Allison didn’t so much as glance her way, treating her presence as though it didn’t even register.
Realizing that her attempt to create tension was falling flat, and seeing that Allison and Kellan continued their work, completely unfazed, Melany forced herself to strike up a conversation.
“You must be Mr. Lloyd? I didn’t expect to find you here.” Colton, pulled from his distracted thoughts by her words, quickly masked his surprise. He turned away from his focus on Allison, forcing a smile as he reached out to Kellan.
“I’ve heard quite a lot about you, Mr. Lloyd. It’s a bit of a shock running into you here.”
The politeness between them was practiced, almost too similar.
Kellan, however, didn’t even glance up. Instead, he kept his focus on Allison. “Does this look good to you?”
“Yeah, you’ve got the technique down,” she replied.
“This piece is good, no doubt, but it’s still a bit of a shame,” Kellan said, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.
“What’s the shame in it?” Allison asked, genuinely curious. From her perspective, this one was an improvement over his earlier work. What was there to find fault with?
“Art should always strive for perfection, but once a crack appears, it’s hard to ignore. Perfection is rare. Even harder to maintain. Yet some people insist on creating unnecessary disruptions!” Kellan’s tone dropped, taking on a chill as he spoke.
If Colton and Melany had a bit more wit, they’d recognize the subtle dig for what it was: a clear hint that they weren’t wanted. Anyone with any sense would take the cue to leave. Melany, however, fought to keep her calm, and Colton, after a beat, reluctantly lowered his hand, his face tight with suppressed frustration.
He wasn’t used to being treated like this, but he wasn’t clueless either. He knew Kellan had no interest in their company.
“Colton,” Melany whispered from behind, lightly tugging on his sleeve as though fearing he might lash out.
Mindful of the business interests at stake, Colton swallowed his pride, forcing himself to endure the insult. He plastered a thin smile on his face.
“You’re absolutely right, sir. Your views on art are truly eye-opening.”
His compliment, though stiff, barely concealed his irritation. Melany, seeing him struggle, resumed her bright, innocent demeanor.
“Mr. Lloyd, your craftsmanship is something else,” she said, flashing a charming smile. “I’ve rarely seen pottery so perfectly formed. Even just looking at the shape, I can tell it’s of the highest quality. I may not know how to craft pottery myself, but I have a deep appreciation for it. That’s why we made the trip here to learn from Mr. Welsh, the pottery master. Running into you is an unexpected treat.”
With a delicate gesture, she tucked her hair behind her ear, her voice light and sweet. “Mr. Lloyd, would you mind if we sat here and watched for a while?”
“Interested in pottery, are we?” Kellan scoffed, glancing up at Melany. The coldness in his dark eyes seemed to seep into the space, making the air feel even colder. Melany’s fists clenched reflexively, and she quickly looked away from his gaze.
“You claim to appreciate pottery but can’t even tell that this piece was crafted by Allison. It seems pointless for you to hang around here. Besides, I’m sure Allison has no desire to see you either!”
There it was again – the sharpness of Kellan’s tongue.
“And let me make one thing clear: I have no patience for people who pretend.”
His words cut through Melany’s composure, the heat rising to her cheeks as her expression shifted between embarrassment and anger. Inside, she was boiling, but she swallowed it down, forcing a bitter smile.
“Oh, Mr. Lloyd, you’ve got such a way with words,” she said, feigning innocence. “I didn’t realize this was one of Allison’s creations. She was always so busy with housework at the villa. Colton’s mother never stopped praising her, saying how different she was from those shallow women parading themselves in public. I guess I just assumed she wasn’t the type to dabble in something like this. Who knew she had such hidden talents?”
Feigning surprise, she shot a glance at Colton. “Colton, darling, if you knew Allison was so skilled, why didn’t you ever mention it to me? You’ve made me look like a fool in front of Mr. Lloyd.”
Colton’s eyes grew even colder. “Well, there’s a lot I didn’t know about her.”
He couldn’t tear his gaze away from the pottery – a piece so meticulously crafted, so masterfully formed. It was flawless, as though created by the hands of an expert. How could Allison possibly have such a skill in ceramics? In Colton’s mind, she had always been nothing more than a housekeeper, always managing the home, never expressing interest in anything else, especially something so refined and artistic.
A knot of unease twisted inside him.
For years, he had believed Allison’s world revolved around him, but now it seemed as if she had been living an entirely separate life, one he knew nothing about. And seeing her sitting beside Kellan only deepened his discomfort.
They sat there, under the soft sunlight, absorbed in their work like two pieces of the same puzzle, seamlessly fitting together.
Colton had always seen Allison as a shallow woman, fresh off their divorce and already parading around with some gigolos. Even worse, she had somehow managed to cozy up to Kellan, CEO of the Lloyd Group.
