Chapter 348 A Piece Of His Past [Part 2]
As per the bartender\'s account, that night, the man had indulged in drink after drink, his laughter growing louder with each glass emptied. Inhibitions melted away under the influence of alcohol.
And then, in a twist of fate that seemed straight out of a movie, the man\'s attention was captivated by a woman – a fellow reveler caught in the same whirlwind of inebriation. Their meeting was a collision of chance.
Their lips met in a kiss that was both passionate and reckless, a testament to the raw emotions that alcohol had stirred within them. The bartender\'s gaze lingered for a moment on this tableau of fleeting desire, before he returned to the tasks that occupied his hands.
As the hours slipped by, the man\'s desire seemed to intensify, a force that pulled him toward the woman\'s intoxicating allure. They left the public eye and ascended the stairs, seeking refuge in the VIP room. What transpired within those four walls remained a mystery, a veil that had been drawn to conceal their shared passion from the prying eyes of the others.
The night waned, and the city outside began to stir with the first light of dawn, the woman emerged from the VIP room. Her face bore the flush of haste, her clothes disheveled in a way that spoke of passion and urgency. Her footsteps were quick, hurried and panic was clear on her face. And the man, he woke up from his hangover in the morning in the same confused state as the woman\'s.
In his messy state, the man had asked one of the staff there about the girl last night, but they said they didn\'t know since Allen\'s mom wasn\'t a regular at that place.
Armed with the credit card information and a bit of information on the man\'s appearance, Shea started to find out the man\'s identity. It was easy for her since twenty years ago, only a few people owned that rare type of credit card. She only needed to approach her acquaintances from that bank to get the secret information and invite them one by one to get their saliva samples from their used food utensils. Although the results would not be as accurate if they officially took a real sample, it should be sufficient.
The list of individuals who had held that elusive card twenty years ago was a concise one – just five names. With that, Shea was armed with the key to the next phase of her quest.
Saliva samples. It was a gamble, a means to an end that Shea knew was far from conventional. Collecting DNA samples from used food utensils was an unconventional method, but it was a path she was willing to tread. After all, accuracy was vital, even if the situation wasn\'t ideal.
She approached each individual discreetly. A used fork here, a discarded napkin there – each sample held the potential to unlock the door to Allen\'s past. It was a delicate operation.
Still… Even after they found out the fact later, they couldn\'t announce it carelessly. That was because Allen\'s biological father never knew that Allen existed. He might even deny him although the DNA test matched. It also would ignite a potential family drama. So, she needed to handle this carefully.
Due to the silence in the dining room, Shea decided it was time to break the ice that seemed to envelop them. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she turned to Allen, her lips curling into a gentle smile.
"How\'s the dinner, Allen?" Shea\'s question was lighthearted, an attempt to steer the conversation away from the unspoken thoughts that lingered.
Allen, his gaze meeting Shea\'s, couldn\'t help but return her smile. "Honestly, it was all really nice," he admitted, the corners of his lips quirking upward.
Zoe, sitting beside Shea, chimed in with her own question, her tone cheerful. "Would you like some dessert, Allen? We have a few options left."
Allen leaned back in his chair, a contented sigh escaping his lips. His stomach was comfortably full from the hearty meal they had shared. "Well, I\'m full. I think I will pass," Allen said, he hoped Shea and Zoe would quickly say why they had invited him here.
"Hmm… Then shall we move to another place? So we can talk freely?" Shea suggested. It was what Allen had been waiting for.
"Absolutely," Allen chimed in, ready for whatever adventure this night had in store.
With a nod from Zoe, they went upstairs to another special room. As they stepped in, Allen couldn\'t help but take in the surroundings. The room bore a resemblance to the living room they had just left, yet there was an undeniable difference—a subtle rearrangement of furniture and decor that conveyed a sense of purpose. This was a space designed for more intimate conversations.
The lighting was softer here, casting a warm glow that seemed to invite vulnerability. The air was heavy with anticipation.
The arrangement of seating was inviting, with plush chairs arranged in a circle that encouraged face-to-face interaction. It was a deliberate choice, one that signaled their intent to engage in an open and honest dialogue.
Shea, Zoe, and Allen sat down.
Shea\'s words cut through the suspense, her straightforwardness a welcome relief. "You want to know why we invited you here, right?" she asked, her gaze fixed on him.
Allen could only nod, his curiosity reaching its peak. This was the moment he had been waiting for, a chance to finally understand the motive behind this unexpected summons.
"Yes," he admitted, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and readiness to hear the truth.
Zoe, her face tinged with a touch of embarrassment, leaned forward to join the conversation. Her words, like Shea\'s, were unapologetically direct. "It\'s about what you did to Vivian and Jane," she said, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue as she spoke.
Shea\'s voice interjected. "To be honest, we were shocked by what happened and didn\'t expect your relationship would advance that fast," she explained.
"Actually, I was more surprised by Jane. Since she\'s usually quieter than Vivian," Zoe admitted, turning to Shea.
He couldn\'t help but interject, his curiosity getting the best of him. "So, your point is?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion as he sought to grasp the direction of their discussion.
Shea, sitting beside him, leaned in with an intrigued smile. "What if we also wanted to escalate our relationship? Do you agree?" she asked, her words hanging in the air like a challenge that demanded an answer.
Allen\'s jaw dropped at the unexpected proposition. He blinked rapidly, trying to process the words that had just left Shea\'s lips. "Wait… What?" he stammered, his mind racing to catch up with the sudden turn the conversation had taken.