Chapter 204: The Next Day

The next day, as Allison entered the lab, she immediately sensed something was wrong. Her colleagues acted as if she were invisible, pointedly avoiding eye contact. It wasn't until Aimee quietly slipped into Allison's office, unseen, that Allison received a clue.

Frowning, she asked, "Ms. Clarke, have you crossed someone lately?"

Without looking up from the files she was reviewing, Aimee responded, "A few too many."

"What's going on with the company?" Aimee hesitated, glancing toward a bouquet of roses in the corner. "You might want to check downstairs."

Allison arched an eyebrow at the flowers. They were lovely, but the sender was clearly not well-intentioned.

"There's someone downstairs," Aimee added. "He claims to be your boyfriend."

Allison's stomach sank. A familiar feeling washed over her. Tossing the files aside, she stood abruptly and headed downstairs.

The moment she stepped out of the elevator, a loud voice assaulted her ears.

"Yeah, we grew up in the same orphanage, Allison and me! Been through thick and thin together, you know?" Devin was addressing anyone who would listen, using exaggerated hand gestures. "She promised me—promised, mind you—that she wouldn't marry anyone but me. Said we'd get hitched the second we turned eighteen, and, oh, we'd have a whole bunch of kids! But life had other plans, and we got separated. Now, after all this time…"

He was in full theatrical mode. Despite his outlandish claims, some of her colleagues were whispering amongst themselves.

"Is this guy for real? Ms. Clarke, with him? He's, what, like half her height? And look at him," one added. "No way someone like her would settle for that."

"But they did grow up together," another countered. "Maybe there's a grain of truth to it?"

The moment they spotted Allison, however, the chattering ceased abruptly. She'd half expected this. Devin clearly hadn't learned anything from their previous encounter, and now he dared to pull this stunt at her workplace. This was no coincidence.

Without hesitation, Allison marched up to him and delivered a swift kick to the back of his knee.

"Ah!" Devin yelped, his performance cut short as he crashed face-first onto the floor. His attempt to regain his footing was clumsy. When he saw Allison looming over him, the smirk on his face twisted into a wounded, pitiful expression.

"Allison, I've been thinking about what you said. I know I hurt you in the past, but that was just because I wanted attention. And look at you now—hitting me! That means you care about me, right? Why don't we put the past behind us and start fresh? Let's be happy together."

Her stomach churned with disgust. The sheer audacity. Devin was incredibly thick-skinned and shameless, continuing to try to win her favor even after she'd already physically confronted him.

Allison's voice turned cold. "I'll say this once: Leave, now, or you'll regret it."

But Devin was persistent. "I'm not going anywhere. I know you like me, Allison. What happened to you? You weren't always like this." He seemed unfazed by the beating he'd just received, likely believing that persistent harassment would force Allison's hand. His arrogance was unbelievable.

Just as she was about to take matters into her own hands, a calm voice cut through the tension.

"Who's causing trouble in my company?"

Allison looked up to see Kellan approaching, his assistant, Sherman, close behind, a look of disdain on his face.

"Mr. Lloyd, it's clear this individual was sent by our competitors to stir up chaos," Sherman stated immediately. "But don't worry, I'll ensure the security team tightens up, and we'll never see this kind of amateurish ploy again."

Kellan gave a curt nod, clearly satisfied. "What is this, a theater troupe? You all must be done with work if you've got time to stand around."

At the sight of their president, the crowd dispersed. Devin, however, wasn't finished.

"Wait! Mr. Lloyd, you've got it all wrong. I'm Allison's childhood sweetheart! We—"

Before he could finish, Sherman clamped a hand over his mouth and efficiently dragged him out of the building.

To everyone else, the incident would be dismissed as a mere disturbance orchestrated by the competition. No one dared question it further, no matter how juicy the gossip.

Once the lobby was clear, Kellan turned to Allison. "What's going on?" It was obvious Devin had been harassing her.

She exhaled, frustrated. "I know him. We grew up in the same orphanage. He's been pestering me for a while now. I'm grateful, Mr. Lloyd."

"I'll make sure to give him a proper lesson if I see him again," she added, mentally berating herself for not having knocked his teeth out the previous day.

Kellan sensed there was more to the story. Devin's brazenness suggested a larger plan. His tone sharpened. "As long as you work for me, I won't let this slide. Sherman's already handling it." His eyes were cold. "Don't waste another thought on him. You won't be seeing him at the company again."