?<strong>Chapter 524:</strong>


    Especially now, with the stakes between Scarlet Snake and Amor sparking such a stir, thest thing anyone wanted was for Ken to get involved. If Scarlet Snake lost the bet, the scene could spiral out of control.


    “Mr. Lloyd,” Andres ventured carefully, shooting a nce at Kylo, who seemed immune to the tension filling the room. “If you’re looking for some entertainment, perhaps I could arrange someone else to apany you.”


    He hesitated, then pressed on. “After all, the bet between Amor and Scarlet Snake is really—”


    But Ken’s slow, level gaze cut him off, sending a chill straight down Andres’s spine. Instinctively, he fell silent.


    “I don’t make appearances for the insignificant,” Ken said, his voice calm as the still surface of a deepke. “Especially not for the people you’ve conveniently arranged.”


    The wordsnded like cold steel, and murmurs rippled through the crowd.


    “Mr. Lloyd didn’te here for leisure,” someone whispered. “I bet Andres dragged Scarlet Snake into this, and now he’s facing the consequences.”


    “Tsk, isn’t it obvious?” another muttered. “He’s protective of her, clearly.”


    “Word around Ontdale is that he’s been openly pursuing Scarlet Snake — you know, Allison,” a voice chimed in. “And here he is, by her side. That’s saying something.”


    Your next adventure is at g  al n ovels . con


    While the crowd eagerly spected, Andres kept hisposure, his forced smile never wavering. “Very well then, Mr. Lloyd. I hope you enjoy yourself today.”


    Kylo, who had been sitting back on the sofa, now lifted his gaze, offering Ken a faint nod.


    “Mr. Lloyd,” he said with a subtle, unreadable smile. “I’ve heard much about you.”


    Leaning against the sofa with one arm propped up, Ken’s ck leather glove stretched taut over his knuckles, giving his hand a sharp, almost menacing appearance.


    Ken’s gaze remained unfazed. “Likewise,” he replied coolly. The air between them seemed to chill, as if an invisible frost had settled in the room.


    From where she stood, Allison observed the scene, noting the way the harness on Ken’s shirt framed his shoulders and chest, emphasizing the crisp lines of his posture. There was a restrained power about him, rigid and unyielding. Kylo, on the other hand, exuded a rxed, detached energy, his smile almost too casual, as though nothing in this world could truly ruffle him.


    No bad blood had ever been known to exist between the two, yet here, an undercurrent of tension was unmistakable.


    Allison chose not to linger on it, instead stepping forward. “Mr. Lloyd, I’d like to bet against Amor. But I’ll need a partner.”


    “Of course.” Ken’s answer came without the barest pause.


    His dark eyes held hers as if no one else in the room existed. “I’ll stand by you, no matter the bet.”


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