In the private lounge on the top floor, the manager had gone above and beyond, ordering another round of cleaning and making sure everything was prepared to perfection.
With a delicious feast adorning the table and fireworks beginning to light up the night sky, he dismissed the waiters and bowed deeply to Allison.
“Boss, your visit has taken me by surprise.
I haven’t had time to prepare everything.
I hope it’s not too basic,” he said, practically drenched in sweat.
Who would have predicted that two fools would dare to cut in line before the restaurant manager?
“Rx, you’ve done a fantastic job.
No need to sweat,” Allison replied in her usual calm manner.
“You’ve been running Jasmine Restaurant like a well-oiled machine.
But now, I need you to revoke Colton’s membership.
” Reba, sitting next to her, clicked her tongue and added, “Exactly.
They should be banned for life.
Theyck any sense of decency and are like a couple of lunatics who don’t even understand humannguage.
”
The director nodded fervently.
“You can count on it: this will never happen again!”
Actually, he didn''t need anyone to remind him: after Colton''s gaffe today, he was already on the cklist.
Allison waved her hand dismissively.
“You can go now.
Make sure no one bothers us anymore.
”
"Yes, boss.
"
Once they were alone, Allison served Reba a slice of abalone, her favorite delicacy.
“I’m going to the Lloyd family’s house on Monday to tutor Ken’s niece.
” Allison’s brow furrowed as she spoke.
“Dealing with a kid will be easy, but my mother’s whereabouts are tangled up 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 no one can pinpoint.
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 for you?" Reba wasn''t the least bit worried, offering Allison a piece of white truffle in return.
?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 get in touch with brain specialists, you can dig into the Lloyd family files and uncover all the inside information you need.
?
Allison considered this as she savored her dish.
“True, but it’s not that easy.
”
She had thought about that route, but reviving the hacker world would take as much time as a fortune, and she would need to assemble a team.
?I''d need fifteen million dors just to get the global systems up and running.
And that''s the easy part.
What really worries me is the possibility of my former enemies finding out.
If every hitman organization in the worldes knocking at the door at once, things will get out of hand.
Right now, I just want a moment of peace.
I''m tired of the constant assassination attempts.
?
However, reviving the hacker world was inevitable.
After all, it was his master''sst wish.
Reba shrugged.
“You don’t have to sweat the fat of it.
I can cover it, and you can use it however you want.
Forget about fifteen million; even a billion is a walk in the park.
”
"You might be willing to give it to me, but I can''t ept it.
If your father finds out, he''ll probably have a heart attack," Allison joked,ughing.
“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 caliberes at a very high price.
” Allison shrugged.
“I might as well get some money out of Ken.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
”
“But are you sure you can easily get fifteen million out of him?” Reba chuckled.
“Don’t worry; the money will flow my way,” Allison said, winking.
“That’s fine,” Reba scoffed, not pressing for further details.
She’d never cared much about money anyway.
"Allison, let''s get down to business.
If you''re going to be chased by killers, what can I do to help you?"
“When pushes to shove, I’ll need your family’s muscle 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 clout for that.
”
Hearing that she could be of assistance, Reba raised her ss eagerly.
“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 sses,ughing, and Reba couldn’t help but reminisce.
“When we first crossed paths, you weren’t so fearless.
You were like a prickly hedgehog: sharp and aloof, fierce and difficult to approach.
” Fate had a hand in her, after all.
That prickly version of Allison hadn''t hesitated to save her life.
From that moment on, Reba had been by her side.
Allison felt a surge of nostalgia as she reflected on her journey.
“I really was a wild child, adrift and without apass.
If it hadn’t been for my master, I would probably have rotted away on that desert ind.
”
Sensing the change in mood, Reba quickly turned around with a smile.
“By the way, you’ve always been drawn to extreme sports.
The international parkourpetition, held every five years, ising up.
Maybe you should throw yourself into the ring and clear your head.
”
“Good idea.
I’ll look into it,” Allison replies.
She hadn’t really trained in ages, and the idea of ??a challenge excited her.
For some reason, Ken came to mind, the man who pretended to be disabled, always sitting in his wheelchair.
When they had faced killers in Athton, he had given off the same dangerous aura.
But instead of intimidating her, it intrigued her, like an extreme sport.
Allison found it fascinating.
Or maybe it was that subtle feeling of mutual attraction between two kindred spirits.