In the private lounge on the top floor, the manager had gone above and beyond, ordering another round of cleaning and ensuring everything was perfectly prepared. A delicious feast adorned the table as fireworks illuminated the night sky. He dismissed the waiters and bowed deeply to Allison.

"Boss, your visit surprised me," he said, practically drenched in sweat. "I haven't had time to prepare everything properly. I hope it's not too basic."

Who would have predicted that two fools would dare to cut in line ahead of the restaurant manager?

"Relax," Allison replied calmly. "You've done a fantastic job. No need to sweat. You've been running Jasmine Restaurant like a well-oiled machine. But now, I need you to revoke Colton's membership."

Rebecca, sitting beside her, clicked her tongue. "Exactly. They should be banned for life. They lack decency and are like lunatics who don't understand human language."

The director nodded fervently. "You can count on it; this will never happen again!" (He didn't need reminding; after Colton's gaffe, he was already on the blacklist.)

Allison waved dismissively. "You can go now. Make sure no one bothers us."

"Yes, Boss."

Once alone, Allison served Rebecca a slice of abalone, her favorite.

"I'm going to the Lloyd family's house on Monday to tutor Kellan's niece," Allison said, her brow furrowed. "Dealing with a child will be easy, but my mother's whereabouts are entangled with Kinslee's, and that's the real puzzle. Kinslee has Alzheimer's and barely remembers anything. Plus, she's in a nursing home that's impossible to locate. I'm sure it's heavily guarded. I'll have to find a way to sneak in."

"Is this going to be a tough nut to crack?" Rebecca asked, unconcerned, offering Allison a piece of white truffle. "With your talent, why not dive back into the hacker world? You could easily connect with top-notch medical experts. Once you put out a bounty and contact brain specialists, you can dig into the Lloyd family files and uncover all the information you need."

Allison considered this as she ate. "True, but it's not that easy." She had considered it, but reviving her hacker network would take considerable time and money, and require assembling a team.

"I'd need fifteen million dollars just to get the global systems up and running, and that's the easy part. What really worries me is my former enemies finding out. If every hitman organization in the world comes knocking, things will get out of hand. Right now, I just want peace. I'm tired of constant assassination attempts."

However, reviving the hacker network was inevitable; it was her master's last wish.

Rebecca shrugged. "Don't worry about the money. I can cover it, and you can use it however you want. Forget fifteen million; even a billion is a walk in the park."

"You might be willing to give it to me, but I can't accept it. If your father finds out, he'll probably have a heart attack," Allison joked, laughing. "And really, money is just a drop in the ocean. I'm going to be the Lloyd family's guardian, right? A guardian of my caliber comes at a very high price. I might as well get some money out of Kellan. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But are you sure you can easily get fifteen million out of him?" Rebecca chuckled.

"Don't worry; the money will flow my way," Allison said, winking.

"That's fine," Rebecca said, not pressing further. She'd never cared much about money.

"Allison, let's get down to business. If you're going to be chased by killers, what can I do to help?"

"When push comes to shove, I'll need your family's resources to clean up any trace of me abroad. I'll rely on you to tie up loose ends. I may be in the country, but I can't cover every angle. Your family has the influence for that."

Hearing she could help, Rebecca eagerly raised her glass. "Don't worry, I'll make sure everything is spotless! If you ever need anything else, just say the word. I'm just afraid I can't help enough." They clinked glasses, laughing. Rebecca reminisced, "When we first met, you weren't so fearless. You were like a prickly hedgehog: sharp, aloof, fierce, and difficult to approach." Fate had played a hand. That prickly Allison had saved her life. From that moment on, Rebecca had been by her side.

Allison felt a surge of nostalgia. "I really was a wild child, adrift and without a compass. If it hadn't been for my master, I would probably have rotted away on that desert island."

Sensing the shift in mood, Rebecca smiled brightly. "By the way, you've always been drawn to extreme sports. The international parkour competition, held every five years, is coming up. Maybe you should compete and clear your head."

"Good idea. I'll look into it," Allison replied. She hadn't trained in ages, and the idea of a challenge excited her. Kellan came to mind—the man who pretended to be disabled, always in his wheelchair. When they had faced killers in Athton, he had exuded a dangerous aura. But instead of intimidating her, it intrigued her, like an extreme sport. Or maybe it was a subtle mutual attraction between kindred spirits.