Chapter 263

After dealing with the kidnappers, Allison turned to Sherman. "You all should head back," she said. "I've got other matters to attend to."

"Alright," Sherman replied, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much, Ms. Clarke." He rarely got choked up, but this time, he couldn't help it. "If it hadn't been for you breaking that remote control, we might have all been blown to bits."

Allison offered a faint smile. "Just doing my part. Now, if you'll excuse me." Without another word or glance at Kellan, she left. Floyd was busy patching Kellan up, and Kellan needed to attend to Lorna. Besides, other pressing matters occupied her mind. Whoever orchestrated the attack wasn't merely after Kellan; they had disrupted the competition and dragged her into it.

Later, after the area was cleared and secured, Sherman reported to Kellan. "Sir, everything's been taken care of. Ms. Clarke said she had something to do and left early."

Kellan frowned, irritation flickering in his eyes, but he maintained an even tone. "Alright. You're dismissed."

Learning of Allison's departure, Kellan remained silent, his palm clenching into a fist, his knuckles whitening. It was strange—no, utterly baffling—that in the midst of the life-threatening chaos, his thoughts had instinctively turned to her.

After Floyd finished bandaging Kellan's wound, he stretched with a casual yawn. "Well, since Allison's gone, I won't stick around. I've got my own affairs to handle."

"Thank you," Kellan murmured.

"You're welcome, but I didn't do it for you," Floyd replied. "I did it for Allison." With a playful salute, he left.

Kellan watched him go, then took Lorna and the others back to his mansion. Inside, Ferdinand waited, his usual cheer replaced by worry. "Is Lorna alright?" he asked curtly. "I've already deployed my men to investigate. Whoever planned this covered their tracks meticulously. No clues were left behind. It's obvious—you were the target."

Kellan rubbed his temple, a headache brewing. "I've made my fair share of enemies; it's not surprising. But this time was different—I won't rest until I know who's behind it."

Ferdinand sighed, seeing Kellan's determined expression. "Lately, it seems like trouble follows you everywhere. Maybe you should think about settling down—change your luck or something."

Kellan's lips twitched. "Since when do you spout advice about settling down? Could it be that spending time with Rebecca has made you reconsider your stance on commitment?"

Ferdinand blinked, caught off guard. He'd been caught.

Just then, the family doctor, having finished his examination, stepped forward. "Dr. Pierce's emergency treatment was commendable. The bullet has been removed cleanly. There shouldn't be any complications, but I'd still advise rest."

Kellan waved him off impatiently. "How's Lorna?"

"Dr. Pierce is with her now. I'm not a specialist in psychological matters, but I've observed significant improvement. Still, she's been crying a lot."

"She's been crying for too long, hasn't she?" Ferdinand asked, worried.

The doctor shook his head. "It's better this way. Keeping all that pain bottled up is far more damaging. Sometimes, an emotional outburst can be the first step toward healing. This incident… it may have been traumatic, but it could also be a turning point." He was genuinely relieved to see Lorna showing progress.

Kellan nodded, his posture softening, relief settling in his eyes. Ferdinand, however, remained unconvinced. He studied the doctor intently before turning to Kellan. "That psychiatrist, Floyd Pierce… He's quite well-known in his field. And from what I've heard, it was Ms. Clarke who introduced him to you. Her background might be more extraordinary than we've been led to believe."