Her hands clenched into tight fists as she tried to steady her breathing.
“Mr. Lloyd, I didn’t say anything inappropriate. I would never-how could I spread baseless rumors?” Melany stammered, her voice shaky.
Kellan chuckled softly, the sound devoid of warmth, filled instead with mocking amusement. “You seem to have a talent for delving into the private affairs of others. Since you enjoy the attention so much, I wouldn’t mind letting all of Ontdale see how you wormed your way into a married man’s life, sneaking through his door while his wife was still around.”
His voice was calm, almost too casual, as he rested his chin on his hand.
“Or, if that’s not enough for you, I could let the world witness the more intimate chapters of your history with your foreign ex-husband. Photos included, of course. I’m sure everyone would be fascinated by such a display.” His tone was quiet, steady-like he had known all along the skeletons in her closet.
Melany found herself at a loss for words. Under the crushing weight of his gaze, she couldn’t summon the strength to argue further. She knew her hands were far from clean, and with Kellan’s far-reaching influence in the media-especially after his recent alliance with that top-tier marketing firm-he had the power to twist the truth at his whim. A single command from him, and her reputation would be scattered like leaves in the wind.
But more than that, she understood that Kellan could ruin her on a global scale if he so desired. Her secrets wouldn’t just be laid bare in Ontdale; he could expose her to the entire world.
Melany dared not utter a word, her silence a heavy weight as Colton seethed beside her. But Colton was far from ready to let things slide. “Mr. Lloyd, don’t think you can just throw your weight around like that!” he snapped, his voice slicing through the tension.
At this level, everyone knew what it meant when a powerful corporation stood behind someone. It was more than just backing; it signified a deep-rooted alliance, an entanglement of fates. The look Kellan had given earlier, while handing over the bag, was impossible to misinterpret by any man who understood the game. It wasn’t the look of a casual acquaintance, especially not from someone as cold-blooded and calculating as Kellan.
Realization struck, and Colton’s anger flared even hotter. His chest heaved, and the finger he jabbed toward Allison trembled with barely contained rage. “So, it’s true then. You’ve been involved with him all along. Now it makes sense-why you were so eager to cut ties with me, you slut!”
Melany’s poisonous whispers had twisted their way into Colton’s mind, binding him to his rage. Whatever lingering guilt he once had for Allison evaporated like steam on a hot iron. He was convinced now-Allison had sold herself for that business deal years ago.
“You had everything you could ask for in the Stevens family-comfort, security, all of it handed to you on a silver platter! We never treated you poorly, yet you repaid us by sneaking around, disgracing me with your filthy betrayal. Allison, you’re nothing but a lying tramp!” Colton’s eyes were bloodshot, his mind clouded with fury. He couldn’t even fully grasp why this rage consumed him, but it did, so much so that he lost all self-control, hurling vile words at Allison like daggers.
Crack! Allison didn’t flinch. Her response was swift-quick as lightning splitting the sky. Her slender fingers moved so fast they blurred, and the sound of bone snapping echoed through the room.
“Ahhh!” Colton hadn’t even processed what had just happened before a jolt of numbness shot through his fingers, followed by an excruciating, bone-deep agony. Allison had broken one of his fingers clean in half.
Sweat drenched his forehead, cold as ice, as his body convulsed from the shock. The sharp pain reignited the fracture in his other wrist, compounding his torment. With a heavy, humiliating thud, he dropped to his knees. The fall wasn’t just from the pain in his wrist or the freshly snapped finger-it felt like the agony had burned through him like wildfire.
He curled into himself, his spine contorting as if trying to shield himself from the relentless pain.
“Are you out of your mind, Allison?!” To anyone else watching, it might have seemed as though Colton was bowing in apology.
Even through the cloud of pain, a ridiculous thought flickered through his mind – at least she hadn’t aimed lower. If she’d applied that same force further down, his future would have been utterly destroyed.
“Oh my God! Colton, are you alright?” Melany shrieked, her voice trembling with fear. She had never witnessed such brutality before. The speed, the cold precision of Allison’s attack left her reeling. She stumbled backward, feeling an icy grip slither up her spine.
But Allison wasn’t done. She followed Colton as he crumpled, squatting beside him, her presence looming over him. Gripping his jaw with both hands, she forced it open, her control absolute.
“Is that all it takes for you to crumble in pain? We’re only just getting started.”
With a twist of her hands, she dislocated his jaw effortlessly. A small knife slipped from her sleeve, the blade gleaming ominously as she pressed it against his tongue.
“This tongue of yours, always wagging, always spinning lies. Let’s see how much it can wag once I slice it off.” Allison’s tone was cool, almost conversational, but the threat behind her words was sharp enough to cut.
The terrifying calm with which Allison carried out her threats sent a shiver down Melany’s spine. She stood frozen, too terrified to even breathe. Her mind flashed back to that day in Athton when Allison had sliced through her hair with nothing but a knife, and the sting of the slap she’d delivered.
That memory was enough to send Melany retreating further, her legs carrying her backward as fast as fear could push them, terrified that Allison might turn her wrath on her next.
