Secrets Of The Neglected Wife: When Her True Colors Shine

Chapter 338: Gordon pressed his palms firmly against the wall, trapping Allison between his arms.

The air was thick with tension, almost suffocating, yet when he raised his eyes to meet hers, they were filled with a lost, almost pitiable innocencelike a stray puppy.

Allison, may I? His voice hung in the air, slow and deliberate.

From where Allison stood, she could make out his collarbone, the shirt stretched just enough to reveal a hint of his well-defined chest.

She took in the sight of his lean, muscled body, his narrow waist, and his sculpted jaw.

His appearance was nothing short of model-esque.

The silver studs in his ears, the tousled hair falling just so on his shoulders, gave him the look of a rebellious heart, carefree in ways he shouldnt be.

But that expression those wordsmade him seem like he was waiting for permission.

There was something obedient, almost gentle about him, as though one touch would have him wagging his tail.

His voice, laced with an ambiguous yet endearing tone, made it clear he was willing to surrender.

But here, in this dimly lit corner, reality loomed heavy.

He was her subordinate, and she was his superior.

Gordon, youre stepping out of line, Allison said, tugging sharply on his tie.

Her smile, playful yet dangerous, carried weight.

With a simple pull, she could choke the life out of him if she wished.

If youre tired of working at Cobweb, I can easily replace you, she continued, her voice adopting the tone one might use with a pet.

The strange part? Gordon didnt shrink from it.

He seemed to get lost under her hand.

The bravado hed worn like armor just moments before crumbled.

Though he tried to hide it, his eyes betrayed the panic lurking beneath the surface.

Boss, Im sorry! Please... dont fire me, he stammered, his voice cracking slightly.

It wasnt the pressure of the tie that scared himit was the idea of being cast aside by Allison.

Hed spent years wandering abroad, adrift without any real sense of family.

In his darkest moments, it had been Allison who had pulled him from the shadows, even if it was just through a screen.

She had been his guiding light, his tether to something real, long before they ever met in person.

His head dropped, lashes trembling as he spoke.

I didnt mean to upset you.

Its just... that necklace.

The snake pendant, it threwoff, and I... I didnt think it through.

He winced inwardly, knowing hed acted impulsively.

Whenever he saw Floyd or Kellan getting too close to her, jealousy gnawed at him like an itch he couldnt scratch.

But he had forgotten that Allison was not just his confidant; she was his superior.

At the end of the day, that was the boundary between them.

Boss, Ill take whatever punishment you think I deserve.

Tieup, whip me, whatever.

Just... please dont abandon me, Gordon pleaded, his deep eyes mirroring Allisons silhouette.

Tears shimmered in his eyes, and his voice shook with the fear of being left alone.

Allison, initially wanting to teach him a lesson, started to ease up as she saw how desperate he was.

Ive told you before, Im not going to abandon you, she sighed, feeling a headache creeping in.

She had been drawn to his rebellious streak, his sharp mind, and the way he navigated the digital world with ease.

That was why she had brought him into Cobweb in the first place.

But she hadnt anticipated that once tamed, he would latch onto her like this, clinging to her as though she were the only thing keeping him from drowning.

She remembered the night he had called her in a panic, unable to breathe because of his fear of small spaces. His voice had been as shaken then as it was now, pleading with her over and over.

Boss, please dont leave me! That was when she had learned the full extent of his abandonment issues how his parents had thrown him to the wolves, sending him abroad without a safety net.

Perhaps that was why, once he found something stable, he clung to it like a lifeline.

That necklace could belong to anyone.

It doesnt concern you, Allison said, her tone sharp but not unkind.

And more importantly, youre young, Gordon.

Sometimes... you confuse attachment with love.

She spoke from experience.

Years ago, she too had mistaken comfort for romance, caught up in the heat of crises that made everything feel more intense, more real than it actually was.

Her three-year marriage had been a testament to that illusion.

Allison sank onto the couch, pulling a few masks from the coffee table and e setting them aside. Her gaze returned to him, more measured now.

Look, no ones indispensable.

Not me, not you.

Im not here to sugarcoat anything.

At Cobweb, were bound by professionalism, not personal feelings.

Im not one for secrets, and I dont hide the truth from anyone, she said.

Gordon paused, processing her words.

He knew she had always treated him like a younger brother but the m thought gnawed at him. He didnt want that.

Im twenty now, Boss.

I know what Im doing, and I know what I want, Gordon said, his voice steady but soft.

His eyes, still misted with emotion, m locked onto hers with an intensity that belied his youth. It doesnt matter if youre married.

Titles mean nothing to me.

I just want to stay by your side.

Allison opened her mouth, but for once, the words wouldnt come.