Colton’s expression darkened as he pulled Melany closer, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Mr. Lloyd, I’ve heard a lot about you. My grandfather always speaks highly of your leadership and your brilliance in business. But even the best of us can be deceived. No one’s infallible, not even those who seem to have it all together.”
Kellan didn’t even flinch. His attention remained on the clay before him, as though Colton’s words had never reached him. He dipped his brush into water, smoothing the edges of the piece, completely uninterested in the conversation.
“Do you think thinning this section would make it more elegant?” Kellan asked, directing the question toward Allison. “Ignore the barking dogs outside. Emanuel’s eager to see this finished.”
Allison, engrossed in her craft, responded without hesitation. “No, thinning it here would ruin the balance. Hollow carving requires a completely different approach, and this clay isn’t ideal for that technique.”
Colton stood there, momentarily struck silent. The two of them continued their quiet discussion of the pottery, entirely indifferent to Colton and Melany’s presence.
For Colton, it was an unfamiliar and unsettling sight. In the past, Allison’s eyes had always been on him. Even during their worst arguments, her gaze never wavered from him. Now, it was as if he had faded from her world completely.
His grip tightened around Melany’s waist, the tension in his fingers matched by the growing chill in his expression. Melany winced slightly at the grip.
Colton’s voice dripped with cold disdain. “Mr. Lloyd, you might not know the whole story. Allison once saved my grandfather’s life, then used that to worm her way into marrying me. She’s nothing but an uneducated orphan who didn’t even finish middle school. How could someone like her possibly grasp something as intricate as pottery? So don’t be fooled by her act.”
Melany, ever the shadow at his side, shook her head pitifully, playing along. “Colton, that’s not fair. Allison’s been through a lot. And, well… she just went through a divorce. I mean, before the divorce…” Melany trailed off, like she was on the verge of saying something but thought better of it. “Never mind, I won’t get into it. But you’ve barely been separated a few days, and already it looks like she’s moving on without batting an eye.”
“All she’s ever had is her looks,” Colton spat, his disgust palpable. “And now that she’s on her own, she can’t handle the idea of struggle. So, what’s her plan? She’s climbing the ladder again, of course, and this time she’s duped Mr. Lloyd with her lies.”
Allison’s hands paused as she lifted her head, meeting his words with a blank stare. It was hard to mask her disappointment. It was one thing to realize someone was flawed; it was another to see them turn downright ugly.
Years ago, she had saved Colton’s grandfather purely by chance. Back then, she had held onto the hope that Colton would remember the bond they once shared. As children, they had escaped kidnappers together, and he’d made her a promise: “You’ll be my wife one day, Allison.” She was the only one who had kept that memory alive. Later, when she learned he had a long-term love, she stepped aside without a word, believing their paths would never cross again. But when Melany ran off from an arranged marriage and went abroad, Keanu came begging, asking Allison to save their family. She agreed, stepping in where no one else could.
Now, after three long years, Colton seemed to relish dragging her name through the mud.
A soft laugh escaped her lips. Whatever feelings she could’ve had for him died in that moment.
Kellan, sitting nearby, sensed the shift in her, but he stayed silent. He knew Allison didn’t need anyone’s pity. She was strong enough to stand on her own.
Colton’s voice dripped with cold disdain. “Mr. Lloyd, you might not know the whole story. Allison once saved my grandfather’s life, then used that to worm her way into marrying me. She’s nothing but an uneducated orphan who didn’t even finish middle school. How could someone like her possibly grasp something as intricate as pottery? So don’t be fooled by her act.”
Melany, ever the shadow at his side, shook her head pitifully, playing along. “Colton, that’s not fair. Allison’s been through a lot. And, well… she just went through a divorce. I mean, before the divorce…” Melany trailed off, like she was on the verge of saying something but thought better of it. “Never mind, I won’t get into it. But you’ve barely been separated a few days, and already it looks like she’s moving on without batting an eye.”
“All she’s ever had is her looks,” Colton spat, his disgust palpable. “And now that she’s on her own, she can’t handle the idea of struggle. So, what’s her plan? She’s climbing the ladder again, of course, and this time she’s duped Mr. Lloyd with her lies.”
Allison’s hands paused as she lifted her head, meeting his words with a blank stare. It was hard to mask her disappointment. It was one thing to realize someone was flawed; it was another to see them turn downright ugly.
Years ago, she had saved Colton’s grandfather purely by chance. Back then, she had held onto the hope that Colton would remember the bond they once shared. As children, they had escaped kidnappers together, and he’d made her a promise: “You’ll be my wife one day, Allison.” She was the only one who had kept that memory alive. Later, when she learned he had a long-term love, she stepped aside without a word, believing their paths would never cross again. But when Melany ran off from an arranged marriage and went abroad, Keanu came begging, asking Allison to save their family. She agreed, stepping in where no one else could.
Now, after three long years, Colton seemed to relish dragging her name through the mud.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.