?<strong>Chapter 463:</strong>


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    “Come on, Ken, you must be starving… Oh, my apologies, I didn’t realize Ms. rke was here too.” Carole finally seemed to take notice of Allison.


    “I only brought two lunches, so… how about this? Ken and I can share one, and we can give the other to Ms. rke.” Her tone was light, almost friendly, as she nonchntly slid the lunch box onto Ken’s desk.


    But before Carole could even settle into a chair, Ken dismissed her outright.


    “Carole, it’s good you’re back, but you should know that our engagement ended a long time ago.”


    Steam rose from the polished ck surface of his desk, the aroma of the rich, tempting dishes barely offsetting the chill in Ken’s tone—a coldness that cut right to the bone.


    Maybe it was just her imagination, but Carole thought his gaze held an eerie, unapproachable iciness.


    Still, she couldn’t walk away empty-handed. No, she hade here to make her mark, to reim her ground with Ken.


    A flicker ofplexity crossed Carole’s eyes, but she made an effort to pretend she didn’t understand. “Of course I remember! But what can I say?” Carole shrugged with feigned innocence. “Ever since the engagement was canceled, my parents have been relentless, nagging me to no end. The moment I set foot back here, they started pressuring me to reconnect with you.”


    With a sincerity that almost sounded rehearsed, she continued, “But don’t worry, Ken. It’s not like I’m here out of some long-lost affection. It’s just to keep my parents off my back, so I thought I’d pop by now and then.”


    With that, Carole opened the lunch box, took a deliberate taste of the vegetables, her exaggerated expression of delight almost theatrical, and then, with exaggerated generosity, divided the meal in half.


    Your next adventure is at g  al n ovels . con


    “Here, take this. No need to be bashful with me.”


    However, Ken didn’t ept it. His response was swift and direct.


    “I don’t share food with people I don’t like, Carole. Help yourself.”


    In truth, Ken had a slight aversion to sharing anything so personal. The very idea of kissing once seemed distasteful to him—a simple, unnecessary exchange of saliva. But ever since meeting Allison, his body had betrayed him with its yearning. Something about her stirred an ache in him, a desire he hadn’t known, fierce and barely containable.


    From the press of her lips to the thrill in his veins, he found himself drawn—irrevocably—to every stolen breath they shared.


    The edge in his voice left no room for interpretation.


    Carole was rendered momentarily speechless. For her, this was uncharted territory. She’d never faced such blunt rejection before.


    Meanwhile, Allison seemed thoroughly uninterested in the awkward scene ying out before her.


    “Well, I’ll leave you two to catch up. I’m not hungry anyway.”


    And truly, Allison had no appetite.


    She might have understood that nothing could—or would—unfold between Carole and Ken, but certain memories lingered, unbidden. Once, Colton had been engaged to Mny, and Allison had taken the role of the stand-in. Now, whatever existed—or didn’t—between Ken and Carole was no longer her concern.


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