?<strong>Chapter 648:</strong>


    “Allison,” he asked, his tone almost yful, “has he always been so possessive?”


    Though he tried to sound casual, a hint of jealousy and difort crept in as he adjusted the coffee machine. “I’ll admit, I’m a little envious he got to know you so early.”


    Allison raised an eyebrow, amused. “Yes, he has been like this since childhood. But there’s no need to fret. Now that I’m your girlfriend, what he thinks doesn’t influence us. Besides, although I experienced a lot with him when we were young, that’s in the past. From now on, we’ll stay together to face whatever awaits us in the future.”


    She traced a finger over his chest, her eyes bright. “Just like Carole — she’s possessive, too, and she knew you ever since you were young. But that won’t influence your feelings for me, and it doesn’t mean she’s more important than me in your heart.”


    Ken paused, his voice dropping to a murmur. “You’re right.” If he hadn’t been tending to the coffee, he might have pulled her into a kiss.


    But before he could, she stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips softly to his.


    “Back in Leswington, those sketches I drew ended up in your hands. And at the Perfumery Competition, we both participated anonymously. We might have…”


    “Maybe we crossed paths without knowing,” Allison smiled, reflecting on how their paths had been destined to cross, looping back to one another. “Maybe we knew each other before we ever truly met.”


    The thought softened something in him. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple moving. “You’re right.”


    And so what if Floyd had known her first? In the end, it was he who held Allison’s hand now, and he had no intention of ever letting go.


    “In a few days, the counterfeit ess card for theb on Fleeinnd will be ready.” Allison settled onto the sofa, her expression turning uncharacteristically stern when she mentioned this topic. “Do you have any updates?” she asked, her voice carrying a sense of urgency.


    Ken ced a steaming cup of coffee on the table in front of her.


    “I’ve managed to track down the ck market dealer. It’s confirmed that the earrings were smuggled out of Fleeinnd by a woman named Lilian Reynard.”


    “As I suspected,” Allison muttered, taking a slow sip of her coffee. The rich, earthy aroma of the coffee helped her focus, grounding her thoughts as she considered the implications. Without wasting any time, Ken grabbed hisptop from the side table and opened it, setting it in front of Allison.


    “This trader imnted a tracking chip in Lilian’s body, monitoring her vital signs in real time,” he exined.


    On the screen, a cascade of colorful graphs and fluctuating data appeared, representing various physical metrics that changed every second.


    “Clearly, her vital signs are fluctuating wildly,” Ken noted, eyes narrowing as he studied the screen. “But at least we know she’s still alive.”


    Allison’s gaze remained fixed on the screen, her sharp eyes swiftly identifying numerous irregrities within the rapidly changing data. It was clear to her that the body being monitored had undergone a series of brutal experiments, each leaving behind traces in the fluctuating data points disyed.


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