Secrets Of The Neglected Wife: When Her True Colors Shine

Just as Allison was about to strike with the sword, Kellan's hand shot out like a snake, grabbing hers and ripping the weapon from her hands.

He moved so quickly that even when the blade dug into his skin, he didn't flinch, the pain barely showing in his steely gaze.

“Are you trying to put me down, Miss Clarke?” he asked, his tone soft but tense.

“Of course not,” she replied, her voice as cool as a winter breeze.

Their hands remained together, fingers brushing, casting shadows on the cave wall that seemed strangely intimate, like lovers caught in a fleeting moment of connection.

But Kellan wasn't one for games.

He got straight to the point.

"Yes, my legs were paralyzed once, but I have recovered now.

The Lloyd Group is surrounded by enemies and internal struggles.

I kept up the pretext of being in a wheelchair to attract the real threats.

"

He looked into her eyes, so close that Kellan could see his reflection in her eyes.

"As for that night on the cruise ship, I was drugged.

I was not in control of my actions when I walked into that room.

I never expected to meet you there, Miss Clarke.

"

Kellan's jaw tightened as he remembered the night she had pinned him down.

It was an indelible memory, but he was willing to take on his role.

"I will take responsibility in any case.

Leaving was never in my plans," he said firmly.

But Allison withdrew her hand, her expression unfazed.

"It's not necessary.

I've already erased it from my memory.

It's not important.

"

He didn't like complications, especially not with someone like Kellan.

His every move was a calculated play, his act of feigning inability a strategic ploy to manipulate his adversaries.

It spoke volumes about his ruthlessness.

“I’m just someone who was recently divorced and almost ended up on the streets,” Allison said with an innocent smile.

“Colton and Melany already see me as a threat and are making my life miserable.

I’m just trying to keep the drama to a minimum.

Now that I’ve heard this bombshell about you, I doubt I’ll live long enough to spread it.

”

He smiled brightly, his face glowing in the firelight.

“So don’t worry.

I’ll pretend I’m in the dark.

”

Kellan chuckled, realizing how absurd his previous explanation had sounded.

Wolves posing as sheep: such a pretense didn't suit the likes of them.

“Cut the pretense,” Kellan said with a smirk.

“It’s awkward for both of us.

No wonder your ex-husband went for someone like Melany.

If you’re going to play the innocent lamb, maybe you should brush up on your acting skills.

”

“And you, Mr.

Lloyd?” Allison replied, no longer interested in pretense.

Now that they were being honest, she found it considerably more bearable.

Kellan, who showed no signs of his previous brush with danger, calmly assessed the situation.

“If you try to kill me, the Lloyd family will hunt you down like a dog.

They will follow you to the ends of the earth.

Even if you manage to slip away, Ontdale will be a distant memory.

”

He was certain that her decision to stay here after her divorce and remain in Ontdale meant that she had something here that she couldn’t easily walk away from.

Whatever it was, killing it would only make her life more precarious.

The sword had seemed more like evidence than a true threat.

His demeanor cooled, aware that Kellan’s words were veiled threats.

If she killed him, the reach of the Lloyd family would make life in Ontdale unbearable.

She needed to stay, at least until she entered the International Perfumery Competition and discovered clues to her mother's disappearance, which had led her here.

Talking to someone as sharp as Kellan had its drawbacks.

They both knew how to keep each other at bay.

But on the outside, Allison kept her composure.

“I can leave whenever I want.

People like me don’t hold on to places.

”

Kellan, looking into her impassively firm eyes, proposed, "How about we come to an agreement that benefits both of us?"