?<strong>Chapter 482:</strong>


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    Carole froze, her expression one of sheer disbelief. It was clear that Ken was exining all of this to Allison.


    As he lifted his eyes, his lips slightly pursed, and his dark eyes, veiled with an enigmatic shadow, seemed to draw one in like a bottomless chasm. The silence that had previously filled the room was suddenly shattered.


    Allison hadn’t expected this either. Surprise flickered in her eyes. She had long assumed that Ken wasn’t one to partner easily, much less bend to another’s ns.


    Even more puzzling, Greenfield Group’s focus on fast-moving consumer goods hardly seemed to align with Charisma Company’s trajectory—unless it had something to do with Carole?


    As Allison recalled the vast debt of gratitude owed by the Lloyd family to the Perry family, a theory quickly took root in her mind.


    She responded with a calm, measured tone, “You two go ahead and discuss this. I’m waiting on someone here, so I’ll steer clear.”


    Her offhand tone, so rxed and nonchnt, grated on Ken’s nerves. It seemed that in trying to exin himself, he had only added unnecessary details.


    She hadn’t reacted as Ferdinand had anticipated; she hadn’t been prodded into revealing anything hidden or vulnerable. In other words, she simply did not care.


    As the sunlight shifted across the room, it fell across Ken’s impably tailored trousers, casting his features in stark shadow, making him appear both mysterious and cold.


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    Carole, simmering with anger, hadn’t noticed this shift. She was barely holding her temper in check.


    With a wry smile, she quipped, “Even if Ken and I are here to talk business, there’s no harm in you listening in. You’ll be part of our team soon enough.”


    Carole’s offer sounded magnanimous, though the way she emphasized “our” was anything but subtle. She knew the coboration proposal was strictly confidential—definitely not for public ears.


    This was all about unsettling Allison, a move Ken, with his calcting nature, would certainly reject.


    And just to add salt to the wound, Carole cooed, “Isn’t that right, Ken?”


    Allison found herself amused. Clearly, Carole had only scratched the surface, knowing her merely as an employee, unaware of her substantial stake in thepany.


    Looking up with casual ease, Allison replied, “In that case, Mr. Lloyd, why not send me the proposal so I can gain a little insight?”


    Her tone was crisp and forthright, her words bold and unfiltered.


    “Oh, Ms. rke, you must be joking. Confidential files can’t just be handed out willy-nilly,” Carole interrupted, her surprise tinged with a faint sneer, as if Allison had suggested somethingpletely outrageous.


    “Ken, don’t take Ms. rke’s enthusiasm too seriously. She meant no harm…”


    Before Carole could finish, a single chime cut through her words.


    “The document’s in your email.” Ken’s deep voice was as calm as ever.


    Carole’s expression faltered.


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