SWNOVELS Chapter 15
When Allison returned to her apartment, Rebecca was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
“Allison, honey! Thank goodness you’re finally home!” The moment Rebecca laid eyes on her, her heart, which had been doing somersaults all night, finally found its rhythm, although tension still clung to her.
“I must have called you a hundred times last night, and not a single answer! I even had people combing the city for hours! If that cruise ship hadn’t been stuck at sea, I would have definitely called the police.
Your text this morning was the only thing keeping me sane, but wait…” He paused, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something curious about Allison.
There, just barely peeking out from her neck, were faint red marks that told a story all on their own.
“Wait a second… Did you have any luck last night?”
Allison patted him lightly on the back and, without missing a beat, shrugged.
“Yeah, I’m fine.
I spent the night with someone, nothing special.
”
Rebecca’s jaw practically dropped to the floor.
“Ohhh, now I get it! You ignored my calls because you didn’t want me to crash your little party.
”
Now that she knew Allison wasn't lying in a ditch somewhere, Rebecca's nerves began to unravel, the panic replaced by something much lighter.
In an instant, she pounced on Allison with playful curiosity.
“Alright, confess! What happened last night? You left me for a guy? Come on, let me see!”
“Let me go.
” Allison laughed, moving out of his way.
“It was a chaotic night.
”
He gave Rebecca a quick rundown of the previous night's events.
"The guy had a body like a Greek statue, and he wasn't bad in bed either.
But… he was really hot.
A dangerous guy, for sure.
If I hadn't been rushing to finalize the divorce, I would have taken a good look at him.
"
Rebecca’s eyes shot open, then softened into a smirk.
“You seem to be a little bit in love.
I guess it put those gigolos I set you up with to shame.
Why can’t I ever be the one that’s that lucky?”
They were close enough for banter like this, but the conversation wasn't all fun and games.
There were still things left to do.
With a serious glint in her eyes, Rebecca ran her fingers through Allison’s hair and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered.
I’ll have someone look into the details and make sure all the footage is deleted.
There’s no way you’re going to get dragged into whatever this is…”
“I guess he’s involved.
” Though Allison seemed unfazed, Rebecca knew otherwise.
A man with a gun meant danger, and she wasn’t going to let her friend walk into it blindly.
“It’s okay,” Allison said, starting to feel some of the tension drain out of her, though her body still ached in all the wrong places.
She rubbed her sore back and stomach before asking, “Did I miss anything important at last night’s event? Was the CEO of Charisma Company there?”
Rebecca shook her head.
“No, there were the same old people.
The same old faces, all related to each other.
The CEO didn’t show up.
He probably didn’t want to show his hand yet.
But here’s the kicker.
” Rebecca’s face lit up like a match flame.
“The Fourth International Perfume Competition is about to start.
Ontdale’s biggest advertising company is hosting it, and guess what? The three winners will be sponsored by the Everett Group to launch their brands.
The scale of this thing? It’s monumental.
”
Allison nodded.
The event sounded like a stage set for giants.
Rebecca smiled with satisfaction and continued to explain, “Here’s the real deal: the CEO of Charisma Company is also participating in the contest.
Anyone who can create a scent that lasts like his… He’s not your average guy.
Plus, this year, all the finalists have to reveal their identity, so if you enter, you’ll run into him.
”
Smiling like a cat that has just caught a mouse, Rebecca added, “Now, tell me how you are going to thank me for bringing you this.
”
Allison’s mind was already spinning.
If he really was breaking in, their encounter was inevitable.
“Are you sure your information is solid?”
“Of course! I brought you the registration forms.
What do you think? First you leave me for a guy, and now you doubt my abilities!” Rebecca laughed, ruffling Allison’s hair.
“You’re a menace and one day I will get my revenge on you!”
“How could I doubt you?” Allison scoffed, grabbing a pillow and settling her head comfortably on Rebecca’s shoulder.
“Since you’ve rolled out the red carpet for me, I’m going to dive right in.
And mark my words: I’ll make it to the finals.
”
Rebecca raised an eyebrow, smiling.
“Well, hear yourself out.
You believe everything now, huh?”
“Confidence is my middle name.
” Allison stood up, stretching her stiff muscles.
“But first things first, I need a shower and a long nap.
”
Her mind wandered to her upcoming visit with Colton's grandfather, Keanu Stevens, tomorrow.
The mere thought of Colton and Melany being together during the divorce proceedings made her stomach twist like a knotted rope.
As she headed to the bathroom, she couldn't resist mocking Melany's syrupy sweet voice.
“Rebecca, you don’t mind me taking a shower here, do you? Promise me there’s nothing going on between us,” Allison mimicked, her tone dripping with false innocence.
Rebecca burst out laughing, grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
“Go away! You’re giving me the creeps.
”
The bathroom quickly filled with a cloud of steam as the hot water cascaded over Allison, washing away the stress of the day.
She looked at her skin, where the red marks from the night before still remained.
The man had been like a storm, fierce and overwhelming.
In retrospect, she thought she should have kept the money in her pocket and saved the tip.
Yet, despite herself, she couldn't stop thinking about his deep, unreadable eyes, those that seemed to contain entire oceans of secrets.
It wasn't until the water was about to scald her that she snapped out of her thoughts, suddenly realizing that there was something crucial that she had almost let slip from her mind.