After filing a 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.
“Take care, Allison, you wheel freak!”
Although hesitant to leave, Allison had urgent matters to attend to.
Back at the Green family home, Allison showered and, after towel-drying her hair, 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 was initially stunned, then became melodramatic, dripping with disappointment.
“Boss! You finally called! Have you forgotten about Cobweb?”
Allison’s response was curt.
“I need you to find someone.”
Gordon Herbert sneered. “A lover, right? You finally reach out after all this time just for work? All right, who’s the lucky one?”
“Gather everything you have on Kellan Lloyd and send it to my computer.”
“Kellan Lloyd? From the Lloyd Group?” Gordon, despite his playful tone, was quick and efficient. Within a minute, a decrypted file landed in Allison’s inbox.
“His information is top secret. Many have tried to dig up dirt on him.”
Allison examined Kellan's file in silence. Her brow furrowed with concern. It was no wonder Kellan had mentioned family issues; the situation was chaotic. His mother had died prematurely, and his father, the head of the Lloyd Group, was no pushover. With a slew of illegitimate children, the family was embroiled in fierce power struggles. Kellan, the rightful heir, was at the center of it all. The current Mrs. Lloyd had started as a mistress. Although her youth had faded, photos showed a woman who still exuded charm. She had employed every tactic to secure her position. He also had a son, Hoyt Lloyd, who had recently caused a sensation.
“What’s Hoyt Lloyd’s story?” Allison asked.
“That boy? Another illegitimate child, but he elbowed his way into the throne and became 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 relish the chance to take each other down.”
Allison’s review of Hoyt’s background suggested the killer hunting them was likely his doing.
Gordon sighed dramatically; he sounded bored. “Boss, don’t you miss us? I’m practically bored to death running Webway alone. Some of these clowns can’t gather information to save their lives. If you were here, things would run like a well-oiled machine.”
“Hang in there. I’ll be back soon.”
“What? Really? I’ll start organizing and preparing things.”
Gordon’s excitement was palpable. He had hoped Allison would help from a distance, but her return in person was like hitting the jackpot.
“Don’t get so excited…” Allison’s head ached at Gordon’s overly enthusiastic response. She had never liked being the center of attention. Just as Gordon was about to become even more excited, she heard footsteps outside and quickly ended the call after giving him last-minute instructions.
“Hey, all fresh and clean, huh? You smell great, Allison.” Rebecca emerged from behind the couch, wrapping Allison in a hug.
“Really? You’re an adult now.” Allison knew Rebecca’s carefree spirit well. To spare her worries, Allison hadn’t shared Athton’s perilous situation.
“You’ve been out having fun, haven’t you? You have no idea how busy I’ve been sorting things out for you.” Rebecca, unaware of the true events, assumed Allison had been having fun and continued, “I’ve already submitted your name for the perfume contest, just like you asked. I didn’t use the alias Scarlet Snake this time. I chose Lemonade instead.”
“Well, now I feel like having a drink when I hear that name.” Allison chuckled, amused.
Before she could thank Rebecca, her friend pulled out a set of keys with a smile. “I know you haven’t worked on any fragrances in the past three years, so I’ve prepared a whole lab for you! You can practice until you drop, and when the time comes, we’ll aim for victory!”
“Rebecca,” Allison smiled warmly. She had been mulling over the perfume competition on the way back and was pleasantly surprised by Rebecca’s initiative. Allison grew serious. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“For me? I really appreciate it!” Rebecca puffed out her chest proudly, hugging Allison tighter. “See? This is why having a best friend is the best thing ever!”
“I’m going to take a look at the lab now,” 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. There were materials from renowned perfumers and samples of their fragrances. All the information she could ever want was at her 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 evoked distant memories. Smells had a magical way of preserving memories, evoking 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.