Villain Ch 1551. Who?
Kai stood ready with the plated dessert—molten chocolate soufflé with spun sugar and gold leaf. Over the top, ridiculous, and exactly what they needed.
Allen sat back down. Picked up his fork.
Emma followed, cheerful again, like she hadn't just watched her brother mentally throw hands with his past.
Jordan leaned back in his seat, eyes on Allen for a moment longer, before saying softly, "Welcome back."
Allen stabbed into the soufflé and let the chocolate ooze out in a slow, molten ribbon. He took a bite.
Sweet.
Warm.
Rich.
Bittersweet.
He chewed slow. Swallowed slower. Tried to ground himself in the taste. The silky texture. The subtle crunch of the sugar shell. The faint scent of burnt caramel lacing the air. It was everything a dessert was supposed to be.
And yet… it couldn't quite chase the aftertaste of that message out of his mouth.
Jordan glanced up from his plate. "Who was that?"
Allen didn't look up right away. Just took another bite.