Allison’s eyes remained fixed on Colton’s dislocated jaw, completely ignoring Melany, who seemed nothing more than background noise. “Funny, Mr. Stevens, how you’re so quick to spread rumors,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Almost makes one wonder if you envy those who close deals using more… physical assets. Could it be that the sting of rejection still lingers? Maybe when you tried it, nobody bit?”
Her lips curled into a cold grin, her gaze cutting right through him. “No surprise all your business partners are ancient relics. You can’t seem to handle the younger, more attractive types, can you? You assume everyone shares your garbage tastes.”
Mockery laced her words, but Allison felt no need to defend herself. Defending herself had grown tiresome, especially to those who had already decided who she was. Instead, she reveled in flipping their toxic games back at them, letting them stew in their own filth.
People’s opinions of her were just reflections of their own twisted minds. Colton’s assumptions only revealed the ugliness festering in his heart.
This woman… How could she dare humiliate him like this? “Urgh…” Colton groaned, trying to speak, but all that came out were muffled, pained sounds.
Noticing that the knife in her hand was dangerously close to his tongue, Allison flicked it upward just slightly, sending a jolt of terror down his spine. His eyes widened in panic, silently pleading with Melany for help.
But Melany stood frozen, like a statue, her fear rooting her to the spot.
“A-Allison… You’re out of your mind!” Melany stammered, her voice shaky as she edged backward. She watched in horror as Allison rose, each step deliberate, slow, and heavy with the inevitability of a closing coffin lid.
Colton’s desperate eyes meant nothing to her now. Self-preservation had kicked in. She stumbled over her words, trying to sound authoritative but failing miserably. “Stay away from me! What are you even thinking? You seriously planning to murder someone in broad daylight? There are cameras all over this place! You won’t get away with it!”
Her threats were more like the whimpers of a frightened child, utterly ridiculous to Allison.
“Relax,” Allison replied, tilting her head. “I’m not doing anything drastic. Just having a little fun, giving you two a taste of your own cowardice. Funny, isn’t it? The loudest barkers usually make the worst biters.”
Her eyes turned to steel, and her tone hardened.
“You want in on the Everett Group deal, don’t you? Well, here’s the deal: choke down that inflated pride of yours-really swallow it-and maybe I’ll consider it.” She let out a cold, dismissive laugh. “Money doesn’t move me, but watching you two grovel? Now that’s priceless.”
As she stared at Colton, a realization struck her-the boy who once promised to marry her was long gone, replaced by this pitiful excuse for a man. Memory loss had stolen his past, but what remained was a man utterly revolting.
From the sidelines, Kellan, who had been quietly watching the entire ordeal, wore a look of amused fascination. The way Allison had moved earlier, so precise, so sharp-it hadn’t changed one bit. Allison was still the same-always decisive, always exacting. She might play the part of an ordinary woman in front of others, but beneath the surface, her true nature was as razor-sharp as ever. And it suited her. A gem as brilliant as hers wasn’t meant to be smooth. It was meant to cut.
“Ms. Clarke, why even bother wasting a spot with the Everett Group on trash like them?” Kellan’s voice dripped with bemused condescension as he leaned casually on his hand.
“Let them take you to court. I’ll make sure you’ve got the best legal team in town. Trust me, Colton will be the one paying you damages by the time I’m done.”
He wasn’t bluffing. With his resources, winning would be easy-and turning the whole affair into a scandal that would dominate the headlines for weeks would be even easier.
Allison sighed, her frustration clear. “Let’s just drop it. A business deal isn’t worth the effort. They’re pathetic enough as it is.”
Turning toward Kellan, she let a teasing note slip into her voice. “Do you really think Mr. Stevens, with all his pride, would dare show his face after getting his ass handed to him by a woman?”
Her words were like salt in an open wound. Her tone was light, but the sting was unmistakable. “He’s got nothing left. If anyone finds out, they’ll laugh him out of town.”
Colton sat there, jaw hanging awkwardly, his eyes burning with fury and humiliation.
Colton couldn’t utter a single word, his mouth hanging open as if it were the only expression of his defeat. He stood there, a picture of humiliation, fully aware that no amount of physical pain could compare to the ridicule he would face if this mess ever went public. People would tear him apart, mocking the man who had been beaten to a pulp by a woman.
With Kellan’s influence looming large, any business allies sympathetic to the Lloyd Group would surely distance themselves from the Stevens Group. The damage was already clear.
“Does Mr. Stevens agree with this little arrangement?” Allison asked, her voice cold but casual. “After all, you only took a few hits, and in return, you get the coveted chance to work with the Everett Group-the very reason you groveled here today, isn’t it?”
Her indifference was cutting, but then she threw in a jab at Lindy. “You and Lindy, what a pair of fools. But at least you’ve achieved what you’ve been wanting. I bet she’d be proud of her precious little boy, still under his mama’s thumb.”
Allison knew all too well the twisted games Lindy and Colton played. Lindy didn’t care about Colton as much as she used him.
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.