?<strong>Chapter 488:</strong>


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    A subtle glint of amusement danced across his face, though the smile never reached his eyes.


    “Besides, Mr. Lloyd, don’t you already have your fiancée? It wouldn’t do her much good if your attention wandered too frequently to Allison.”


    Gordon’s words weren’t lost on anyone. Each one wasced with intent, carefully ced to create tension. He was weaving a rift, one that threatened to fray at the edges.


    After all, he could tell that Carole was a scheming woman.


    The Cobweb had a far-reaching intelligencework. It was easy for Gordon to find out anything he wanted.


    Moreover, Carole had been frequenting Charisma Company after returning to the country. It wasmon knowledge in Ontdale’s upper ss.


    But now, under the weight of Gordon’s taunt, Carole forced herself to maintainposure, though the crack in her facade was barely concealed.


    “Please,” she shot back. “Don’t twist things. Ken and I? We’re just friends. Good friends.”


    Her tone grew sharper, as if trying to make the point more convincing. “Like siblings. And even if he were interested, it’s not like I’d feel the same. After all, you don’t know Ken…”


    But before she could emphasize her stance further, a low chuckle sliced through the tension.


    “Like siblings?” Ken echoed, the words tumbling out with a cold bite.


    His eyes, suddenly stormy, fixed on her with an intensity that silenced the room.


    “Siblings?” he repeated, as though the idea were absurd. “I had only one brother — he’s been gone for years now.” His icy eyes locked onto Carole’s.


    “Are you the one, Carole?” he asked, each word deliberate, the usation hanging thick in the air.


    Carole’s heart hammered against her ribs, her thoughts slipping into chaos. The color drained from her face, leaving her pale. “No, Ken… I’m not…” she stammered, realizing toote the fault in her careless remark.


    She had touched the one nerve that turned his entire demeanor to ice.


    It was well known how deeply Ken had loved his younger brother, how that bond, once unbreakable, had shattered with tragedy.


    His brother’s death on the Burned Inds had left a scar few dared to touch.


    Anyone foolish enough to exploit that wound found themselves exiled — or worse.


    Her stomach twisted as she struggled to meet his unyielding stare.


    “I didn’t mean it that way,” she whispered, feeling Gordon’s triumphant smirk searing into her periphery. This was his handiwork, she realized. He had set this trap, and she had walked right into it.


    At that moment, Ken’s face was half-shrouded in shadow. Others couldn’t see his expression clearly.


    His gaze swept past her with a calm that sliced through her defenses. “Miss Perry, your presence here is no longer required.”


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