?<strong>Chapter 451:</strong>


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    The hidden tools he’d stashed away suddenly made sense to her, as if they had been waiting for this very moment — to make this aloof and detached man surrender, to bend the unyielding.


    Allison pushed the wild thoughts aside, a wry smile ying on her lips.


    “You sure have a talent for jokes, don’t you?”


    With a soft chuckle, she eased the tension in the air, just as a young worker hurried over, breaking the moment with perfect timing.


    “Ms. rke,” he said, slightly out of breath, “Mr. Astley would like to see you both in his office. He mentioned there’s something important he wants to discuss.”


    The timing couldn’t have been better.


    Had the worker arrived a heartbeatter, Allison might have struggled to respond to Ken’s intense gaze. She blinked, collecting herself, then gave a small nod.


    “Alright then, let’s go,” she said, regaining herposure as she gestured for Ken to follow.


    In the office, Roderick’s admiration for Allison grew, though he paid little attention to Ken.


    “Ms. rke, look around. These are my personal collection pieces. Feel free to take anything you like!” he said, gesturing toward the shelves as he began to sort through his treasures.


    “Here’s a gold-iid jade bracelet, a white jade bangle, gold filigreentern earrings, a long, auspicious hairpin… And that vase over there.” He swept his hand proudly across the room. “Anything you like is yours!”


    Finally, he carefully lifted a beautifully carved jade pendant from a brocade box.


    “I noticed you have a fondness for jade. This one is over four hundred years old, an ancient and rare piece I acquired overseas in my younger days. It’s yours if you want it!”


    He was prepared to part with anything, not just out of gratitude, but because he genuinely wanted her to stay.


    “Honestly, I’m getting on in years, and I worry this craft will die out. If you’d stay here as a lecturer, I promise you could be the dean of the entire academy. I mean it.” His eyes held an intensity that spoke volumes about his desire to pass down his life’s work. But not every offer is meant to be epted.


    Allison let her gaze wander over the shimmering pieces, considering his words.


    After a moment, she turned back to him. “Roderick, I’m honored, but I can’t ept the role you’re offering.”


    “Why not? Didn’t you enjoy working with the students? They really looked up to you,” Roderick asked, puzzled, his brows knitting in confusion. He had offered everything most people wouldn’t decline, just to keep her.


    Allison remembered the scene in the ssroom vividly. She nodded before responding, “Yes, I really do care about these students. They’re enthusiastic, driven, and genuinely kind-hearted. Our conversation was delightful. However, I’m not the teacher they need. I won’t be in Ontdale for long, and I’m not a professional restorer, just someone with a few skills.”


    She knew her own boundaries well enough.


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