Villain Ch 1519. No Distance
Lunch felt like someone flipped a switch.
The pressure, the politics, the cold, measured tension from earlier with Mr. Bell—it was gone. Replaced by something quieter. Lighter. Like the table itself had created a little bubble, shielding them from everything outside.
Mila watched Allen with quiet curiosity as he laughed at one of Vivian's offhand remarks about a disastrous photo shoot where the wind machine knocked a spotlight over and nearly took out a famous actor. His laugh wasn't sarcastic or short like usual—it was real. Warm, full-throated, with just the faintest shake of his shoulders. It made the corner of his eyes crinkle.
She blinked.
That was new.
This wasn't the Allen she'd watched in strategy meetings or the conference. Not the pro gamer who gave cold interviews or the young master who carried his family name like armor. This was… just Allen. Relaxed. No performance. No distance.
And the contrast was… striking.
