Kellan indulging in such a meticulous, serene art form felt almost comical.

By the time she reached home, Rebecca greeted her at the door with a glass of iced water, her face lit with curiosity. “Allison, darling, how was the class today? Any misbehaving little monsters?”

Before Allison could answer, Rebecca’s sharp eyes zeroed in on something unusual—Allison’s lips, slightly swollen and glossy with a faint sheen. With Allison’s naturally full, striking red lips, the extra flush only made her more alluring.

Rebecca’s brow shot up. “Spill it. Your lips don’t look like that from teaching. Who kissed you?”

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Grabbing Allison’s arm, Rebecca continued, her grin growing wider. “Come on, what are you hiding?”

“Uh… mosquito bite,” Allison said, quickly touching her lips in an instinctive defense.

But Rebecca clearly wasn’t buying it, so Allison took a quick sip of the iced water, smoothly shifting gears. “I did teach a talented girl today, though. She only needed one demo and nailed my technique perfectly. Her hands are steady as a surgeon’s, but she’s so wrapped up in her own little world, it’s a shame. You know, art requires more than skill—it needs inspiration from life. If you’ve never truly felt nature, no matter how well you recreate a landscape, it’s still just an imitation. Her work lacks soul, but I have a soft spot for her. She’s autistic, and that’s a tricky road to navigate. But we’ll take it slow.”

Rebecca, uninterested in the intricacies of ceramics, raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, you went to the Lloyd family’s house today. Any breakthroughs?”

“You mean clues? Nothing so obvious. No one’s leaving breadcrumbs for me to follow.” Allison’s tone was casual, but then she dropped the real bomb. “But did you know Kellan wears a necklace?”

Rebecca blinked. “A necklace? No, I never noticed.” Not surprising, really. Kellan always kept his collar buttoned to the top, looking like he was straight out of a business magazine. Who’d think to look for a necklace under all that formality?

“The design matches the snake bracelet my mother left me,” Allison continued. “The craftsmanship is identical. He says it was his mother’s.” Rebecca’s eyes widened, genuine shock on her face. She knew how long Allison had been chasing down leads about that bracelet. Finding this connection at the Lloyd Mansion was completely unexpected.

“You’re kidding. You two aren’t secretly siblings, are you?”

Allison shook her head. “Nope. DNA results came back clean. No blood relation. Kellan is his mother’s biological son. His mother, Gianna Lloyd, died years ago, though, so she’s not my link. That only leaves his grandmother, Kinslee. I need to meet her—whatever it takes.”

Rebecca nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of Allison’s discovery. “You know I’m in if you need help.” As the conversation drifted back to more serious matters, Rebecca seemed to realize that Allison had deftly dodged the original topic. Her smirk returned, playful and sly.

“Allison, I think Mr. Lloyd has a soft spot for you. I’ve never seen him act this way with anyone else. And knowing you…” Rebecca leaned in closer, her voice teasing. “Come on, be honest. Are you using him?”

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